This chapter was brought to you by AnmesicCat, Masadeer, and Yeenie.
Andy’s Charm Incantation Lesson
Time: 4:03pm
I’m tired. I’m really tired. The string of events that occurred today had already caused my mind to age rapidly, and was in an urgent need of rest.
After sending off the five-colored rooster head, I opened the Black Dorm’s door. It was so quiet inside that it was terrifying. It felt like something might suddenly rush out. But throughout the year, the Black Dorm always felt like something might just suddenly appear. Because of this, I would usually grit my teeth and directly run up the stairs until I’ve entered my room, I wouldn’t look at anything before that.
“Yang Yang.” Just as I was hugging onto my determination of walking to my death and took my first step on the stairs, a rather familiar and rather unfamiliar voice suddenly came from behind me.
In the Black Dorm, other than senior there’s someone else who would call me?
Turning around, I saw someone who made me a little scared.
“Such a coincidence, I was about to pass something to you.” The angel, Andy, who just opened the door and was about to walk in, smiled at me… He wouldn’t suddenly go crazy like the last time right? I still felt a little frightened.
“This is the room’s regular talisman.” Closing the black door, Andy came over. His hand was holding onto a small, similar to a jade-like object, emerald in color looking extremely beautiful, and there were also tiny fragments of light on top of it. “That day, I noticed you were trembling as you went in and out of your room. I thought it was because of the substances inside your room have yet to calm down. This thing will be able to help your room to calm down a little.
The ro-room’s substances have yet to calm down?
At that second, I suddenly thought there are actually still many “residents” in my room, right? Then what the hell was the thing that’s not yet calm!?
“Eh? You didn’t feel there was something wrong with the room?” When he realized I hadn’t responded, it was Andy’s turn to be surprised.
“No, I’ve always felt there was something horribly wrong with my room.” I was just feeling amazed that it was exactly what I thought it was.
However, after this simple conversation, I slowly began to revise my opinion of Andy. In fact, he is a pretty nice person. He even knew about the matter regarding me entering and leaving my room with fear. In addition, he also specially went to find the so-called able to help my room to calm down object and gave it to me.
You really are a kind hearted angel. Please forgive me for equating you with a killer ghost in the past. I was wrong, I really had been so wrong. Even a killer ghost has its extremely angelic sides… So to say, he originally was an angel.
“This is the jade town stone of the wood’s forest, nurtured into a spiritual stone by the wood angels. It has a calming effect on unstable substances, and it is also able to expel some unnecessary objects from intruding.” Lifting up my hand, Andy put the jade on top of my hand, and roughly explained the characteristics of the object, “You just need to find a nicely ventilated spot in the room and place it accordingly. This is a live spiritual rock, so after a while, when it has gotten accustomed to you, it will continue to grow.”
… Live?
“It moves?” I looked at the spiritual stone in my hand, and asked frightenedly. Actually, the thing I wanted to ask was, whether or not it was carnivorous.
“It basically won’t move. It’s just like a plant, only able to grow.” Andy explained.
That’s better. It looks like its level of danger should not be that high.
If Andy told me the object could move, then I’d definitely and immediately flush it down the toilet bowl and let it move as it pleases down there.
“Uh.. then, thank you very much.” I kept the spiritual stone and began to think of a place to put it. Oh right, I can just place it beside the computer. Maybe it could even absorb the radiation, radio waves and whatnot, this really is killing two birds with one stone.
Then I’ll just put it on the computer table.
Just as I was thinking where I should put the spiritual stone, Andy came over and looked at the paper bag I brought back with me from the Hundred Year Old Shop, “Nn, you want to practice charm incantation lessons?”
I followed his sight and looked into the paper bag. It was the box of removable tissue… No, I meant the removable charm paper, “Eh, that’s right, because I’m not really familiar with charm incantations and arrays, I wanted to practice them… Otherwise, I would sometimes not be able to understand what the teacher was saying, and it felt really weird.” Although it was recommended by senior Geng, I also had pretty much the same thoughts. Sometimes during classes, I, indeed, didn’t understand what the teachers were saying, elements class and also the groups of array. Although the teachers all started from the basic, but I still couldn’t understand them!
“Charm incantations and arrays, these are not that difficult. If you’re interested or have any questions, you can come to my room. If it’s regarding this, I am still able to teach you.” Andy smiled, extremely sincere.
He wants to teach me?
* * *
“If it’s Andy, indeed he has the skills to teach you.”
In the evening, when senior came back, I borrowed his bathroom. Afterwards, I asked him about my doubts, “The subjects for spell-based skills are Andy’s expertise, from array, charm incantations, curses, up until the complete grouping class, etcetera are something he is very proficient at. If you learn from him, you’ll be able to learn many things not taught in the classroom.” He replied while he was taking out drinks from the fridge and passed it to me.
Andy is very proficient in spell-based skills?
I didn’t know why, but I suddenly thought about him needing a hundred years to pass as a black robe.
“Andy’s actual skills and regular tests are all evaluated as excellent. As for him needing a hundred years to pass as a black robe, I think it would be better if you ask the person involved.” Opening the beverage can in his hands, red eyes glanced at me for a moment, “After all, there are times where some things are not what they seemed on the surface.”
I probably understood what senior meant. What the five-colored rooster head said was an exaggeration of the truth. There was probably something that caused the delay or the like?
I looked at the drink I had in my hand and started to hesitate about going to learn.
“I think you’d better go and strengthen yourself.” Senior snorted, deeply stabbing and hurting my young soul, “Your soul is young?”
He is eavesdropping again!
Oh right, I thought of another matter. Because these past few days had been really chaotic, it caused me to almost forget, “Senior, your hand…” I remembered someone told me his hand was completely broken, but then he was fighting really fluently and smoothly.
“Didn’t I say it will recover very soon.” Senior raised his left hand, and sure enough, even the bandage had been removed. Not even a trace of a small scratch was left.
It really was too godly. I looked at my own palms that were wounded today, “This should probably recover by tomorrow, right?” To be truthful, the recovery speed was amazing. I was beginning to love the medical team even more.
“Nonsense.” Senior rolled his eyes at me.
This was so interesting. “Does this sale come with a mail order?”
“…”
“Pretend that I didn’t ask.”
“Did you say anything?”
Senior! I’m hurt, you actually ignored me completely.
Hugging my crippled soul, I held on to the drink and sorrowfully left senior’s room. The corridor was very quiet, there was not even a tiny sound. This caused me to feel a tingle in my scalp. I didn’t want to stay there any longer, so I immediately rushed back into my own room, closed the door, and locked it.
It was very quiet inside the room.
I took the remote controller on the table, turned on the television, and randomly selected a program. Then, I took out the jade I received from Andy, walked towards the table that served as my computer table, and placed the spiritual stone on top.
During that second, I seemed to have heard some kind of scream.
… The sound came from the television, it definitely came from the television. I didn’t hear it wrongly nor were my ears damaged. I clearly knew and was absolutely certain the sound definitely came from the television.
Wahaha! You can’t scare me! Sometimes, if people don’t scare themselves, they can live relatively longer. Nn, currently, I absolutely agree with this sentence.
* * *
The next time I met Andy was the day after tomorrow when I had finished my classes.
He was sitting inside the hall reading some books and newspaper. As soon as he saw me enter, he closed the magazine which had words I couldn’t read, “Good afternoon, such a coincidence.” The books and newspapers were placed in a public shelf at one side. I noticed a porcelain cup on top of the table, I don’t know how long he had been sitting here.
“Good afternoon.” Due to being polite, I quickly returned the greeting, “Uh… this is some dessert I got from the restaurant, do want to eat them together?” I lifted the dessert box I was holding. I got due to the rage of wanting to eat desserts, so I took the opportunity to go there and get it. However, I didn’t know if Andy eats these kinds of things.
“I’m honored.” Andy was still smiling, very gentle.
I guess as long as the five-colored rooster head was not here, he wouldn’t suddenly jump up and start chopping people.
Then his words meant he would eat it, too, right? Eh… I wouldn’t quite dare to go into the kitchen to make tea and get some plates.
Andy suddenly stood up, “Eating in the hall seems to be rather rude to the others, if you don’t mind, want to go over to my room?”
I desperately nodded my head.
Honestly, I also felt that eating in the hall would be bad, especially when there’s a painting of woman who kept screaming, and squeezing her face onto the canvas, staring at us.
Green crystal-like lights coming from a key appeared in front of me, “Then, I’ll trouble you to go up to open the door first, while I’ll make some tea in the kitchen. After all, desserts without tea is not as good. In addition, we may also need some plates.”
He really was a nice person. I felt moved as I took the key. Andy even helped me avoid going to the place I was afraid of.
After I hurriedly ran up the stairs while I held onto the dessert box, I found the room Andy came out of the last time. I did what I normally would do: I unlocked the door and pushed it open… and as soon as the thing inside entered my sight, I immediately shut the door.
What did I just see!? I shouldn’t have seen anything, right? Maybe my eyes were seeing things, so it was only my imagination that I saw a human-faced snake slithering inside.”
It was an Angel’s room, so how could that kind of weird thing appear inside. Even if there’s something inside, it should be God, his companions or the like, so it must have been my imagination, and when I open the door again it won’t be there anymore.
Taking a deep breath, once again I turned the key and opened the door. At that moment, I saw a face in front of me, as we stared at one another.
I took a step back, and took another step back again. That’s right, it must be because I didn’t have enough sleep and played too much computer games. Thus, I would see the creature from “The Classic of Mountains and Seas*” appearing here.
[T/N:The Classic of Mountains and Seas is a compilation of mythic geography and myth.]
The human face took one step closer to me again, I could clearly see that its face was completely blue. I could also see the looming blood vessels and muscles under its skin, and on the sides of its face were some scales… That’s not right! For what reason did I inspect him so clearly?
The human face in front of me slowly opened his mouth, and I saw sharp teeth appearing in front of me one by one—
“Yang Yang, bend down.” Just as the teeth was about to bite my head, I heard a voice, and very naturally, I immediately held onto my head and bent down. Then, there was a loud thunderous sound coming from above my head.
Lifting my head to take a look, I saw Andy carrying a silver plate as he withdrew his leg.
That human faced snake was kicked into the room, crashing onto the balcony. The surrounding tables and chairs were broken. Everything was scattered all over the floor.
“Please help me to carry the drinks for awhile.” Tilting his head and smiling at me, Andy passed the silver platter to me, “I will make sure to ask this uninvited guest to leave the room.”
Are you sure you’re really going to ask?
The human-faced snake that crashed into the room, started to move, slowly sliding up, its face was looking at the both of us… To put it correctly, it was actually looking at Andy.
“Go back and tell your master and die!” Walking into the room and front of the snake, Andy said these words. In less than a blink of an eye, he suddenly took out his silver long knife, and the snake’s human head was completely cut off. The head flew out of the balcony, turning one cycle before it turned into a crow, cawing while it struggled to fly away. The snake’s body slumped down, suddenly turning into smoke and disappeared from within the room. From start to end, it only took a few seconds.
I took two steps back, and started to think Andy was actually still rather scary.
Recovering his long knife, Andy walked out of the door and closed it, “I’m sorry for scaring you like that.”
“No, I’m really not frightened.” However, I was extremely frightened.
“Then that’s great.” Smiling, Andy reopened the door, and the interior of the room had already been cleaned up. The broken table and chairs weren’t there anymore. Everything was neat and tidy as though the earlier commotion didn’t happen. “Come in.” He took the tray of drinks from my hands, smiling pleasantly.
After confirming there was nothing else inside, I entered the room.
Andy’s room was kept in an orderly manner, but there were many decorative cabinets in his inside, and on top of them, were many different types of artworks. There was also the same type of jade he given me.
“Those are works of art made by fairies.”
A voice came from behind, it was only then when I was surprised to realize I was unknowingly already standing in front of the cabinets and looking at the artworks in a daze, “It’s… uh, very beautiful.”
“Nn, the artwork of fairies has always been very beautiful, similar to the Elves’ much loved artwork.” Andy smiled. He opened the dessert box on the table, placing the desserts on the empty plates he brought with him.
I immediately helped him with the plates, “That right, what was that thing earlier?” After all, there should be some differences between the East and the West, and I didn’t think Andy would rear something that appears in The Classic of Mountains and Seas in his room, only to hack it to death.
Andy stopped moving, his eyes weren’t looking at me, but was looking at some decoration in a daze.
“That is Jing Lothian’s messenger.”
* * *
Jing Lothian? I heard a very unfamiliar name.
It can’t be that it was the underling of some of his enemy in the school, right?
“Evil Ghost King, Jing Lothian, he sent a messenger of the Ghost tribe from the prison world.” Andy passed me a cup filled with tea, and walked towards a bookshelf at one side. He then opened the glass door and took out a few books.
Such fragrant tea… Wait a moment. Evil Ghost King!
I almost spat out that mouthful of tea that I drank, “How did a Ghost King’s messenger entered the school?” I intuitively and immediately asked. I remembered senior or who was it again, mentioned there were barriers in the school, so then how did a Ghost King’s messenger appear in the Black Dorm?
It couldn’t be that, inside the school was actually very dangerous, too?
“Because there is a mark made by the Ghost King on my body, so the low level messengers were able to pass through the barrier and enter the Black Dorm. If it was a high level one, then it won’t be able to enter.” Andy sat down beside the table, I followed suit and sat opposite of him, “Your basic Jurisprudence can be equated to zero, right?” He flipped opened a few books, and on top were words I couldn’t read.
“That’s right, I barely know anything.” Although the school did teach it, I still couldn’t understand. I looked at him flipping through the books, I guess those few books were probably textbooks, “Why did the Ghost King make a mark on your body?” The way he spoke of this was as though he was treated as some kind of live target board.
Andy lifted his head, stared at me for a while with his blue eyes, as if he was considering whether to tell me or not. After a few minutes had passed, he slowly opened his mouth, “A hundred years ago, I was originally a Purple Robe, and one of the administrative staff of the school. At that time, Ghost King Jing Lothian of the prison world was attacking the border of the Fire Spirit Clan, with the intention of obtaining an important treasure of the Fire Spirit Clan. So the Guild received a letter requesting urgent assistance, and so, a small army consisting of ten Black Robes, thirty Purple Robes, and Fifty White robes were sent out to the border to help fend off Jing Lothian’s army of Ghost Tribes.”
One hundred years ago? Then that was the time when Andy started taking his Black Robe examination.
“And that time, the school also sent many personnel to assist the guild, and I was similarly enlisted in the name list of the thirty Purple Robes. In the battle against Ghost King Jing Lothian, I was with nine other Purple Robes and two Black Robes. We were assigned to infiltrate and execute a surprise attack.” Andy stopped what he was doing, tilted his head, as though he was trying to recall the battle, “Unknown as to what went wrong, the information sent by the Fire Spirit was incorrect. We were supposed to attack the Ghost Tribe’s monolith, but in the end, we actually broke into Ghost King Jing Lothian’s hall.”
Ghost King, Jing Lothian’s hall?
I suddenly remembered that day in the Ghost King Tomb. In terms on the number of people who dealt with sealed Evil Ghost King Yelu, there were two Black Robes and ten Purple Robes, including senior. But to deal with a completely healthy Ghost King… I suddenly felt goosebumps all over my body.
“The guild quickly discovered the error with the information, and immediately sent reinforcements. However, when we came in contact with the Ghost King, we were immediately attacked. That battle, which caused the deaths of two black robes and seven purple robes, also hit our reinforcements hard. Because I was good at incantations, I was able to go up against most of the Ghost King’s attacks, so I stayed back with another Black Robe partner, until all the others had left.” Blue eyes turned back to look at me. What I saw inside was some kind of sadness I don’t recognize, “In the end, that black robe also died. The medical team couldn’t save him in time. Probably because I resisted the attacks, causing Jing Lothian to find it very amusing, he mercifully spared my life, and he didn’t kill me on the spot. He also requested me to join the Ghost Tribe.”
Join the Ghost Tribe? I was stunned. There was such kind of method to recruit people?
“At that time, when I was completely surrounded by all the Ghost Tribe, I was prepared to die, but a Black Robe senior from the guild forcefully broke in and got me out, and as we were about to escape, the Ghost King left his mark. A mark that no matter where I go, he would know my position, so that’s why a messenger just like the one you saw would appear. After so many years, he still has no plans of giving up. Every once in a while, he would send a messenger here.” Andy shrugged and continued, “For a while now, the guild has been looking for ways to remove the Ghost King’s mark on my body, but to this day, they still haven’t found a way. This was the reason why my qualification on becoming a Black Robe had been delayed. It was only until the recent years when I was finally qualified to take the examination and was thus admitted as a Black Robe.”
So it was like this. I had a I-saw-the-light kind of feeling. This was the actual reason why Andy took a hundred years before he got his Black Robe. That hateful five-colored rooster head, to actually mislead people this way. Next time, his words can’t be fully trusted. I’ve already been fooled several times.
Sometimes, things are not what they seemed on the surface. After I’ve actually asked about it, I knew there were actually many hidden stories within.
“This matter is kept confidential even until now. Other than the senior Black Robes, there’s no one who knows about this, so Yang Yang must keep this secret.” Andy winked at me, with a rather playful feel.
The surrounding atmosphere immediately relaxed.
“I understand.” Immediately nodded hard.
So to say… Wait a moment, if only the senior Black Robes knew of this, then why was it that senior seemed to know about this, too?
He’s a ghost, he really is a ghost.
“Alright, that’s all for the stories. Now, let us do a simple test to evaluate your level.” Andy passed a book in his hand to me, “Which are the charm incantations you know of?”
Charm incantations?
I took that book, on top were originally worm words I couldn’t read, but the second I took that book, they miraculously turned into Mandarin words I could understand, “Looks like only teleportation charm, explosive charm, and wind charm.” These were taught to me by Chifuyu and senior.
“Not bad, they are all basic arrays.”
But the explosive charms had been used in a very weird way…
Andy snapped his fingers, “Let’s use an explosive charm to help you do a basic level test.”
Level test?
* * *
A similar type of disposable charm papers I bought last time, appeared on the table. It was new and haven’t been opened before, in addition to a pen used to draw arrays.
“Now draw an explosive charm.” Andy picked up his teacup, smiling while he sipped a mouthful, “I bought the same thing you bought the last time. This way, you would be more familiar in operating it.”
Draw out an explosive charm… this was still actually rather easy, because I practiced drawing explosive charms and teleportation charms several times. Last time in the library, Chifuyu explained a little to me for me to practice, so I was still considerably familiar with it.
In less than five minutes, I placed the black paper charm on the table.
“Alright then, let us start.” Andy suddenly grabbed a very fat vole from beside his seat.
Why is there a vole in your room!? Isn’t that thing supposed to appear in a field?
I was stunned as I looked at him putting the vole on top of the explosive charm, “Being sealed in the array, show your true strength.” He tapped the table twice with his fingertip.
Suddenly , I saw the explosive charm starting to emit black smoke. Very much like the smoke from incense, so pitifully small, with just one breath the smoke will be dispersed.
In less than three seconds, under the vole’s stomach, came a sudden sound of a small spark. I saw an orange flame appearing under the vole’s stomach before it disappeared.
The surrounding quieted down.
The vole lifted its fat face, and did two annoying and monotonous squeaks at me, making me feel like hammering its face onto the table.
Andy picked up the vole, “Your basic level couldn’t even blast off a rat.” He faced the vole’s tummy towards me. What I saw was a few strands of burnt fur on the vole’s tummy.
… An Angel can ask someone to blast off a rat openly? Aren’t you born with the duty to advise humans to do good and for salvation?
Boss, if your God knows you’re asking someone to blast off a rat, he will cry.
“Icy Flame mentioned before that he had always given you a ready-made explosive charms to use, so you might not understand your own level.” Andy took out a black explosive charm from his pocket, put it on the table, and placed the vole on top again, “Being sealed in the array, show your true strength.”
Within that second, I heard a loud thunderous sound.
Golden flames exploded in front of my eyes, so majestic and powerful, causing me to be dazzled for a second.
I saw the fat vole being blasted up towards the ceiling, it burst open, turning into numerous small points of lights, scattering down like fireworks, and then disappeared.
“The general power of a basic charm incantation, should at least be this powerful to be considered as a pass.” The so called Angel of Salvation looked at the rat that was being blasted into fireworks, and said to me, “Or else, you will most likely fail in the semester exam.”
So this means, in the future, if I want to know my level, I just need to catch a rat and blast it to know, right? So to say, I’ve pretty much already prepared myself to fail. I’ve always been failing the whole time.
“I can see that your basic level is extremely bad. You need to practice from the start.” Andy stood up, and took out even more books from the shelf, “Next time, whenever you are free, come here and I will help you to properly set your foundation for Jurisprudence. In the future, it’ll be easier for you to learn stuff.”
I felt like I was in a trance, “That’s… Thank you.” There’s actually an Angel who would tutor me in my foundation. This felt so unreal.
Flipping open the book I had in my hand, in that second, I had a kind of impulse of wanting to bang myself onto the wall and die.
“Before reading this book, please purify your soul first.”
Beside my ears, I heard some sort of Buddhist Music, and I continued to turn to the next page.
“You are not allowed to read the book until you’ve purified yourself.”
What the hell!?