"Rumble..."
Lightning lit up the Black Castle to the accompaniment of thunder.
Holding an umbrella, Mulan walked alone along a garden path in the Black Castle and looked up at the main building nearby. In the lightning, the gargoyle sculptures clinging to its Gothic roof looked even more sinister. Their bulging eyes seemed to watch every passerby, their sharp fangs and claws eager to bite into their targets and tear them apart.
It was one of Walton's little tricks. Although these gargoyles were petrified, they were not entirely without perception. They could sense the rain, various scents, and the shadows of the Otherworld. Perhaps one of the gargoyles on the roof was even active, keeping watch over the Black Castle.
Mulan looked away and continued toward his residence beneath his umbrella, unconcerned. He felt better than he had in some time, and his steps were light.
Six or seven minutes after he passed the main building, small residential buildings began appearing near the path. Apart from those whose ownership had already been assigned, many had become student dormitories or were about to, with four students to a building, separated by gender.
The three-story building Mulan was passing happened to house four students. Two belonged to the first group admitted after the Black Castle reformed its teaching system, while the other two were recent arrivals.
Because of his experiences in his previous life, Mulan instinctively hoped, as a teacher, that his students would maintain some harmony and help one another even under competitive pressure. Not everyone could do so, but at least that atmosphere had taken shape.
Thus, the two senior students were giving their juniors some basic guidance, helping them quickly adjust to studying and living in the Black Castle.
"Remember this point. Although ancient wizards also enjoyed research, most