Whispers Hidden in the Dark Night (7)

Merlin, who should have already disappeared, appeared before her.

Moreover... the gray walls could defend against mages, which is why they were called the most solid walls in the world. Yet, when Merlin appeared, there was no reaction. This proved that he had crossed the gray walls without being discovered by anyone.

"You..." Fatenai crossed her arms, looking at Merlin with great surprise.

Merlin didn't speak to Fatenai immediately. Instead, he slowly raised his hand, and a strong light shone from his staff, then shot towards Fatenai—!

Fatenai froze. She felt the light pass by her side and explode behind her. She immediately turned around, as if tearing open a rift in space, and a "wreckage" slowly "poured" out.

It was a puppet.

Seeing the puppet, Fatenai's expression wavered. This belonged to Shirey.

"Weren't you supposed to have disappeared?" Fatenai asked Merlin, feigning indifference.

"When things sustained by mana are no longer maintained, they naturally dissipate after a period of time," Merlin said. "By appearing in the form of a mage, I can replenish my own mana."

Summoners sustained by mana—the mana that constituted them was their life. When their mana dissipated, they would die.

Merlin's concentrated mana was sufficiently dense, and since he himself was a mage capable of gathering mana, was that why he could exist for so long?

Fatenai, half-understanding, said, "Thank you."

Merlin had previously seemed to admit that she wasn't Arthur, yet he still referred to her as Arthur now. In fact, their relationship wasn't close, and Fatenai usually didn't know how to face him.

"Arthur, you need to train," Merlin said calmly.

Fatenai was taken aback, not understanding how he had reached that conclusion.

Although what he said was true.

"It's too dangerous here. While being close to the Sword in the Stone to learn is a good thing, you are still too weak—you are still threatened by low-level magic at this moment," Merlin continued.

"What are you talking about? The Sword in the Stone is here?" Fatenai was somewhat surprised, not paying attention to his last sentence.

In the stories of King Arthur, Merlin brought the Sword in the Stone to England as the chosen sword. But that was just a story, and besides, this wasn't England.

"I am looking for it, and it is here," Merlin stated with certainty.

Fatenai found it a bit troublesome.

Starlight University, as a university for commoner mages, must have many secrets. Fatenai didn't actually have the intention to explore, not just because she wasn't particularly curious—everywhere has its own secrets, and sometimes it's better not to know.

But... Fatenai glanced at the scrapes on her body. Although she felt a little relieved due to Merlin's presence, it still couldn't calm another emotion within her.

And then, the Sword in the Stone.

Why would the Sword in the Stone be here? Could it be...

A thought flashed through Fatenai's mind. She abruptly raised her hand, rolled up her sleeve, and instructed Merlin, "Don't let anyone come near here."

Merlin didn't speak. A soft blue light spread out, enveloping the entire area.

Fatenai's fair arm was fully exposed. Red patterns gradually appeared on the back of her hand. Strangely, it had changed from when it first appeared—at some point, it had spread to her arm, including her other hand.

After a moment of silence, Fatenai pulled her sword from under the bed. Holding the sword in one hand, she took a deep breath and forcefully slashed it across her other arm.

The pain was reduced by at least two-thirds.

Her arm still bore a bloody mark, but it only broke the skin, not reaching the extent of the damage caused by the previous force.

The patterns had advanced.

Fatenai had a rough idea of what had happened and turned to look at Merlin.

Merlin wasn't a natural summoner—her advancement should have started when Darwin disappeared. That was precisely when the game's settings were triggered.

"The Arthurian Poems"—a plot involving Merlin.

Without the game interface, this summoner still existed, and this plot seemed to be continuing.

But how was the plot to be completed... The Sword in the Stone did exist—it had special settings different from legends, but obtaining it came at a great cost.

"Do you know what I encountered?" Fatenai asked after a moment of silence.

Merlin's gaze remained indifferent as he looked at Fatenai. As his lips moved, Fatenai knew the answer.

Fatenai remained silent, her gaze shifting to the puppet wreckage on the ground.

Mages, also known as sorcerers in Fatenai's understanding, were said to have the ability to command the wind and rain, and were simultaneously feared—they had once been targets of purification.

Glory and sin, countless lights behind them, bearing a terrifying sea of blood at the same time.

"Where is the Sword in the Stone?" Fatenai asked.

"That old man should know," Merlin said slowly.

He was referring to Forresten. Fatenai frowned. If the Sword in the Stone had become a tangible object, it was likely something being protected.

Fatenai closed her eyes, seemingly in thought.

"There is nothing that power cannot reach, is there?" she finally opened her eyes and said, walking outside. "I have understood your wish, so I will help you. In return, I hope you will help me. I... want to live."

===================================

Click. Click.

The teaching building had stood for decades, even centuries, with every corridor uniformly arranged, looking identical.

"Who... who's there..." a girl's voice echoed from the empty corridor. She walked down the deserted hallway, the light hitting her face, revealing her features – Chris.

Chris had been walking for a long time, but she couldn't find an exit.

Where was she?

Was anyone there?

The lack of response made her increasingly desperate, her expression stiffening.

"Heh... hehe..." A faint laugh, like thunder in the quiet environment, pierced the air. It was the girl's laugh, sharp and jarring.

"Who? Shirey? Is that you?" Chris's face turned pale.

"Shirey? Who's that? I don't know..." A figure gradually became clearer, appearing in the corridor, within Chris's line of sight – a familiar face from her past companion.

Chris froze, taking a step back.

"Why did you leave?" Shirey moved closer to her.

"Shirey, calm down... control your..." Chris continued to back away, but her words were cut off – as if her throat were being choked, she was lifted inch by inch.

Just an unarmed girl, Chris tightly gripped the transparent hand in front of her, but it couldn't stop what was happening. She tilted her head back...

Thump!

The girl was thrown aside, falling to the ground.

"Hahaha..." As Chris hit the ground, Shirey also sat down, her eyes wide.

Shirey's face remained devoid of expression, but her eyes were filled with madness.

"How unsightly." She suddenly looked up, startled by a voice – a platinum-haired girl appeared in her vision.