Chapter 244
Pet Dog Dark Clouds
When Isabel turned and saw Lily, her mind went blank for a moment.
Why doesn’t Lily make any noise when she walks?
When did she sneak up behind me? Is this the power of an Extraordinary with Path Adaptation!?
And the most crucial thing…
Did Lily hear what I just said?
Although judging by her reaction, Lily didn’t seem to hear it… but since she got out of bed and walked over, it means she’s been awake for a while, right?
Then she should have heard me talking with Eivass for a long time. Yet, she looked so surprised, as if she just encountered me.
It looks fake, no matter how you look at it!
Since Lily could sneak up behind me without a sound, it means she can also hide herself from my sight.
But she didn’t even hide; she let herself see her openly… which means it was deliberate, just to save my face.
Isabel understood this very well. Just like when Isabel and Eivass first went to the White Dance Shoe Club, she had actually arrived much earlier.
But to avoid making Eivass feel like she had been waiting for him for a long time, she waited until she confirmed Eivass hadn’t arrived yet, and then went to browse in the shops nearby for a while.
While browsing, she would also keep an eye on the entrance of the club.
At that time, Isabel originally intended to… if Eivass also arrived early, she would hide in a shop for a while and then come out. Pretending to arrive slightly later than him. If Eivass didn’t arrive early, then when the time was almost up, she would come out and then request entry. This would give Eivass the feeling that “I just arrived too” and “What a coincidence, I chose this time as well,” making him happier.
If she appeared to have been waiting for a long time, Eivass might be moved, but more likely, he would feel pressured.
It would make her feelings seem too heavy… as if demanding that he take her seriously.
At that time, Eivass was Isabel’s only friend. She had to be extremely cautious, carefully deducing all possibilities.
Isabel believed that if she arrived too early, Eivass might come out even earlier the next time they went out together—in this way, it would create constant pressure for both of them. It could easily lead to one of them waiting for a long time… or feeling that accompanying her was a very stressful or time-consuming event.
Isabel did not want to give that kind of impression. She never wanted to be a burden to others.
Not only on the level of royalty and the kingdom, or during Ascension Rituals… even in making friends, she always maintained this principle.
If possible, she hoped her friends would be happy and joyful when they were around her, not with deeply furrowed brows and feeling pressured… if she could have friends.
Although she probably understood Queen Sophia’s thoughts somewhat now, the experience of enduring pressure from the age of six or seven to nineteen was too heavy and had caused her too much psychological stress. It was still difficult to slowly adjust back now.
But, if Lily had heard that sentence…
…Will she think I’m a bad girl?
Isabel and Lily had a good relationship. For Isabel, whose friends could be counted on one hand, every friend was precious.
Even though most of their conversations revolved around Eivass, they were still friends who could chat and get along. Isabel cared a lot about Lily’s opinion of her.
So, Isabel hesitated for a moment, then tried her best to explain: “I just finished my Ascension. I came to check on Eivass’s situation… I was just trying to cooperate with Eivass by testing his newly acquired blessing spell…”
“So that’s how it is.”
Lily pretended to suddenly understand.
Isabel’s heart skipped a beat.
It’s bad, Lily really heard it—
Because, given Lily’s personality, she shouldn’t have responded like this at this moment.
Lily should have teased her instead, leaned in close to her ear and told some blushing adult jokes. Then, she would watch Isabel avoid her gaze before casually withdrawing. She always liked to walk on the edge of danger like this.
A flash of inspiration struck Isabel, and she pulled Lily over: “How about we talk about what happened on your end?”
Hearing this, Eivass also looked over with curiosity.
Meeting Eivass’s gaze, Lily could only reply: “Actually, nothing much happened.
“Meg… ah, I mean, Miss Lixia is too powerful! Not only is she strong and very intelligent, but she’s also as reliable as a captain.
“She brought us together easily. I even felt like I didn’t do anything, just followed orders the whole time and somehow got it all done… In the end, I’m still not sure what exactly happened.
“But I was very lucky. This time, I chose Shadow Affinity again. It should be because of the Contract I signed with Young Master, I can use… her Power during the ritual.”
Lily spoke vaguely.
Because she wasn’t sure if she could tell Isabel about the Shadow Demon, she could only refer to it in this way.
She was clearly happy now: “I already have Level Three Shadow Affinity and can fully accommodate her Power!”
This way, Eivass could be completely freed from his wheelchair!
Speaking of which, Lily suddenly remembered something: “Oh, Young Master… I saw ‘Dark Clouds’!”
“Did you expose your identity?”
Eivass immediately perked up.
“Dark Clouds” was the werewolf writer they met last time when he and Lily ascended, who said he was heading to Avalon and asked them to take care of something.
As a werewolf, his primary profession should be the Path of Love, overlapping with Lily’s.
But his primary profession should be at least Third Tier, or even Fourth Tier. He was now ascending his second profession, “Writer,” of the Path of Beauty.
—And he was killed by Lily last time.
“No, I used a new identity this time.”
Lily shook her head: “But he’s different from ordinary werewolves. He seems to know witches very well…”
“Knows witches very well?”
Eivass pondered: “I see… I understand. He’s a Guardian of witches.”
“Guardian?”
“Yes. Wolf Transformation Curse is a sorcery mastered by advanced witches, which can be mastered at Third Tier at the earliest, or Fourth Tier if their development is balanced. For Fourth Tier witches, they rarely have enemies that can only be dealt with by using Wolf Transformation Curse.”
Eivass explained.
In this version where Fifth Tier is an unattainable ceiling for very few, Fourth Tier has surpassed the limits of normal humans, becoming the strongest in the conventional sense.
If Fifth Tier is like a Nobel Prize, and Third Tier is like a Ph.D., then Fourth Tier is akin to an academician. This is a realm that mortals cannot reach through “effort.”
And for such important figures, there are plenty of people eager to flatter them.
“Not to mention, witches are Extraordinary beings of the Path of Love. Like the Path of Beauty, both can enhance beauty and physique. However, unlike the Path of Beauty which is ‘transforming oneself into the most aesthetically pleasing form,’ the Path of Love continuously perfects one’s body. It makes the strong stronger, the beautiful more beautiful, the agile more agile… the delicious more delicious.
“Therefore, advanced witches all possess peerless beauty and ageless appearances. They can also concoct numerous miraculous potions. With years of accumulated connections, how could they possibly need to personally cast curses on their enemies?”
Eivass chuckled: “This is the paradox of Wolf Transformation Curse—advanced witches who have mastered Wolf Transformation Curse no longer need to use it. Furthermore, they can transform people into lambs or frogs, which can last for a very long time if no curse removal is performed, years or even decades are normal. They don’t necessarily have to bear the price of ‘the other party might turn into a werewolf and seek revenge’ to use Wolf Transformation Curse.”
Eivass became more and more excited as he spoke, completely emerging from the blanket.
Lily was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at Isabel. Their eyes met.
They exchanged a glance, and then both lowered their eyes, pretending to be unconcerned.
Eivass, however, sat propped up by a pillow and spoke earnestly to them: “Therefore, there’s another possibility. These werewolves are actually followers of witches.
“Because witches are advanced Extraordinary beings of the Path of Love, they are easily influenced by Path Power, becoming irritable, selfish, and capricious. So, witches often make some modifications to their loyal followers… For example, turning them into ghosts attached to armor and tea sets, or into their mounts and pets…”
“…Or turning them into werewolves, right?”
Lily’s heart sank, and she replied softly.
Hearing this, she felt an inexplicable fear.
What she was doing now was what she wanted to do, and she didn’t feel much conflict.
However, in the future, as her level gradually increased and her resonance with the Path grew stronger, could she still maintain her original intentions under the continuous erosion of Path Power?
“That’s right.”
Eivass confirmed: “Indeed, some werewolves were transformed by curses. But they mostly know little about witches, or at least harbor resentment. However, as you said, Dark Clouds seems to be friends with witches… then he is most likely a ‘pet dog’ raised by some witch.
“So I think he was lying earlier. He didn’t flee because of the political struggles in the Iris Kingdom, nor was he chased by those vampires. The fact that he has performed Ascension Rituals twice doesn’t look like he’s being hunted at all.”
He pointed out that during an Ascension Ritual, one cannot wake up.
This is the most vulnerable moment for almost all Extraordinary beings.
Even an Extraordinary of Meg’s caliber falls into an unconscious slumber, unable to perceive the outside world during their Ascension. If forcibly awakened, the ritual automatically fails. It’s like escaping directly from a game; not only must the price of ritual failure be paid, but also the price of forcible awakening—and the effect of Drunken Dream T is to make people impossible to wake up, no matter how much you call them.
“Even if he were to risk Ascension, it would be more logical to ascend the Path of Love. Advancing from Level One to Two of the Path of Beauty yields no significant abilities… yet he ascended twice in half a month.”
Eivass asserted: “So he’s definitely not being hunted, otherwise he wouldn’t be so leisurely.
“Then there are two possibilities. Either he was sent by his master; or his master is simply gone, and he has become a homeless stray dog.”
The internal power struggles within the Iris Kingdom are also intense. It’s normal for “Dark Clouds” to not want to take a side.
This also explains how he knows so many secrets—
Someone who has been tormented by Wolf Transformation Curse for at least nine years should have been wandering in the wild, so full of wildness that they would no longer be accepted by society.
Even if he had the adaptability of the Path of Beauty before, he should have lost it now. How could he still have enough literary cultivation and spirituality to become a “writer”?
Unless he has been raised as a pet dog all along, with opportunities to read and watch news at home normally, allowing him to keep up with the times. The secrets he knows should have been intentionally or unintentionally revealed by his master.
Then his purpose in going to Avalon is not so pure…
“Miss Lixia said that he has already arrived in Avalon.”
Lily added: “He may have even arrived or is close to Glass Island. Although he seemed friendly, Miss Lixia still did not let him succeed in his Ascension… but even so, she became acquaintances with him.
“Miss Lixia is truly amazing.”
Lily was also full of admiration.
Isabel, listening from the side, widened her eyes and showed a wistful expression.
You two are also amazing for not sleeping in the middle of the night.
Eivass grumbled inwardly.
I want to catch some sleep, why are we still talking…
Oh well, I feel energized now. Maybe we should stay up all night?
Eivass sighed and decided to get dressed and get up.
“Little Isha, is my clothes warm?”
Eivass teased: “Aren’t you going back to change?”
Although “Little Isha” was a normal nickname, and even Queen Sophia and Meg used this address, Isabel’s face still turned red upon hearing it.
She leaned close to Eivass’s ear and whispered fiercely: “I’ve already been your mother… we’re even now!”
“That was called by Eivass Moriarty, what does it have to do with Eivass Eivass?”
Eivass looked innocent.
Angered, Isabel gritted her teeth.
As revenge and punishment, she decided not to return Eivass’s pajamas for now: “I won’t return your clothes for now…!”
With that, Isabel turned and ran.
Eivass shouted from behind: “Remember to return them next week, I need to go out!”
“Okay!”
Isabel responded crisply without looking back: “Then I’ll return them next week!”
In the painting above Eivass’s head, Janis was rolling excitedly.
Update complete, meow.
