Chapter 613: Moon Goddess! Evolution! Moon Goddess! (10k)
To cut losses or take a risk?
Dark took a deep breath and quickly made his decision.
He could never choose to cut his losses.
After all, what truly was a loss?
If he stopped now, he would not only lose three points of “Bliss” and that “Moonstone,” but he would also never know the outcome of continuing the experiment.
For him, this was the most crucial part!
The “Moonstone” could be bought again if lost.
“Bliss” could be accumulated again if gone.
Only the experimental result had to come out!
Therefore, he temporarily paused while the reaction in the formation array was still relatively stable.
“The remaining two points of ‘Bliss’ are definitely insufficient.”
“Tonight I can draw exactly two more points.”
Dark narrowed his eyes, contemplating.
At the beginning of the month, there were 92 points of “Bliss.” After drawing two points, 90 remained.
But when refining the “Hakuya Jewel,” he accidentally increased some “Bliss.” Now it was just enough.
He picked up the Mana Dropper again, cast the “Soul Curse” and “Technique of the Shadow God,” causing “Bliss” to overflow from his brain. Then he used the “蜻蜓点水法” to draw another drop of “Bliss.”
One drop, two points.
…
Dark dropped this one point of “Bliss” into the Thought Bottle, slightly shook it, and continued with the experiment.
During experiments, to observe changes more meticulously, he usually drew one drop at a time.
“This is already the fourth drop, counting the ones already added!”
When this drop of “Bliss” entered the formation array, the surface light changed slightly, gradually rippling.
He hesitated briefly before adding the fifth drop.
That fifth drop of “Bliss” fell into the light surface like a drop of hot oil, causing the surface to suddenly boil.
Dark closely watched the formation array, using his Mana Pen to inject Mana for adjustments with his other hand.
He immediately added the sixth drop of “Bliss.”
This drop plunged directly, as if trying to penetrate the light surface, then fell to the bottom and rose again, instantly diffusing and dissolving, emitting intense light!
A hint of green gradually appeared within the light.
The “Moonstone” was completely submerged.
Dark did not hesitate and immediately drew the last drop of “Bliss.”
The instant “Bliss” touched the light surface, the green concealed within the light solidified, forming the emblem of “Bliss.”
The brilliance of the formation array finally reached its peak.
Seeing the increasingly glaring light, Dark finally breathed a sigh of relief, unable to suppress a smile.
“It looks like we’ve won the bet!”
Seven points of “Bliss” were more than sufficient.
This Mana Card entered its final refining stage.
The light array of the formation array completely converged onto the surface of the Mana Card, with internal reactions becoming intense.
Dark’s lips tightened, his gaze tense.
Each end of Mana Card’s refinement process was akin to paying for a gacha, pressing “ten consecutive pulls” and being unable to turn back.
Fortunately, his luck in Mana Card refinement had always been good.
The internal reactions of the Mana Card gradually stabilized, clearly progressing in a positive direction.
At this moment.
Knock, knock, knock.
There was a knock on the door.
Dark stretched his muscles and went to open the door.
Waiting at the door were the Mana Spirits who had returned early, along with Aurora, wearing gloves and carrying a tray.
The Mana Spirits only knocked after sensing his mental relaxation.
“Good evening.”
Dark passed by the Mana Spirits and greeted Aurora, letting them all in.
The Mana Spirits “pa pa” walked into the room, making the atmosphere lively.
“Miaow—”
The Grass Cats’ calls were also cheerful.
Dark asked Aurora to sit at the desk and wait, then returned to the experiment table.
At this moment, the Mana Card on the table had stopped reacting, emitting a stable aura.
He picked up the Mana Card with tweezers, washed it clean, and brought it close.
On the surface of the Mana Card, there was an unmistakable stone, almost identical in shape to the previous “Moonstone.”
However, apart from the shape, the material of the stone seemed completely different.
The original “Moonstone” looked like an ordinary stone with a crescent-shaped mark.
But this “Moonstone” was as clear and transparent as moonlight.
It emitted a faint pink glow from within.
Just holding it, Dark felt an unusually strong “Bliss” aura!
That feeling was somewhat similar to “Bliss III,” but different.
He didn’t continue speculating and directly injected Mana to get feedback after the observation ended.
[Card Name: Moon Goddess Stone]
[Type: Item Card]
[Effect: Charisma +10, able to fully stimulate the “Moon Power” within Mana Spirits.]
“A single effect, increasing charisma by 10 points, but no bonus to Bliss.”
Dark sighed in slight disappointment but couldn’t help feeling relieved.
Without the “Bliss” bonus, it meant he could touch this “Moon Goddess Stone” without worrying about losing control over “Bliss.”
Finally, the most crucial point was that this “Moon Goddess Stone” should indeed have capabilities similar to the “Moon Stone” in Pokémon, which means it could cause specific Mana Spirits to evolve.
But how effective it would be needed verification.
“From the information alone, it should only work on Mana Spirits with ‘Moon Power.'”
“Among my Mana Spirits, which ones have ‘Moon Power’?”
“Piplup, Dream Eevee, Demon Fox Beast, Big Milk Jar, Eevee, Vampire Noble…”
“But rather than ‘Moon Power,’ these Mana Spirits seem to possess ‘Bliss’ power.”
“Even though ‘Bliss’ and ‘Moon’ are closely related, they cannot be equated.”
“The most significant example is ‘Moon Goddess Soul I,’ which divides into ‘Divine Rank Armed: Moon Goddess’ and ‘Capital Sin Armed: Bliss.'”
“Speaking of the Moon Goddess… she should be the purest entity with ‘Moon Power’ among my current Mana Spirits.”
“But ‘Moon Goddess Soul I’ is not a Mana Spirit, and comparing ‘Moon Goddess Stone’ to ‘Bliss III’ in terms of power should not be enough to strengthen it… Of course, the true effectiveness needs to be tested.”
Dark extended his hand and cast a regular summoning spell.
“In the name of Dark Demon, Mana Summon — ‘Moon Goddess Stone’!”
With a chill, the “Moon Goddess Stone” manifested in his palm.
He held the stone, carefully feeling it, then looked at the Mana Spirits and said, “Who wants to try?”
The Mana Spirits exchanged glances. The Imp Beast’s eyes rolled, and it immediately volunteered, “I’ll do it!”
Dark nodded and waited for it to fly in front of him, then placed the “Moon Goddess Stone” on its forehead.
Like equipping a weapon.
The “Moon Goddess Stone” released intense light.
Unlike “Bliss III,” the light from the “Moon Goddess Stone” was purer, more akin to “moonlight.”
But under this moonlight, the Imp Beast still evolved!
Its skull pattern on the forehead transformed into the emblem of “Bliss,” and its entire body turned into light under the intense glow.
When the light subsided, it had transformed into a black-furred cat!
“Did it evolve into ‘Black Diarumon’?”
Dark relaxed once more.
Being able to evolve the Imp Beast into a Black Diarumon indicated that this refinement was at least not a loss.
Indeed, it saved three points of “Bliss.”
He checked the attributes of “Black Diarumon” and found no difference compared to the evolution obtained using “Bliss III.”
This showed that the “Moon Goddess Stone” still contained ample “Bliss,” with the missing three points supplemented by other factors.
Its manifestation of “Moon Power” properties only indicated that its “Moon Power” was stronger than “Bliss”!
Dark’s mind raced, finally capturing that fleeting insight.
His eyes lit up with excitement, looking forward to this “Moon Goddess Stone” even more.
…
“How perfect!”
After evolving into “Black Diarumon,” the Imp Beast, aside from other things, became noticeably more adept at抢夺夜宵.
Dark observed its behavior and noticed it had a better ability to suppress the influence of “Bliss” on emotions, indicating that the “Moon Goddess Stone” had some advantage in this aspect.
However, after fifteen minutes, the Black Diarumon reverted back to an Imp Beast.
“There wasn’t any noticeable improvement in evolution duration?”
Dark frowned; it seemed that fifteen minutes was the fixed limit for evolution, with only a minute or two of fluctuation.
After finishing the night meal and sending Aurora off, the cooldown for the “Moon Goddess Stone” reset.
Dark did not conduct further experiments on the Mana Spirits this time.
As he had previously stated, none of his Mana Spirits required “Moonstones” for evolution like Pokémon such as “Pikachu” or “Pikablu,” nor did he have any digital beasts like “Moon Beast” that relied heavily on “Moon Power.”
In his possession, only “Moon Goddess Soul I”!
If forced, he could only add the “Moon Eevee” evolved from Eevee.
But that was an experiment for later.
Now, he wanted to see if this “Moon Goddess Stone” had effects beyond “Bliss III” when used on the “Moon Goddess” after armed evolution?
Although “Moon Goddess (Divine Rank Armed)” was extraordinarily powerful, it was actually only a second-tier six-star Mana Spirit.
Created based on the “Warrior Spirit,” it theoretically should have “Human Form,” “Beast Form,” and a “Hybrid Form” evolved from the fusion of “Human Form” and “Beast Form.”
The mature “Human Form,” the complete “Beast Form,” and the ultimate “Hybrid Form”!
Translated into Mana Spirits, that would be second tier, third tier, fourth tier, and above.
Since the “Moon Power” level contained in this “Moon Goddess Stone” was higher than “Bliss,” Dark speculated that it might be able to produce effects nearly equivalent to “Bliss IV” when targeting specific Mana Spirits with “Moon Power” as their core!
If this experiment with “Moon Goddess” succeeded,
it likely meant that this “Moon Goddess Stone” could evolve specific Pokémon like “Pikachu” and “Pikablu” to the third tier.
The significance was immense.
It represented that in certain situations, relying solely on seven points of “Bliss” could achieve the effects of thirty points of “Bliss”!
Thus, not only would three points of “Bliss” be saved, but a total of twenty-three points of “Bliss”!
Excitement grew in Dark, and he immediately summoned the “Moon Goddess Soul.”
The “Moon Goddess Soul” approached with a lazy expression, its slender arms wrapping around him from behind.
Dark held the “Moon Goddess Soul I” between his index and middle fingers, chanting, “Gathered prayers will become the new silver moonlight, shining brightly, armed evolution — Moon Goddess!”
With a surge of Mana,
Injected with the Soul of the Moon Goddess, his body tightly fused with hers from behind.
His body was soon enveloped in silver radiance, gradually transforming into a luminous form.
As the silver armor snugly fitted onto his skin, he could feel the energy within him continuously elevating, gradually covering and subsuming other energies, allowing his armed evolution to transform into a six-star golem—the “Moon Goddess”!
He did not indulge in this newfound power.
After the three-second cooldown ended, he retrieved the Moon Goddess Stone and began chanting the usual summoning spell.
When the Moon Goddess Stone materialized in his hand, he slowly pressed it into the chest mirror.
Instantly, dazzling silver light burst forth from the chest mirror, engulfing his evolved armored form.
He once again entered the “luminous entity” state, with his body undergoing continuous dramatic changes under the glow of evolution!
This transformation was even more intense than when he first evolved into the “Moon Goddess”!
…
The golems all watched intently, feeling that their master had become increasingly captivating compared to before.
…
The explosive growth of power was intoxicating.
Dak was immersed in the evolutionary process, his mind suddenly floating above, observing himself from an omniscient perspective.
The silver armor derived from the Moon Goddess Armed separated from his body, floating back into the air.
The head armor transformed into a fierce beast’s appearance, while sharp claws emerged from the limbs’ armor.
The entire armor shell thickened further, becoming heavier and more powerful.
Behind him, a silver metal tail extended sharply, striking the void.
He suddenly spread his arms, and all the armor tightly adhered to him.
“Roar!”
A roar seemed to emerge from the depths of his heart.
Dak’s feet firmly touched the ground, an unprecedented surge of power filling his body!
He tried to take a step forward, and his entire body suddenly lunged forward, stopping abruptly in front of a full-length mirror.
After a brief moment of astonishment, he turned to look at the mirror.
Reflected in the mirror was a towering beast form over two and a half meters tall.
There were significant differences between the “Beast Form” evolution and the “Human Form” evolution.
The “Human Form” armor was thin and delicate, making the “Moon Goddess” slender and agile.
In contrast, the “Beast Form” armor was extremely heavy, overall large and imposing, exuding a cold and deadly aura.
Dak carefully observed, discovering that the helmet part seemed to belong to a feline species, though the ears were reduced to layered triangular structures extending backward, making it difficult to discern under the silver metal.
Only the chin was visible on the face, still human-like.
But the upper and lower armors aligned with fangs.
At the center of his body, the chest mirror bearing mysterious runes remained, but it had also thickened significantly along with the armor.
The claws on his hands were as sharp as blades.
His feet were similarly equipped.
The silver steel tail behind him was segmented, resembling a steel whip.
With a thought, the steel tail suddenly extended, able to stretch and retract freely!
He lightly pushed off with his feet, and the massive body floated up—still capable of moving in the air!
“Hu—”
Taking a deep breath.
Dak quickly suppressed the loss of control due to the surge in bestial power, focusing calmly on the changes within him.
[Card Name: Night Tiger God (Divine Rank Armed)]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ??????]
[Race: Illusory Divine Kin]
[Attribute: Dark]
[Mana: 3500]
[Attack: 4000]
[Defense: 3500]
[Ultimate Skills: Divine Rank Armed, Moon Wheel Mirror Spin, Moon Tiger God Descent, Moon Tiger Roar.]
“Night Tiger God”? It seems the armed form is tiger-shaped.
After the “Moon Goddess” successfully transformed from “Human Form” to “Beast Form,” it broke through the barrier from the second tier to the third tier.
However, the seven-star level means it is not in its complete state.
Under normal circumstances, it should wait for the “Soul of the Moon Goddess I” to absorb more primordial divinity, upgrading from “Soul of the Moon Goddess I” to “Soul of the Moon Goddess II,” and the “Moon Goddess Armed” would evolve from “Human Form” to “Beast Form.”
At that time, the star rating of the “Night Tiger God (Divine Rank Armed)” might be nine!
But the “Moon Goddess Stone” only used seven points of “Bliss,” and achieving this effect was already an unexpected surprise; one cannot demand too much more.
Dak focused slightly and continued to sense.
The “Night Tiger God (Divine Rank Armed)” remained an Illusory Divine Kin, possessing divinity.
Its attribute was Dark, with no changes.
However, there was a significant increase in its stats.
Originally, the “Moon Goddess (Divine Rank Armed)” had perfect stats at 3000 points each, but it did not break through.
After increasing by one star, the “Night Tiger God (Divine Rank Armed)” had stats exceeding the perfect seven-star level by an additional 500 attack points!
Moreover, the inherent ultimate skill of the “Moon Goddess Armed”—”Divine Rank Armed”—could bring the stats of the “Night Tiger God” to an extremely terrifying level!
[Divine Rank Armed: Passive Skill. The Divine Rank Armed possesses divine power, not only granting the wearer immense strength.
It also enhances the wearer’s rank, rendering most change-type ultimate skills ineffective. Mana +1000, Attack +1000, Defense +1000, Rank +1.]
The power of “Divine Rank Armed” needs no further elaboration.
The original ultimate skill of the “Moon Goddess”—”Moon Goddess Mirror”—transformed into “Moon Wheel Mirror Spin.”
[Moon Wheel Mirror Spin: The Moon Goddess Mirror embedded in the chest absorbs moonlight, converting it into mana for the [Divine Rank Armed: Night Tiger God], allowing it to function without consuming the wearer’s mana in the night. Even during the day, it can use stored moonlight to sustain the armor.
If necessary, it can release all stored moonlight, turning the Night Tiger God’s armor into a completely reflective surface, fully deflecting and reflecting opponents’ attacks for thirty seconds, rendering most ultimate skills ineffective.]
“This change…”
Dak’s eyes revealed surprise.
He never imagined that the stationary ultimate skill “Moon Goddess Mirror” would gain mobility after evolving into “Beast Form,” and it additionally gained the ability to reflect attacks.
Although the so-called “complete deflection” was limited by the strength of the moonlight stored in the Moon Goddess Mirror, he had experimented and found the threshold to be surprisingly high.
Transforming into “mirror form,” the “Night Tiger God” was almost invincible for thirty seconds!
The strength of the “Night Tiger God” was astonishing.
“Is this the strength of a ‘God Card’?”
Dak was shocked.
Although the “Night Tiger God” was temporarily only seven stars, none of its four ultimate skills were missing.
The first two ultimate skills alone were sufficient to support its status as a “God Card.”
The latter two ultimate skills further defined its strength.
[Moon Tiger God Descent: Summon (Moon Tiger) to descend. The [Moon Tiger] has double the attack and defense of [Night Tiger God] and one-tenth the mana, lasting thirty seconds.
If under moonlight, the duration doubles. If on a full moon night, the duration triples!]
[Moon Tiger Roar: (Night Tiger God) concentrates moonlight and releases a tiger-shaped shockwave. If (Moon Tiger) is present, it can be released simultaneously.]
“Too strong.”
All words condensed into a single exclamation of awe.
With this “Night Tiger God” armed form, the “Soul of the Moon Goddess I” truly became a god card beyond limits.
Its strength was entirely reflected in solid data without any false pretenses.
Moreover, the versatility of the “Soul of the Moon Goddess I” was unimaginably high.
As the super-core magical card of the “Bliss” series, its existence seemed to be aimed at ending duels.
With this magical card, the “Silver Cup” lost its meaning to him, and the “Golden Cup” was the true stage.
Dak suddenly looked out the window.
Moonlight slanted, spilling onto the balcony, exceptionally clear.
It made him want to fly into the night sky to test the power of “Moon Tiger God Descent” and “Moon Tiger Roar.”
But it was late and quiet, unsuitable for such activities.
He had to suppress his excitement and then slowly解除 the summon of the “Soul of the Moon Goddess I.”
…
When he reverted from the “Night Tiger God” state, the curious onlookers immediately surrounded him.
Dak saw Deoxys with furrowed brows, Imp Beast with bright eyes, and Demon Fox Beast with a raised lip…
Indeed, he heard Deoxys approach and ask, “Is this new armed evolution also ‘Bliss’-specific?”
Dak tasted the disappointment in her calm tone, but he still said, “Indeed.”
Demon Fox Beast’s lip curled even higher.
Eevee skillfully jumped into Dak’s arms, using a ribbon to wrap around his arm and caress him.
Unlike Imp Beast and Eevee, which needed to ascend or evolve using “Bliss”-series magical cards to use “Moon Goddess (Armed Evolution),” these “Bliss”-created magical golems could use “Moon Goddess (Armed Evolution)” from their initial state.
This meant they each had the potential to evolve into “Night Tiger God.”
They could also showcase themselves on the high-level duel stage.
Previously, only “Pride IV” and no “Bliss IV” had left them frustrated.
Now they finally had a replacement!
…
However, the experiment with the “Moon Goddess Stone” was not yet complete.
Dak sat down to organize his experiences, starting the next experiment close to midnight.
First, he used “Bliss III? Moon” to evolve [Magical Beast: Eevee] into [Magical Beast: Moon Eevee], then used the “Moon Goddess Stone” on it!
Sure enough, it gained further enhancement.
[Card Name: Magical Beast (Moon Eevee)]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ?????]
[Race: Avian-beast Kin]
[Attribute: Evil]
[Mana: 2500]
[Attack: 2400]
[Defense: 3000]
[Ultimate Skills: Moonlight, Evil Fluctuation, Shadow Ball, Hell Stab.]
Just like the incomplete “Pride IV” could evolve [Magical Beast: Eevee] into a six-star [Magical Beast: Sun Eevee],
this “Moon Goddess Stone” could do the same.
Only, it required a bit more effort, needing “Bliss III? Moon” as a foundation.
Then, using the “Moon Goddess Stone” on [Magical Beast: Eevee] without the “Bliss III? Moon” foundation would provide specific reference.
But Dak was somewhat certain it would be useless.
[Moon Eevee] was a specific target for the “Moon Goddess Stone,” whereas [Eevee] was not.
Using the “Moon Goddess Stone” directly on [Eevee] would likely result in evolving it into a four-star [Moon Eevee]…
As for the huge improvement of a six-star [Moon Eevee] over a four-star,
besides the significant increase in stats, it would also obtain a fourth ultimate skill— “Hell Stab”!
[Hell Stab: After hitting the opponent, it deals massive damage and inflicts torment akin to being in hell, lasting
Within two rounds.
During these two rounds, opponents who cannot bear pain will find it difficult to make a sound, release their ultimate skills, or move.
Although the effect of “Hell Stab” varies depending on the opponent’s pain tolerance, it can still be considered a restriction skill – especially when used against beings with normal senses!
Magical Golems have some resistance to pain perception, so they can withstand pain relatively well.
Thus, they would mostly be affected but not immobilized.
The degree of impact varies from one to another.
Dark put away his mana card and practiced “Technique of the Shadow God” for half an hour as usual before quickly falling asleep.
…
On Thursday morning, a light drizzle started outside.
After washing up, Dark sat in front of his desk, picked up Lil’Eevee, and used the Moon Goddess Stone on it.
Then, his confident prediction from last night was instantly proven wrong!
[Magical Beast: Eevee] evolved into a six-star [Magical Beast: Moon Eevee] after directly using the Moon Goddess Stone!
“Eevee really is amazing…”
Dark stroked his cheek, marveling at it.
In fact, most Eevees require an evolution stone to evolve to the next stage, but Moon Eevee, Sun Eevee, and Fairy Eevee are exceptions, leading him to misjudge.
He hadn’t expected that [Magical Beast: Eevee] itself is a specific target for the Moon Goddess Stone.
But this was certainly good news.
He flipped through his notebook, crossed out the line of speculation about it, and wrote down a new conclusion.
Overall, the creation of the Moon Goddess Stone was a tremendous success.
He couldn’t wait to hang the bounty for “Moon Stone” in the task hall and have sisters Eve and Irina post acquisition signs in the shop.
Although “Moon Stone” is extremely rare, it can always be found within Saint Maryann Academy.
He didn’t ask for much; he just needed to acquire two more…
[Greedy +1]
…
After successfully transforming a Moon Stone into a Moon Goddess Stone, Dark made significant progress in his research on crafting道具卡 (magic cards).
The transformation of a Moon Stone differs greatly from that of a Dark Magic Stone, moving beyond mere imitation.
Next, he needed to craft道具卡宝物 (magic card treasures): Bronze Mirror, Wooden Carving, and Joker Mask.
It was speculated that “Joker Mask” would still use Bliss, but since he had no inventory, he decided to postpone it.
The Bronze Mirror is a replica of Medusa’s Mirror, capable of petrifying anything it reflects. Crafting it as a道具卡 would likely require Greed, symbolized by Saturn, which he could try.
However, considering he needed to enter the dungeon adventure the next afternoon, he ultimately chose to first transform the Wooden Carving into a Substitute Puppet!
But with less than twenty-four hours left after the Alchemy Class ended, he couldn’t be sure if he could succeed, so he decided to do his best.
“In any case, let’s get ready for Alchemy Class.”
Dark rubbed his temples and went out.
Professor Kazel finally began teaching alchemy specifics in this session of Alchemy Class.
Though it was still the most basic part, it required the full use of the Eye of Truth to identify alchemy materials and then create equivalent substances.
All the students present were gifted and learned quickly.
Dark wasn’t particularly outstanding among them.
The intense learning atmosphere led to healthy competition, making everyone extremely serious — which was very disadvantageous for Dark.
He tried to steal moments of rest amidst his exhaustion.
By the end of the Alchemy Class, Dark was quite tired.
He brought his notebook to the library, registered with Miss Bella, and entered the reading room to finish the homework he had accumulated over the past few days.
When Senior Pandora finally came to relieve him, Dark put down his pen and walked over.
It was already noon.
…
“Good afternoon, Senior.”
Dark slipped behind the counter and sat beside Pandora.
Pandora looked at him with a smile, “What? Did you come to inquire about the crafting of Substitute Puppet?”
Dark placed his notebook on the table and nodded, “Yes, how did you know?”
Pandora rolled her eyes at him, “I don’t know you. You never come to me unless there’s something.”
Dark said awkwardly, “I’m busy, you know.”
“Forget it,” Pandora tapped the books on the table, “Actually, I’m busy too. Let’s get in and out quickly.”
Dark wiped his nose and said, “I might be slower.”
Pandora turned around and said, “The difficulty of crafting a Substitute Puppet isn’t that high. You’ve got a good grasp of Mana Language and have been researching道具卡 (magic cards). Your basics are in place.
And the main difficulty in crafting a Substitute Puppet lies in the original embryo, but you already have one ready.”
Dark took out the wooden carving from his bag and placed it on the table, asking, “Is this wooden carving rare?”
Pandora nodded, “Indeed. I’ve been here for a long time, and I only got two. One exploded during the crafting process, leaving me with just one Substitute Puppet mana card.”
Dark nodded, “So, I should prepare for this being my only chance?”
Pandora said, “Not necessarily. You might find a treasure chest and get a second or third one. Anyway, let’s stop talking. Bring your paper and pen, and we’ll start explaining.”
Dark moved his notebook and pen closer, joining in.
The scent invading his nostrils made him nervous, so he focused intently on the notebook.
Pandora picked up the pen, leaned in, and explained while writing.
Her explanation was much more detailed and easier to understand than what was in “Three Thousand Tools and Eight Thousand Refinement Methods.”
She predicted mistakes he might make and wrote down preventive points in the notebook.
Within just a few hours, she completed the explanation of the Substitute Puppet crafting, holding nothing back.
Dark listened attentively, but due to her fast pace, he still missed some details.
After thanking her, he retreated to the quiet reading room to further study.
Whenever he encountered problems he couldn’t solve, he relied on himself until he figured it out before dark.
“It seems I might make it in time?”
Dark gathered his papers and stood up.
When he exited the reading room, he noticed Senior Pandora was no longer at the counter.
At Saint Maryann Academy, especially among top students, they are indeed very busy.
They set their own challenges, and once they thoroughly study one, new ones immediately appear.
Participating in events and stepping onto the dueling stage might be a form of relaxation for them.
Dark left the library and headed towards the cafeteria.
Tonight, there was Astrology Class.
…
“Ring! Ring! Ring!”
At nine o’clock sharp, Astrology Class ended.
Dark went straight downstairs to the Magical Animal Club and entered the club president’s office to begin writing his personal Substitute Puppet mana language.
Besides the wooden carving embryo, the other challenge in crafting a Substitute Puppet lies in the mana language.
Two sets of mana languages need to be written; one inscribed on the wooden carving, and the other used in the crafting process.
Even though he had a template from Senior Pandora, he still encountered difficulties while writing.
When he was at a loss, he thought of Senior Catalysta in the reading room and went to ask her.
Catalysta glanced at his notebook and pointed out his mistakes, making him realize his errors.
He hurried back to the office to continue writing.
After he left, Catalysta looked strange and muttered, “He’s starting to craft a Substitute Puppet now? Should I also make some mana cards to practice?”
…
A sudden heavy rainstorm hit late at night, trapping them in the clubroom for a while.
By ten o’clock, they finally braved the smaller rain and rushed into the castle.
That night, Dark didn’t dare stay up late and fell asleep quickly.
The next day, Friday, the weather cleared up.
After a refreshing wake-up, Dark continued his studies.
At nine in the morning, the final programming was completed.
He hurriedly started the crafting process.
Most materials were available in the dorm, and everything was ready.
He summoned Meow, having it engrave the already-written mana language onto the wooden carving.
Meow twirled the blade and nodded, swiftly engraving away.
Dark looked on, feeling inadequate.
But thinking that Meow was his, he felt proud, as Meow’s craftsmanship was his own.
Recently, Meow, Little Cubone, Huhu, and Big Milk Jar, with their unique skills, became very popular in the Saint Maryann Academy task system, even attracting direct visits from people who wanted to commission tasks.
The Magical Animal Club’s task points increased unexpectedly.
…
The crafting of the Substitute Puppet proceeded smoothly.
Every minor problem seemed solvable by referencing the notebook.
Dark’s proficiency in crafting道具卡 (magic cards) improved rapidly, and he gradually became more adept.
Following Pandora’s crafting method, he dripped his blood into the Haemmer炼成阵 (Haemmer Formation) when he finally placed the wooden carving inside.
Once the blood mixed, the Substitute Puppet completely connected with the mage.
Carrying it close, it would automatically trigger if the mage sensed danger above a certain threshold, taking the damage while instantly casting the Flash Spell to teleport the mage nearby.
If applied to a magical golem, it needed to be equipped beforehand.
“Tick!”
Suddenly, a drop of liquid fell from the ceiling.
Taken aback, Dark watched the drop fall into the炼成阵 (formation), causing the entire process to conclude swiftly.
He looked up and saw Little Lily emerging halfway from the ceiling, her face darkening.
“Hey!”
Professor Lily Laplace flipped down from the ceiling, lightly dusted off her skirt, and grinned, “Why the long face? Didn’t you just craft your Substitute Puppet?”
Dark looked down at the mana card and sighed in relief.
No matter what, the Substitute Puppet had entered its final self-forging phase and was essentially complete.
“Did you arrive early?” He turned his head and asked.
Lily floated beside him, wide-eyed and curious, looking at his room.
“I’ve been here for ages, waiting,”
