Chapter 74: Dark Demon Can Hardly Imagine Five Years Later [6]
Dark didn't even bother trying to hide anything, not that he could have even if he'd wanted to. Anyone who ran a shop on Traveler's Street was no ordinary person. The old man before him might have looked kind and gentle, but who knew what sort of ruthless character he could be outside this street?
Dark pointed directly at the hook and asked, "Grandpa, is this the legendary Fate Hook?"
The old man stroked his long beard and smiled. "It's rare for someone as young as you to recognize it. Indeed, its original form is the Fate Hook – the one that fishes for souls."
Dark frowned. "Original form?"
The old man nodded, picked up the rusty hook from the stall, and wiped off the dust. "Legends are legends because they're ethereal and elusive. If someone could actually hold the real thing, it wouldn't be a legend anymore, would it? This hook is just a man-made imitation, modeled after the legend."
Dark nodded, still a bit confused. "Then, Grandpa, can it still hook souls?"
The old man glanced at him, suddenly swung the hook forward, and shouted, "Boo!"
Dark instinctively ducked, but the hook swung harmlessly over his head. The old man chuckled. "No, no, it can't hook souls. At best, it can hook away some stray thoughts."
"Stray thoughts?"
Dark's interest was piqued, and he focused intently.
The old man said, "Here, let me show you… Oh, by the way, what's your name?"
"Dark. And you?"
"You can call me Old John," the old man replied before heading into the dimly lit shop.
Dark hesitated for a moment but eventually followed.
Old John lit an oil lamp inside, and the light gradually illuminated the entire shop. He pulled out something resembling sandpaper from a drawer and waved it in front of Dark. "Gold-polishing paper."
He then rubbed the hook vigorously with the paper, and the years of rust fell away like flakes. When he stopped, the "Fate Hook" looked brand new.
Dark was amazed.
"Watch closely!" Old John raised an eyebrow at Dark, then suddenly stabbed the hook into his own head and pulled it out. The front half of the hook turned into a shadow as it touched his skin, and a transparent bubble was hooked out of his mind!
"Pop!"
Old John poked the bubble, and it burst. "Ah, no more stray thoughts. Feels refreshing~"
He looked completely revitalized.
Dark couldn't help but ask, "Can it actually extract mental substances from the brain?"
Old John nodded and casually tossed the hook back onto the stall. "It's an old thing, and the quality isn't guaranteed. Besides, you can't use it yet. If it's still here by the time you're in your fifth year, I'll sell it to you."
Dark's lips twitched, but he eventually left the antique shop. He knew that high-level tools like this, which interacted with the brain, required immense skill to control. It was similar to how he possessed the Brain Dropper but only dared to use the safest "Dragonfly Touch" method.
This imitation Fate Hook was similar to the Brain Dropper, but while the latter could only extract one drop at a time, the former could hook out a whole chunk! That was far too dangerous. Hooking away stray thoughts was one thing, but if it dug too deep, it might just rip out his entire brain!
"Fifth year, huh?" Dark pondered. "Will I even need it by then?"
After picking up a few blank magic cards and some experimental materials, Dark left Traveler's Street. He still had a lingering thought about the Fate Hook, but it was just a faint one.
As he entered the castle, a raindrop quietly fell from the sky. It was starting to rain.
"How lucky!" Dark glanced back at the gathering rain clouds in the night sky and couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
Over the weekend, Dark spent most of his time in either the common room or the library. He occasionally visited Traveler's Street, mainly to collect flower cards, but it seemed the distributors were out of stock. He only managed to snag three more after circling around.
Still, he wasn't discouraged. Since the flower cards had been distributed, he could always collect them from other students later. However, the cards felt unreliable, as if they might lose their effect at any moment. Relying on external tools wasn't a sustainable path.
Most of Dark's time in the library was spent studying theoretical knowledge about the mind. He realized his understanding in this area was still too shallow. If he could delve deeper, he might find a more efficient way to extract more of the [Lust] and other major sins within a month, rather than just waiting for the next month to arrive.
Before he knew it, it was the third week of November.
On Monday morning, Professor Sarah was still lecturing on the theory of sacrificial summoning. The students barely made it through the class, and as soon as it ended, they all perked up. Even Dark couldn't help but smile.
The next class was Professor Kazel's Magic Theory, where they would begin crafting their second Magic Spirit Card under his guidance. Of course, some, like Dark and Emma Metis, had already made their second card. Occasionally, she would summon her second Magic Spirit in the library – a winged coin that excelled at pretending to be a regular coin.
At 9:50, Professor Kazel arrived ten minutes early, but the classroom was already full. He glanced at the enthusiastic students with satisfaction and clapped his hands at the door. Two muscular figures then carried in a large box.
"Three volunteers, please, to distribute the materials," Professor Kazel said after putting away his Magic Spirit.
Emma, always seated in the front row, silently stood up. Two other girls followed with smiles. "We'll help too."
Somehow, Emma's reputation had improved, and she wasn't as isolated as before.
...
"I assume none of you have forgotten?" Professor Kazel stepped onto the podium after the bell rang, as gentle as ever. "Today, we'll be practicing the Basic Synthesis Method. Don't underestimate it just because it's 'basic.' For a long time to come, this will be your most frequently used method for creating Magic Spirits! Now, open your textbooks and review the steps with me."
As soon as he finished speaking, the classroom erupted in groans.
"Huh? Aren't we supposed to start crafting right away?"
"Professor~~~~"
The young mages felt like they'd been doused with cold water just as their energy was peaking. The atmosphere in the classroom plummeted.
But Professor Kazel paid no attention and continued the lesson.
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