The meeting gifts Inks gave were quite a lot—so much that she could barely carry them out.
One was an apprentice robe, said to be the standard attire for a magic apprentice.
The purple fabric was remarkably rare and extremely precious in this era, but aside from its exceptional material and exquisite craftsmanship, there didn’t seem to be any other remarkable features.
It was probably not as impressive as the one Doctor Strange wore in the movies from her previous life.
But as the saying goes, clothes make the man and saddles make the horse. The main function of this apprentice robe was likely as a symbol of status. When Inks handed her the robe, he told her that as long as she wore it while out and about, she could avoid unnecessary trouble and might even gain some unexpected benefits. Because as soon as anyone saw her in it, they would immediately realize she was an honored magic apprentice.
Aside from that, there were also several magic books. Even the thinnest one was two fingers thick, while the largest was a full palm’s width—a weight heavy enough to crush a poor little girl. But Hill, after all, was a vampire; her physical strength was far beyond that of an ordinary girl.
Though knowledge is priceless, compared to the stack of thick books, Hill’s attention remained fixed on the final gift from Teacher Inks—a pendant. It was neither made of silver nor ostentatiously golden, but crafted from a type of metal highly favored by mages for its excellent magical conductivity.
But that was not the main point. The true highlight was the ruby inlaid on the pendant.
This gem was extraordinary. Teacher Inks had introduced its use to her with particular solemnity. As long as Hill wore this gem, it would greatly extend her meditation time as a magic apprentice, and would not strain her body or mind.
She knew that for her, meditation was the most stable source of daily experience. She didn’t know how much longer she could meditate, but even half an hour more would be a significant improvement!
She sincerely thanked her teacher. Before leaving, he had even told her that, at any time, for any magical question, she could come to this office to seek his guidance.
After Hill left, what she didn’t know was that Inks stood motionless in his office for a long time, and then suddenly burst out laughing. There was a magic array on the doorknob, so outsiders couldn’t enter at will, and the sounds inside wouldn’t leak out easily. That was why he could laugh so recklessly, without fear of arousing suspicion or attention.
He laughed for quite a while, until his hoarse throat could barely make a sound, until that rather creepy laughter turned into a dry cough. Only then did he gradually stop, leaning on the table and panting for breath.
Inks’s cracked lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but his throat wouldn’t allow it.
Only when the sky outside the window grew dim and unclear, and the melodious sound of bells from a distant tower announced that night was about to fall, did the last trace of sunlight scatter across Inks’s aged face, and he was finally able to speak.
“Found it! Found it! Found it found it found it found it…”
His hysterical voice, combined with the dim environment of the office, made Inks look like a devil returned from hell, yearning for the fresh flesh and souls of the living.
“This place is full of mediocrity, a bunch of muggles who know nothing of magic! I’ve truly had enough, had enough, had enough, had enough… Hah, I’ve had enough of sharing a room with these fools, wasting my precious time in that damned classroom!”
“But, the great Goddess of Magic still favors me after all—she let me find an uncut gem in a land so barren of magic!”
“Hill Hamill… a fallen noble’s descendant, young and energetic. Not bad, not bad at all! It’s just, it’s still a bit early. At least until you reach the extraordinary, you’ll only become truly valuable to me.”
Hill carried her stack of thick books along the road, the precious ruby pendant hidden safely in the pocket of her uniform—she didn’t dare show it off on the street. At this hour, the town was crawling with pickpockets, preying on people hurrying home, grabbing whatever they could.
It was only thanks to the recent chaos caused by monsters at night that the sheriff’s patrols had increased significantly, causing the usual thieves and pickpockets to go quiet.
Still, a girl carrying a pile of books taller than her own head was quite eye-catching, but since she wore the public magic academy uniform, it didn’t seem out of place.
Hill finally made it safely back to her apartment. She first placed the heavy magic books on her little desk, which left barely half the space remaining. From now on, she’d probably have to move things around whenever she wanted to read.
None of this mattered. She tried on the apprentice robe first and was surprised at how well it fit—almost as if she’d had it tailored at a shop herself. Teacher Inks truly deserved to be called a mage; his insight was astonishing. Without ever measuring her in person, he had managed to produce a perfectly fitting robe.
Hill had her share of vanity too. Though there was no way a cramped, crowded apartment like hers could hold an expensive mirror, just looking at the noble and mysterious patterns on the robe, and feeling the luxurious fabric, she was already deeply enamored. She could imagine that wearing this robe would make her especially eye-catching!
If possible, she wanted to wear it to school tomorrow. But after thinking it through, she decided against it. Drawing too much attention was not good, after all. She wasn’t an ordinary human, but a lowly vampire.
“Right, the most important gift is still this one.”
Hill admired herself in front of the blank white wall—there was no mirror, after all—then suddenly remembered something. She quickly took out the ruby pendant, placed it in her palm, and examined it closely. The crystal-clear gem shone brilliantly even in the dark, dazzling and beautiful.
She put on the pendant, and a cool power surged to her mind. Hill took a deep breath, then sat on the bed and began to meditate.
Three hours later, she still hadn’t left the meditative state.
She had no idea how much time had passed when she finally opened her eyes. She’d lost all sense of time, but as long as she opened the panel and checked her gained experience, she’d know.
Name: Hill Hamill
Level: 4 (400/215)
Race: Vampire
Sequence: None
Skills: [Night’s Blessing I], [Extraordinary Magic I], [Blood Emperor I]
A full 15 experience points!
Hill was a bit startled by this growth. Before, after a little over three hours of meditation, she would gain about 8 experience points. Now, the experience had nearly doubled. In other words, her meditation time had doubled!
Outside was still pitch-black and silent. Hill forcibly restrained her excitement so as not to disturb her neighbors. But she had other ways to vent. Lying on the hard, cold wooden bed, she rolled back and forth, even kicking her thin blanket to the floor without realizing it.
She curled up like a boiled shrimp, clutching her mouth, trembling with glee.
With this ruby pendant, she’d advance to extraordinary even faster!
Within a year, she could definitely reach her goal!
After venting her excitement, Hill lay on her back, exhausted, gazing at the ceiling and full of hope for the future.
She reached a hand upward, as if to grasp something, and murmured, “Soon. Very soon.”
What she longed for was a peaceful life.