Zheng Qing brought his injured finger to his mouth and carefully sucked on it.
The wound was tiny and did not affect his spellcasting. The young wizard glanced back at the prickly ash tree, shook his head, and continued following the group. Because the light was so dim, he failed to notice the tiny thorn that had pricked him, its tip now beaded with a drop of vivid red blood.
As they walked, the young wizards saw several more skeletons wandering through the darkness. There were common magical creatures such as unicorns and griffins, as well as strange species long vanished into the depths of history, such as Three-headed, Six-tailed Birds and Half-fish, Half-snake Creatures.
Neither side disturbed the other, their boundaries clearly drawn. Yet the guests' rustling footsteps mingled with the clacking of the skeletons as they wandered, adding a trace of eerie mystery to this silent world.
"Without souls, how are those skeletons moving?" Fatty Xin watched a boar-like skeleton race past him, and the throat nearly buried beneath his fat trembled slightly.
Holding the Crystal Ball, Xiao Xiao directed the group back onto the right path while offering a simple explanation. "...There are too many phenomena in magic that cannot be explained. If we doubted their existence simply because they have no souls, then whether Gaia truly exists should be a settled conclusion, not a millennium-old mystery listed in the Grand Encyclopedia."
"Then where does the energy that moves them come from? Residual magic in their bones?"
"...The museum's seniors speculate that moonlight and the Starry Sky give them the power to move. Of course, some believe it is the school's power."
"The school?"
"First University! Has no one ever told you that this is a living campus?"
"Doctor..."
"Save it until we get out!" Xiao Xiao