Chapter 407: Dakdemon Manipulates the Axle (4k)
The light was so intense that it instantly illuminated the entire dormitory.
The mana spirits sleeping on their small beds were almost simultaneously awakened.
One pair of lively eyes after another opened instantly, turning toward the desk.
The movement in the bedroom stirred Dak from his dazed state. He struggled to open his eyes and was momentarily blinded by the glaring brightness.
“What happened?”
After the initial confusion, Dak quickly regained his senses and sat up halfway.
The source of the bright light was clear; once he adjusted to it, he could see the mana card standing on the desk.
“A dream spirit?”
Dak’s heart skipped a beat as he immediately threw off the covers and got out of bed.
It was early spring, but the night air was cool. Fortunately, his pajamas were thick enough.
He put on slippers and took just a few steps to reach the desk, reaching for the “dream spirit” mana card.
The quicker-reacting mana spirits also got out of bed, with Deoxys even grabbing a sword and leaping down, arriving beside Dak in a flash.
Following them, Eevee and the imp beast arrived, cautiously observing the glowing mana card.
The mana fluctuations emanating from the mana card created an extremely unsettling feeling.
Dak’s fingers touched the mana card at that moment.
In just that instant, he felt an electric shock, and his fingers snapped back: “Ouch!”
“What’s going on?” Deoxys leaped onto the desk, asking urgently.
Dak’s gaze darkened slightly, but he could only answer, “I don’t know.” He truly didn’t know.
There were no signs of change from the “dream spirit,” and the touch yielded no useful information.
The card’s surface was pure white, offering no visible details.
If it had been “Lion Beast” instead, he might have had some clues.
Thinking this, he suddenly noticed Lion Beast anxiously peering inside the mana card, not self-sleeping like “Meow.”
“It’s fine,” Dak reassured Lion Beast, adjusting the angle slightly so it could see the “dream spirit” mana card.
Then he summoned “Mana Book” to use a regular summoning spell to call forth “Lion Beast.”
He himself pulled out a magic pen, preparing to investigate further.
“Mew!”
“Buzzy!”
“Grrr…”
All the mana spirits gathered around, looking worriedly at the “dream spirit” mana card.
Their cries made Dak even more cautious.
He injected a bit of mana into the magic pen and approached the “dream spirit” mana card carefully.
When he touched it again, that electric sensation did not return, which slightly eased his mind.
He manipulated the mana to flow from the tip of the pen, making contact with the mana card.
At that instant, the mana suddenly trembled, sending high-frequency vibrations back through the pen.
Dak’s gaze flickered, and he gripped the pen tighter, pouring more mana into it.
Almost instantly, the vibrations were swallowed by the flood of mana.
Dak successfully pushed mana into the “dream spirit” mana card.
Immediately afterward, he felt the intense heat and softness within the card, akin to molten lava.
“Pain…”
The agony from the dream spirit echoed back through the mana card.
Dak’s heart raced, but he forced himself to remain calm and continued exploring with mana.
Mana perception was difficult to convey specific details, but he sensed the environment within the card was in extreme danger, much like the inside of a volcano about to erupt, creating an indescribable pressure.
The dream spirit trapped within seemed like a creature weakened by heat and smoke at the volcano’s mouth, desperate and in pain.
“Ahh!”
Dak wanted to delve deeper into the “volcano” when a sharp pain shot back through the mana.
Instinctively, he let out a cry and took a step back, drenched in cold sweat.
…
“Mew?”
Eevee immediately wrapped around Dak’s arm, and the other mana spirits became tense.
They might be able to provide great assistance in battle and life, but in matters involving magic and mana cards, they were helpless.
The sudden incident tonight left them somewhat at a loss.
“Yomimi…”
Eevee lifted its head, squinting its little face.
Logically, it should have been the most knowledgeable among the mana spirits about mana cards, yet it was powerless now.
This was very distressing.
“It’s okay,” Dak patted Eevee’s ribbon tentacles, trying to soothe it.
Then he pondered for a moment and muttered, “The dream spirit is affected by special power, but I have no idea what it is. That power causes pain and fear… it makes a dream spirit feel fear…”
“Let’s find a professor!” the imp beast suddenly said.
When in doubt, find a professor.
The imp beast clearly knew how to seek help.
Dak looked up at the imp beast, involuntarily recalling Senior Pandora’s advice to not rely too heavily on professors, but he quickly dismissed the thought and decisively said, “Let’s go!”
…
Dak moved swiftly. After making a decision, he immediately stored all the mana cards in his deck and grabbed “Paradise” before heading out.
Without any mana spirits watching over the dormitory, he usually wouldn’t leave “Paradise” behind.
With “Paradise” also in his deck, Dak held the magic pen and “dream spirit” mana card, quickly changing shoes and stepping out.
Behind him, the mana spirits surged out en masse.
Ditto transformed into a half-human form, holding the trash slime.
The floating “Mana Book” kept “Lion Beast” mana card between its pages, still summoning.
Deoxys and Eevee stood guard on either side of Dak.
The other mana spirits followed closely.
“Grrr.”
Huhu called out anxiously.
Dak reached out and recalled it into the mana card.
Then this group set off confidently toward the staircase.
“But which professor should I find? Or perhaps Sister Carrian would be better?”
Dak considered as he walked, soon descending the stairs to the common room.
The magical lights in the common room automatically lit up upon sensing someone’s arrival.
He didn’t pause, quickly passing through the room and reaching the door, then suddenly realized—it was already late at night!
“What time is it?”
Dak turned sharply to look at the wall clock.
The hour and minute hands were almost aligned, leaving little time until midnight.
His expression changed, and he yanked open the tower’s main door.
Creak!
As the door opened, a gust of night wind rushed in.
Several mana spirits shivered slightly.
The feathered serpent construct guarding the tower instantly opened its eyes, faint light glowing.
Dak felt the construct’s gaze and slightly raised the “dream spirit” mana card, whispering, “Find a professor, urgent matter.”
The feathered serpent construct’s gaze flickered, slowly closing its eyes.
Dak sighed in relief and charged out across the bridge.
He knew the construct wouldn’t let him enter after curfew, but since it was not yet midnight and he was just going out, there was room for negotiation.
He observed the “dream spirit” mana card as he walked.
The light from the card was no longer as intense as before, but its flicker became faster, creating a sense of urgency, as if something significant was brewing, and if not addressed promptly, the future would be irreversibly altered.
This heightened his sense of urgency.
From being startled awake by the sudden bright light to now stepping out of the tower, little time had passed.
He acted almost instinctively, with little time for reflection.
“Sister Carrian, Professor Shylph, Professor Lily… or perhaps Professor Kazel?”
In the direst situation, Dak finally chose Professor Kazel.
He increased his speed, rushing toward the professors’ dormitories.
A chill wind blew past him, and the nearly midnight castle was eerily quiet, except for the presence of numerous mana spirits.
“Beep—”
“Unauthorized unit detected!”
“Initiate arrest!”
The sudden appearance of the “Heavy Cavalry” construct made Dak frown.
“Di…”
He intended to command Deoxys to finish the task quickly when a strong wind suddenly swept past.
The newly summoned Lion Beast charged forward fiercely.
“I’ll handle it!” Lion Beast’s steady voice reverberated through the corridor.
Dak ducked low, quickly passing through the gap.
The “Heavy Cavalry” was instantly tackled by Lion Beast!
…
Not long after, Lion Beast returned to the formation.
Its mana hadn’t decreased significantly.
Whether it successfully overcame the “Heavy Cavalry” or merely shook it off, Dak didn’t inquire.
On the road ahead, there were no more obstacles. Just as he was about to reach the teacher’s dormitory, the “dream spirit” mana card he had been holding suddenly changed.
The originally white light gradually turned crimson and began to converge toward the center.
By the time he reacted, the light from the “dream spirit” mana card had transformed into a thick red beam, the size of a bowl, shooting straight at the wall!
…
Dak stopped abruptly, his gaze hesitantly following the red beam toward the castle walls. He quickly moved the mana card and found that the beam always pointed in the same direction.
“Is this guiding me somewhere?”
Dak lowered his gaze, injecting mana into his fingertips.
The familiar “electric sensation” quickly returned, but he forcefully suppressed it, pushing more mana into the “dream spirit” mana card.
This time, the penetration of mana brought entirely different sensations.
There was no longer the intense heat and pressure before an eruption, but instead, a warm and comfortable feeling, like being in a mother’s embrace, making one reluctant to leave.
Inside the mana card, the dream spirit…
was like a baby curled up in a cradle, sound asleep.
…
From the depths of suffering to sudden comfort and security, the change was too drastic for Dak to fully comprehend.
The crimson beam was gradually fading, but careful perception still revealed the mana’s guidance.
He looked at the direction indicated by the beam and glanced at the teachers’ dormitory under the dark night sky, realizing that the main event of Easter must be truly coming!
But what exactly was the main event?
And how was it related to the “dream spirit”?
Why did the “dream spirit” mana card exhibit such changes?
Dak turned sharply, charging toward the teacher’s dormitory.
Whatever it was, discussing it with the professors would surely provide more clues.
He wasn’t afraid of taking risks and was quite adept at “spectating.”
If this didn’t affect the safety of the “dream spirit,” he might follow the beam’s guidance alone to explore.
But there were no ifs.
As he thought, Dak arrived at the teacher’s dormitory.
But just as he was about to take the next step, he froze.
For some reason, he couldn’t move his foot forward—something invisible blocked his path, completely preventing him from advancing.
“Deoxys!”
“Received!”
The voice echoed instantly.
Deoxys softly shouted, drawing its sword.
The blade gleamed coldly.
It focused intently, pushing away the surrounding mana spirits and charging forward.
Relying on the momentum of its charge, it delivered a powerful slash at the void.
“Bang!”
A loud noise echoed.
The air in front trembled.
An invisible barrier rippled.
Dak’s expression turned serious as he noticed the air wall blocking the path, forming a concave arc where the ripple spread.
Rather than a wall in front of the teacher’s dormitory, it resembled a spherical barrier covering the entire castle!
The professors’ dormitory building was just outside this barrier.
Deoxys’ slash left no mark on the barrier.
Dak’s heart sank rapidly.
“What happened in this castle?”
…
Looking down from high above.
Moonlight illuminated the castle, distorting in a few spots.
Not just the teacher’s dormitory, but all the dormitory towers were isolated by the invisible barrier.
The only tower within the barrier was the spiral bell tower at the castle’s center.
The large hands on the clock moved smoothly.
The grinding of gears was clearer in the silent night.
Atop the spiral bell tower, the witch—the guide of fate, the fortune-teller with star eyes, the silver moon witch, Metia Bartholomew—pulled back the curtain, half her body protruding from the carriage window, observing the entire castle with interest.
Her eyes reflected the silver moon, shimmering with light.
“Metia, shall we begin?”
A voice echoed from inside the carriage.
Metia Bartholomew narrowed her eyes slightly, enjoying the breeze and reveling in the night’s excitement.
Her voice remained as seductive and alluring as ever.
“Yes, the wheels of time and space have begun to turn.”
