Chapter 917 [Daily Update of 12,000 Words Begging for Votes] Pay Homage to the Young Master! (12k) >>
Dak Dimon, who had sensed this, had already left the Lake Bottom Space after bidding farewell to the professors.
He silently appeared by the lakeside, just in time to see Audrey Jeane and others stepping out from the castle.
Due to the distance and the complete darkness, not many noticed him. Audrey Jeane was still the center of attention, with her senior classmates from the Literature Club asking her questions about her feelings incessantly.
Even though she appeared unaltered and intact, her senior classmates felt as if something was missing from her, repeatedly questioning her.
Emma Maltis inadvertently fell behind, trailing at the end of the group. She watched Audrey Jeane’s back, pondering over her intentions.
Dak stood in place, blending into the darkness until the girls entered the Lotus Pavilion and one by one walked into Traveler’s Street. Only then did he start moving towards the cafeteria within the castle.
Soon after, he arrived at the cafeteria.
The eerie atmosphere forming inside surprised him, but he didn’t disturb the Cosmic Brain Beast. Instead, he approached a halfling cook and asked her what had happened.
Rarely encountering such an interesting event, the halfling cooks couldn’t help but observe it thoroughly.
In fact, the lighting inside the cafeteria had been adjusted according to the Imp Beast’s wishes, and they had prepared plenty of snacks that catered to “demons.” This made the cafeteria feel like a miniature Halloween celebration.
As Dak ate the “Blood Pie,” he listened to the halfling cook recount tonight’s events.
Gradually, his expression turned peculiar. “No wonder…”
The Cosmic Brain Beast truly dared to remove the “Greed Core” from the Saint Maiden.
Audrey Jeane’s light attribute mana was astonishingly pure; the Cosmic Brain Beast hadn’t melted on the spot, likely due to Audrey’s restraint.
However, her “Greed Core” wasn’t something the Cosmic Brain Beast could easily digest.
“Can you tell me why that child took away her own desire for knowledge?” After finishing the story, the halfling cook couldn’t help but worry.
Dak smiled and said, “Perhaps she wanted to emulate the suffering ascetic monks to temper herself.”
“Is that so? You students know more,” the halfling cook sighed.
Dak replied, “It’s just a guess. Maybe it was just a whim of hers. I’m also quite curious about how she will spend the rest of her academy life without her ‘Greed Core.’ But unfortunately…”
“What’s wrong?” the halfling cook asked.
Dak picked up another piece of “Demon Brain” and took a bite. “Nothing,” the halfling cook said, “You have worries too.” Dak chuckled and said, “We all do.”
The Cosmic Brain Beast’s business didn’t last through the night.
In fact, by 9:30 PM, it had announced the end of the queue under Dak’s hint.
Then, it spent another half hour serving the remaining guests. Once all the guests were satisfied and left, the Cosmic Brain Beast packed up its stall and left the cafeteria with the Imp Beast and the Fairy Tale Animal, the little rabbit.
But even after leaving the cafeteria, many students continued excitedly discussing and following them.
However, they soon lost track of them completely.
In room 301, Dak summoned the Cosmic Brain Beast and the little rabbit again.
Not long after, the Imp Beast also flew in through the window holding a sign. Dak immediately began praising it, making the Imp Beast intoxicated before he asked them to recount the day’s events.
Although he asked for a detailed account, they only recounted the most memorable incidents.
Dak learned about Jacob Bloom’s “Lustful Heart,” the “Inferiority Complex” of a third-year student from the Fool’s Academy, and heard again about Audrey Jeane.
Then, he said to the Cosmic Brain Beast, “Show me Audrey Jeane’s ‘Greed Core.'”
The Cosmic Brain Beast nodded slightly and extracted a blue-purple light orb from its head.
“It is indeed the Greed Core,” Dak confirmed after a brief perception. The “hearts” the Cosmic Brain Beast could extract were merely manifestations of the soul, akin to Dak’s mental power, which could be replenished.
They weren’t like his “Capital Sins,” where extracting one meant losing one permanently.
However, Audrey Jeane’s “Greed Core” was unusual!
Dak furrowed his brows, holding the “Greed Core” in his palm and perceiving it again carefully.
After a moment, he raised his head and said to the Cosmic Brain Beast, “This isn’t just a heart.”
The Cosmic Brain Beast first looked stunned, then quickly understood. “No wonder…”
“What do you mean?” the Imp Beast tilted its head and asked, “Of course, this isn’t just a heart; it’s a cluster of hearts!”
Dak: “…”
The Cosmic Brain Beast said, “I sensed something unusual when perceiving her greed level; I didn’t expect that because there were more than one heart in her body!”
Dak replied, “Audrey Jeane has two souls, a top-secret matter. Can you split her ‘Greed Core’ into two parts?”
The Cosmic Brain Beast shook its head. “Once fused, they cannot be separated. Even if forcibly divided, they won’t return to their original state, splitting into two separate parts.”
Dak frowned and said, “I understand now. The emotions you extract are just emotions. Because they don’t touch the essence, they can be shared, which is the basis of the transaction.”
The Cosmic Brain Beast nodded. “Yes, exactly!”
Dak sighed, “I originally thought I could use this to uncover the truth about the other soul in Audrey Jeane’s body, but now…”
“It’s not impossible,” the Cosmic Brain Beast suddenly said. Dak was startled and asked, “How?”
The Cosmic Brain Beast said, “When I extracted the ‘Greed Core,’ I brought something else out. Yes, or rather, her mental environment is special, causing the ‘Greed Core’ to be tainted with something unusual.
The aura. In order to completely extract that tainted aura, I almost exhausted my mana.
“Indeed as expected of you!” Dark could not help but say.
【Cosmic Brain Beast】 said, “At that time, I subconsciously felt that this was a good opportunity to understand the enemy better. So I couldn’t help but do something against business ethics.”
Dark said, “This might be the potential hostility a demon race has towards a light-aligned saint maiden. It shows how resilient Audrey Jeane’s heart must be, to restrain herself so well.”
【Cosmic Brain Beast】 said, “Indeed.”
Dark asked, “Then why can’t I perceive the special aura you mentioned?”
“It needs to be like this.” 【Cosmic Brain Beast】 retrieved the blue-violet orb from Dark’s hand and then… suddenly released a demonic aura!
Almost instantly, a red-and-white light flickered within the blue-violet orb.
【Cosmic Brain Beast】 reached out and picked out that strand of red-and-white aura.
Dark casually took a Thought Bottle from the table behind him and accepted that strand of red-and-white aura.
【Cosmic Brain Beast】 then reinserted the 【Greed Core】 orb back into its mind.
If all the “hearts” traded today could be fully digested, its mental power would at least double!
Dark’s foundation in mental power was stronger than its own, but it could still increase by a significant amount—already an incredible breakthrough.
In battles of mental power, even the slightest difference could determine the outcome, let alone such a significant increase.
Dark hadn’t yet realized just how rich his gains were today… nor had he noticed that the imp beast’s wallet was swelling dangerously close to bursting!
He focused his entire attention on studying that strand of red-and-white aura, carefully perceiving it with his spirit.
“This strand of red-and-white aura is not whole; the white part is most prominent, belonging to the purest form of light aura, likely from Audrey Jeane herself…
“Then, the red strand must belong to another hidden soul within her body?”
“What kind of aura is outwardly red? Pride? Wrath? That’s not the right direction.
“Is it fire or blood-related?”
“The latter is impossible. A vampire’s soul hidden within a saint maiden’s body? Even if there were, Ophelia Brad would surely detect it first.”
“Then it must be fire-related? But that doesn’t fit either. Fire auras are very distinct. It clearly isn’t.”
“So, what is it?”
Dark stared intently at the red-and-white aura in the Thought Bottle, lost in thought. Initially, he had no clue, but the longer he looked, the more familiar it felt.
It seemed like a scent he had encountered before, and recently.
……
After Dark immersed himself in his research, 【Cosmic Brain Beast】 sat down and began diligently digesting the various “hearts” in its mind.
And 【Imp Beast】 started counting the credits after glancing at it… oh wait, since they were credits, they were directly recorded on the academy card, so no need to count.
That sum was undoubtedly substantial for 【Imp Beast】, but for Dark, it was just routine.
【Imp Beast】 couldn’t help but think: “If I don’t bring it up, will Dark forget? Or will he pretend not to remember, considering it part of the payment?”
Bzzzz.
Then it was awakened by 【Fairy Tale Animal·Little Rabbit】. The 【Trading Store of the Mind】 wasn’t closed yet.
If everything was fine, they would continue operating tomorrow. The professors might notice an unexpected pile of scrolls the next school day.
Of course, it was good for both sides.
Dark’s research yielded no conclusive results.
To be in the best state for tomorrow’s god-making plan, Dark forced himself to stop his research with an iron will and went to sleep before eleven.
In the sweet fragrance of fresh grass, he had another beautiful dream.
Two consecutive days of beautiful dreams alleviated the pent-up gloom in his heart.
The new day’s Dark Demon was not overwhelmed by pressure.
He woke up at five, drank half a cup of morning coffee, quickly browsed through the morning paper, and naturally organized his recent research findings in his mind—the three items related to Principal Altair.
The scabbard, clothes, and fossil.
Among them, the intricate patterns on the scabbard were very likely the artistic version of 【Ares, the God of War’s Emblem】.
The scabbard itself had the ability to absorb the essence of a holy sword, merge it, and create a fused holy sword.
The blood on the scabbard, after being activated, was identified as belonging to 【Hermes, the God of Commerce, Travelers, Thieves, and Livestock】.
That piece of clothing was named 【Demeter’s Skirt】. Demeter was the 【Goddess of Agriculture, Grains, and Harvest】.
When Principal Shylph wore 【Demeter’s Skirt】, it could produce endless 【Grass Elemental Seeds】 and catalyze them into 【Demeter’s Flowers】.
Dark used this to refine 【Birgion】 and 【Shenmi】.
Among these, 【Shenmi】 was confirmed as a powerful tool for dealing with pollutants extracted from the scabbard.
Then came the fossil.
The biological information inside the fossil had been successfully replicated into a 【Snake from the Abyss】.
And the root divinity extracted from it was proven to belong to a 【Snake of the Abyss】.
That fragment of root divinity would become the key for 【Oil Snake】 to become a deity!
“Basically, that’s it.”
“From what we can see now, everything has been done to the limit.”
“Whether we can forge a god’s core for the Oil Snake today will be the key to success or failure.”
“Even if it fails, the professors’ intentions won’t be stopped, especially Professor Shylph’s.”
“So, we can only succeed and cannot fail!”
After finishing his coffee, Dark’s gaze finally fell on the scabbard on the shelf. This scabbard was basically his now.
But the holy sword left in his hands was only the one meant for Victoria.
This scabbard was indeed cumbersome in his possession. He preferred to refine the holy sword into a golem.
“Could obtaining it have some special function, just like Hermes’ divine blood?”
Looking, thinking, Dark suddenly had a thought and moved.
He took over the thought bottle containing red and white aura from the table, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.
“Could this red aura belong to the War God?”
Confirmation was impossible.
After all, the scabbard itself had little aura, only the hollowed-out patterns resembling the divine emblem of Ares, the War God.
Dark’s guess was largely due to a faint sense of familiarity.
Moreover, if his guess was correct, wouldn’t it mean that another soul within Audrey Jeane belonged to the divine soul of the War God, Ares?
That would be too far-fetched, right?
The twelve gods of Mount Polopos were not dead… but didn’t the soul of Athena, the Goddess of War and Wisdom, also get summoned?
From the beginning, Dark believed that what remained in the Heavenly Court might just be the consciousness of the War and Wisdom God.
As for the current state of the other gods, there was no information, making it impossible to speculate. But it was clear that even if the divine soul of the War God truly resided in Audrey Jeane, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
“Jeane and the War God… if it’s true, that would be a perfect match…
Dark slapped his forehead, somewhat helpless.
The pair of Saint Son and Saint Maiden at the Secret Rite Academy of the Saints were indeed outrageous. And more outrageous was that his golem had removed the Greed Core from the Saint Maiden last night.
The Saint Maiden of the Battlefield would likely become the Saint Maiden of Peace in the short term.
“In any case, this discovery is quite important. But it’s best to wait until the Oil Snake’s divinity plan is executed before informing anyone, to avoid any factors affecting the plan.”
Dark put on his outerwear, preparing to leave.
Before he left, he turned around once again to remind the Cosmic Brain Beast, Imp Beast, and the Fairy Tale Animal·Small Animal about safety during transactions, preferring to take small losses rather than cause trouble.
By the way, his mental power had increased significantly. Cough!
The students of Saint Maryann Academy were truly the best fodder, being harvested repeatedly.
Dark held Shenmi just in case, then stepped out.
Since it was not yet six o’clock and Sunday, he did not encounter anyone in the corridors or common room.
He walked out of the tower of the Noble Academy.
Then, at some point, the Soul of the Moon Goddess appeared by his side. The Soul of the Moon Goddess was very excited.
If she hadn’t learned feminine restraint in daily life, she would have been jumping around Dark now.
Last night, Dark contacted Chris again and received news that the maid team from the Duke’s Mansion had arrived.
Naturally, the root divinity of the Moon Goddess they collected had also been brought along.
This morning, Chris would also come to observe the casting of the Oil Snake’s god core, so it was conveniently brought along.
Additionally, Chris mentioned a surprise.
But Dark could guess with his toes that it must be Olivia! First, such an important thing as root divinity would definitely require a senior maid to escort.
Secondly, Alvaraite couldn’t possibly feel at ease; since she couldn’t extricate herself, she would surely send someone trustworthy.
Olivia Di Mont, the best choice, “There’s no surprise at all,” Dark thought, meeting up with Chris and others at the castle entrance.
Hmm…
There were quite a few people.
“Greetings, Young Master.”
“Humbly greet the Young Master!”
“Good morning, Young Master.”
Dark sighed, quickly urging the maids not to be too formal. “Shouldn’t Aunt Claire have come?” he asked casually. “She wanted to.” Olivia revealed her usual gentle smile. “Then she couldn’t find the time.” Dark felt a headache coming on.
But he quickly adjusted his expression, looking warmly at Angrey, who had returned to the academy.
Angrey now exuded a markedly different aura from before.
She had clearly become stronger.
And there was also a softness she hadn’t shown much of before.
Angrey, born in the Pisces Palace, was originally out of place with its temperament, but now there was some harmony.
It wasn’t just an appearance; it was a quality radiating from within.
“Can I call you ‘sister’ now, Angrey?” Dark smiled.
A hint of a smile appeared on Angrey Di Mont’s lips: “Yes!”
Seventh Golden Sacred Armor possessor of the Duke’s Mansion maid team, Angrey Di Mont from the Water Machine Palace!
“Young Master, long time no see.”
Following Angrey, the Lion Palace Maid Leader, Trina Di Mont, stepped forward.
She remained valiant, radiating a sense of power, like a lion poised to pounce.
Thus, the Lion Palace Maid Leader Trina Di Mont, specialized in combat, and the Scorpion Palace Maid Leader Chris Di Mont, specialized in assassination, were both present.
With the addition of Olivia Di Mont from the Aries Palace and Angrey Di Mont from the Aquarius Palace, seven of the twelve maid team members possessing Golden Sacred Armors were gathered here.
In the presence of these four, Eve, responsible for communication, seemed less noticeable.
After exchanging a few words with them, Dark received the root divinity of the Moon Goddess from Eve and handed it directly to the Soul of the Moon Goddess for absorption.
Under the barrier isolation, the Soul of the Moon Goddess absorbed all the root divinity at once, boosting the god core casting progress to 10%!
Joy was visibly evident on the Soul of the Moon Goddess’s features. Ten percent was a milestone, indicating that the Soul of the Moon Goddess had taken a solid step towards reconstructing the Moon Goddess’s god core.
But at that moment, a pure aura suddenly emanated from the Soul of the Moon Goddess.
This aura carried obvious divinity! “Chris!” Olivia changed color, hurriedly calling out.
Chris reacted swiftly, a pitch-black shadow instantly enveloping everything, leaving no trace of aura.
[My head feels heavy after napping for two hours.]
[12,000 sent! Brothers, only two days left, don’t hide your moon tickets! They’ll expire soon! Thank you so much to those who’ve already voted! We need another two to three thousand votes to have a chance at the top three!]
