Chapter 115 (continued)

Um... if you ask me, if someone asks to stop fighting halfway through because their hair is messed up and they want to comb it... hahaha, I couldn't help but laugh to myself. My teacher is really... so cute! I never knew that such an amazing dark priest could have such an adorable side in private.

Teacher Hailianna floated to the edge of the platform, casually lifted her robe and sat on the edge, then beckoned to me, so I had no choice but to obediently follow her up.

Hmm... I remember this hairstyle being quite complicated. I've never styled it before, and I even accidentally cut off a strand just now, so it's a bit of a hassle to style... Um, Mr. Hailianna is also wearing a head full of decorations, which are very gorgeous, but because his aura is so strong, I don't find those headdresses particularly eye-catching. Therefore, I had to use Shadow Dance and have two shadows help me from the side.

Seeing my Shadow Dance, Teacher Hailianna seemed quite interested. He reached out and touched the shadow, then nodded. "This spell is not bad."

Ah, I think so too. Mel's spell is amazing, so I replied with a bit of pride, "This spell is called Shadow Dance, and it was invented by my partner."

After hearing what I said, my teacher seemed very pleased. He looked up, a wide smile on his face, and said, "Oh, you're not a virgin!"

I...

I don't know how to comment on the teacher's crude language and very strange focus... Does this spell have any necessary connection to whether or not I have had that kind of experience?

Professor Hailianna continued nodding, seemingly delighted that I wasn't a virgin. He then explained to me, "You seem so well-behaved. I was worried you knew nothing but magic and would just starve to death in the lab. Now it seems there's no need to worry. At least you should make time for bed!"

Teacher... are all legendary archmages' thought processes so... so similar to Moli's???

Also, I won't starve to death in the lab; I know how to take care of my health! That's what I teach my apprentices too: to learn more knowledge, you have to live a long and healthy life. Don't sacrifice long-term gains for short-term benefits by staying up all night or going hungry to meet experimental deadlines.

However, I was quite helpless about the teacher's focus, so I could only concentrate on combing her long hair. The cool and smooth strands of hair passed through my fingers, but they made me feel incredibly warm inside.

This is my teacher! The teacher who helped me through my darkest years!

His notebook contained so much precious knowledge that allowed me to survive and grow into the dark magician I am today. My teacher also loved to doodle; his notebook was filled with many interesting little pictures, and sometimes even some strange diary entries he wrote himself—each entry was hilarious. When I was tired of studying or hurt and sad, I would look through his writings. Although during that time I didn't have anyone I could truly touch to accompany or guide me, he remained in that notebook. He protected my soul, preventing me from being crushed by darkness or seduced by evil, allowing me to receive the oldest and most authentic inheritance of Black Magic. I clearly remember him writing in his notebook—

--Never fear the night. The world cannot exist without the night, for without the night there would be no dawn.

So I persevered in the darkness of the bunker, never giving up, until finally, I saw my dawn.

"Teacher..." I thought for a long time before finally deciding to ask, "Teacher, do I need to become a priest at the Shadow Moon Temple?"

Upon hearing this, my teacher turned around and gave me a domineering look, then retorted, "Do I look like a human trafficker?"

Forehead?

I was a little stunned, so my teacher impatiently pinched my cheek, which made me even more stunned.

As a result, Ms. Hailianna snorted, rubbed her forehead, and then deliberately exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Your Majesty, my last student is an idiot! What a disgrace to my reputation!"

Teacher... how did my senior classmates manage not to betray their teacher and ancestors? Was it because they couldn't beat them?

He said arrogantly, "Just do your job, you fool. There's no high priest position waiting for you to easily pick up. If you want it, you have to earn it yourself. If you don't want it, Shadow Moon doesn't care. Do you think I'm begging you?"

I couldn't help but laugh. My teacher looked at me for a while and then laughed too. He suddenly reached out and touched my hair, and surprisingly commented, "Your hair is well-maintained."

Hmm... this doesn't even sound like a conversation between mages. Two dark mages are sitting on a platform, not discussing evil spells at all, but actually fixing each other's hair? An outsider who doesn't know better would think we're noble ladies on a spring outing!

However, I'm truly happy that my teacher doesn't require me to inherit his faith, which is a huge relief. I want to pursue academics, so I'm unsure if I can shoulder the responsibility of a temple. And, of course, there's a little selfish motive too—I want to register my marriage with Mel and then have a wedding...

Ms. Hailianna seemed to have seen through my little scheme, and rolled her eyes at me. My face became very hot, and I quickly lowered my head to comb my hair carefully.

We sat here quietly. I slowly combed my teacher's long hair until the color of the hall began to fade. I noticed that the long hair in my hand started to become transparent from the ends. I couldn't control myself and felt like crying for the first time.

But I restrained myself; I didn't want my teacher to come to the same conclusion again—that the last apprentice was not only mentally challenged but also a crybaby.

So I started carefully helping the teacher put all her old hair accessories back on, and then Ms. Hailianna suddenly said, "Ciprins, sing me a song."

Ah?

Sing... sing a song?

This is really difficult for me... I... I should sing?

But my teacher's eyes were very serious, so I had no choice but to clear my throat and bite the bullet to start singing. I sang the few songs that the succubi always liked to sing during our meals. Because I only had a superficial understanding of music and wasn't particularly fond of it, I had never studied it in any particular way. As a result, I didn't remember the lyrics very clearly, and after singing a couple of lines, I seemed to mix them up. In the end, I didn't even know what I was singing.

But my teacher didn't interrupt, so I had to keep singing.

I put on the last hair accessory and looked up again. I could see the space I had been in before. My teacher's figure had become very faint. His bright, dazzling silver eyes were no longer sharp and unruly. His gaze had softened. He turned to look at me, and I felt warmth and affection in his eyes. I couldn't help but lean closer. He gently touched my face and smiled.

"Ciprins, your singing is awful," he said, picking at his ear with his finger. "You're even worse than a banshee!"

Teacher! Your Banshee Troupe can't even compare to today's pop divas!

I could only sigh helplessly. My teacher then smiled smugly. He didn't say anything more to me, but simply reached out and squeezed my fingers, and then...

He no longer exists.

The space has returned to normal.

I felt a pang of sadness; the lingering sensation of the phantom still lingered on my hands. But I also knew that my true teacher had returned to the embrace of darkness six thousand years ago. So I didn't need to be sad. I just needed to continue on my academic path. And I absolutely couldn't tarnish my teacher's reputation six thousand years later!

Thinking it over, I stepped forward and took the staff that was standing there in my hand.

I grasped the cold staff, and it seemed to tremble slightly. Then I felt my Magic Power being drawn from my palm by the staff. The bone claw at the tip of the staff opened briefly before returning to its original position. After that, I clearly realized that the spiritual imprint left by my teacher in the staff was completely gone, replaced by traces of my Magic Power. Now this staff truly belonged to me, to a dark mage named Ciprins living in this era.

I will not let it down.

I turned around, staff in hand, and cast my first spell— Magic Power Extraction.