Eve's Summons

The letter ended there.

After reading it, Li Ang understood. This must have been Lottie's grandfather, who had discovered this secret passage while studying and working in the tower years ago, only to have his path blocked by the guards within, leaving him powerless to continue exploring.

He had left behind the map and information in the hope that someone capable among his Lineage's descendants could carry on the exploration.

Holding her grandfather's letter, Lottie's fingers trembled faintly. No one knew what she was thinking. After a moment, she lifted her head and looked toward the darkness deeper within the passage, her eyes filled with conflict. In the end, as though she had made up her mind, she looked at Li Ang.

"Mr. Li Ang," she said softly, her voice trembling slightly, "not even my grandfather could get through. The danger ahead must be far beyond anything we can imagine. We... we shouldn't go any farther, okay?"

She paused, looking at Li Ang with earnestness in her voice. "Actually, finding this letter is already enough for me. Whatever lies ahead no longer holds any attraction for me. And you, Mr. Li Ang—you have such great talent. You will definitely become a powerful wizard someday. When that time comes, it won't be too late for you to explore this place again. Taking a risk now is simply not worth it."

Li Ang nodded, agreeing with Lottie's words. In truth, when he had read that letter, he had already decided not to continue exploring. After all, he had no desire to end this life so soon.

"Let's go back. You still have your assessment to complete tomorrow."

"Mm." Lottie felt a weight lift from her heart. She had truly been afraid that Li Ang would stubbornly drag her onward. Her purpose had already been fulfilled; no matter how good the things ahead might be, they were not more important than her own little life. Still, Li Ang had helped her so many times. If he had insisted on pressing forward, she could only have risked her life to accompany him.

The two carefully followed the original route back near the entrance. Li Ang pressed the mechanism beside the hidden door, opened the gate once more, and returned to the corridor.

"Go back and sleep," Li Ang said quietly to Lottie.

Lottie nodded and continued following closely behind Li Ang. They returned along the same route until they stood before the door to Li Ang's dormitory, B045. As Li Ang took out his key to open it, he discovered that Lottie was still following at his heels, with no intention of leaving whatsoever.

Li Ang paused and looked at her strangely. "Lottie? Your dormitory is two floors below. Aren't you going back to rest? You still have your assessment tomorrow."

Lottie's face instantly flushed crimson. Her fingers uneasily twisted the hem of her clothes, and her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, filled with immense embarrassment. "Um... Mr. Li Ang... it's... it's too late now..."

She secretly glanced up at Li Ang's puzzled expression, then hurriedly lowered her head and continued explaining, speaking much faster.

"Everyone in the shared dormitory is already asleep... If I go back at this hour, the sound of opening the door and moving around will definitely wake people up... If I disturb any classmates who are still meditating... according to tower rules, I'll be put in confinement..."

Li Ang was taken aback. He had indeed heard that rule when Ellie's attendant had explained the regulations that day. But because he lived in a private dormitory, he had never taken the rule to heart and had forgotten about it for a moment.

Looking at Lottie standing before him with her head lowered, practically shrinking herself into a ball, Li Ang sighed helplessly. He couldn't exactly leave her standing in the corridor all night.

"Go in." He pushed open the door and stepped aside to let Lottie enter.

Lottie stood in the middle of the room, looking exceptionally restrained, as though she did not know where to put her hands or feet.

"I... I'll just sit in the chair for a while. Dawn will come soon, really. I won't disturb your rest..."

She spoke quietly, not even daring to glance at the bed that looked so soft and comfortable.

Li Ang found her cautious appearance, as though she were terrified of causing him trouble, somewhat amusing. Hadn't she sat there for half the night just now? Yet when it came time to sleep, she was suddenly embarrassed?

He pointed at the bed, keeping his tone as casual as possible.

"Go sleep. Get your spirits up for the assessment. I happen to have some things to copy down, so I'll need some time."

"How could that be?" Lottie jerked her head up as though she had been scalded, waving her hands repeatedly. "That's your bed. How could I... I can just sit on the floor for a while..."

"If I tell you to sleep, then sleep." Li Ang's tone became slightly firmer as he unceremoniously pressed her down onto the edge of the bed.

"Rest properly. Only then can you pass the assessment in your best condition tomorrow. Don't waste the effort you've put in these past few days, or my... Calming Potion." He deliberately made it sound more practical.

At those words, Lottie's eyes reddened again. She said awkwardly, "Th-thank you, Mr. Li Ang... You really are..."

"Enough. Sleep." Li Ang cut her off, turned toward the desk, picked up the [Inferior Gray Feather Quill Lv2], spread out a sheet of parchment, and immersed himself once more in copying the Level-1 Spell Compendium.

The faint scratching of writing was like the finest white noise. Before long, Lottie began breathing evenly and softly.

Li Ang focused entirely on the tip of his pen. With the quill's enhancement effect, his understanding of spell structures deepened at an astonishing speed.

The violent energy structure of Fireball Technique, the method by which Ice Cone Technique condensed its chill, especially the compression and shaping of Wind Blade Technique... The words seemed to transform into tangible currents of magic power, reconstructing themselves clearly within his Mental World.

He even developed a powerful illusion—as though with a single thought, that azure-blue Astral Star could draw upon enough magic power to cast [Wind Blade Technique].

But reason told him that was impossible. The spell compendium clearly recorded that a level-0 spell corresponded to one Astral Star, while a level-1 spell required three Astral Stars to provide sufficient mental support and magical resonance.

He currently possessed only two Astral Stars. If he tried to force it, the likely result would be spell backlash, or the exhaustion of his mental power and the spell's failure.

He suppressed the urge to try it immediately, continued concentrating on copying, and firmly engraved this insight deep within his consciousness.

After copying another portion, a powerful drowsiness finally swept over him. Li Ang yawned, extinguished the Magelight Lamp, slumped over the desk, and fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, Li Ang woke first and felt fairly refreshed. The effect of the [Acceleration Pocket Watch] truly was extraordinary.

He looked toward the bed. Perhaps because of her accumulated fatigue over the past days, coupled with how difficult it was to truly rest well in the shared dormitory, Lottie was still deeply asleep.

There were actually still two days left before the assessment deadline, so there was no great urgency. Li Ang did not wake the sleeping girl. He quietly left the room, thinking that she should rest properly for once.

After breakfast, Li Ang headed straight for Mentor Eve's workshop, intending to take on a few more commissions and replenish his half-deflated wallet.

He had only just entered the workshop and had not yet had time to see the contents of the commission board when Ginny came up to him as though she had been waiting for him all along.

"Apprentice Li Ang, you're here. Mentor Eve instructed that if you came, you were to go to her living quarters immediately."

Ginny's tone carried a trace of sincere envy unlike before.