Along the eaves, the mottled wood grain remained as resilient as ever after weathering countless winds, rains, and snows. Its deep, muted hue carried the rich patina of passing years, and every falling drop produced a soft patter against it.
Raindrops slid down the edges of the roof, bearing the chill of the damp air, and splashed into the soil below, sending up tiny ripples of spray.
"All right, Hyperion, hurry on upstairs. The wind is picking up."
"Mm, see you at school tomorrow!"
They had agreed to visit Dean Loren tomorrow to submit their application and complete the procedures.
After saying goodbye to Hyperion, Lanqi popped open his umbrella, rested it against his shoulder, and crouched down, smiling silently at his own shadow.
He extended both hands toward his shadow.
After waiting a moment like that, Boss Cat leaped out from the darkness of the shadow and scrambled onto his hands.
"Lanqi, meow... How did you spot me..."
Nestled in the crook of Lanqi's arm as he held it, Boss Cat asked with a somewhat guilty tone.
"It's raining today, so don't hide in my shadow. You'll catch a cold," Lanqi said gently.
"Ugh... I'm sorry, meow..."
Feeling even guiltier, Boss Cat buried its furry head.
So Lanqi had noticed all along. Not only did he not blame it, but he was also treating it so tenderly.
From now on, it would never secretly hide in Lanqi's shadow again.
Smiling, Lanqi carried the little black cat and walked along the road home beneath the umbrella.
In truth, every time he left Boss Cat Restaurant, he would test it like this to see if Boss Cat was in his shadow.
It just so happened to be raining today, so he gave it a try under the eaves—and hadn't expected to actually hook a cat.
"Why are you following me, Boss Cat? Is there something special about me?" Lanqi asked.
"How do you see Hyperion and Tata?" Boss Cat asked curiously.
During these past few days, Hyperion had been staying at Boss Cat Restaurant and quickly hit it off with the feline. Boss Cat had realized that Hyperion was a good kid too, and only when he was around Hyperion did Lanqi seem somewhat normal.
Now it didn't even know whether to root for Lanqi and Talia or Lanqi and Hyperion.
What baffled it most, though, was why they could get along so harmoniously together...
Boss Cat had been in a state of utter shock lately.
Based on its experience, whenever one guy and two girls who were close spent time together, an explosive love-triangle bloodbath was supposed to erupt every single day!
This had caused it to toss and turn at night without sleep, so it had decided to observe Lanqi once more—or simply ask him directly.
"As a companion and a teacher," Lanqi answered.
"No other thoughts?"
Boss Cat lifted its head, staring into Lanqi's emerald eyes.
"None," Lanqi stated as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"But don't you think they're both unique women to you?" Boss Cat hesitated a moment before trying a different angle.
Today, it was determined to figure out Lanqi's attitude toward Tata and Hyperion.
"Everyone is unique to me," Lanqi said with a smile, as if loving all mortal children of the world alike.
"Then which one do you like more?"
Boss Cat couldn't get a straight answer after all this questioning, its voice pitching up slightly.
There was no way he could keep the water completely level this time, right?!
"My love treats all living beings equally."
"...Meow!"
Boss Cat grew frantic.
"Don't you have even a shred of worldly desire?!"
How on earth did it end up encountering a romance protagonist who barely resembled a human being?! The romance story it had been following had completely hit a wall with Lanqi!
"I think I do," Lanqi said solemnly after giving it some thought.
"Huh?"
Boss Cat immediately perked up.
As long as he still had desires, it meant he wasn't some passionless, ascetic saint—there was still a chance for a romance route!
"I want world peace," Lanqi said.
"..."
It could tell that this guy wasn't joking at all; he meant every word from the bottom of his heart.
Judging from what it had learned about Lanqi lately by listening to Tata and Hyperion's conversations, his style of doing things was utterly sinister and bizarre, and whatever caught his attention was doomed to come to a terrible end.
Hearing Lanqi say he wanted world peace only sent a shiver straight down Boss Cat's spine, and it didn't dare utter another word the entire way.
...
Before long, Lanqi arrived back at Dormitory 101.
He switched on the lights, set Boss Cat down, hung his coat on the hat rack, and headed straight for the card-crafting workshop converted from a spacious storage room.
This card-crafting session was exceedingly perilous; he had even spent a heavy sum to purchase an extra top-spec anti-explosion barrier.
As the workshop door pushed open, a glint of seriousness flashed in Lanqi's eyes. The walls of what was once an orderly workshop were now pinned full of various blueprints and design sketches.
The workbench was also piled with an assortment of materials and the scorched embers of broken heavy firearms, while the Poet of Great Love sat before the bench making preparations.
Before setting out this morning, the Poet of Great Love had been left in the workshop. She possessed an immense passion for researching card crafting; once immersed, even Lanqi couldn't peel her away.
However, the moment he returned, Lanqi noticed that her appearance had changed again.
Her hair was artfully twisted into an exquisite bun at the back of her head, every lock meticulously arranged to look neat and elegant, with a few loose tendrils softly framing her cheeks and the nape of her neck.
At this moment, the Poet of Great Love had changed into a crisp white shirt and a tailored black pencil skirt, looking exceptionally sharp and capable, and had even put on golden contact lenses.
The first glimpse of her startled Lanqi—at a casual glance, she looked indistinguishable from the real Talia.
"I told you to imitate Tata during card crafting to put some mental pressure on me, not to take it this far..."
Lanqi could only feel that if Talia ever discovered the Poet of Great Love like this, another catastrophe would brew.
Boss Cat, who had followed him across the floor to the entrance of the workshop, also froze in disbelief.
It felt that one day these two fools were going to court death until they actually died.
Tata had already been so furious last time; did they think that hadn't gone far enough?
"You said this card crafting was crucial, so I dressed up like this to satisfy you," the Poet of Great Love sighed, throwing up her hands helplessly with an expression that suggested Lanqi was impossible to please.
"Stop, stop, you're only making it sound worse."
Lanqi waved his hands dismissively, not wanting to humor her any further. He walked over to the safe, unlocked it, and retrieved the two materials stored inside.
In his left hand was a stone whose surface was covered in a peculiar silvery-gray texture. In reality, it was a heart that had endured countless ages without a hint of decay; merely touching it gave a sense of indelible, potent vitality pulsing within.
Under the workshop lights, Lanqi could clearly see the light flowing within, miraculous ancient magic shimmering.
In his right hand, he held a pure-red, leaf-shaped crystal—the Pink Sacred material obtained from disassembling the self-destruct spell [Spark of Destruction] seized from Phoenix.
On the floor, Boss Cat shook its head vigorously, questioning its very existence as a feline.
Even though it couldn't tell the exact tier of the two materials, both were blatantly beyond its comprehension!
"Lanqi, meow! Do you have any common sense?! Those two materials have zero compatibility!"
"Don't worry. Whether it's seals or fire, I'm an expert."
Lanqi unhurriedly walked over to his workbench, which was already covered with material calculation ratios, procedural draft sheets, and scrolls densely inscribed with Human Magic Script and Demon Magic Script.
"I will become a Sealer who brings warmth and peace to everyone," Lanqi murmured to himself, gazing down at the tabletop.
Chapter 230