The morning sun shone brightly. After yesterday’s ordeal, Ian, who usually never slept in, was still fast asleep at eight o’clock.
Ding ding ding.
A communicator’s ringtone blared from Ian’s bedside. Groaning, he picked it up. “Who’s this? Why’re you calling so early?”
Lillian’s voice came through. “Ian, you’re still sleeping? It’s time to meet Ethelrina and go see Professor Vera!”
Her words jolted Ian awake. He sat up, nervously opening his system panel:
[Emotion Points: 2030]
“Not nearly enough,” Ian muttered, clutching his head. He was far short of the 3000 points needed for a divination-blocking item.
Lillian really dropped the ball with Ethelrina, despite all the chances I gave her.
“Hey, Ian, are you listening?” Lillian asked.
“Yeah, I’ll be right there,” Ian sighed.
Running wasn’t an option—he still needed Lillian’s paycheck.
Even if Vera divined his secret, it wasn’t the end of the world. With Dean Isabella backing him, what was there to fear from Ethelrina?
With that thought, Ian brushed off his worries, got dressed, washed up, and headed to the location Lillian sent.
Some time later, he arrived at a classroom. Inside, a crowd had already gathered: Sophia, Flora, Veronica, and Ethelrina.
“Why aren’t you going in?” Ian asked Lillian, who stood outside, looking sidelined.
“I’m a bit scared,” Lillian said, eyeing the trio beside Ethelrina.
“Scared of what? Come on, let’s go in together.”
Inside, Ian spotted a petite, loli-like figure in a magical robe similar to Isabella’s, but with simpler patterns—Professor Vera.
“Good morning, Lillian and Ian!” Ethelrina greeted warmly.
“Morning,” Ian replied.
Ethelrina approached Vera, holding a bag. “Professor Vera, here are some magical materials for research. Is this enough for a divination?”
Vera’s divinations weren’t free; they required magical materials in exchange, which was why Ethelrina hadn’t sought her out immediately.
Vera peeked into the bag and nodded with a grin. “No problem, leave it to me!”
She pulled out a magical crystal ball, preparing to divine.
Suddenly, a blue panel appeared in Ian’s mind:
[Warning: The host faces the risk of being exposed. Two options are available.]
[Option 1: Resist this divination by sacrificing part of the Senro Breath Pearl’s functionality.]
[Option 2: Resist this divination by spending 3000 gold coins.]
Ian scoffed. With Isabella’s protection, why worry?
[Warning: The probability of Isabella intervening is 1%.]
Ian froze, staring at the panel. “What? You can calculate that, System? Even Isabella’s odds?”
He hesitated. The system, his golden finger, had no reason to lie. And yesterday, Isabella hadn’t fully resolved the Serinveia issue—Serinveia could take him if she won both Sacred Trial events.
Though Isabella believed Iana could match Serinveia, Ian lacked confidence in a solo match.
A team match, however, seemed promising. Glancing at Ethelrina and the others, he thought, If I team up with Ethelrina’s group, the championship’s in the bag.
Snapping back, Ian noticed Vera’s crystal ball forming images. He had to decide fast, or he’d be exposed.
“System, what does ‘sacrificing part of the Senro Breath Pearl’s functionality’ mean?”
[Option 1: For two days each week, the Senro Breath Pearl’s bloodline suppression will be disabled, but aura and appearance concealment will remain functional.]
Ian considered it a fair trade. Two days a week as Iana wasn’t ideal, but it wouldn’t reveal his demonic nature or put his life at risk.
No wonder Isabella gave me that student ID, he thought, recalling the ID in his dorm. Is the system working with her?
As he mused, Vera’s divination neared completion.
“No time to waste.” Ian chose Option 1.
“It’s done!” Vera’s face darkened as she announced to Ethelrina’s group, “The crystal ball shows your stolen pearl is in the hands of the Succubus King.”
Ian marveled inwardly. So the resistance doesn’t make the divination fail—it frames someone else?
Ethelrina’s eyes flickered with complex emotions. “In a Demon King’s hands?”
She wondered why a Demon King would steal her pearl. Did it hold a secret she didn’t know?
Vera, surprised, noted the demon shouldn’t have escaped the academy’s lockdown.
Ethelrina pondered, undeterred. Even if the pearl was with a Demon King, she wouldn’t give up.
“Don’t do anything rash, Ethelrina,” Vera cautioned. “A Demon King is beyond us, and the pearl’s recovery odds are slim.”
“I understand, Professor,” Ethelrina replied, her determination unwavering.
Seeing her resolve, Vera sighed. “The academy forbids unauthorized trips to the demon stronghold. I’ll report this to the dean.”
Later, after consulting Isabella, Vera returned. “The dean says if you win the Sacred Trial’s team event, you’ll be allowed to go to the demon stronghold.”
Ethelrina nodded, turning to Flora, Sophia, and Veronica, who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her, nodding in agreement.
Ian and Lillian, meanwhile, stood opposite them.