Chapter 321 - 298: It Feels Like Coming Home (Part 2)

Chapter 321: Chapter 298: It Feels Like Coming Home (Part 2)

"Yeah, it was actually pretty fun."

The two bald brothers explained in tandem.

"Well, it’s a shame I failed the first stage..."

Lloyd shrugged, switching the dumbbell to his other hand as he spoke with some regret.

"Don’t worry about it. That Detection Crystal isn’t always accurate. Take one of the only two S-rank top students in our Ancient Magic System, for example. When he first touched the Detection Crystal, the image it showed was even more outrageous than yours."

"Oh?"

Lloyd’s interest was piqued, and he listened as the bald brothers continued to gossip:

"That guy, back when he was a freshman, originally planned to apply to the art department to become a novelist. But after his roommates egged him on, he came to try out for our Ancient Magic System..."

"He was actually quite resistant to Magic at first. The story goes that when he was a kid, a charlatan pretending to be a Mage scammed his parents out of their entire fortune, so he developed a strong aversion to Magic..."

"So when he touched the crystal, it showed a particularly sinister and bizarre image. Hmm... I don’t really know how to describe it to you. Just imagine a cake completely covered in all sorts of eyes, I guess?"

Lloyd paused when he heard this.

’That image... is sinister?’

’It sounds more like a very creative dish.’

’I should consider replicating it later and letting my sister have a taste.’

Meanwhile, the two bald brothers continued their back-and-forth:

"But even though the test showed an image like that, the two professors firmly believed in his talent. Not only did they insist he continue with the follow-up tests, but they also went to great lengths to persuade him. In the end, they finally managed to ’trick’ him into joining our Ancient Magic System."

"After that, it only took him about five years to raise his initial ’D-’ rating to an ’S-rank’, becoming a famous inspirational legend at Mizkatoke."

"So you don’t need to worry too much, Lloyd. Maybe you’ll still have a chance later. But then again, you’ve already joined the Space System, right? So you have even less reason to worry about this."

"Haha, I’m not really worried about that. I was just wondering if my bad test result might have some negative consequences down the line."

"You don’t have to worry about that. Mizkatoke is a place of freedom and acceptance. You’ve read the freshman handbook, right? A lot of the subjects in there are considered unacceptable in the outside world, but here at Mizkatoke, everyone is treated as an equal. Just don’t break the academy’s rules."

"Yeah, I quite like that kind of atmosphere."

Lloyd nodded. Just as he was about to suggest they show him around some more, a burly bald man burst into the lounge and told the two brothers that a professor wanted to see them.

The three had no choice but to part ways, leaving Lloyd to wander around on his own again.

But since he wasn’t a student of the Ancient Magic System, he couldn’t go to the second floor of the tower. And on the bottom floor, there wasn’t much to see. There was no library, no so-called ’Magic Practice Room’ or ’Magic Laboratory’—only a cafeteria and a lounge, places where he could gather very little information.

Since there was no reason to stick around, Lloyd left the tower and went outside, preparing to check out the Manifestation System’s area.

He followed the directions on his ’mini-map’ and arrived outside a tower marked with [Manifestation].

Compared to the previous magic tower, this place was much, much quieter. There were no students coming or going, and no sound from within.

Lloyd even saw a few spiderwebs at the entrance, giving the impression that no one had passed through in a long time.

Its location was very strange. It was far from the other towers, tucked away in a remote corner. Even the nearby landscaping was neglected; the area was barren, giving it a desolate and dilapidated feel.

’Is the Manifestation System really this unpopular at Mizkatoke?’

His curiosity piqued, Lloyd approached the entrance, filled with questions.

But after just a few steps, he felt an invisible force form an unseen wall, blocking his path.

’Hm? Is it closed to visitors?’

Just as Lloyd was finding this strange, the force suddenly relaxed, opening the way for him as if inviting him inside.

Then, Lloyd felt a familiar and comfortable atmosphere emanating from the web-covered entrance.

Without a second thought, he subconsciously walked forward, brushed aside the spiderwebs, and pushed open the door, which seemed to have been sealed for a long time.

CREAAAK...

With a sharp, grating noise, the heavy iron door slowly swung open, revealing a long, narrow, and dim corridor inside. Nothing was visible.

But the familiar atmosphere in the air grew stronger, making Lloyd feel an impatient urge to enter.

The little kitten, which had been curled up in his pocket, saw his determination and quickly jumped down. It huddled by the entrance, letting out two pathetic "meows."

It was as if it was reminding its master to be careful.

But Lloyd paid it little mind. Upon entering the tower, he was overcome with the cozy feeling of returning home. He strolled leisurely down the dim corridor, seemingly appreciating and enjoying the atmosphere.

But there was nothing in this corridor. No rooms, no doors, no signs, and certainly no light—only pitch darkness ahead.

There wasn’t even a staircase leading up; there was only this single floor.

Moreover, it was a perfectly straight passage that seemed to stretch to the horizon.

Lloyd walked on, patient and slow, as if he had forgotten time and distance, unable to remember how far he had gone.

At long last, at the end of the narrow corridor, he found an ancient, heavy iron door.

Lloyd didn’t overthink it. Without using his inspiration to check, he naturally pushed the door open, as if opening the door to his own room.

Then, the view before him opened up, and the light grew slightly brighter.

He saw a vast, hazy gray sky, hanging so low it seemed ready to press down at any moment.

In the sky hung a scarlet blood moon, emitting a light as striking as fresh blood.

But the light was completely blocked by the surrounding gray mist, preventing it from spilling onto the ground and allowing the world below to retain its true colors.

And beneath this blood moon lay a desolate and deathly silent world, all of it a ruined gray, like the end of days.

There was nothing here. Besides the towering spires, nothing else could be seen.

No mountains, no rivers, no life.

Only those colossal towers, standing tall on this dead wasteland, seemed to be propping up the collapsing sky.

As Lloyd gazed at the scene before him, he suddenly realized why this place felt so familiar.

It was so similar, so very similar...

So very similar to his Thought Realm...

The only difference was that the towers weren’t spiral-shaped but ordinary cylinders.

It also lacked that small patch of grass, along with its life and greenery.

In fact, it made this place look more similar to the Extraordinary System campus area where Lloyd was right now.

And just as Lloyd was quietly admiring this familiar scene, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear:

"A pleasure to meet you, holder of the Book of Truth."