The ink-black, towering structure resembled a sharp blade thrust from the abyss of the underworld to the earth's surface. Its exterior appeared somewhat mottled due to the cleared-away vines and vegetation, making it exceptionally unusual among the public towers glowing with lights across the island. It stood in silent isolation, with only a single room on the mid-upper section of its blackened surface emitting a faint glow.
A few sections of whole firewood burned within the fireplace, emitting soft, crackling pops and casting scarlet firelight that served as the sole illumination in the room.
Several people sat in the darkness, conversing in low tones like old friends who had not met in a long time. Upon closer inspection, however, three of them sat quite unnaturally, with their waists and backs held rigidly straight, their gazes sharp and devoid of the slightest laziness.
Lydia's cousin sighed, recalling how she had chosen Edie as her mentor back then, which resulted in her lacking many resources in the early stages and losing her mentor's guidance altogether after becoming a Tier 2 Scholar. She had been forced to pay a greater price to consult other lords, and even needed to rely on her own efforts to acquire the resources required for a Tier 2 Scholar, greatly delaying the progress of her studies...
Sheryl temporarily set aside her feud with her, complaining along with Danyou that Jakap was too lazy, rarely ever cared about students like them, and offered poor treatment. While others could consult their mentors when facing incomprehensible matters, they had to research the information themselves.
An Yang immediately stated that they did not know how lucky they were, because the contract he had signed with Ayrila back then was far too harsh, causing him to waste a great deal of time handling