Kaimeng Comprehensive University, Lecture Hall 108.
"If you were given ten times your sorcery power, but the price was being pursued by an immortal snail forever, would you be willing? Hands up if you are."
This bizarre question instantly transformed the entire classroom into a sea of mirth. An elven student in the front row couldn't hold back his laughter, raising his hand and saying, "Professor, you should be asking who wouldn't be willing!"
Standing upon the lecture podium was an elf professor of striking grace. He had shoulder-length black hair and vivid sapphire-blue eyes, fair skin, lustrous thin lips, a lean face, and a tall build. He wore a dark gray trench coat and white gloves on his hands.
In response to the student's answer, a faint smile touched the corners of his mouth. "Then what if it were eight times the sorcery power, but your pursuer became a red wolf? Hmm, it seems you aren't very afraid of the most widespread predator in the natural forests.
"What if it were five times the sorcery power, and the pursuer became a juvenile Fishcleaver Dragon?"
At this point, everyone hesitated a little—a juvenile Fishcleaver Dragon could be called a Silver-killer. There was a joke: 'The first time, an inexperienced sorcerer surrenders right before the Sea of Knowledge; the second time, the sorcerer has experience, but facing a fast, ferocious, and impassioned Fishcleaver Dragon, they still end up disarmed.'
Of course, because the joke bordered on disparaging both men and women, one rarely heard it in reality; such suggestive humor was only ever seen on the Curtain.
Even so, most of them still raised their hands. The elf professor nodded, then added, "Then what if it were three times the sorcery power, and the pursuer were a standard Bloodmad Hunter?"
This time, half the hands dropped. Bloodmad Hunters were divided into hunter apprentices, official hunters, and hunter captains, corresponding respectively to One Wing, Two Wings, and Three Wings. A standard Bloodmad Hunter was almost always a Two-Winged combat sorcerer, and for a Two-Winged sorcerer to become a Bloodmad Hunter required rigorous assessment and training; an ordinary Two-Winged sorcerer from a production track stood virtually no chance against one.
"What if it merely doubled your sorcery power, but you were pursued forever by a Void Realm creature on par with a Titan Executioner?"
Everyone put their hands down. An irked student couldn't resist calling out, "Professor, if I say yes, can you actually give it to me?"
"Of course I am not so generous," the elf professor laughed. "But the Void Realm can.
"A reward of double sorcery power in exchange for the price of eternal pursuit by an unkillable, mighty Void Realm creature—such 'boons' are extraordinarily commonplace as far as the Void Realm is concerned. As long as you are willing to petition the Void Realm, it truly will grant your wishes.
"You've all signed student loan contracts, haven't you? Both signing parties petition the Void Realm to serve as notary, allowing the Void Realm to oversee the execution of the contract. Whoever breaches the contract is met with sanctions brought down by the Void Realm... In truth, that is the most common kind of 'boon'!"
A student raised a hand and asked, "But nearly anyone can sign a contract over almost anything. Is the Void Realm really that easy to talk to?"
The elf professor smiled. "Of course it is easy to talk to, because you are the ones bound to honor the contract, and you are the ones who pay the price if you breach it. Throughout this process, you gain no extra profit; instead, you are constantly giving something up. When it comes to this kind of boon that hurts others without benefiting oneself, the Void Realm has always been exceedingly generous—though of course, part of that is thanks to centuries of development in the insurance industry. Rumor has it that signing contracts used to be quite troublesome in the distant past.
"However, if you dare demand a 'boon' from the Void Realm that works in your favor, it will bare a face more hideous than any bank's, fangs greedier than any loan shark's. To any sorcerer attempting to take shortcuts, the Void Realm metes out the harshest trials.
"Yet 'reward' and 'trial' are not rigid, unchanging mechanics. If a sorcerer knows the proper method to harness the Void Realm's power, they can vastly increase the reward while drastically lowering the trial's difficulty.
"Petitioning boons, adjusting boons—such is the power of the ritual faction."
The elf professor surveyed the hall. "Increasing the reward from double sorcery power to tenfold, reducing the pursuer from a Titan Executioner to a snail—this is no fool's raving, but a miracle that truly exists.
"Of course, petitioning a boon isn't as simple as shouting a couple of lines in the Void Realm and immediately receiving an answer. Even the dispatch operators at the Sin Hunting Hall could hardly match that quality of service. In truth, the rituals required to petition boons are exceptionally complex. They not only require various sorcery spirits as materials, but also test the sorcerer across multiple sorcery factions. Thus, it is a faction burdened with numerous prerequisites..."
Sitting in the back row, Adela cupped her chin in her hands, her eyes glued to the elf on the podium.
"Professor Xilin is just so handsome..."
"Huh?" Freya looked at Adela in astonishment. "I thought you'd be lamenting something like, 'Is there a reward that boosts my gambling luck, where the trial is at most losing the ability to have kids?'"
"As if! I listen attentively to every single one of Professor Xilin's lectures!" Adela retorted, puffing out her cheeks. "Though if a boon like that actually existed, I wouldn't mind!"
By now, the lecture hall was packed to the brim. Not only were the aisles crammed, but people were even clambering at the windows, all gathered to hear Professor Xilin lecture. Professor Xilin was arguably one of the most popular professors at Kaimeng Comprehensive University; his scholarship, appearance, and teaching ability were all top-tier. Unfortunately, due to his outside responsibilities as a councilman and other roles, he had stepped down as a resident professor several years ago, only occasionally visiting the university to deliver a lecture or two.
Beyond that, the most beloved aspect of Professor Xilin's lectures was that they were free! No tuition was required, and anyone could audit them. Only a fool would pass up a free lecture from a Two-Winged Sorcerer like this.
If Adela hadn't saved Freya a seat, she too would be clinging to a window right now to listen.
"...However, sorcerers capable of significantly leveraging the power of the Void Realm are, after all, a tiny minority. For instance, the example I gave earlier of turning double into tenfold would likely require the utmost effort even from a Four-Winged Legendary Sorcerer. Therefore, compared to 'Adjustment', ordinary ritual sorcerers prefer using 'Conflict' to combine boons.
"Suppose I have two boons right now. The price of the first is 'I can never taste the flavor of food again,' and the price of the second is 'I taste the flavor of everything within my line of sight.' What do you think would happen?"
The students glanced at one another. Adela stood up and answered, "Both prices take effect simultaneously, but when eating, the sorcerer can taste the food by looking at it. In other words, the second price weakens or even overrides the first to a certain extent."
"Precisely. That is the ingenuity of 'Conflict'—exploiting how different costs clash to mitigate their negative effects." Professor Xilin nodded approvingly. "Of course, not all boons produce such an ingenious synergy. A more common pairing is stacking multiple costs that target the exact same thing.
"Suppose I have two boons: the first costs my eyesight, and the second turns the world in my sight into a quagmire of flesh and blood. After petitioning both boons, though I will still lose my sight, I won't have to suffer the second cost. It is essentially pulling a fast one on the Void Realm."
A student asked, "If I have ten boons whose prices are all tied to my eyes, does that mean I only have to sacrifice my eyes to gain the benefits of all ten boons?"
"Exactly. That is the idea," Xilin said with a smile. "Petition, Adjustment, Conflict. Through clever combinations, a ritual sorcerer can extract maximum profit from the Void Realm at minimal cost."
Another student asked, puzzled, "If the ritual faction is so powerful, why has it gradually declined?"
Xilin replied, "There are two reasons. The first is what I mentioned earlier: the barrier to entry for the ritual faction is simply too high. One must master multiple Silver factions just to perform a ritual, which makes Two-Winged Gold the bare minimum threshold for a ritual sorcerer.
"Sorcery factions with such high entry thresholds often struggle to be passed down. Once an unexpected gap in succession occurs, they vanish into history, waiting until a sorcerer reclaims the heritage from the Void Realm and refines it before these past treasures can shine once more.
"The second reason is that the ritual faction is far too dangerous."
A student chuckled. "As if any sorcery faction isn't dangerous? Even the water sorcery faction, which excels at healing, can kill people without leaving a trace."
Xilin shook his head. "As I stated earlier, though the Void Realm is stingy with benefits, it is extraordinarily lenient toward acts that harm others without benefiting oneself. In certain taboo rituals, a Two-Winged Gold Sorcerer needs only sacrifice themselves to summon a destructive storm rivaling the full-force strike of a Four-Winged Sorcerer!
"We sorcerers can be greedy, adventurous, and unscrupulous, but no matter what, we must survive and cherish our lives! The ritual faction defies that principle. On top of that, many boons inflict physical or mental mutilation, driving sorcerers toward fanaticism, savagery, and contempt for life. Naturally, it could never achieve widespread transmission.
"There is no stopping someone from learning ritual faction knowledge in the Void Realm, but in reality, any sorcerer with wisdom would ban the propagation of the ritual faction. This is not only for social stability, but because the ritual faction creates mad sorcerers far too easily. Aside from evil and chaotic organizations, the ritual faction offers no benefit to any stable group.
"I am delivering this lecture today precisely to explain the dangers of the ritual faction to you all. If you encounter the heritage of the ritual faction in the Void Realm in the future, remember never to let greed cloud your judgment, and use this perilous knowledge with utmost caution."
Just then, a student wearing a mask raised a hand and spoke up, "Could there be people in the Four Pillar Gods cult who have mastered the ritual faction? Could the calamitous storms of the past have been atrocities committed by cultists of the Four Pillar Gods?"
"...The Four Pillar Gods cult has been thoroughly stamped out by the Sin Hunting Hall, and all of its members, including the ringleader, have been apprehended. Student, you ought to watch the news more often," Xilin said coolly. "The premise of your question is invalid.
"Furthermore, why are you wearing a mask to class? Would you mind taking it off?"
Everyone turned to look and found that the student asking the question was actually wearing a crow mask identical to the ones worn by healers, as if cosplaying. Freya naturally saw this too, and it suddenly struck her that the cult leader seemed to have an identical mask.
Could it be...
Right then, the student took off the crow mask, revealing an apologetic face. "I'm sorry, Professor. I'm quite fond of this mask, so I just..."
Xilin stared at the student, then suddenly covered his eyes with his gloved right hand. A moment later, he lowered it. "Do not wear a mask during class. It distracts me."
As laughter broke out, Freya keenly noticed someone slipping toward the exit. He had a backpack slung over his shoulders and was wearing a hood and face mask as he crossed the lecture hall. No one seemed to notice him; aside from Freya, no one cast a glance in his direction.
Though she couldn't see his face clearly, based on his build and clothes, Freya was certain it was Yaxiu.
What was he doing here?
......
...
After class, returning to the apartment, Freya opened the door and was greeted by a waft of enticing aroma.
"Welcome back. Dinner is just ready."
"...I'm back."
Once Yaxiu set out the food, Freya asked impatiently, "Did you go to Professor Xilin's lecture this afternoon?"
"Yeah. You saw me?"
"Why did you suddenly go to class?"
"Well, two reasons."
Yaxiu picked up Xiaoxian, who was busy clawing at cat food. "The first reason was to find someone at the university's treatment room to treat Xiaoxian."
Freya paused. "Xiaoxian is sick?"
"Yeah, congenital osteochondrodysplasia. This afternoon I saw him sitting on the floor, looking listless. Sensing he was unwell, I took him to see a healer. The healer said that if we want to keep him free of pain, he'll essentially need treatment every month."
Full of heartache, Freya gathered the fold-eared cat into her arms. "I'm sorry, Xiaoxian, I had no idea... Thank you."
"Glad to hear it. I was worried you might blame me."
"Why would I blame you?"
"Without treatment, Xiaoxian wouldn't know that pain can be dispelled, nor how comfortable it feels to be healthy. Moving forward, he might find it very hard to endure the pain, requiring you to take him for treatment every month."
Browsing videos to watch with his meal, Yaxiu said, "I was afraid you'd blame me for causing you trouble."
"What trouble?"
"Isn't having to take Xiaoxian to the doctor every month a hassle?"
"How could it be!" Freya shook her head. "Why would I find it a hassle? He was never supposed to suffer that kind of pain to begin with. You rescued him from agony—I can't thank you enough."
Yaxiu glanced at her. "That's good, then... I'm actually pretty surprised. You refuse any intimate relationships, yet you can devote yourself whole-heartedly and selflessly to a cat."
"That's completely different," Freya muttered. "People aren't half as cute as cats. Besides, Xiaoxian won't leave me. He's a friend without an expiration date."
Yaxiu laughed. "You consider a friend's expiration date when you get to know them?"
"What else?" Freya said matter-of-factly. "If the shelf life is a mere few hours, like a mud worker, then you can be polite and play the cute Veela for a couple of hours. If the shelf life is anywhere from a week to a few months, you can hang out over the holidays to bond and chat about hobbies in between. If the shelf life is several years, then you need to bring up political views as soon as possible to quickly judge whether they're the type worth knowing deeply. If there's a fundamental clash of values, you draw the line immediately and have nothing to do with each other outside of work."
"Then what conditions would someone have to meet for you to consider their shelf life a lifetime?"
Freya froze for a moment. Lowering her head in thought for quite a while, she hesitated, then squeezed the fold-eared cat's paw pads and held him up. "At the very least, they'd have to be as cute as Xiaoxian, right?"
Smothered by Freya's embrace until he could barely breathe, Xiaoxian pushed against the Veela's chest-crushing attack in disgust with his paw pads. Freya let him down and asked, "Taking Xiaoxian to see a doctor was the first reason. What about the second?"
"I happened to pass by the school, so I stopped by to see how you are in class," Yaxiu said casually. "Huh? Episode one of *It's My Own Fault for Saying I Like Married Women* is already out? Let's just watch this."
"I actually wanted to keep watching tea cafe reviews..." Freya poked at the Blazing Lalafell with her fork. "What's so interesting about sitting in class?"
"There really wasn't much to see." Yaxiu twirled noodles around his fork. "That's why I only took a look and left."
"Bizarre," Freya muttered. Watching the Curtain of Knowledge, she dug greedily into the rice bowl topped with Blazing Lalafell and fish roe.
Yet her mind was neither on the delicious food nor on the video.
For some reason, that strange feeling in her heart grew stronger and stronger, and she was even... a little happy.
Come to think of it, what was this cult leader's shelf life...?
She forced herself not to think about that question.
Chapter 148