Chapter 37

───────────

Episode 6 - Recovery [3]

─────────────────────────────────

Friday morning.

I had stored some things in my inventory to leave the Academy in a few hours.

Although my body had not yet recovered and my features remained sealed.

Given the amount of time that has passed, the seal will be lifted in a couple of hours.

But that doesn’t mean I’ll wait here.

’The trip is a bit long, so there’s not much time.’

I have until Monday morning to return to the Academy.

The place where the body of the Ancient Spirit was not the Imperial Capital.

It was an ancient ruined city; maybe my teacher will recognize it.

It was one of the fortresses that resisted the Abyss invasion in the past.

When I read the coordinates, I almost instinctively knew where it was, since there’s a hidden item in the game there.

Only the most die-hard players, who spend day and night playing, know about this hidden piece.

’I wouldn’t travel that far just for the body of an Ancient Spirit.’

In fact, I could go anytime, since there’s no rush anyway.

However, I can take this opportunity to go for the hidden piece as well.

It will also be very useful for the second part of Chapter two.

"If I pass the test, I can get it."

This time, it’s not like the item I got in the Golden Forest.

This time, I need to pass a test administered by the beings who hold the hidden piece.

They are a race of beings that, even in Alice’s time, were believed to be nothing but a fairy tale.

This race was known as the <Spectres of Dreams>.

They were a race with strange powers that could enter and exit the World of Dreams freely.

"Okay, I’ve packed everything."

I finished getting everything I needed for this trip.

After a few hours, I finally snuck out of the Academy and headed to the Imperial Capital.

***

Meanwhile, Adel was sneaking out of the academy.

In fact, one person had already noticed, and it was none other than Lumina.

During her previous regression, Adel had disappeared for three days and reappeared as if nothing had happened on Monday of the following week.

Lumina didn’t know where Adel had gone.

’This time I need to follow him closely. I don’t know exactly where he went last time, but I felt something strange about him.’

In her previous regression, Lumina noticed a slight difference in Adel.

Since she was watching him closely, it wasn’t difficult to notice that something was strange.

’There haven’t been many changes compared to my previous regression.’

Everything Adel did last week remained the same, and there didn’t seem to be any changes during the recent villain attacks either.

’I would have liked to help, but all the villains who had infiltrated the Academy formed groups to attack the children of the Five Houses.’

Except for Rinna and Princess Clana, only the children of the Five Houses were directly attacked by villains.

Of course, when Adel faced the Demon Beast, Lumina briefly realized that a villain had been present in the Golden Forest.

She knew that a villain had been present in the Golden Forest.

’I just don’t know who the villain was.’

Adel hadn’t been seen for the past two days, but Lumina assumed he was fine and perhaps training for his trip today.

Lumina didn’t even know what Adel looked like over the past two days.

While walking, she prepared everything necessary for a trip lasting up to a week.

’I don’t know if there will be any unknown dangers, so I prepared potions and food for a week.’

Lumina got everything ready, and the hours passed.

Finally, she left the academy and went to the train station.

She knew where Adel would be at that time, so she bought a ticket for the car behind hers.

It was around two in the afternoon, and the train was leaving in a few minutes.

Lumina lost herself in her thoughts, and soon the train began to move.

’Why is she going to the city next to the Imperial Capital?’

Arlumeria, a city where one of the Five Arcane Towers was located, was Adel’s destination.

It was a large commercial city where many of the empire’s magicians used to go.

Due to the fact that one of the Five Arcane Towers is in the center of the city, it is famous for the number of magicians who live there.

Lumina didn’t fully understand the purpose of Adel’s trip when she bought the ticket.

She wasn’t sure why he was going to Arlumeria; they would arrive around midnight anyway.

Adel would probably go straight to his destination; knowing him, Lumina knew he wouldn’t waste his time.

Therefore, Lumina had to keep an eye on the car in front.

With a sigh, she focused her senses on the car in front.

***

I was lucky to be able to take the train; I was worried they wouldn’t let me because of how I looked.

Fortunately, I learned that many children who had saved up enough money traveled to Arlumeria to seek opportunities.

Maybe they mistook me for one of those children and let me travel without any problems.

Time passed, and three o’clock in the afternoon was approaching.

I took the bandage out of my inventory and put it over my eyes.

I waited a few minutes, and finally, the two days of sealing were complete.

Just then, I felt the mana return to me, and now I could use my Traits once more.

Most importantly, my body grew and returned to its original state.

Since it was a private cabin, no one noticed; I quickly got dressed and put away the children’s clothes I had worn all day yesterday.

’Phew, it feels good to be my adult self and not a child.’

From my perspective, Adel’s body still looks like that of a teenager, but it’s better than that of an 8 year old.

’Now that I’ve recovered from my internal injuries and the side effects of the Eyes of the End.’

Once I got off the train, I would go directly to the ruins. I didn’t want to waste time on useless things like taking a tour of the city.

’I’ll arrive at midnight. For now, I’ll rest a little.’

I slowly fell asleep, and soon night fell, and the train finally arrived in Ciudad Arlumeria.

***

Arlumeria is a trading city that primarily focuses on magical commerce.

Everything a mage needs is sold here.

But it is also famous for one of the Five Arcane Towers.

There are five towers across the continent, and the Nine Star Mages rule these towers.

They are also known as the Five Sages.

’It is common knowledge that being a mage is the most difficult specialty of all.’

The same goes for witches and dark mages.

Magic was a very complicated subject to learn.

Advancing to the Nine Stars is an absurd challenge that almost no one can achieve.

Additionally, it truly takes a great deal of talent to be a mage.

’How lucky that I’m not a mage.’

While the passengers were getting off the train, I slipped out without anyone noticing.

I soon left the train station.

In the Holy Land, thanks to magical engineering, trains existed naturally.

This world isn’t entirely medieval.

It was a mix of modernity, the Victorian era, and, of course, the Middle Ages.

That’s why the trains exist.

In any case, when I left the train station, I had to rely on the help of a few people to find my way.

I didn’t know how to get to the ruins, let alone how to use a map.

’If it weren’t for the fact that some of the coordinates match the location of the ruins.’

Then I would be completely lost.

I would have to ask someone who understands coordinates for help.

After asking countless times, I finally found the location of the ruins.

They were farther away than I expected in the game.

’I guess I’ll have to hurry.’

Soon after, I used Inverted Mana on my legs; then I used the Twenty Four Steps of Space and ran toward the ruins.

I had already left the city, so I just had to go in a straight line.

***

’Phew, I almost didn’t make it.’

The Twenty Four Steps of Space is a movement skill from the First Form of Inverted Heaven.

It wasn’t the fastest movement skill due to its short range.

So Lumina just had to run faster without using her mana.

Adel could tell if someone was following her if she used mana.

So, during the entire journey, she didn’t have to use mana.

’It’s really hard to run this fast.’

Her stamina was her greatest weakness.

No matter how much she trained, her stamina had a limit she couldn’t overcome.

Lumina naturally grew tired from chasing after Adel, but she gritted her teeth and pressed on with determination.

He soon noticed imposing structures in the distance.

The mountains rose just behind the structures; at first glance, they looked like any other ruins.

But Lumina, with her extensive experience, knew that they were a fortress.

’Ruins of an ancient fortress, which is exactly what Adel came here to find.’

Lumina felt increasingly bewildered.

With several questions in her mind, she soon arrived at the fortress. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The entire place was so old that it was covered in vines; nature had already reclaimed its territory.

As Lumina was entering, she suddenly stopped when she saw Adel standing still.

She thought she had been discovered, but fortunately, that was not the case.

Adel stopped in front of a statue of a woman.