Seraph reread the list of possible solutions in the book, his expression darkening.

"This... ugh."

No matter how he looked at it, there was barely any chance if achieving any of those results.

’Tch. If that Halo guy were here, it’d have suggested something reasonable.’

Clicking his tongue, he placed the book back into the shelf and left that section.

Sensing him leaving, the old librarian looked up and stared at him silently.

Although he felt unnerved by her gaze, Seraph merely nodded before stepping outside. He returned to his room, settling into the comfort of his bed.

Night was approaching, and he still hadn’t repaired the building.

’It’s not like it’ll collapse atop my head while I’m sleeping, right?’

The thought was supposed to be a mood lightener, but he didn’t feel good at all.

So, he stood up and left the dormitory, visiting the inner court dormitory for the first time. Unlike the outer court dormitory which looked like an abandoned run-down apartment, the inner court dormitory was well furnished and built beautifully.

Stepping into the white building, he sucked in a breath of fresh air, then looked around. The ground floor was devoid of rooms, only having a long hallway with pristine chairs for the students to sit and relax.

Seraph looked around for a while, then approached one of the female disciples who was busy reading a novel.

"Excuse me."

The older girl looked up, raising a brow in surprise as she sized him up.

"Oh? I’ve heard of you."

Her lips curled into a beautiful smile that made him shiver. What was wrong with her?

Smiling awkwardly, Seraph continued. "Well, I guess I’m a bit popular..."

"Infamous." The lady corrected, closing the book and crossing her thighs.

"Right. So I’m looking for a fellow disciple named Sylvia. Do you know where her room is?"

A trace of surprise flashed in the lady’s eyes.

"Hm? You’re acquainted with Sylvia? Seems fishy."

She rubbed her chin, frowning faintly.

"Did that stone hearted girl finally fall for a guy? But..."

She mumbled to herself, glancing at Seraph again. Wasn’t this guy too young? He definitely wasn’t 18, right?

Seraph was growing confused by the judging look she was giving him, so he decided to go ask another person.

"Wait!"

She immediately called out to him, grabbing his wrist and pulling him back to her.

"I know Sylvia’s room. In fact, I’m her neighbor. Do you want me to take you to her?"

Seraph smiled and nodded, surprising her by how charming his smile looked.

"Alright. Follow me."

She led the way, taking him to the upper floors of the dormitory. Finally, they both stopped at the third floor, where the lady stopped before the first door at the corner.

"This is Sylvia’s room. You can knock, but I doubt she’ll answer."

Seraph nodded gratefully, then knocked on the door.

There was no response.

Sylvia’s neighbor shook her head with a bitter smile. "She doesn’t like being interrupted in her sleep, so she won’t come."

Seraph’s brows furrowed, and he knocked again.

"Sister Sylvia? It’s me, Serap—"

The door swung open abruptly, and he almost tumbled to the ground.

Sylvia stood at the door with wide eyes, staring at him in shock. Her gaze traveled to the lady behind him, then back to Seraph.

"W-what are you doing here by this time?"

Her voice was carefully suppressed, barely louder than a whisper.

Seraph pouted and folded his arms. "Well, I’ll be needing your help."

"My help?"

Sylvia’s expression cooled slightly, and she spoke more naturally this time.

"Yes. Apparently, my dormitory got damaged for some mysterious reasons, and I can’t afford to sleep in it without insurance that it won’t collapse on me."

Seraph explained, his expression softening as he looked into her room.

’Eh? Pink? She’s... actually girly?’

Sylvia was about to answer when she traced his line of sight, she caught him looking into her bedroom.

"You..."

She immediately slammed the door shut, following up with a shout.

"Don’t you dare peek again! Anyways, wait outside. I’m coming."

Seraph remained silent, staring blankly at her door.

Behind him, the young woman chuckled and said.

"She’s a bit feisty, isn’t she?"

She patted Seraph’s back and turned around.

"I’ll be on my way then. Goodbye, little one."

Seraph nodded, "Hm."

A few minutes later, Sylvia reappeared again, her face stoic as usual.

"Let’s go."

Tilting his head, Seraph studied her expression carefully then shrugged. He followed behind her and left the inner court dormitory.

When they finally arrived at the outer court dormitory, Sylvia observed the damage with a frown.

"Hm? This is surely not too serious, but still unexpected. Could it be because the building is already old?"

Curious, Seraph stepped beside her and asked.

"Older than you?"

She replied in a flat tone. "Older than Elder Song. So don’t even think about it."

Seraph was surprised, wondering how long the sect had been created.

"Interesting."

He muttered in a voice only he could hear. Then, he looked at the girl again.

"So... can you help me patch it up? Or are there people who do that in the sect?"

Sylvia rolled her eyes and stepped closer to the walls, placing her hands on them.

"This is a sect, not a village. We don’t have people who would do that. Also, these buildings aren’t made from normal stones so only cultivators can have any chance at transforming them."

Seraph nodded perfunctorily, barely listening to the things she was saying.

Instead, he wished she could be quick with it. After all, he still had a lot to think of anyone and do.

Sylvia closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.

The walls shifted slightly, and the jagged cracks running across the building slowly knitted together, soon becoming whole again.

"I’ve repaired the outside. That leaves the interior."

Seraph nodded, and they both entered.

"Huh? No fire lamps in here?"

Seeing nothing but thick darkness, Sylvia was surprised. Seraph walked past her and connected the bulb he had hung on the stairs.

Instantly, a bright white light shone in the ground floor, startling Sylvia.

"Wha...? What is that?"

She asked, confused and bewildered. Looking at the glowing crystal that emanated a white light, she felt curious.

’I’ve never seen that before. What is it made of?’

Seraph already expected her surprise, so he calmly explained and connected the others as they walked up the stairs.

"I made them, and I call them light bulbs."

Sylvia blinked, then asked in an irritated tone.

"Seriously? Stop messing with me. Where did you get these things? And how do they work without fire?"

He shrugged indifferently. "I already told you I made them. As for how it works, you wouldn’t understand."

Sylvia’s frown deepened. "Why?"

"Because you aren’t a science student."

Finally, they arrived at his room, where the damage was the heaviest.

"What do you mean ’science student’? Is science the name of a sect?"

Seraph rolled his eyes. "See? You don’t even understand. Just drop the case, okay?"

He turned on the light bulbs in his room too, illuminating the place. It was a little rough because of the recent incident, but it still looked presentable.

"Tch."

Annoyed, Sylvia snorted and stormed off to the wall, placing her hands on it.

Closing her eyes, she slowly repaired the cracked walls, finally giving Seraph a sense of safety again.

"All done. Satisfied now?"

She turned to him, her hands folded beneath her growing chest.

"Yes, thank you."

Sylvia’s expression softened slightly. "Now, tell me about this light... thing of yours. How does it even produce light without fire?"

Although she had seen crystals and ores that glowed, these ones were clearly not glowing crystals. Else, how could he turned them on and off like a bonfire?

"I’m afraid I can’t divulge that. It’s my father’s trademark secret after all."

Sylvia’s eyes widened subtly. "Your father was the one who made these?"

Seraph paused, choosing his words carefully. "Technically, yes. I learned the technique while I was back home."

Sylvia turned to look at the connection of the light bulbs to what seemed to be a can, feeling very confused.

"Wow. You must be a genius, then. Learning that before the age of... wait how old are you?"

Seraph blinked at the sudden switch, then sn idea came to his mind.

Grabbing the front part of his robes, he stepped back and scowled.

"Isn’t that too rude? Asking a boy for his age just like that."

Sylvia was dumbfounded, looking at him in disbelief.

What... was wrong with him this evening? 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Seraph chuckled and acted normal again. "I won’t be telling you how old I am. Just know that I’m young. Very young."

Sylvia’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t pursue the matter.

"Anyway, you learnt your father’s complicated technique while you were young. That means you’re a genius. Not bad."

Chuckling, she glanced around again. "Um... these things look good. Can I get one, perhaps? For my room."

Seraph was surprised that she could make such a bold request, but then something came to his mind and he nodded.

"Sure. But I’ll have to create it first. Also, I’ll be the one to fix it lest you break it on the ground."

Instantly, Sylvia’s expression changed. "Ah?!"