Chapter 614: Dark Demon and Professor同行 (6k)
Lily turned around and said, “Sarah asked me to bring you along. We need to make some preparations in advance.”
Dark was curious, “Have all the participants for this dungeon exploration been confirmed?”
“Mm-hm.” Lily said excitedly, “Sarah, Pava, Claire, Kazel, and Nina.”
“Professor Nina?” Dark couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Although they were familiar faces that made him feel at ease, how did Professor Nina get involved?
Moreover, wasn’t Professor Kazel unaware of this until the night before last?
Could it be that they only decided yesterday?
Dark’s mind was full of questions, but asking Lily seemed impolite.
He shook his head, turning back to look at the experimental table.
The “Puppet Dummy” had stopped reacting.
He picked it up with tweezers, washed it, and examined it closely.
The card face of the “Puppet Dummy” contained a puppet figure, but this puppet figure was already quite different from the original “Wood Carving.”
It moved unconsciously on the card face, no longer in the seated posture like the “Wood Carving.”
Moreover, the originally outlined face had become more refined, showing a trace of Dark’s own shadow.
After the “Puppet Dummy” was formed, only the Magus himself and his personally created Mana Spirit could use it.
This type of special Mana Card did not require a “Mind Lock,” so there was no worry about someone taking it and using it.
Dark carefully observed, suddenly frowning as he noticed that on the back of the puppet… though very faint, there were indeed some traces of transparent wings…
He couldn’t help but raise his head to stare at Professor Lily.
The pattern looked exactly like Lily’s wings.
Lily blinked innocently.
Dark took a deep breath, helplessly lowering his head to continue examining the Mana Card.
Once he injected his Mana, information began to feedback.
Indeed, the “Puppet Dummy” had issues.
[Card Name: Fairy Puppet]
[Type: Item Card]
[Effect: The Fairy Puppet can take damage in critical moments and instantly trigger the Flash Spell, teleporting the owner nearby. At the same time, it can specially summon a Mana Spirit of the Fairy type (needs to be recorded beforehand).]
Dark was silent for a while, then stared at Lily for a moment before suddenly patting her shoulder with a look of relief, praising, “Well done!”
This “Fairy Puppet” had an additional special summoning ability on top of the “Puppet Dummy.”
Though the special summoned Mana Spirit must be of the Fairy type, it undoubtedly greatly increased its practicality—especially in Mana Duels!
And such special summoning could basically cross tiers if the conditions were met.
In short, the third-tier Mana Spirits were unknown, but second-tier Mana Spirits might be able to be specially summoned.
The only problem was that he only had one Fairy-type Mana Spirit card.
And it was a “Mana Book” which had little combat capability.
But it didn’t matter; given the compatibility between the Fairy type and “Bliss,” creating several Fairy-type Mana Spirits was just a matter of time.
For example, “Pipi” and “Pangding” were both Fairy types and specific objects of the “Moon Goddess Stone.”
If he could create such Mana Spirits, it would relatively complete the “Bliss” deck.
Dark had a new goal and felt more optimistic.
“In the name of Dark Demon, Mana Summon — ‘Fairy Puppet’!”
After being summoned, the transparent wings of the “Fairy Puppet” became more noticeable.
Dark immediately summoned the “Mana Book” and used the “Fairy Puppet” to record it.
Once the recording was completed, a small Mana Book projection appeared on the card face of the “Fairy Puppet,” adding a touch of interest.
However, due to the cooldown of such Mana Cards usually being 24 hours, Dark did not experiment immediately.
After putting away the “Fairy Puppet,” he quickly tidied up the remaining experiment materials.
Professor Lily took the opportunity to float into the bedroom and wander around.
When Dark finished organizing, she said, “Are we ready? Ready to go?”
Dark walked to the bedside and smiled, “Wait, I need to prepare something.”
“Prepare what?” Lily patted her chest, “With Lily here!”
“That’s right.” Dark said as he swiftly grabbed the backpack by the bedside, putting some essential items for dungeon adventure inside.
Although he already had a one-cubic-meter “Dungeon Storage Box,” it could only be activated within the dungeon. He needed to enter the dungeon first to put his items in.
Finally, he collected all the Mana Spirits in his dormitory and said to Professor Lily, “Shall we visit the club first?”
Lily curiously asked, “Is there anything to bring?”
Dark picked up three “Grass Cat Plants” and said, “Let’s take them over.”
Apart from the “Grass Cat Plants,” there was also a “Worm Tree” in the dorm room, but he had already applied magic potions in advance. If there was a sudden change in weather, Agumon would come to take care of it, so there wouldn’t be major problems.
Lily glanced at the “Grass Cat Plants” in his arms and leaned in to wrap her arm around his, saying, “Then let’s go?”
Dark nodded slightly.
Lily lifted her foot, releasing her Mana to envelop both of them.
Then their bodies blurred like illusions, advancing through the void.
Dark felt a flash before his eyes and found himself already in front of the clubroom.
He pushed open the door and entered.
The Mana Spirits inside the clubroom were also prepared.
Dark handed the “Grass Cat Plants” to Agumon, then calmed down the “Tiny Night Bird,” and walked into the reading room, picking up the “Baby Bear.”
[Going now?]
Shirley Augustine wrote nervously on the copy.
Since being taken out of the dungeon, nearly half a month had passed.
To be honest, she had gradually adapted to life within the Magical Animal Club.
Even though sometimes she felt like a frog slowly boiled in warm water, eventually to be cooked and eaten.
But the past month had been too comfortable!
Apart from Dark occasionally coming to chat, none of the professors ever came looking for her, and the other members of the Magical Animal Club treated her well. The Mana Spirits did not reject her either.
Sometimes, she could even blend in with Dark’s Mana Spirits and explore the castle.
Overall, she lived a life of eating, sleeping, and reading in peace every day.
Completely unlike the fearful life in the dungeon.
Even in her deepest memories, the self living in the “Ice Tower” had never been so free.
She had always carried chains.
It’s just a matter of looseness and tightness.
Therefore, now that he was about to return to the dungeon, it suddenly felt a bit fearful.
Therefore, when Dark nodded at it, it inexplicably asked, “Can I come back?”
Dark was momentarily stunned; he was caught off guard by the baby bear’s sudden change in attitude.
So he said, “Aren’t you scared every day here? Once we investigate clearly, we can let you go back.”
Shirley Augustine instantly became nervous, but she did not show any expression on her body. Instead, she pretended to be calm and wrote: [Oh, so you don’t want to know more about the Northern Kingdom? I’ve only told you one percent.]
Dark shook his head and said, “I won’t force you.”
Shirley’s tone stuttered, and she couldn’t speak.
“Not ready yet?”
The imp’s urging voice came in.
Dark then pinched the baby bear under its armpit, lifted it up, and held it as he walked out of the reading room.
…
Afterwards, Dark repeatedly reminded Agumon of some old advice and promised again, “You will get to play with the Golden Cup,” before leaving with Professor Lily.
A few minutes later, Dark was already sitting in Professor Shylph’s office, where several professors about to enter the dungeon for exploration had also gathered.
Professor Shylph sat in the main seat of the sofa, flanked by Professor Pavar Jones and Claire Kate.
Professor Nina sat alone on a small stool.
Dark sat together with Professor Kazel and Professor Lily.
And the baby bear was placed on the tea table, rigidly enduring the gazes of the professors.
“Is this the demon?”
Professor Pavar Jones crossed his arms, raising his eyebrows slightly, revealing a strong aura.
The baby bear subconsciously shivered and moved closer to Dark.
Professor Shylph gave Professor Jones a sideways glance and said, “Don’t scare her. I’ve already told you about Shirley Augustine. Something unprecedented is happening in the dungeon, something that could awaken demons. The ultimate goal of this dungeon exploration is to find the root cause of this phenomenon.”
“How do we find it?” Professor Jones asked bluntly.
Professor Shylph said calmly, “First, go to the eleventh tier of the dungeon and see if Shirley’s hidden room still exists.”
“It won’t be there, right?” Professor Jones looked at the baby bear and said, “Hidden rooms or boss rooms, once they are cleared, will be put back into the respawn sequence.”
The baby bear immediately perked up its ears and raised the “copy” Dark had given it.
As mana flowed in, its thoughts turned into text and appeared on the “copy.”
[Really gone?]
Professor Shylph thought it was sad about losing its “home” and comforted, “This is indeed the dungeon’s refresh rule, but you’re different. Maybe your birthplace hasn’t been refreshed yet. Even if it has been refreshed, you can dig another hole there.”
The baby bear quickly shook its head and wrote in large font on the “copy”: [It’s okay!]
Professor Shylph nodded and said, “Anyway, first go to the eleventh tier, then go to the thirty-second tier, that’s your former tier boss level, right?”
Baby Bear: [Mm-hmm!]
Professor Shylph continued, “If we can’t find any clues in these two tiers, we’ll have to rely on Kazel.”
Professor Kazel put down his teacup and smiled, “If it comes to that, leave it to me.”
Professor Shylph nodded and said, “We don’t have much free time. It’s best to solve everything this weekend.”
…
Although Professor Shylph didn’t present any specific plan, Dark felt inexplicably reassured.
He glanced at Professor Kazel beside him and suddenly realized the source of his confidence.
“So this is why Professor Shylph finally brought Professor Kazel in?”
Though Professor Kazel was short, he possessed great wisdom.
Having him around always gave Dark a sense that anything was possible.
Dark took a sip of black tea, and the tension in his heart quietly dissipated.
Entering the dungeon this time, he had no other thoughts. He just wanted to relax and enjoy himself. If the phenomenon that awakened demons was truly related to the gods, he wanted to witness it. As for seeking a breakthrough in “Capital Sin IV”…
That had temporarily been pushed to the back burner.
After all, everything was unknown. Blind pursuit was greed.
Even though he was excited, he still had self-restraint.
…
Next, Professor Shylph mentioned some key points to note after entering the dungeon, then took out a magic card and lightly tapped it on the corner of the table.
Blue light flowed from the card, spreading quickly across the entire tabletop.
A blue napkin with floral patterns materialized.
Professor Shylph continued to infuse mana, and the napkin squeezed out a light ball, which gradually transformed into light bread, fresh fruit, vegetable soup, and other light-flavored foods.
“Though not as good as Cynthia, my ‘Delicious Food Card’ can at least fill the stomach.”
Professor Shylph revealed a rare smile.
“Eat a little, we’ll set off soon.”
Entering the dungeon before twelve o’clock could effectively avoid the students’ attention.
But when she put away the magic card, Professor Nina suddenly swallowed hard, her voice loud.
Professor Shylph realized her oversight.
Claire laughed at this moment and said, “Professor, your taste is too bland.”
As she spoke, she also took out a magic card from the food series and tapped the table lightly.
A layer of light spread out, and dishes piled high with meat appeared on the table.
The rich aroma wafted, making people salivate uncontrollably.
Professor Nina’s eyes lit up, eager to reach out.
But in front of so many professors, she felt constrained. Though her hand was already extended, she hesitated and dared not take it, blinking her eyes at the professors.
Dark smiled and picked up a piece of fruit, curiously asking, “Aunt Claire, can the food materialized by these magic cards provide the necessary nutrients for the human body?”
“Of course not.” Claire arranged plates and cutlery on the dining table and said, “But they can provide necessary energy, and the taste is good, satisfying appetite.”
Dark suddenly felt a stir in his heart: “So, eating more of these foods won’t make you gain weight?”
Claire couldn’t help pausing, then said, “That’s right.
The body requires more than just energy; all kinds of nutrients are indispensable. Therefore, while occasional consumption is acceptable, they cannot be relied upon as a staple diet.”
Dark nodded, gaining a preliminary understanding of these “Delicacy Cards.”
“Delicacy Cards” belong to the category of Item Cards. Although most do not contribute much to the strength of a Magus, they help improve one’s life, especially during adventures when camping out. Hence, they remain fairly popular.
Even excluding the difficulty in crafting these “Delicacy Cards,” a Magus wishing to create cards with satisfactory flavors must first master the cooking methods of those delicacies.
In other words, Principal Cynthia Saint Altair, who often uses “Delicacy Cards” to fill up the entire first floor banquet hall during gatherings, is a genuine chef!
Dark held up a fruit to Professor Nina and took a bite.
Professor Nina’s eyes lit up as she finally summoned the courage to pick up the topmost meat bone on the plate and began eating it bit by bit.
This marked the beginning, and all the professors, along with Dark and the Baby Bear, started eating as well.
Around half past eleven, everyone had finished eating and were ready.
Professor Shylph raised her wand and said to Dark and the others standing in the middle of the office, “We’re ready, let’s go!”
…
In an instant, a gust of wind howled like a wind dragon, heading straight for the entrance of the dungeon.
In the square where twelve colossal statues stood, the wind roared and swept across the ground.
The dispersed air currents carried dust in all directions, and the seven people and one bear appeared before the twenty-meter-high archway.
Professor Shylph stepped out of the formation, extended her wand, and lightly touched the door pillar, causing a torrent of mana to surge out and form a water-like magical gate between the pillars.
Before entering, she said again, “Lily, stay close to Dark after we enter and don’t run around. His safety is your responsibility.”
Professor Lily immediately pouted and said, “How many times have I told you!”
Professor Shylph shook her head and turned to Professor Nina, saying, “Nina, remember to listen to Professor Kazel after we enter and don’t run around, okay?”
“Okay, okay, okay,” Professor Nina nodded eagerly.
The difference between the Imp and the Baby Bear became apparent.
Dark couldn’t help but chuckle, and the other professors also smiled warmly.
Professor Shylph spoke earnestly, “Everyone, be serious. The dungeon will reveal its malice when you let your guard down.”
After saying that, she focused slightly and stepped through the magical gate.
Once her body passed through the gate, the other professors followed suit.
At this moment, Dark had gained a clearer understanding of this temporary exploration team.
Among the team, Professor Shylph was clearly the leader, taking on the role of captain.
Professor Pavar Jones was the main vanguard, responsible for breaking through any enemy.
Claire Kate was the midfielder, working in tandem with Professor Jones.
Professor Kazel naturally took on the role of “the strategist”—though his responsibilities did not include managing the team’s movements.
As for Professors Lily and Nina, they were respectively Dark’s and Professor Kazel’s guards.
And Dark himself…
To put it nicely, he was a protector.
To put it harshly…
Of course, he wasn’t entirely useless.
He still had to watch over the Baby Bear.
???????????·??·???????????
…
Soon, the seven people and one bear arrived at the mana marker in the first-level reception hall of the dungeon.
Professor Shylph decisively took out a “Gate Crystal” and activated it in front of the mana marker.
Unlike the “Gate Key,” which only creates a mana ring, the “Gate Crystal” activated to create a real teleportation gate!
It was clear that Professor Shylph had made ample preparations for this expedition.
While Dark stuffed his backpack into the “Dungeon Storage Box I,” he curiously observed the teleportation gate opened by the “Gate Crystal.”
The gate, in terms of area, was actually not very large.
It was a single-door gateway, about two meters and twenty-three centimeters high and one meter and forty-five centimeters wide.
In short, it was impossible for Professor Nina to squeeze through due to her size.
However, the professors showed no reaction, indicating that the “Gate Crystal” created a teleportation gate similar in structure to the “Gate Key’s” mana ring—it didn’t require actually walking through it.
And indeed, the result was as expected.
Professor Shylph led the way, simply extending her hand into the gate, and her entire body was suddenly sucked in. The closer she got to the center of the gate, the smaller she became. In an instant, she passed through and returned to her original size.
“Let’s go.”
Lily grabbed Dark’s hand and skipped forward, then reached out to touch the gate.
When she was sucked into the gate, Dark was pulled in as well.
The two of them crossed the gate in the blink of an eye and arrived at the mana marker on the eleventh level.
Dark looked at the female swordsman statue and asked curiously, “Professor Lily, are the mana markers in the dungeon reception halls always unchanged?”
Lily pulled him slightly away, saying, “They are basically unchanged, but there are exceptions. In any case, it’s hard to encounter them.”
Dark nodded, already thinking about what would happen if he encountered them…
Only after everyone had crossed through did Professor Shylph retrieve the “Gate Crystal (11)” and ask the Baby Bear, “Shirley Augustine, do you remember the location of your dwelling?”
The Baby Bear raised the “Replica” and displayed, “I remember some, but the terrain should have changed.”
“It’s fine as long as you know the direction,” Professor Shylph said.
The Baby Bear replied, “Then I’ll try my best.”
…
With Professor Pavar Jones leading the way, the rest followed closely behind and directly entered the eleventh level.
Despite the refresh, the overall style of this eleventh level hadn’t changed much, still resembling a tropical rainforest theme.
Once the group entered, they were quickly swallowed up by the massive vegetation.
Towering trees stretched toward the sky, their canopies forming a dense cloud-like canopy.
Tall shrubs and flowers covered the ground, with man-eating flowers and venomous insects visible everywhere.
Monsters hid within, attacking suddenly when someone approached—but none could break through Professor Jones’ iron wall.
The professors didn’t even summon the Golems; they charged forward at unimaginable speeds toward the direction Shirley pointed, like adults armed with knives and axes intruding into a child’s world.
Professor Shylph merely waved her wand, and a strong wind surrounded them.
Everyone rode the wind, moving extremely fast.
It seemed like an instant, and they had entered that hidden place.
