At eight in the evening in Ikerite, lights flanked the streets like scattered stars, gracing the city with an air of elegant tranquility.
Taking advantage of the fact that the large shopping mall in Hutton Pedestrian Plaza had not yet closed, the three first went and bought some daily necessities.
After dropping the purchases off back at the apartment, Talia accompanied Lanqi and Hyperion on a trip to the School of Sages dormitory building at Ikerite Academy.
Once Hyperion had packed enough clothes to last her two-week stay at Talia's and walked out carrying her suitcase, Talia left with her.
After watching them walk away down the quiet campus road illuminated by lanterns, Lanqi turned and headed toward his own dormitory.
Even without Poet of Great Love—since he had lent her to Hyperion—Lanqi felt perfectly fine on his own with Radiant Virtue and Wonderful Notes in hand.
He would go find Frey a bit later; Frey was sure to have the board games and cards all set up, and if the student council president weren't so busy with work, Frey would probably have dragged him along to play too.
With Hyperion's troubles resolved without a hitch, Lanqi felt that all his worries were gone, leaving behind only the pleasant bliss of campus life!
His mood grew exceptionally light; even the autumn night air felt far crisper and more refreshing.
Whenever he was in such fine spirits, inspiration tended to strike.
Lanqi hadn't touched his card crafting tools in several days, having only just returned from the Shadow World that morning.
His hands felt unpracticed after the long break, leaving him with a faint pang of nostalgia.
"Time to practice some card crafting. Can't let myself slack off."
Lanqi stretched his arms out wide as he walked along the dormitory corridor.
With the card crafting workshop right there in his dorm room, he couldn't wait to delve into some experiments while he still had the chance.
Before heading to the Northern Continent during the winter break for the Visiting Slate Bearers project, he needed to finish crafting the magic card using Wolf King's Proud Heart as its core material. That way, he could become a Sealer who brought warmth to everyone, shattering the cold stereotype people held toward Sealers under the notorious shadow of the Bishop of Annihilation.
This was his duty and his goal.
Lost in thought, Lanqi arrived before the doorplate of Room 101.
He unlocked the door, flicked on the lights, and headed straight into the card crafting workshop converted from a spacious storage room.
Ever since Lanqi had fitted the workshop with the same protective, soundproofing barrier found in Talia's room, he no longer had to worry about disturbing the other students.
Entering the workshop, jars and bottles of every bizarre shape and size sat all around, filled with an assortment of herbs and powdered mineral crystals.
Ancient blueprints and tomes lay stacked across the long workbench, while instruments and tools were neatly arranged along one side.
After a quick tidying, the tools for card crafting—magic pens, carving knives, tweezers, a small hammer, and more—were laid out before his eyes.
He then slipped on a work apron and prepared to begin his card crafting research.
First, Lanqi selected his materials.
He did not intend to make a high-tier magic card this time; it was purely for practice and testing out some new ideas.
He took a stack of blank magic cards from a drawer. After swiftly finishing the preparations, he dipped into a bottle of blended dark red mana ink and began inscribing runes onto the card stock.
Every stroke and line of his hand was steady and precise. Midway through the process, he chose a deep-red mineral powder, delicately sprinkling it over the card before meticulously carving and brushing it into place with a blade and a small brush.
Over ten minutes passed, and he remained immersed in his work.
However, the card's structure gradually grew unstable, as if sparks were leaping and swirling across its surface.
Immediately afterward, the runes on the card truly caught fire. Flames flared, and with a violent shudder that rocked the workshop, the card detonated with a thunderous boom!
As always, his card-exploding technique was as tremendously potent as ever.
Because he was in such an exceptionally relaxed mood right now, he blew things up with even greater abandon.
"Again!"
Not in the least discouraged, Lanqi even broke into a contented smile. He pushed up his sleeves and got back to work.
From then on, every time a magic card exploded in his hands, his shadow would twitch violently in the firelight.
It was as though his shadow were terrified of him.
Even Lanqi failed to notice the bizarre behavior of his own shadow.
He simply reveled in the explosions more and more, as if playing with fireworks. It was as though explosions were exactly what was supposed to happen—maximum power was what he was after!
Finally, after a blast swept flames across the entire workshop, nearly breaching the protective barrier and rattling the jars and bottles on the shelves, Lanqi flashed a satisfied grin.
"Splendid!"
Lanqi threw his hands up in celebration. The experiment was progressing steadily toward success!
With momentum on his side, he intended to strike while the iron was hot and try once more.
However...
Upon sensing his intention, his previously quiet shadow finally convulsed in sheer panic.
"Meow, meow, meow! Who on earth crafts cards like this?!"
A cat burst out of Lanqi's shadow like ink separating from a page. Standing upright on all fours with its fur bristling to the tips, it shrieked at him.
It seemed scared out of its wits.
There was a terrorist right here conducting building-demolition experiments!
"Whoa!"
Lanqi was caught off guard as well.
How did a cat just leap out of his shadow?!
"You are..."
Settling his nerves, Lanqi sat back down in his chair and looked at the little black cat on the floor with confusion.
Lanqi could tell it wasn't an enemy.
Its tier had to be exceptionally high to have stayed hidden in his shadow all this way without him noticing.
And Talia must have detected it long ago yet didn't bother to yank it out, which meant it had to be harmless.
"I'm Boss Cat! You come to my restaurant all the time, meow."
Still trembling with lingering fear, the little black cat stated its identity.
"A cat can cook?"
Lanqi was astonished.
If a cat back home could make him three dishes and a soup, his happiness index would shoot through the roof.
"Watch, meow."
The little black cat gave a proud flick of its paw, and the objects on Lanqi's desk instantly levitated a few inches off the surface.
It knew force magic, the only kind of magic it was good at. But because it was so weak, the magic lacked virtually any lethal power.
In addition, diving into shadows was its innate racial talent.
It was arguably the weakest Tier 7 in existence—bar none.
"Did you need something from me?"
Lanqi scooped up the little black cat as if it were the most natural thing in the world, gazing at it gently.
"Uh... I wanted to look around Ikerite Academy, meow."
Boss Cat looked away, telling a lie.
It hadn't expected the youth to be so remarkably accepting—he didn't pry into its secrets, nor did he scold it for tailing him and trespassing into his room without permission.
Boss Cat was actually worried Lanqi might be a scumbag stringing Tata along, so it had decided to come observe the boy's moral character.
Boss Cat loved sweet romance and considered itself an angel of matchmaking.
Nobody understood playing matchmaker better than it did!
Unfortunately, it had been discovered right away.
It was just too clumsy...
"I see. It's getting late today. Would you like to stay here with me? I can show you around campus tomorrow."
Lanqi's clear emerald eyes shone with warmth as he spoke to the little black cat.
As a truly model student, it was his sacred obligation and duty to showcase the academy at its finest to every visitor.
"Really?"
Boss Cat found the youth surprisingly easy to get along with!
He was pure and friendly, just like a little angel. No wonder Tata was willing to accept him.
What was more, the closer it got to this human, the more inexplicably drawn to him it felt—so soothing and secure that it just wanted to curl up and fall asleep...
"Of course," Lanqi replied with a smile.
Tomorrow he happened to be hosting Adams, an international guest, and playing matchmaker for Dean Loren. Both were wonderful, virtuous deeds—the perfect chance to show Boss Cat what he was made of.
He wondered whether Boss Cat enjoyed watching people bring lovers together.
Chapter 181