Sooner or later, I'll win her over

When Han Shuo woke up, he found it was already late at night. The Demonic Essence in his body was still flowing irregularly, but there seemed to be something more in his mind, and everything around him looked much clearer.

An idea struck him. Han Shuo held his breath, focused, and entered meditation again. Following Necromancy Basics, he carefully examined what he felt. At last, he confirmed that when Soul Pain had struck, the Demonic Essence had happened to flow into his brain, and somehow he had actually developed mental power.

"Wahaha... looks like I really am a genius. I developed mental power through meditation this quickly! Hehe, maybe I should try the lowest-level spell in the Necromancy Department and see if I can summon a Skeleton Warrior!"

He hurriedly took out Necromancy Basics from his bed and flipped back and forth through it for ages, but found no incantation for summoning a Skeleton Warrior. Only then did Han Shuo realize that Necromancy Basics contained only fundamental knowledge about necromancy, without any incantations or spells.

After frowning in thought for a while, Han Shuo remembered the summoning incantation Lisa had used. He immediately raised both hands in imitation, concentrated all his mental power, and recited the necromantic summoning incantation: "O fallen Undead Warrior, answer the summons of the Dark Messenger and reveal your existence!"

As soon as Han Shuo finished the incantation, he suddenly felt the faint mental power in his mind draining rapidly, all of it drawn away at once. He vaguely sensed something, then pain stabbed through his head. His body went limp, and he collapsed onto the bed, panting heavily.

As Han Shuo slumped down, a flash of black light appeared inside his little Supply Storeroom, revealing a stark-white little skeleton half the height of those Lisa and Bark had summoned last time.

Looking at the tiny skeleton with its snow-white body, the little dagger-like Little Bone Blade in its hand, and its empty eye sockets facing him, Han Shuo was still wild with joy. Although his skeleton was a size smaller than the ones others summoned, it was still a skeleton. That also proved his necromancy had succeeded.

His body felt drained, and his head swam. From Necromancy Basics, Han Shuo knew this must be because his mental power was too weak. Even summoning such a tiny skeleton had exhausted all of it.

Looking at the tiny skeleton before him, Han Shuo felt an inexplicable connection to him. Unfortunately, his mental power was pitifully weak right now. He could not even issue a command through it, much less send the tiny skeleton back to the Otherworld.

The man and skeleton stared at each other for a while. Han Shuo thought that no outsiders came to this Supply Storeroom anyway, and without his orders, the little skeleton would not wander around. Leaving him here would do no harm.

It was already the middle of the night. After all that exertion, Han Shuo had long since worn himself out. Once his initial delight faded, fatigue set in, and he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, before it was fully light.

Han Shuo had already woken up. Lately, he had grown used to disposing of the garbage piled in the Supply Storeroom before anyone else woke. After waking today, he was just about to do the same when he suddenly noticed the tiny skeleton beside the rubbish.

After a night's sleep, a faint trace of Han Shuo's mental power had recovered. It certainly would not be enough to send the little skeleton back to the Otherworld, but it seemed sufficient to give him a command. With that thought, Han Shuo gathered his mental power and sent the little skeleton his first order-help him take out the garbage.

At the command, the little skeleton straightened his leg bones, slowly extended five bony fingers, grabbed a pile of garbage beside him, pulled open the door, and walked outside.

"Hehe, no wonder everyone wants to learn magic so badly. Magic really saves trouble. From now on, this little skeleton can take out the garbage for me early every morning!"

Seeing that it was still early, Han Shuo flopped back onto his little bed, buried his head, and went straight back to sleep. This was his first morning lie-in in all these days.

After another nap, Han Shuo opened his eyes to find that the little skeleton had returned. It seemed the rubbish had been disposed of according to his orders.

He climbed off the little bed. While washing his face, Han Shuo noticed that yesterday's bruising had miraculously vanished completely. Even some of the scars on both hands seemed to be peeling and fading. Apart from a slight dizziness from exhausting his mental power yesterday, he felt in very good physical condition.

The Solid Body stage of this Demonic Cultivation Art would transform his entire body. Once he passed through that stage, all his scars would certainly disappear, and his body's toughness and flexibility would improve greatly. By then, whether it was Bark or Lisa, if they wanted their skeletons to fight him one-on-one, they would probably be sure to lose.

Han Shuo finished washing his face as he thought. Seeing the Necromancy Department students beginning to head along the path to the Dark Arts Academy for class, he hurriedly grabbed his tools and ran out to clean the stone statues of the Babylon Academy of Magic and Martial Arts' outstanding students.

"Athena, before dawn this morning, I went to the toilet and looked outside through the window. I saw a very small skeleton carrying two garbage bags, slowly walking toward the Garbage Dump. It was so strange!" Magic Apprentice Amy told Athena beside her as they walked toward the Darkness Department's teaching building.

"That's crazy. What student would be bored enough to summon a little skeleton to take out the garbage? Doesn't that half-mad, half-witted Brian do all that?"

"It's true. I really saw a very small skeleton carrying two garbage bags. Besides, I think Brian is so pitiful. He already had it bad enough, and now Lisa has made him like this. Lately, Bark has been beating him every day, too!"

"You must have been half asleep and seeing things. Brian is a servant, and he was sold to the Martial Arts Academy. He's a slave. He's lucky just to be alive. You're far too kind. Why worry about him?"

The two female students walked farther away until Han Shuo could no longer hear them. A while later, Jack came over and joined him in wiping away dust. After working for a while, Jack stared blankly at Han Shuo and said, "Brian, I've noticed you seem to have put on a little flesh. And didn't Bark beat you yesterday? Your face was still bruised when I saw you last night. How come there's no sign of it now?"

"Bark must have been doing too much of a certain kind of exercise lately. Look at his dull eyes and how weak he looks. What strength could he have left? At this rate, he probably won't even be able to beat me!" At that point, Han Shuo felt his stomach was empty and immediately told Jack, "I've had a big appetite lately. Give me some of the food you've hidden on you."

"Huh? How did you know I had bread hidden on me?"

"All the students and servants in the department know you have a habit of hiding food on you. You're the only one who insists on thinking it's a secret. Stop talking and give me the bread. I'll pay you back later!"

Hearing this, Jack reluctantly took out a loaf of bread. He looked at it, broke off a piece, then handed it to Han Shuo.

As Han Shuo stopped working and wolfed down the bread, Jack suddenly said, "Shh... Bark's coming. Huh... Lisa's with him!"

Carrying two exquisite white boxes, Bark followed behind the little witch Lisa with a fawning smile. "Lisa, my family sent these pastries especially for me. They're absolutely delicious. You surely haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Have a taste."

When Bark had beaten Han Shuo yesterday, Han Shuo had managed to land a punch on his right cheek. It was still a little bruised now. As he smiled and spoke, his right cheek seemed to hurt, and he twitched in a grimace, making his smile rather ugly.

"Hmph, I'm not hungry. Don't try that on me. What I hate most is people like you, who flatter someone to their face and bad-mouth them behind their back!"

Lisa did not even look at Bark and simply kept walking. When she reached Brian and Jack, she gave Brian a cold glance. "Brian, once your Soul Pain spell ends in a month, I'll come practice on you properly!"

Lisa's words reminded Han Shuo that Soul Pain had not struck at all since this morning. He then guessed that developing mental power yesterday must have dispelled it. Otherwise, it would not have remained dormant until now.

Lisa was about to leave after speaking, but Bark glanced at Brian and exclaimed, "Huh? How is that possible? I clearly remember beating your face black and blue yesterday. How come there's nothing there today?"

Damn you, you certainly remember that clearly. Han Shuo looked vacantly at Bark and gave a foolish grin, spouting nonsense. "Hehe, I take good care of myself!"

"Pfft!" The little witch Lisa, who had been about to leave, could not help laughing softly at Han Shuo's answer. Her beautiful eyes curved into crescents, making her look utterly adorable. This idiot Brian has become rather funny since going mad. He used to never say a word, Lisa thought, no longer in a hurry to leave.

Jack knew Han Shuo was not stupid. Hearing his words, he knew he was deliberately mocking Bark. He tried to hold back his laughter but failed, letting out a chuckle. By the time Jack realized his mistake, it was too late.

Bark was already seething. The bruising on my right cheek hasn't even healed, but this idiot has recovered first. He dared say nothing when Lisa laughed, but Jack's laughter immediately enraged him. Bark charged toward Jack with rapid, pounding steps and cursed furiously, "You lowly servant! You dare laugh at me? I'll beat you to death!"

Jack knew he was in trouble. Watching Bark charge, he stood there, not daring to flee, and waited pitifully for his beating. Just then, Han Shuo suddenly clutched his head and shouted, "It hurts!" He abruptly stepped in front of Jack. When Bark rushed up and saw Han Shuo in his place, he thought he would hit him all the same, raised his fist, and punched at Han Shuo's face.

With a thud, the punch landed on Han Shuo. Yet he felt that Bark's fist was a little weaker than yesterday. After taking the blow, his thin little body did not even sway.

Still, Han Shuo shouted, "It hurts!" Suddenly acting as though he had gone mad, he flailed both hands forward without looking. A flurry of blows rang out as three punches struck Bark. His left eye immediately blackened, and he clutched his stomach with both hands, hopping about and yelling, "You lowly servant! You dare hit me? I'll kill you with necromancy today!"

"Bark, you're bullying Brian again! Class has already started. Get back to the classroom at once."

A soft, lovely voice suddenly called from a distance. A tall, beautiful woman with long, wavy, pale-purple hair approached gracefully.

She looked twenty-four or twenty-five, with a straight nose, an oval face, full, rosy lips, and healthy-looking, wheat-colored skin. She wore a slightly tight Mage Robe trimmed with gold.

The tight Mage Robe perfectly accentuated her full, high breasts and long, straight, beautiful legs. Holding several magic books in her left hand and an unusually designed Magic Staff set with an emerald in her right, she addressed Brian.

"Uh... Teacher Fanny, you forgot your glasses again today. The person you're pointing at is Brian!" Lisa pursed her little lips and reminded her rather helplessly.

"Glasses deal a fatal blow to a beautiful woman's looks. I don't want to wear those things every day," Fanny said with a smile. Finally locating Bark, she made a head-knocking gesture with the Magic Wand in her right hand and said fiercely, "Get back to class immediately, or you know the consequences!"

After speaking fiercely to Bark, Fanny smiled gently again and told Lisa, "Lisa, you should hurry to class too. A good student doesn't keep turning up late. I still have to prepare today's lesson, so I'll be going!"

With that, Fanny turned and glared at Bark once more, then strode gracefully away on her long, shapely legs. As she walked, the two rounded, uplifted curves of her bottom were indescribably captivating.

"Uh... Teacher Fanny, the teaching building isn't that way. You're going in the wrong direction. Heavens, please put your glasses on!"

The little witch Lisa called out softly and was about to leave, but then she remembered something and paused. Casting a cold glance at Bark, she said disdainfully, "Useless fellow. You can't even beat a servant!" Then she glanced at Han Shuo again and hurried after Fanny.

Fuming, Bark pointed viciously at Han Shuo and Jack. "Just you two lowly servants wait. I'll settle this with you!" Then he too hurried off to class. Apparently, Fanny's threat had been quite effective.

Han Shuo gazed lustfully in the direction Fanny had gone, watching her leave and paying no mind to Bark's threat. Only after she had vanished completely did he mutter, "Teacher Fanny really is something. No wonder that foolish Brian had a crush on her. Who'd have thought Brian's taste would be-pretty much the same as mine!"

"Brian, stop staring. I know you've liked Teacher Fanny for a long time, and she's told some students not to bully you. But you're only a servant, while she's a High Mage at the Martial Arts Academy. Do you understand how formidable and powerful a High Mage is? Teacher Fanny may be a little nearsighted, but there are so many people at the academy who have a crush on her. You'd better wake up soon!"

Jack waved his chubby hands repeatedly in front of Han Shuo's face, urging him to face reality and come to his senses.

"I'm already drunk. I can't sober up!" Han Shuo said lustfully. After a pause, he added, "Sooner or later, I'll win her over!"