Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 282 - 258 Cruel Past

Mr. Dark said a cool-looking but nonsensical phrase, which people around him ignored as just another one of his daily melodramatic antics. Mr. Dark, having nothing better to do, lost interest in this place and used a Shadow to open a portal back to Andrei Academy, self-absorbedly returning to where he came from.

At least he was a boss with a conscience, as the dark portal remained intact.

Mr. Journalist glanced in the direction of the portal, his spinning head causing his tattered tablecloth to flutter in the air. "Delusion, I’ve got a new idea. What do you think about a novel depicting the love and hate between Mr. Dark and the angels? Would it sell?"

"It would, and so would your bones. Mr. Dark is different from Mr. Raymond; he is a devoted reader of our magazine. If you publish it, you’re dead, both literally and figuratively."

Mr. Journalist put down the pen and paper he had been holding and boredly walked through the portal. Mr. Delusion followed closely behind, and before leaving, he greeted Mr. Gentleman and Veraliz.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Veraliz. For us, every remaining family member is infinitely precious. I hope you have a pleasant exchange with the gentleman." Mr. Delusion vanished behind the door.

Veraliz looked at the dark portal, then turned to face Mr. Gentleman, who was at a loss for words.

"Are all your friends the kind who like to act cool like fools?" Veraliz asked, her right hand hugging her left arm, her head turned to the side, "Although I don’t hate fools... I do hate that you’ve been away for so long without coming back to find me."

"I’m sorry, Veraliz. After my death, I was in a daze for a while. Once I snapped out of it, I stayed mostly at Andrei Academy and in other safe places. I couldn’t go see you. Raphael left a mark on me, and he would see me every time I used the power of the rat swarm. I couldn’t let you face an angel."

Veraliz hung her head low, "So now, you also have no way of leaving the Lich Academy, right? As long as that angel exists, you ultimately won’t be able to live with me..."

Before Mr. Gentleman could reply, Veraliz began to comfort herself. "Haha, I’m just kidding. We can’t go back to the past now. I have become the Witch leader, Avonreiter, I have a new community, new family members, and I need to be responsible for them. They must have also been greatly affected, and they need me now." Veraliz stepped back slowly, the shadows spreading behind her, "But, I’ll visit Andrei, not to see you, but because there’s the Witch of Death there; she’s also my sister. Well, see you next time, Avonreiter... Mr. Gentleman."

Veraliz merged into the shadows, leaving Mr. Gentleman standing in silence.

Lyle felt awkward, unsure whether it was his lack of strength that made him overlooked. Like a lightbulb that quietly glows and heats in the corner, even if the involved parties didn’t care, he himself felt uncomfortable. Especially in an atmosphere that felt like a break-up scene. Lyle slowly moved his feet, inching towards the dark portal like a caterpillar.

"Lyle, don’t go yet."

Ah, Mr. Gentleman, so you did know I was here.

"Is there something you need, Mr. Gentleman?"

"I need your help, Lyle." Mr. Gentleman opened a shadow portal. "Even though Veraliz seemed indifferent to her own Shadow Pillar Stone, that stone is actually valuable for the growth of Shadow Beasts. My friend, I implore you to retrieve the pillar standing on the mountaintop and protect it from the wrath of the holy light. Lyle, you’re human, and once you shed your disguise, those patrolling Paladins won’t harm you. You’re the only one who can do this now." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Lyle pondered carefully. Raphael hadn’t taken particular notice of his face and, having withstood tests for detecting evil, encountering Paladins wouldn’t be a big deal. After all, he himself was originally captured by the Vengeance Witch.

"I agree, Mr. Gentleman, but how do I extract the pillar?"

"Just pull it out physically; with Nia’s strength, it should be quite easy for you. However, be cautious of the residual Shadows flowing beneath the stone. Veraliz previously used it to connect to a piece of land rich with Shadows—be careful not to be swallowed up."

"Is it the same area where Mr. Gentleman teleported me and Veraliz before? It didn’t seem very dangerous."

"Don’t be careless. When I took over the ceremony, I felt that shadowy land was deep in this forest. I don’t know what’s happened there, or how Veraliz found that place. But an area that could give birth to so many Shadow Beasts, commanded by Veraliz, is certainly not a pure land. Ah, but then again, you have the Ring of Andrei, so forget about those dangers."

Lyle donned a smile and peeled off his Plague Doctor disguise. "Mr. Gentleman, await good news from me."

The gentleman nodded, "I will wait at the Cup of Luxury; this place is too close to the holy light for my liking."

Lyle stepped into the shadow portal leading to the altar atop the mountain.

Just as Mr. Gentleman was about to return, his shadow on the ground twisted and turned into a black rat, a rat that was tightly connected to the gentleman. The shadow of the rat spoke with the same voice as the gentleman, as if they were communicating, or as if talking to themselves.

"I didn’t tell Veraliz..."

"I didn’t tell her who the destroyer of our tribe was..."

"I became the servant of the destroyer, as a Descendant of Shadow."

"I can’t tell Veraliz, she has a better future ahead; she shouldn’t be entwined with the past, with the cruel past..."

"I must protect her, is this protection..."

Mr. Gentleman and his shadow fell into silence. The scenes he once saw clung to him like a nightmare.

The night he and Veraliz escaped, he saw it.

The elder Shadow Beast, transformed into a behemoth, charged at that figure, the angel wielding a dark red longsword.

Under the angel’s wings, a group of knights in black armor stood in silence.

The angel yawned, lazily swinging the Holy Sword, "Another monster den, I hope their power is somewhat amusing."

The angel extended his palm toward the leader of the Shadow Beasts.

"Call of Power." The flames around the angel turned into shadows like those of the Shadow Beasts, and he became like a Shadow Beast himself, a behemoth so terrifying as to be despair-inducing.

"Shadow Assault." From behind the angel emerged a Shadow Beast much larger than the leader, tearing into the pack of beasts.

"Sixth Tier, how weak," observed the angel, glancing at his subordinates. "Go on, Inquisitors, you should be able to defeat beasts without a leader. Don’t bring shame to the holy light. I’m going to sleep; wake me when it’s done."

"As you wish, Your Holiness Saint George."

"Inquisitors, obey the command of the Angel of Fire, exterminate the evil!"

"Call of Power!"

The Inquisitor knights clad in black armor transformed into Shadow Beasts, clashing with the pack.