Chapter 572: Dark Demon’s Phantom Butterfly (4k)
“What is that?”
Even though the sky was bright, butterflies as white as glowing bodies were not very noticeable in the air.
But suddenly, too many butterflies emerged, quickly gathering at the treetops to form a river of light.
Several students running towards the thick forest from nearly a thousand meters away instinctively stopped.
Until today’s simulated exploration assessment, many people only now realized how many unfamiliar areas there were in Saint Maryann Academy.
Having barely explored the castle, they were forced to explore multiple regions.
And this vast, endless forest was the most unfamiliar and terrifying area.
Therefore, students who found magic power markers in this dense forest mostly chose to give up… or retreat.
Only when there were no other choices left did they come to explore this dense forest.
However, there were always brave people.
Students from the Knight Academy often had the spirit of “knowing there is a tiger on the mountain yet still going to the mountain.”
At this moment, Andrelina was not alone in the forest.
The second-year class president of the Knight Academy—Justin Wayne entered the forest even earlier than her.
With the assistance of a golem to clear the path, he had already traveled halfway and was not far from the magic power marker in the forest.
Thick tree canopies blocked his vision; he did not see the river of light and continued to proceed cautiously.
Outside the forest, both Dark and Wit, as well as several other students targeting the forest, after a brief pause, accelerated their pace.
More people changed their targets and rushed toward the forest upon noticing the commotion.
Andrelina’s phenomenon attracted students from all directions like moths to a flame, and the forest opened its mouth wide.
…
Dark ran swiftly.
Professor Jones prohibited students from using magic spell cards to travel, which naturally included riding golems and using magic cards for auxiliary acceleration.
However, she did not forbid the use of martial arts techniques.
Although Dark had not used them, he could not help but activate his chakra and channel “Qi” to his legs, exploding forth!
He keenly sensed that someone might be in trouble in the forest.
But since Professor Jones had set up magic power markers in the forest, there should not be much danger in the outer perimeter.
So, it might just be a false alarm.
But some things couldn’t be gambled on.
In an instant, he crossed the kilometer distance and quickly rushed into the forest, immediately summoning the “Wrestler Eagle.”
After the process of “de-summoning-re-summoning,” the sweat produced by the wrestler eagle due to exercise was completely filtered out.
It looked spiritedly at Dark: “Hacha!”
Dark immediately said, “Fly over the treetops and lead the way.”
The wrestler eagle instantly understood, taking a few steps before spreading its wings and soaring high, flying over the treetops and seeing a sea of glowing butterflies.
Its eyes narrowed, and it flew straight through.
On the ground, holding the “Wrestler Eagle” magic spell card, Dark clearly perceived the location of the golem and followed closely behind.
The deeper they went, the more lush the trees became.
Giant trees rooted deeply, with intertwined roots.
Their advance speed slowed down significantly.
When Dark regained his senses, trees surrounded him from all directions.
If not for the wrestler eagle guiding him from above, he would have likely become briefly lost like Andrelina.
But there were no ifs.
Not only did he not get lost, but he also quickly found Andrelina—who was running frantically outward!
“Quickly go!”
Andrelina didn’t feel happy seeing Dark.
The brown-haired girl with twin tails looked panicked, her eyes full of fear.
Her right hand held three magic spell cards, but the golem summoned from these cards was quickly devoured by the monster chasing her!
Dark saw the process of one golem being devoured, frowning deeply.
The monster chasing Andrelina glowed and had the outline of a deer.
At first glance, it looked like a glowing white deer emitting sacred light.
But upon closer inspection, its body was uneven, resembling countless writhing worms—clearly a collective organism!
When Andrelina’s golem charged at it, the monster suddenly extended long tentacles, enveloping the golem in light within a blink.
When the tentacles released, only a trace of magic power remained.
Obviously, this monster could absorb magic power!
Considering the “sea of light” seen outside the forest, Dark immediately made a guess.
“Could it be a phantom butterfly?”
…
A magical creature living among the leaves, in legend, is said to be the soul of the dead, known as a “white glowing ghost.”
People believed that dying and turning into a butterfly was a beautiful wish, a testament to the goodness of the deceased.
Thus, although the phantom butterfly bears the word “ghost,” it is rarely feared and is considered harmless.
…
“Is my understanding too shallow, or is the situation unique to the phantom butterflies in this forest?”
“Regional characteristics?”
While pondering, Dark slowed down. His curiosity about phantom butterflies surpassed his concern for Andrelina.
His female classmate ran past him, but he didn’t even turn his head.
But after Andrelina leaped past him, she couldn’t help but stop and turn back: “Come on!”
Dark showed excitement, raising his hand to give Andrelina an “OK” gesture, signaling her to continue.
Andrelina paused but did not leave.
Though she had little contact with Dark Demon, because Dark easily became the topic of discussion among girls, Andrelina knew quite a bit about his personality.
Sometimes gentle, sometimes arrogant, sometimes fiery, sometimes cold as ice.
Dark Demon always displayed the appropriate demeanor at the right time.
It was as if he himself embodied “correctness!”
Andrelina and her friends agreed that Dark Demon was someone who, from afar, seemed approachable, but once you got close, you realized it was impossible to fit in.
Behind his charming core stood an insurmountable wall.
As for why Diana and Rose from the Noble Academy got along so well with him?
“Perhaps it’s a miracle!”
Looking at Dark Demon’s back, knowing he wouldn’t change his mind, Andrelina shouted, “Hey, be careful.”
“I will.” Dark responded casually, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
As the president of the Magical Animal Club, he couldn’t remain superficial in his understanding of magical animals.
Therefore, he spent his free time learning more about them.
The “phantom butterfly” he saw in Saint Maryann Academy was the second magical animal he encountered.
The first was the “dust sprite,” which lived in sewers, resembling coal balls, obtaining energy by decomposing garbage. They adjusted their population through fusion and division based on environmental conditions.
During holidays, when lots of trash appeared on Traveler’s Street, people summoned these small creatures to clean the streets.
“Dust sprites” weren’t rare, but they could only survive in dirty environments. Once the surroundings became too clean, they would degrade themselves. Thus, they weren’t suitable for keeping.
The “phantom butterfly” was different.
Although it resembled a ghost, it was actually an insect.
They were herbivores, usually parasitizing green leaves to obtain energy through photosynthesis, occasionally eating a bit of the leaf.
Therefore, theoretically, they were not dangerous and easy to raise…
“The Magical Animal Club can’t just have one magical animal, right?” Dark couldn’t help but think.
“It’s decided, you’re it!”
…
“Hacha!”
The wrestler eagle flew back from above, landing in front of Dark, adopting a Wing Chun stance with sharp eyes.
“Wrestler Eagle, Feather Dance!”
Seeing the monster formed by the “phantom butterflies” had no intention of stopping, Dark said.
The wrestler eagle immediately flapped its wings, and with a gust of wind, slender feathers burst from its wings.
Under the wrestler eagle’s control, these feathers transformed into a spinning feather storm, fiercely piercing the chest of the deer-like monster.
“Pfft pfft pfft!”
Like stones thrown into water.
The surface of the deer-like monster rippled like waves, and the feathers pierced through without much resistance.
But in an instant, these feathers decomposed inside the monster, transforming into pure magic power and being absorbed.
“Physical attacks seem ineffective, but at least it stopped moving.”
This monster formed by “phantom butterflies” could absorb magic power and had physical immunity similar to elemental creatures.
At first glance, it seemed to be immune to both physical and magical attacks, but that wasn’t the case.
Dark flicked his finger, drawing a new magic spell card from his deck.
“Come out, Imp Beast!”
The bat-like demon race that emerged from the selection card laughed triumphantly.
Dark asked curiously, “Imp Beast, what are you laughing about?”
The imp beast immediately raised its chin proudly: “I made a bet with Agumon, seeing who would be summoned first.”
Dark thought for a moment and said helplessly, “You are at least a senior.”
“Isn’t it a senior’s duty to teach juniors?” the imp beast cheerfully replied, “Learning from experience, I’m making it aware of the harshness of society.”
Dark ignored him and pointed forward, saying, “See the glowing white deer ahead? You take care of it next.”
The imp beast glanced at the wrestler eagle summoned earlier and said with a disdainful look, “No problem, who am I if not a senior?”
Dark: “…”
Anyway, he took out “Pride II” and performed a normal summon.
Bathed in the light of “Pride II,” the imp beast’s aura surged, instantly rising from a one-star dreg to a two-star waste.
Dark commanded, “Use ‘Small Dart’ for reconnaissance.”
“Understood!”
The imp beast flapped its wings, skillfully forming a shark-headed syringe and shooting it out.
The “Small Dart” hit the deer-like monster accurately, the syringe head sinking into its body like a jelly, but unlike the wrestler eagle’s feathers, it did not decompose and dissolve.
Dark slowly said, “Although ‘phantom butterflies’ resemble ghosts, they are light attribute magical creatures. Light and darkness usually exhibit mutual restraint characteristics.
Though we don’t know why the monster formed by them can absorb magic power, it obviously cannot absorb dark attribute magic. Therefore, Imp Beast, use ‘Demon Hypnosis’!”
“Received!”
The imp beast’s eyes widened, and a series of invisible ripples emanated from its dark golden eyes under the influence of “Pride II.”
The deer-like monster, still with the syringe embedded, was hit by the ripples, and waves rippled across its surface.
Then…
One after another, “phantom butterflies” fell from its body, its chest caving in rapidly.
Fortunately, the “Demon Hypnosis” was limited in strength, merely hypnotizing and shedding the “phantom butterflies” on its surface without harming its core.
But Dark immediately took out “Pride III” and activated it!
“Swipe and Evolve!”
In the internal BGM, the imp completed its evolution from the growth stage to the mature stage.
The towering and fierce demon beast reappeared before Dark.
“Go.” Dark casually said.
The demon beast lowered its body, its arms with sharp claws almost touching the ground.
It looked up at the deer-like monster, its eyes bloodshot, with a cruel smile. Pure darkness surged like a storm.
Just like that, the deer-like monster completely stopped.
As a collective organism, it acted purely on instinct and was usually ignorant and fearless.
But when all the “phantom butterflies” composing it felt fear…
The demon beast took half a step forward, and the torrent of darkness caused the deer-like monster to suddenly disintegrate, with white glowing “phantom butterflies” fleeing in panic.
Even the “phantom butterflies” on the ground, hypnotized, were mostly awakened and struggled to fly away.
The demon beast crossed its arms, savoring the moment.
“Be careful.”
Dark couldn’t help reminding, then quietly walked past its side to where the “phantom butterflies” had fallen.
“Luckily, there are still three…”
He squatted down, picking up the three “phantom butterflies” like pancakes and placing them in his palm.
“Got you, ‘phantom butterflies’!”
…
Although the demon beast had calmed down, its pure darkness still spread.
More “phantom butterflies” were startled, detaching from the leaves and instinctively gathering into a glowing white monster.
The other second-year students also entered the forest after Dark.
