Chapter 720 “Request for Subscription” Dakdemon’s Repayment (8k)
December 19th, Thursday.
With all major courses completed, the students’ attention shifted to the two elective classes.
In the “Alchemy Class,” Professor Kazel elaborated once again on the key points of constructing a golem. He took Dak’s earlier inquiries as examples to explain, causing the students below to suddenly understand many long-standing problems.
Once these difficulties were explained, Professor Kazel had the students present each issue they encountered while crafting golems, and he addressed them one by one.
Most of these issues came from upperclassmen, whose progress was faster than Dak’s. Some of the questions even stemmed from parts that he had not yet covered.
Dak recorded all these questions and answers for future reference.
The final alchemy class of the second year semester concluded amidst this exchange of questions and answers.
…
Afterwards, Dak continued to experiment with golem construction in the clubroom.
Though the quality of his creations was still lacking, he made steady progress each time.
To conserve materials, he mostly crafted small golems, the smallest being about palm-sized, without much concern for their appearance.
Essentially, aiming for a balance between second and third tier.
This term’s project was merely a阶段性考核 (stage assessment), requiring a second-tier “Similar Grade” golem.
Of course, this was just the bare minimum.
To achieve better grades, the closer to third-tier, the better.
Dak could now create “Similar Grade” golems, but they lacked finesse.
For this assignment, he had some ideas.
He aimed to craft a “Pseudo Grade” golem as close as possible to the “Pseudo Grade.” Afterward, he planned to seal it with a “Spell Cage,” transform it into a golem, and use a “Capital Sin Card” to awaken its intellect.
This way, the greatest barrier between “Similar Grade” and “Pseudo Grade”—intelligence—could be easily overcome.
Although this method seemed somewhat cunning, in Dak’s calculations, it was feasible.
However, taking shortcuts inevitably meant losing something.
A “Pseudo Grade” golem obtained through this method couldn’t serve as a solid foundation for further advancements.
The fourth tier, “Realistic Grade,” required the golem to have nearly identical structure to real life, which couldn’t be achieved simply by awakening its intellect.
But one must eat meals bite by bite and walk paths step by step.
Start with “Pseudo Grade.”
With this thought, Dak picked up a bronze sphere.
When he first entered the dungeon, he killed the bronze behemoth, found the “Bronze Chamber,” and retrieved two treasure chests from a massive sphinx statue.
One chest contained a “Silver Sphinx,” while the other held the “Bronze Mirror” used later to craft the “Bronze Snake Mirror.”
The “Bronze Eye” in his hand was a remnant of the bronze behemoth.
This thing could serve as the core of a golem.
“How about making a tiny magnet?”
The eye gave him inspiration.
…
At three o’clock in the afternoon, a well-formed “Tiny Magnet” appeared on the desk.
However, it was merely a shell, empty inside.
Making it move, let alone levitate with magnetic force, was no easy task.
“You’re up next.”
Dak patted “Meow Meow’s” little head and started preparing for tonight’s “Astrology Class” assignment.
…
Meanwhile, the other students in the “Astrology Class” were also preparing for tonight’s divination.
In Professor Metia Barthelemy’s class, there weren’t many students, totaling only fifteen, with eight of those being second-year students.
Besides Dak, there were Rose Florette, Eudora Envy, Emma Maltis, Sarah Swati, Heidi Euphemia, Pistons Kellogg, and Jimmy Abbott.
If ranked by talent, Eudora Envy stood out first, followed by Rose, then Sarah and Emma, with the remaining three being from the same batch.
Dak was originally at the bottom, needing to combine with Lil’Eevee to reach the last tier.
Now, he was roughly on par with Emma and Sarah.
Of course, he wasn’t entirely sure.
…
At 7:30 PM, the stars gradually faded, and the full moon hung high. The entire castle was bathed in the moonlight like water.
The fifteen students of the “Astrology Class” climbed the spiral staircase of the clock tower, eventually reaching the top floor classroom.
Rarely, Professor Metia Barthelemy sat behind the podium before the bell rang. The pumpkin carriage remained parked nearby. The ceiling opened, allowing the moonlight to shine through the glass onto the table, illuminating everything clearly.
Students entered the classroom one by one and took their seats.
As class was about to start, Dak left the clubroom and arrived at the “Astrology Class” room.
He went to the back corner of the last row, took Lil’Eevee off his shoulder, and placed her on the table.
Though the divination talent of the “Magical Beast: Destroyer God” was terrifying, its basic education had just begun. Even with Professor Metia’s permission, it wouldn’t understand the contents of an astrology class.
“Ring ring.”
As the class bell rang, the few whispers in the room disappeared. Everyone tensed up, ready to focus.
It became evident that most students lacked confidence in tonight’s divination.
Professor Metia stood up, supporting the podium with both hands, her eyes like a clear spring scanning the room.
“I have a bet.”
And with this statement, the class truly began!
…
“Bet?”
When the students first heard this word, they were confused, but soon the first person recalled it, then the second, the third…
After about a minute, all the students vaguely remembered.
Indeed, Professor Metia had a bet, made before the “Astrology Class” began, against another professor of astrology, MacDonald.
“I once had a deal with Professor MacDonald. Both of us would teach our students for a semester and then compare whose students would better master astrology by the end of the term. The time has come. Have you forgotten?”
“Professor, is this the specific matter of the upcoming assessment?”
Antonio Cromwell, a fifth-year student, raised his hand. He was one of only two fifth-year students in the class.
The other was Betty, Betty Murray.
Professor Metia revealed a sly smile and said, “Yes. We’ll predict events for the next semester to validate our predictions over the entire term.
Whichever side makes more accurate predictions wins. I hope you win.”
Despite her cheerful demeanor, the students didn’t share her optimism.
Students whispered among themselves, recalling what they had forgotten.
Emma Maltis looked extremely uneasy.
She still remembered that when she asked Professor Metia a question at that time, the answer was: if they lost, everyone’s astrology grade would fail.
Elective courses didn’t require retakes.
But failing meant failing.
For someone like Emma, who valued grades highly, this was unacceptable.
But as the astrology class content grew more challenging, she gradually forgot this situation.
Recalling it now felt like a thunderbolt.
Professor Metia’s opponent was Professor MacDonald, a seasoned professor of astrology with great renown.
Therefore, except for second-year students, most students interested in divination chose Professor MacDonald’s class.
Professor MacDonald had abundant resources and naturally selected students with excellent qualifications.
Like Betty Murray, she was one of his picks.
“Professor.”
Like a fish struggling on a chopping board, Emma raised her hand with a complex expression.
“Maltis, do you have a question?” Professor Metia said gently.
Emma spoke, “How many students does Professor MacDonald have?”
Professor Metia smiled and said, “Thirty.”
Emma: “…”
Pistons Kellogg raised his hand in panic, “Wait, Professor, we’re comparing the probability of correct predictions, right?”
Professor Metia continued smiling, “Frequency.”
Pistons exclaimed, “How can we possibly win! They outnumber us by two times!”
The students below erupted into commotion, everyone’s expressions changing.
Professor Metia smiled and shook her head, “Divination isn’t about numbers. Each person predicts different events.
What was spoken was the number of times events were predicted.
Pistons hurriedly asked, “Can one person predict many things?”
Professor Metia nodded and said, “The evaluation criteria mainly focus on the number of correctly predicted events. If two people happen to predict the same event, the one who is more precise wins.”
“So that’s how it is.” Pistons sat down with a relaxed look on his face.
In the next instant, he bounced up like a ball: “Isn’t it the same then?”
“Hahaha.” Professor Metia laughed heartlessly, “Having more people naturally has its advantages. However, you also have your own advantages.”
“What advantages?” someone asked.
Professor Metia then solemnly said, “Your talents are higher than theirs.”
…
Specifically speaking.
Although Professor McDonald had almost all the third-year students under his command,
Professor Metia monopolized the second-year students.
This year’s second-year students were extraordinary.
And among the senior students, those with higher talents had already taken “Astrology Class” in their first two years, so they naturally wouldn’t be part of this bet.
Therefore, Professor Metia’s statement about talent wasn’t exaggerated.
Divination talent was inherently rare.
…
At this moment, these fifteen students suddenly felt a sense of pride and became quiet.
Then Professor Metia humorously said, “And there are actually sixteen students in our class, not just fifteen.”
“Bluh?” Lil’Eevee tilted her head, drawing everyone’s attention.
The air in the classroom suddenly turned cold.
…
“Alright, let’s get to the point.”
Professor Metia tapped the table and said, “For a seasoned diviner, every divination can be divided into two scenarios: one requires a cost, while the other does not. The former can directly glimpse the future, whereas the latter predicts by observing the laws of things.”
“If the former misinterprets, the seen future must still be real, existing on some destiny track.”
“The latter is a probabilistic event; predictions are not precise, even the best diviners cannot guarantee a hundred percent accuracy.”
“Of course, the former is better.”
“But if not necessary, a diviner usually won’t choose the costly divination.”
“Of course, even if you want to use it, you can’t.”
“I didn’t teach it.”
…
The students: “…”
…
Amidst the silence, Professor Metia calmly continued, “Astrology is a technique that predicts the future by observing the trajectory of celestial bodies. Tonight is a full moon, I recommend lunar divination.
Well, now it’s your turn. Before the class ends, record your divination results and submit them. There is no limit to the number of divinations, but no overlapping events. Now begin.”
The atmosphere in the classroom quickly turned heavy.
Regardless of whether it involved a bet, what the students could do at this moment was essentially the same.
As for the unlimited number of divinations, it actually didn’t hold much significance when put into practice because human energy is limited and the time for divination is also limited.
For ordinary students, completing a highly accurate divination within this lesson is already quite commendable.
Professor Metia’s eyes narrowed slightly as she scanned the rapidly moving students, finally resting on Eudora.
She needed to watch, paying particular attention to Eudora.
To prevent this troublesome student from accidentally triggering a “revelation.”
…
At the back of the classroom, Dark Demon and Eevee finally started moving.
“Eeebloo!” Lil’Eevee patted Dark’s hand with her paw, urging him on.
“Shouldn’t we prepare first?” Dark asked as he took out “Pride III” from his deck.
Lil’Eevee shook her head vigorously and nodded.
Dark held a “Pride III” and a “Pride IV”.
These two “Capital Sin Cards” could evolve the “Magical Beast: Eevee” into “Magical Beast: Sun Eevee.”
Once evolved, Eevee’s divination ability would improve dramatically.
However, each “Capital Sin Card” only lasted for fifteen minutes, so it was best to use them at critical moments.
Of course, using them now had its benefits.
The “Astrology Class” lasts ninety minutes. If they were fast, perhaps they could use both “Capital Sin Cards” twice.
As Eevee successfully evolved into “Magical Beast: Sun Eevee,” Dark no longer paid attention to it, focusing entirely on his astrology.
Astrology is divided into two major categories: “Stellar Divination” and “Constellation Divination.”
Dark chose “Moon Divination” from “Stellar Divination.”
He took out a magic card he had made in a previous class and placed it in the center of the desk, then activated it with mana.
The crystal ball inside slowly emerged and gradually grew into a standard divination crystal ball.
In the age of magi, even diviners rarely used genuine crystal balls.
Crystal balls summoned by item cards were closely connected to the user’s mana, allowing them to see more during divination.
After summoning it, Dark opened his hands and held the crystal ball, starting to run “astrology” as required before.
Clouds gradually rose within the crystal ball.
The clouds grew larger, drifting out one by one, eventually enveloping the surface of the crystal ball. Sparks flickered, and the crystal ball began to rotate.
Beside him, Sun Eevee also sat down, summoning a crystal ball with an item card, performing “astrology” in the same manner.
The item card for the crystal ball wasn’t exactly a true magic card; it only needed mana to activate, making it extremely convenient to use.
Dark chose “Moon Divination.”
Naturally, Sun Eevee chose “Sun Divination.”
Despite the full moon hanging high and the sun’s power being at its lowest, it had only mastered this form of astrology in its short half-year of learning, with no other options available.
Students chosen by Professor Metia were naturally not too shabby.
Soon, fifteen or sixteen students were all in a state of focus.
Then, a beam of starlight suddenly descended, landing precisely on one of the crystal balls, causing the scene within to change.
— It was Eudora Envi.
The students in the classroom were already used to this.
Eudora’s divination talent was widely recognized. Even Professors Metia and McDonald might not match her.
…
Following closely, another beam of light descended, illuminating the entire classroom brightly.
Professor Metia stood on the podium, observing the students’ astrological operations, showing a slight satisfied expression.
A diviner never bets on something they cannot win.
This was a bet between her and Professor McDonald, a test of strength.
What she had said earlier was not false.
Her students had higher talents compared to Professor McDonald’s students.
Because the divination talents of two students were truly outstanding!
Eudora Envi and Rose Florette!
Although Professor McDonald had a few talented students, they could at most compare to Emma and Sarah in terms of divination talent, not reaching the top tier.
Thinking this, her gaze unconsciously fell on another target of focus — Dark Demon.
Then her pupils contracted, a crescent moon flashing in her eyes as she murmured, “It has strengthened… this talent…”
From nothing to something.
From weak to strong.
Dark’s talent changes ultimately couldn’t escape Professor Metia’s notice.
She knew this might be the variable that Professor McDonald failed to see through.
…
Time dripped away, and all the students focused intently on their divinations, leaving no sound in the classroom.
Suddenly, Eudora Envi’s tightly shut eyes snapped open, and a faint blush appeared on her face.
Professor Metia’s expression froze, sensing some ominous premonition.
Then she saw Eudora write a neat line on paper.
Professor Metia stepped silently, her dark shadow sweeping over, covering Eudora’s desk.
Eudora suddenly woke up, instinctively flipping the piece of paper, then timidly looking up at her teacher with a fearful expression.
Professor Metia’s face was tense, silent.
But Eudora already guessed what she wanted to say.
Silence spoke louder than words.
…
Tonight, Professor Metia had actually set up a spell barrier in the classroom, which could amplify the power of stars, making “astrology” easier to perform and improving accuracy slightly.
But she never expected someone would dare to misuse public resources for personal gain!
She clearly stated that the divination range should be limited.
During the intermission between semesters, this little pink-haired doll actually conducted divination around the time of Christmas!
…
Eudora lowered her head deeply, quickly hiding the note before silently raising her hand, pretending to hold a crystal ball as she began her second “astrology” session.
Professor Metia looked at her and laughed, albeit with frustration.
Of course, she couldn’t unleash a roar here; she could only suppress it for now.
…
The surrounding students were unaffected by what was happening.
Dark had already closed his eyes, feeling the changes in the crystal ball as he was guided by mana.
The stars above shone in the “astrology” session, reflecting within the crystal ball.
His heart was calm, beginning his observation.
At one moment, he suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils gleaming with radiant gold light—the “Eye of Truth!”
The “Eye of Truth” naturally complemented astrology.
Astrologers had studied this extensively; if the “Eye of Truth” was activated during an astrology session, they could obtain more accurate insights.
Diviners could then derive more precise conclusions from these insights.
“Boom!”
Dark’s eyelids trembled, the golden light in his eyes rippling.
In that instant when he activated the “Eye of Truth,” he indeed saw the moon’s orbit clearly.
But that trajectory diagram was like a fleeting flower, disappearing in an instant.
Then, the black curtain abruptly descended, turning the vision pitch-black.
Thoughts became void in that instant.
He could neither think nor imagine.
He could only watch as stars fell in the dark curtain.
Those stars emitted extremely dim light, flickering in the night sky, exuding an ominous aura.
The first star, the second star, the third star.
Three stars in total.
They fell from three directions but ultimately landed in the same spot, causing an explosion that flattened the entire earth.
In the darkness, some creatures seemed to stir, but they all turned to dust in the terrifying black light.
…
First entering his mind wasn’t fear or shock.
It was merely familiarity.
Dark felt a terrible sense of familiarity in his heart.
Then…
Thoughts started flowing again.
Thinking accelerated instantly.
He suddenly realized.
This was clearly the scene Eudora saw after triggering “Revelation” when she first opened the “Eye of Truth”!
Although Eudora only described it verbally, Dark instinctively believed this to be true.
His heart sank as a result.
This was an ill omen.
Moreover, because he had locked the prediction to the next semester while performing “astrology,” the probability of this “Revelation” occurring in the next semester was high.
He closed his eyes, opened them again, and the golden light in his eyes had vanished.
Professor Metia Barthelemy appeared soundlessly behind him.
“What did you see?” asked Professor Metia softly.
Dark didn’t hide anything, writing on his notebook: “I saw the same thing as Eudora’s second ‘Revelation.'”
Professor Metia pursed her lips.
“Calm down.”
…
Dark nodded slightly, then closed his eyes for a brief rest before starting his second astrological divination.
This time, there was no trigger for “Revelation.”
Using the knowledge he learned this semester, he observed and interpreted the moon’s orbit, making a regular prophecy.
It was about the Holy Grail’s ownership in the next semester.
He predicted that the Academy Cup in the next semester would be won by the Noble Academy!
…
After two prophecies, his brain suddenly felt dazed.
He gave up on further divination and turned to look aside.
Eevee had already started her third prophecy.
The previous two prophecies were conducted in the form of “Sun Eevee.”
The results were written sloppily in the notebook.
Dark sneaked a glance.
① Eevee becomes a big star.
② Eevee gets a new life.
…
In front of Dark’s seat, Rose Florette was also engrossed in divination.
As someone with divination talent second only to Eudora, her expression was very focused, and she achieved many results, though she herself seemed unsatisfied.
…
Divination is a very personal matter.
Ordinary observations cannot see others’ divination processes.
Students finished their divinations one by one; some paused temporarily, while others continued, leading to various predictions emerging. But no one knew if those predictions were correct.
The outcome of the bet.
Tonight’s assessment results.
None of these could be known immediately.
By nine-thirty at night, after extending for another ten minutes, everyone finished their divination and wrote down the results, submitting them to Professor Metia.
Dark submitted only one divination result, but Eevee submitted three.
In total, one plus three equals four, standing out among all!
Haha…
Regardless of success or failure, this final “astrology class” of the semester came to an end.
Students left the classroom in twos and threes, slowly descending the spiral stairs, gradually disappearing into the night.
Dark Demon remained in the classroom.
Because of his stay, Eudora who hadn’t planned to leave and Rose who had initially stood outside also remained.
Professor Metia gathered the papers, putting them in her bag, then invited Dark and others into the carriage.
Dark picked up Eevee and without hesitation boarded the pumpkin carriage.
Eudora followed closely behind.
Rose stood outside, hesitated for a moment, then decisively climbed in.
Professor Metia didn’t object to her entering.
The unexpectedly spacious interior of the carriage startled her.
Professor Metia gestured for her to sit, and a mana spirit with flapping wings began serving tea to the guests.
“What happened?” Eudora whispered.
“We’ll settle your account later!” Professor Metia glared at her fiercely.
Eudora immediately shrank, looking smaller than usual.
Rose found it amusing, so she held the teacup carefully, sipping it to hide her expression.
Though curious, Dark didn’t ask.
Professor Metia then said, “Dark triggered a ‘Revelation.'”
Eudora and Rose widened their eyes.
Rose instinctively asked, “What did he see?”
Eudora, being more knowledgeable, exclaimed, “What was the cost?”
Professor Metia turned to Dark, whispering, “I need to take a closer look.”
The costs of prophecy varied widely; some were obvious, while others were hard to discern.
If one couldn’t discern the cost, they couldn’t formulate a corresponding strategy, which was extremely dangerous.
Dark didn’t resist and cooperated with Professor Metia’s inspection.
He still couldn’t understand why he could trigger a “Revelation,” but he accepted his extraordinary talent.
As for the cost of the prophecy, he didn’t feel anything yet, so he could only wait for Professor Metia’s inspection.
However, no matter how brightly the silver moon in Professor Metia’s eyes shimmered, she couldn’t detect what kind of cost he had paid.
“This is tricky.”
Professor Metia’s expression darkened.
The atmosphere changed accordingly, making Eudora and the slow-to-realize Rose nervous.
Dark remained calm, saying, “Could it be a verbal or behavioral cost? After the prophecy, specific words or actions might be triggered. These usually have delayed effects.”
Professor Metia nodded, “There is a possibility. For this type of cost, the delay can last up to 24 hours. If it’s really this type, from now until tomorrow night, you can’t relax.”
Dark picked up the teacup, took a sip, the warm liquid swirling in his mouth.
He was uncertain.
…
“Alright.”
Professor Metia looked at Dark again and finally said, “I’ll give you a signal card. If you find any problems, activate it; it will notify me. Or should I leave a mana spirit with you?”
“Still the signal card!” Dark decided firmly.
Professor Metia nodded, “No need to be too tense. If it’s a delayed verbal or behavioral cost, it may not necessarily be bad. Once executed, it’s fully paid off and won’t leave any aftermath. This is relatively fortunate.”
Dark added, “It depends on the nature of the behavior.”
Professor Metia said, “Indeed.”
Then she rubbed her fingers together, and a signal card shining with starlight appeared between them.
Though it was similar to a standard mana card in size, it wasn’t a mana card but a magical artifact.
After asking about its usage, Dark put it away.
Professor Metia crossed her arms, “Now, tell me what you saw in the ‘Revelation.'”
