Chapter 63 : Chapter 63

Chapter 63 : “If I say it's fine, it's fine.”

“Headmaster, I don't feel well all over. I need to go back to the infirmary to rest. How about I leave Polika here? He knows everything, even how many times I barked in my sleep last night!”

Saint Imolai, the headmaster’s office.

Under the solid wood desk, Polika gave Nilia a kick.

“There’s no room in the infirmary. Can’t you rest here?” The headmaster said with a smile, “The sofa is wide. Go and lie down.”

Nilia: “...”

He could only blame Lady Blythe for being too ferocious, for healing him so thoroughly that he was completely unscathed.

Not only that, Lady Blythe, by herself, had ensured the mobility of several hundred students of the academy.

She had also arrived in time at Polika’s call and engaged in a tug-of-war with Nilia’s collapsing body.

When Nilia regained control of his body and was about to quietly wipe away his tears, Lady Blythe took a stride forward.

Nilia suddenly felt that something was wrong.

She was coming to settle accounts with him.

The next second, he fell into the teacher’s embrace, which smelled of mud and blood.

Lady Blythe said nothing and, after completing her task, immediately busied herself with treating Polika’s injuries.

Nilia looked at Polika on the ground, wiping the snot from his face as he watched.

"Strangulation" had caused Polika’s neck to swell up considerably, and he was still having difficulty breathing.

Now he finally couldn’t utter a single word, and his body was still in the previous state of convulsions.

Lady Blythe told him not to touch his neck and began to treat him.

Polika didn’t wait for his injuries to fully heal.

After recovering a little, he softly requested Lady Blythe to go and take care of the other students first.

Then he looked up at Nilia, who was extending his hand to him.

“You look so pathetic.”

Nilia’s smile was incredibly ugly, “How was it? Your brother was pretty cool, huh!”

Polika took Nilia’s hand and got up from the ground.

Then he punched him directly, knocking him to the ground.

This punch directly stunned the surrounding students who were still watching.

No, Polika, this kid almost overturned the entire Saint Imolai when he was having a fit just now.

Now that he seems to have returned to normal, you’re hitting him?

You’re hitting him?!

If it weren’t for the observant students who rushed up, two or three of them holding Polika’s hands and feet tightly, shouting with empty heads, “The duel is over! If you make a move now, you’ll be punished, Polika!”, Polika would have continued.

Nilia didn’t fight back after being knocked down.

He lay flat on the few remaining parts of the training ground that hadn’t been turned into ruins, facing the sky, and giggled foolishly for a long time.

As he was laughing, he was taken away by the headmaster.

Also taken away was Polika, whose face was full of “I must kill my roommate today.”

At that time, Nilia realized his roommate’s scheming.

This guy didn't let Lady Blythe heal his injuries, definitely having learned a lesson from the previous infirmary pufferfish incident.

The more miserable one is, the more justified one is!

Now it was impossible for him to actually go and lie on the sofa in the headmaster's office.

The closed windows couldn't block the clamor outside.

Saint Imolai was in a mess, and both the resident knights and the secret arts assessment team were waiting for the headmaster to give an explanation.

The headmaster was not in a hurry at all.

His white hair was messy and his clothes were tattered.

He still took out that flashy purple cravat, wiped his hands, and poured himself a cup of hot tea.

As he lifted the porcelain cup to drink the tea, he calmly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Headmaster: “Speak up. You can't muddle through this time. I can't possibly help you fend off both the knights and the Secret Art Association at the same time. That would be the death of me, Nilia.”

Just as Nilia was about to speak, Polika kicked him again.

“The ones who died weren’t students.”

Polika said, “'Refining Flame' didn't even touch the skin of the resident knights, it just melted their armor… You can understand it as Nilia's secret art going berserk. He's been studying like crazy recently and went off the deep end.”

“Went off the deep end, and then used a secret art with a single-digit number, and a secret art that his body couldn't handle and wasn't recorded by the association.”

The headmaster said, “Do you know what we call this kind of going off the deep end?”

Nilia blurted out the answer: “It's called voluntarily joining the Death Cult!”

The headmaster smiled: “Correct.”

Headmaster: “How about you two discuss it and come up with another excuse?”

Polika: “...”

“Let’s not talk about excuses for now. You two have to sign this first.”

The headmaster took out two blank documents from the drawer, wrote down the names of the two students on them in a few strokes, turned the page, and signed his own name at the end.

“Early graduation from the third academic year. Saint Imolai will keep your student records. Before the people from the Secret Art Association arrive, leave Kohuaishi.”

He said, “Oh, right. Before you leave, you still have to give me a proper reason, a reasonable one, so I can report back.”

Looking at the two certificates of suspension of studies, Nilia and Polika had different expressions.

Polika was actually the calmer one.

He had already anticipated the possible outcome at the training ground.

Suspension of studies was the lightest punishment… not even a punishment.

Nilia was a little flustered: “No, no, no…”

He propped his hands on the desk and leaned forward, “Polika still wants to bring his sister to the academy. He can't suspend his studies… It's all my fault, Headmaster, I did it! I…”

“Neither of you can stay here.”

The headmaster said with a slight regret, “I know who died and who was injured. That's the problem, Nilia.”

“You don't seem to understand what happened yet, and neither does Polika. You two were in the most stable center.”

“‘You’ didn’t move a single step from beginning to end. The entire training ground was destroyed, but its basic structure was maintained by secret arts.”

“All the students who tried to leave were swept back by the hurricane raised by ‘Refining Flame.’ ‘Earth’s Wrath’ pushed them to their limits, forcing them to use all their skills to protect themselves.”

“Why did the resident knights arrive so quickly? Because ‘Earth’s Wrath’ almost hollowed out the entire mountain, and the small town was also trembling. The knights are weapons trained by the Vidalia Kingdom to deal with secret artists, but they couldn't get close to ‘you’ at all. They were like toys, their armor melted to pieces, and they were taunted and played with.”

“Do you know how difficult it is to do that? It's like you're wielding a giant axe taller than me, and then carving the emblem of Saint Imolai on a piece of tofu.”

Nilia was dumbfounded: “I… what does our school emblem look like again?”

Polika kicked him a third time, almost making his knees buckle.

“Not just number 006, but also number 014, number 016, number 085, number 096… I didn’t even count the ones beyond number one hundred.”

The headmaster said, “If a person can continuously cast any four of them within ten minutes, then he is qualified to sit in the Secret Arts Council. If he can add more and has practical combat effectiveness, then he shouldn't go to the Secret Arts Council, but to the Secret Arts Tribunal.”

Polika hesitated: “The Secret Arts Tribunal… isn’t that for those secret artists who will seriously hinder the development of secret arts?”

“The other way around.”

The headmaster took another sip of hot tea, “The Secret Arts Tribunal is for those secret artists who will bring leapfrog progress to secret arts.”

Polika frowned.

He had never heard of such a thing.

Nilia, on the other hand, had no idea what a tribunal was.

Nilia's ambition was not to be a secret artist.

His understanding of the organization was at most limited to the existence of an association that managed everything.

“All geniuses who try to delve into secret arts have only one outcome: the Death Cult. Isn't that strange? It seems that secret arts will eventually lead people to madness.”

The headmaster said, “The Secret Art Association has been investigating for nearly a hundred years, capturing cultists for research at all costs. All kinds of inhumane research you can and can’t imagine. The Secret Art Association even recruited scholars to try.”

Those old, cloudy eyes stared at Nilia, “Just like you, Nilia. They all ended up like you.”

Nilia was dumbfounded: “?”

A large envelope was placed on the desk.

Polika opened it.

It was the information the headmaster had gathered from various sources since the incident in the auditorium.

Inside were many transcribed documents and materials, including the student who went mad at Saint Imolai several hundred years ago.

“These are the scholars who voluntarily participated in the association’s tests: Dasmon Finn, Noxa Caesar, Tilan Rodland… They were devout believers, but not of the god of death. In other words, they would never join the Death Cult.”

A document contained a scholar's record.

We seem to be overlooking a world without secrets.

That is not the case.

For a hundred years, even a thousand years, although there has been significant progress in secret arts, we are still constrained by the high tower.

We do not understand the truth of the world, confined to the circle we have drawn, looking up at the few words left behind by the brilliant gold, trying to decipher the warnings within.

I firmly believe that secret arts were born from humanity.

Once you truly learn its mysteries, you must admit that this is by no means a gift casually written down by a god.

Those words are filled with urgency, a determination to overcome all difficulties.

It is urging, constantly urging.

I am certain that the person who created secret arts had the best interests of all humanity at heart.

He must have been far-sighted, so much so that his remaining will could be excavated by us.

Noxa shares my opinion.

We have voluntarily joined the Secret Art Association’s exploration this time.

Noxa’s progress is much faster than mine.

I am deeply ashamed of this.

The association has given us the best resources.

He has already taken the next step, while I am still hesitating.

No… no… he failed.

I passed through layers of flames and saw a dark figure kneeling there.

He was burned to a crisp.

His last words were to me—don’t listen.

But there are only the two of us here.

He would never be attacked.

The association would at least leave a complete corpse… why?

Noxa, why did you burn yourself to death?

I saw Dasmon’s body.

He died at the hands of the association.

I’m going crazy.

I don’t understand.

The association said it wasn’t Dasmon who came back, so who was it?

Who was it that had a crazed smile on his face?

I heard that voice.

It has been chasing me…

I ran to the church, prayed under the beautiful stained glass, prayed that the will of humanity could overcome everything… I…

They asked me how I was doing.

I was trembling all over and didn’t know how to answer.

Don’t listen.

Don’t listen.

Don’t listen.

I think I know what Noxa meant.

I want to listen.

I also want to see.

I want to know what threat I am facing.

Perhaps I will get lost, just like Dasmon.

But I hope I will be better than him, at least to do what Noxa did.

My hands have already touched the border of secrets.

I just need one last leap.

My name is Tilan Rodland.

May I remember my name, my ideals, and my faith.

For humanity.

“Tilan failed.”

The headmaster said, “She was the last heir of the Rodland family. The family had studied secret arts for generations. Her parents were executed after becoming members of the Death Cult… She was the same.”

Polika looked at the document, which ended with a few brief sentences describing the scholar’s fate.

Tilan Rodland called out the name of the god of death and offered him death.

“The Archaeological Secret Arts Institute believes that the origin of secret arts is the gods. The Secret Art Association is skeptical about this. But this theory can explain some of the questions—why did these geniuses end up as madmen who lost themselves?”

The headmaster said, “The Secret Art Association believes that this is a kind of selection. Only when you reach a certain level will you face the truth of secret arts…”

“It's Hikta…”

Nilia understood in an instant.

He looked at Polika, but his roommate didn't know the things that only he knew.

He was expressing his condolences for the scholars recorded in the document.

It was Hikta.

All secret arts were powers seized from the hands of the gods by Sagteni I.

The king integrated the powers and created secret arts that humans could also use.

But these numbered and classified powers also belonged to the gods.

Even though Sagteni I's body was still in the amber, isolated from this world, he could still use "Good Friday" to snatch Nilia's body.

Hikta could too, of course.

The threshold for joining the Death Cult was secret arts.

One must be very proficient in the study of secret arts and have mastered the ten-digit numbers.

The common feature of these people was not the so-called madness for knowledge and truth…

It was the talent to use most secret arts, and a body that could barely withstand "Good Friday"!

Hikta had been trying to take over the bodies of these geniuses with "Good Friday."

It also explained why they became mad and paranoid.

If the user was too rough and reckless, "Good Friday" would seriously affect the individual whose body was taken, leading to consequences such as identity confusion.

But the premise was that they had reclaimed their bodies.

Nilia felt his lips were dry and still trembling.

An absurd idea appeared in his mind, but damn it, it made sense.

He could even find an example, himself.

“Those people… they didn’t betray humanity. They have been fighting against the gods, trying to reclaim their bodies with ‘Good Friday’ just like me…”

“But even if they succeeded, they were still influenced by Hikta, lost themselves, and became puppets of the gods…”

Nilia said hoarsely, “They don’t remember what great people they were, but their personal victory brought disaster to the entire world…”

It was too absurd.

Mediocrity had become humanity's protective shell.

A scholar who wanted to pursue the truth climbed to a high platform, but what he saw was not the answer, but a disaster.

He tried his best to resist.

After failing, he became a one-time body for the gods.

Even if he succeeded, he could not escape.

Even if he survived by a fluke, he would forever lose his human self.

Thus, the Death Cult was formed.

They killed, and were killed.

They harmed the innocent and were captured by the Secret Art Association.

They were all souls who had tried to fight for humanity at the beginning, but they ended up killing each other.

Their remaining lives were soaked in death, unable to escape.

The headmaster shook his head: “I don't know. I don't have the qualification to step onto the platform. But you stepped on it and successfully left. In all the records, only you have done it, Nilia.”

No, that's not it.

Nilia thought bitterly, he hadn't done it.

He wasn't facing Hikta, but Sagteni I, and the king had let him go.

It was Sagteni I who had stepped aside and allowed him to leave the pitch-black darkness.

“So can you understand? The Secret Art Association will not allow anyone to step onto the platform again, to push open a door full of unknowns, with no way out. We won't even call you a ‘miracle,’ but a ‘survivor.’ You must not become a representative, leading more people to try to climb to the higher peaks of secret arts—you have to leave as soon as possible.”

Nilia: “I, I understand…”

***

“I don’t understand.”

Chu Zu said to the system, “Why is the light pollution of the secret arts so strong?”

The system was frantically searching the mall, adding all sorts of eye drops and eye massagers to the shopping cart!

“It’s all Katur’s fault!”

The little yellow chicken said angrily, “All the secret arts written with his abilities are full of strong light!”

Previously, Chu Zu had basically cast them in order, Katur's, Aturu's, Hikta's… alternating between them.

This time, during the fight, he figured he couldn't go all out, so he picked a few that looked like they could make a scene.

The result was that he almost blinded himself.

The little yellow chicken was quite excited at first, feeling that the phoenix of "Refining Flame" was simply its incarnation.

They could both fly, and they were both fierce generals under the host's command.

But when it came back to its senses, the host was asking it if it had any eye drops.

“Don’t rub your eyes.”

The system quickly stopped Chu Zu and said, “There were no problems with the entrust in the second half. I was watching. Apart from the cultists, there were no other casualties!”

Chu Zu closed his eyes: “Did you write down what the headmaster just said?”

“I did!”

“I remember that there wasn't much description of the Death Cult in the original work. It was just a background element, and the Secret Art Association was also very much a background element.”

“Yes, it just said that the cult was Hikta's running dogs, dreaming of bringing Hikta back.”

“That should also be supplementary content… Can this kind of confused consciousness be restored?”

“Probably not. Even with the props from our mall, it’s not possible.”

The system said, “I made a comparison. The compression principle of the amber and the underlying logic of the sea of consciousness simulation are consistent. That is to say, if secret arts are also considered as code, then the underlying code is the same as the props in our mall. They are all one-way and irreversible.”

“…”

Chu Zu was silent for a while, “For them, death is actually the best outcome.”

The system could feel that the host was in a very bad mood right now.

Hikta had gone too far.

With his abilities, he should have been "free" after getting the first body.

He had already returned to this world, a world where Zui had not yet returned.

But Hikta was not satisfied.

He turned Zui's gift into a new game.

The rules were not public, and the players were all humans who tried to explore the truth.

If you didn't have the power to subvert the gods like Zui, then you would become his toy.

Your pursuits, beliefs, and dignity as a human would no longer exist.

This was completely contrary to Zui’s philosophy—he did it on purpose.

Chu Zu closed his eyes and was quiet for a long time.

He barely opened a slit, and the little yellow chicken immediately handed over the eye drops.

“It’s much more reasonable after the supplementation.”

Chu Zu’s tone didn’t give anything away; he was still very calm.

As he struggled to put eye drops in his own eyes with his claws, he said, “It's not that there are no geniuses, they're just not genius enough, at least not enough to beat Hikta down.”

The system was sure that the host had sneered when he said “beat down.”

“If they could rely on the newly learned ‘Good Friday,’ stabilize their will, and truly escape from Hikta’s hands, perhaps they could have brought back the correct information, but they all failed.”

“When the Secret Art Association discovered that the exploration of the disaster was accompanied by huge sacrifices with long-term consequences, they stopped the exploration and actively sealed off all exploration…”

Chu Zu said, “Their information is not enough to make them realize what the hell Hikta is.”

If they really knew, and understood that the gods had the authority to remake the world, even if there were still conservatives, there should be many people who would want to fight Hikta to the death.

Whether they could actually win was another matter.

The system stared at the host, and only breathed a sigh of relief when Chu Zu's eyes seemed better.

Chu Zu suddenly changed the subject and asked: “Who did I beat up during the custody?”

System: “I beat everyone up, one by one as they came.”

Chu Zu: “...”

Chu Zu: “Didn’t you just say that apart from the cultists, there were no other casualties?”

The little yellow chicken was very proud: “Yes!”

“Not a single serious injury?”

“None!”

Chu Zu was silent for a second time.

“No wonder the headmaster wants Nilia to run away quickly… If there were really a few serious injuries, it would be understandable. In this situation, apart from the headmaster going all out and being shameless in his old age, there is really no way to give any explanation…”

System: “...”

***

The headmaster was indeed very willing to go all out.

The knight and the person in charge of the secret arts assessment team arrived quickly.

The headmaster hid Nilia in the academy, leaving only Polika and a few classmates in the office.

“What’s going on with that student named Nilia?”

The headmaster answered irrelevantly: “Nilia and Polika Landor have a personal grudge. They have violated the school rules and fought each other before.”

“Yes, they fought in the middle of the night. We couldn't stop them no matter how we tried. We were even accidentally hit twice. In the end, we had to stuff them into the infirmary.”

A student stood up and said with a solemn vow, “Before this duel, I heard Nilia say he wanted to beat Polika to a pulp. I heard from an older female student that it seems Nilia owes Polika a lot of academic credits and wanted to renege on the debt, and Polika couldn’t take it anymore.”

The person in charge of the assessment team reprimanded sternly: “Is this a time for jokes!”

The headmaster was very calm: “Don’t be angry. You couldn’t move a finger back then. Why are you getting angry at the children now?”

“You also covered for him last time, right?”

The resident knight said, “You and your students don't seem to realize the seriousness of the situation.”

“Seriousness, you mean a knight who specializes in dealing with secret artists is helpless against a sixteen-year-old student?”

The headmaster smiled, “Sir Knight, with all due respect, if you dare to report this to the Royal City Knights, starting next year, the Knights' funding will be cut again and again. This is no longer the era of the Grand Duke.”

The person in charge of the assessment team became even angrier: “I have already reported this to the Secret Art Association. If nothing unexpected happens, the council will be held on another day!”

Headmaster: “I will attend.”

“What right do you have to attend?! Hand over that student!”

“I am the headmaster of Saint Imolai, a count personally appointed by the king, and one of the representatives of the Secret Art Association's council. Two-thirds of the people in the council are my students. Do you think I have the right to attend?”

The headmaster's voice turned cold.

“This is my school. Under the circumstances where I have determined that the student has not violated the school rules, if you want to take away my student, I would like to ask you, what right do you have to order me?”

The student on the side was even more arrogant than the headmaster.

“Do you need an on-the-spot trial?”

The student blinked and said, “My father just happened to die last year. Now I am the Marquis of Leichhardt and have the right to preside over an on-the-spot trial.”

According to the laws of the Vidalia Kingdom, if there were special circumstances where it was too late or impossible to go to court, a high-ranking noble who was not involved in the dispute had the right to preside over an on-the-spot trial.

The trial required the presence of at least three counts.

If there was a retrial later and the original verdict was overturned, all three nobles would have to be held responsible.

Saint Imolai had plenty of nobles, if nothing else.

“You are from the Landor family, right?”

The person in charge of the assessment team stared into Polika’s eyes, his tone uncontrollably a little rushed, “You should know the current situation of the Landor family. Now you have the opportunity to—”

“Nilia and I have a personal grudge.”

Polika said faintly, “He is a rare secret arts genius at Saint Imolai. I was very jealous and repeatedly provoked him during the assessment, which caused Nilia to lose control.”

He said, “It was a controlled loss of control. He didn’t hurt anyone he shouldn’t have. Accidents happen every year in the secret arts assessment, and it’s inevitable for the examiners to get injured. As for the resident knights…”

Polika looked at his classmate: “Did we ask for help from the resident knights?”

The classmate raised his hand: “No! They just appeared on their own!”

Polika nodded: “The sirs knights are dedicated to their duties, and I have deep respect for that. Nilia should also pay some compensation…”

The classmate raised his hand again: “I’ll pay!”

The person in charge of the assessment team couldn't bear it anymore and slammed his fists on the table: “Marquis Leichhardt, what kind of trouble are you causing?!”

“Sir, I was right next to the followers of the Death Cult at that time. Can you understand?”

The student still had an innocent look, “When I discovered the torn sun under that person’s school uniform, I wanted to rush onto the training ground and give Nilia a few good kisses.”

“Guess how many marquises and how many future grand dukes are on the training ground?”

He said, “And guess, if you forcibly take Nilia away, how many complaints will be stuffed onto the desk of the president of the Secret Art Association?”

***

While Polika and his classmates were being led by the headmaster, fighting for Nilia's freedom, Nilia was also risking his life for his good brother.

After talking with the headmaster, Polika decided to embark on a journey with his roommate, but he couldn't let go of his younger sister who was still at the Landor family.

Polika asked the headmaster if Shanjielina Landor could enroll early or stay at Saint Imolai.

The headmaster sighed and said that the school rules strictly prohibited the enrollment of family members of students who did not meet the requirements.

This was to prevent the academy from completely becoming a social venue for the nobility.

There had been precedents before.

A student had brought his fiancée to enroll with him, but the fiancée ran off with someone else, and the matter became very ugly…

There were even more absurd situations, such as widowers and widows using their children to turn Saint Imolai into a matchmaking venue, or bringing their younger siblings to the school in an attempt to achieve a class leap by casting a wide net.

In short, this precedent really couldn't be set.

If this group of nobles started acting recklessly, they would be unmanageable.

Nilia didn't understand.

When protecting the person, the headmaster's behavior was a violation of the Secret Arts Council's agreement.

A slight carelessness could lead to ruin and disgrace, and even imprisonment was not impossible.

But the headmaster was determined to show his rebellious side.

But when it came to trivial matters like school rules, the headmaster was not willing to give in at all.

Polika didn't protest and silently accepted this result.

Nilia thought this was not good.

He couldn't just let Polika accompany him to seek death everywhere for nothing.

While the headmaster and Polika were both held up, Nilia felt it was time for him to show off.

When it came to moral corruption, Nilia had always been three hundred years ahead of all the students at Saint Imolai.

When it came to spreading rumors and making others morally corrupt, Nilia was also the undisputed leader at Saint Imolai.

A good brother would have difficulty making a move against his parents, but Nilia had no such burden.

He only kowtowed a few more times when he spread rumors about his own parents during tomb-sweeping.

Spreading rumors about Polika’s parents was even easier.

Nilia stopped a classmate who wanted to greet him in the cafeteria.

The headmaster had already greeted all the professors and students.

Nilia's was simply a case of a secret art running wild, just like last time.

In addition, there were no casualties, so the classmates just treated it as an overly thrilling live drill.

And Nilia looked no different from usual, with the same despicable face.

He looked quite normal, not like someone who would easily go crazy, and he had precisely targeted the Death Cult twice.

All in all, the classmates' attitude towards him was also quite good.

After briefly inquiring about the classmate's injuries, Nilia expressed his deep apologies for his bad behavior on the training ground.

He felt that they had exchanged enough pleasantries and lowered his voice.

“Do you know why Polika wants to kill me so badly?”

The classmate: “Huh? Aren’t you saying it the other way around?”

Nilia shook his head: “No, I’ve been acting in self-defense all along. Look, at the training ground, I wasn’t even having an episode, but didn’t Polika still want to rush up and hit me?”

The classmate thought about it, and it seemed to be the case.

His interest was also piqued, and he became secretive with Nilia: “Why?”

“Sigh, I’m only telling you this. Don’t spread it.”

“Yes, yes, yes, keep it a secret, keep it a secret. I trust you, of course I trust you. You’re the most tight-lipped person.”

Nilia’s lips moved, and the rumors came out.

“Based on Polika’s grades when he first enrolled, and his family’s situation, there’s no way he could have gotten into Saint Imolai, right?”

“Hey, why are you bringing me up? I can study here because my household registration is here!... Why are you cursing at me? Do you still want to hear the gossip?”

“Yes, he couldn't get in. You understand, right? Even though he is indeed the top student in the academy now, he couldn’t have gotten in back then.”

“Polika has very low self-esteem. When he lived with me, he would ask me for advice all the time. So I sacrificed my study time and analyzed it with him.”

“Let me just tell you the conclusion—I suspect Polika’s dad has a nude photo of the headmaster.”

“Why a nude photo… have you heard of hook literature?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t know what hook literature is. I can tell from your eyes that you know very well!”

“The Landor family can still survive now. Where did the money come from? Polika’s dad sold his ass for it!”

“Why the dad, not the mom?”

“The headmaster has had so many love affairs, and he has acknowledged and taken responsibility for every single one of them. If it were the mom, would Polika still be named Landor now?”

“So of course, it’s a dirty secret that can’t be brought to light!”

“Ever since I exposed this fact, Polika has been wanting to kill me to silence me.”

“I also have evidence. Polika now wants his sister to leave that house as soon as possible, and even asked the headmaster if he could bring his sister over.”

“But, our headmaster, who has always been people-oriented and compassionate, disagreed! He didn’t even give him a chance to discuss it.”

“That’s not reasonable. I know it’s against the school rules, but think about it from another perspective.”

Nilia winked and said.

“Because the academy already has one Polika. If another Landor comes, it would be too conspicuous and easy to expose.”

***

“What kind of madness is he having?”

Chu Zu had wanted to talk to Nilia about serious matters, but now he was stuck in the middle, unable to move.

He really didn't expect it.

After a great epiphany, deciding to take a new step, and learning the true nature of the Death Cult from the headmaster, Nilia turned around and started again…

Should it be said that he was worthy of being the protagonist?

A unique style that ran through from beginning to end.

No matter who tried to change it, it wouldn't work.

He just had to be himself.

Glancing at the system's small movements, Chu Zu said quickly: “Don’t go looking up what hook literature is!”

But it was too late.

The system had been chagrined for not understanding the forum last time.

This time, it was fast enough and had already paid the price for its curiosity.

“So despicable ah ah ah ah ah—!”

The little yellow chicken couldn't stand it anymore.

It knew that Nilia had a flexible moral bottom line, but this was too much.

This was too much!!!

So this guy had been hiding it all along.

Now that he was about to suspend his studies and leave school, he was finally letting himself go.

Chu Zu was still trying to distract the system: “Does this world have things like photos?”

The system, with its little chicken feet curled up, searched with difficulty.

“Yes, it’s similar to a portrait, used to preserve a record of a certain moment. Because it’s from a secret art, it’s more authoritative than a portrait. It’s seen more often on wanted posters, and some secret artists use it for blackmail…”

Chu Zu sighed: “Humans are really amazing, to be able to use a proper thing to this extent.”

The little yellow chicken: “...”

But that doesn't include being used as a means of spreading rumors by Nilia ah ah ah ah!!!

***

In the real world, Nilia’s performance finally met its punishment.

“When I first started school, I thought there was something wrong with the headmaster's gay purple cravat that danced in the wind. Everything makes sense now, brothers, everything—”

Halfway through his secrecy, he was pinned down by Polika, who had rushed over after hearing the news.

At Saint Imolai, it was rare for someone to be publicly punished for a private fight, then fight to the death in the secret arts assessment, eat their humble pie and shake hands, and finally break out in a new round of fisticuffs in the cafeteria…

It wasn't rare, it was unprecedented, never before seen.

The surrounding students were all stunned.

Not just because of the gossip revealed by Nilia, nor because of the unprecedented second fight, but because of Polika.

The model student, with excellent moral character, on whom countless professors had placed high hopes, Polika… had fallen!

The idea that one's own father was unclean was usually something that would only come from Nilia.

Polika?

Oh my god!

Oh my god!!!

The shock was too great.

The students even forgot to find a teacher to break up the fight.

The two who were fighting also knew that this was not a place to stay for long.

When their faces were bruised enough, they tacitly turned and left, leaving the scene of the crime in the cafeteria.

Nilia said righteously:

“Why did you do it? I didn’t ruin your sister’s reputation, nor did I ruin your reputation. You don’t still care about that damn family honor, do you?”

Polika: “You have now become my motivation for progress.”

Nilia: “Huh?”

With a swollen face, he said shyly, “Why are you suddenly so mushy, sigh… you’re making me feel embarrassed…”

“One day I will hang your corpse in the auditorium of Saint Imolai, right opposite the school emblem. New students will not only have to swear an oath to the school emblem, but also have to spit on your corpse to enroll.”

Nilia: “You kid, your mind is full of me.”

Polika: “...”

Polika had never experienced Nilia’s level of disgustingness.

He really couldn’t stand it and left with a belly full of anger.

But Nilia’s rumor-mongering was surprisingly effective.

Whether the noble students believed it or not was one thing, but since Nilia was still alive and hadn’t been killed by Polika, there must be some other mystery.

The enthusiastic students peeled back the layers.

The truth was not important.

What was important was that they understood Polika’s determination to take his sister away from home.

Polika and Nilia were the heroes of the entire Saint Imolai.

Even though Nilia was despicable, it couldn't change the contribution he had made to the academy and his classmates.

Not to mention that Polika had always been very popular with his classmates.

It was no big deal to help him out a little.

The noble students discussed it and decided to jointly write a letter to the headmaster, who was planning to go to the royal city for a meeting, hoping that the headmaster would agree to Polika's request.

A joint letter from truly powerful and influential nobles didn't need that many reasons.

The reason they didn't write any reasons was not because of arrogance.

The students had great respect for the headmaster.

The main reason was that it was not easy to state the reasons.

Every word Nilia said could not be written, otherwise the headmaster would probably cancel his trip to the royal city immediately and use that flamboyant gay purple cravat to hang Nilia in the headmaster’s office.

Thus, the entire joint letter was written very euphemistically, but the purpose was very clear: pick up the person, we'll pay.

Just think of it as helping yourself, Headmaster.

Don't ask too many questions, okay?

The headmaster was very puzzled, but he couldn't stand the large number of people.

The last time the children of nobles from all over the country had written a joint letter was to demand a change of headmaster.

He didn't know why, but this time it complied with the school rules—the effectiveness of a joint letter from nobles was evident.

So the headmaster replied: Fine.

“The headmaster said he would personally pick up Polika’s sister when he returns from the royal city.”

The system’s mood was very complicated.

“Now the headmaster can't wash himself clean even if he jumps into the Nituslaibi River. Nilia! Nilia!!!”

Chu Zu had already adjusted his new understanding of Nilia and was quite open-minded.

“These students all know in their hearts. They’re not really stupid. They’re just using this as a gimmick to help.”

Chu Zu said, “And think on the bright side. Maybe the next one to be disgusted by Nilia will be Hikta?”

System: “...That would be pretty satisfying.”

“Right.”

Chu Zu calculated the time and said, “They are about to set off. Show me the golden locations you marked before.”

The system had already planned the map before.

After the plate correction, a new version of the map with several red circles drawn on it appeared in Chu Zu's consciousness.

“A small amount of gold has been excavated and has flowed into the market. I have excluded the places with too little content. The rest are here.”

Chu Zu: “Now exclude the locations of the secret art associations in each country.”

The red circles on the panel flashed a few rounds, and a few large blocks were reduced.

Counting them down, there were only five or six left.

“Combine the original plot line and plan a route.”

Chu Zu pressed his claw on the map, drew a line according to his memory, and said.

“There are some occasional events in the original plot that happened at the right time. The timing can’t deviate too much, otherwise Nilia won’t encounter them, and I’ll have to write a new plot for him to follow the main line.”

The system accepted the job: “Okay!”

Before starting work, the system asked: “You said before that you wanted to talk to Nilia?”

Chu Zu: “Yes, now is a good time. I’m free.”

***

Nilia paid a huge price for his shamelessness.

In the days of packing, his face never went down.

But Polika was not much better.

The current Nilia would pay back every debt!

He didn't have much to pack.

He basically just paid off the academic credits he owed and gave his books, which couldn't be cleaner, to the younger students.

The younger students didn't understand Nilia's true nature yet and thought he was the type to accumulate knowledge and then have a sudden burst of inspiration.

Looking at the textbooks with only his name on them, they were confused for a long time.

Not charging them academic credits was the last of Nilia’s conscience.

Polika was so busy that he only had time to fight with him.

The headmaster was not around, so he went to the professors, Lady Blythe, and his classmates, asking them to help take care of Shanjielina Landor.

If possible, please try to avoid having Shanjielina meet the other Landors.

The night before they left, the two of them rarely fought in the dorm.

No one knew when they would be able to return to Saint Imolai.

Just as Nilia was about to sigh, a voice suddenly appeared in his mind.

“Nilia.”

He jumped up from the bed.

Polika thought this guy was going to cause trouble again and gave him a cold glance.

He just happened to see Nilia grab a fruit knife from the table and slit his finger without hesitation.

A few weeks ago, Nilia had to be held down by the head.

He would start howling before his fingertip was even broken.

Now he was very proficient and had no resistance at all.

Polika knew what this meant and immediately got up from the bed.

The amber emitted a red light like a sea and river, filling the entire dorm.

After the red light dissipated, Polika saw Nilia squatting very seriously and respectfully in front of… a Shiba Inu.

Was that a Shiba Inu?

Or a black wolf?

Polika wasn't sure.

He was a little confused about what was happening.

It was only after he met the scarlet gaze that he realized belatedly and immediately lowered his body like Nilia.

No…

That’s not right…

So, Sagteni I, he…

Countless thoughts collided in Polika’s mind, and finally turned into a few sentences—

Is there something wrong with the gods’ brains?!

You’re not gods, you’re crazy, right?

Sagteni I was fine, so why turn him into a Shiba Inu… into a black wolf?!

Such a vicious insult!

Looking at Polika’s face, one could tell what he was thinking.

Zui ignored him and, as usual, kicked Nilia away.

Nilia got up from the ground with an expression of “that’s right, that’s right now,” which couldn't be called happy, but was at least comfortable.

“You know what you should do now.” Zui said.

Nilia remembered what he had heard in the headmaster's office, became a little more serious, and nodded: “Kill the entire Death Cult.”

Polika opened his mouth, but then fell silent.

For those cultists, death was actually a release.

Nilia should have thought so too.

Zui: “Not just that.”

His voice was very soft, but it naturally carried a cold and severe tone, “You have to kill Hikta.”

“Host, it seems that it won’t work.”

The system whispered while it was busy working, “In the end of the original text, Nilia fights with the gods and expels them again, completely severing their connection with this world.”

“The top five secret arts you taught him also only have the effect of expulsion.”

Nilia and Polika fell into a brief silence.

They might have expected Sagteni I’s words, but hearing them was another matter.

Nilia was even more moved.

He knew the root of secret arts.

To kill Hikta… this was also…

Little Yellow Chicken: “Now the origin of secret arts is highly bound to the gods. At least Hikta will not die from any power originating from the gods.”

Chu Zu: “If I say it's fine, it's fine.”

The host said it very calmly, his tone like discussing the weather.

“If the top five secret arts can’t do it, then I’ll write a number zero. If the power of the gods can’t do it, what about my power?”

He said abruptly, “If secret arts are also considered as code, then the underlying code is the same as the props in our mall—right?”

The little yellow chicken’s beady eyes widened, and it quickly calculated the possibility.

To write the number zero secret art that the host mentioned, even by revising Zui's setting collection, the host still needed to perfect the entire process.

And this was already beyond the logic of the current worldview, so the setting would not take effect.

But…

With the series of foreshadowing before, Zui’s status was still rising.

The host had created a nearly omnipotent monarch.

He already stood at the pinnacle of humanity, with almost no distance from the gods.

The readers would not be surprised that "Zui created a secret art that could kill gods."

So using the mall props reasonably at this time… the possibility of being judged as a violation was zero.

The mall props were varied.

Perhaps one could really find, or piece together, a prop with enough lethality to defeat Hikta’s "underlying code"!

The system looked at Chu Zu.

It suddenly realized that the host seemed to be really angry.

In the main text, apart from cutting off the cumbersome and useless side quests and laying the groundwork for the ending, the host had always tried not to change the other content as much as possible.

The original expulsion ending was also not a big problem.

Severing the connection between the gods and the world, all humanity was saved.

But the host now felt that this was not enough.

He must have the god who played with humanity die at the hands of humanity!

Chu Zu quietly looked at Nilia, watching him lower his head, his heart beating faster and his breathing becoming rapid due to various factors.

When he looked up again, Chu Zu saw the same clarity in his eyes as before.

“For humanity… right.”

Nilia remembered the record from the scholar Tilan.

That was the last sentence Tilan wrote.

Then, she succeeded, and she failed.

Chu Zu kicked him again, sending Nilia flying and crashing into Polika.

He got up, angry: “Why are you hitting me for this too? Aren’t I just saying some very moving declarations?! Your Majesty!!!”

Polika was quick-witted and covered his stinky mouth.

This guy was still not convinced.

Perhaps he felt from the bottom of his heart that he was quite familiar with the king, and that a few kicks were normal communication.

Since it was communication, it should of course be two-way!

“Don’t think about unnecessary things.”

Chu Zu said coldly, “Do you know what all of humanity is? Everything you do can only prove yourself.”

Nilia pushed aside his brother's ruthless iron hand and said dryly: “...Oh.”

After preparing the two brothers mentally, Chu Zu said to the system: “Prepare for retrospection.”

He glanced at the route map that the little yellow chicken was still organizing.

The more troublesome nodes in the future still needed to be sorted out.

The first few stops had already been determined and marked with a check.

“I remember this place is the former Goni Kingdom?”

System: “Yes, it’s the Goni that assassinated you last time.”

“Then let's pack up and go fight Goni. I still need to think about how to kill Hikta during the retrospection.”

Chu Zu said faintly.

“I’d like to see if it’s humans who cannot touch the domain of the gods, or the gods who cannot resist my will.”

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