Chapter 18 A Month Flies By

A thin layer of frost covered the I克力忒 campus on a winter morning. Bare branches trembled in the biting wind, and the botanical gardens exuded a refreshing, cold fragrance.

Large patches of dark clouds roamed the sky, with only a few scattered glimpses of blue peeking through the gaps.

Students, wrapped in thick coats and clutching steaming cups of coffee or tea, hurried past, their breaths forming small, white puffs in the frigid air.

“Little Xiu is here.”

Hyperion walked out of the Sage Academy’s main building with a faint smile on her face.

Having finished the last exam of the semester, the winter holidays had finally begun.

As soon as she stepped out, she spotted Talia waiting for her on a distant campus bench.

Talia was constantly rubbing her hands together, taking deep breaths of the cold air to feel the unique clarity it brought.

Two boxes of packaged pastries were placed on the wooden bench beside her, as if she was only holding back from devouring both servings because she was waiting for Hyperion.

Watching Talia's restless attempts at restraint from afar, Hyperion couldn't help but laugh.

She really wanted to take all the Duke's money and feed Tata, so she could be full and happy every day.

Hyperion was now living at Talia's house, and Talia hadn't asked her to leave, continuing to teach her magic day after day.

So, after the agreed-upon two-week protection period, they tacitly continued to live together, exchanging good mornings and good nights, without any changes.

But soon Hyperion would be going to the Northern Continent, so she would be separated from Tata for quite some time.

Lánqí’s previously planned research project was finally about to begin.

After she and Lánqí completed the project filing procedures with Dean Loren, they could apply for an extension if they couldn't return on time before the start of the next semester.

During the long three-and-a-half-month winter vacation, Frey's Knight Academy did not have a graduation project like “Searching for the Stone Tablet Holder.” Frey couldn't get additional vacation permission outside of the winter break. Dean Sfintos of the Knight Academy also didn't allow Frey to run around, requiring him to stay in the Knight Academy and cultivate diligently during the vacation. Dean Sfintos, now on break himself, would personally guide him. Therefore, Lánqí and Hyperion had to bid farewell to Frey for the time being.

However, if they were separated for a few months, Frey would probably become much stronger given his monstrous talent.

Thinking this, Hyperion jogged to Talia's side.

“Tata, I’m on holiday!”

“Mm.”

Talia stood up, took Hyperion’s hand, and started walking towards the Cat Boss Restaurant on the east side of the school.

“Why doesn’t Lánqí have to take exams?”

After walking a few steps on the cold winter campus, Talia seemed a little puzzled and finally asked the question in her heart.

"He... deals with all kinds of campus disputes all day long, his credits are quite sufficient... and he made a fortune..."

Hyperion shook her head, her sigh accompanied by a thin mist of white.

Lánqí had skipped all exams this semester except for *General Knowledge of Magical Lineages*.

Through the high credits from the fourth and fifth level Shadow Worlds, plus the credits awarded for dealing with the Student Union's affairs with high intensity, Lánqí had enough credits to completely offset the required courses, and even had some left over.

After the Shadow World [Banquet of the Sanctuary Villain], both Hyperion and Lánqí were promoted to registered Silver-level Challengers of the Southern Continent Shadow World Management Association, and they received a high bounty of 4,500 pounds for killing the Saintess of Destruction.

Hyperion still didn't want the bounty and let Lánqí and Frey split it equally.

“It’s all mine.”

Talia said it as a matter of course.

Lánqí still owed her a huge sum, and before he paid it off, Lánqí's property was hers in her eyes.

“Oh right, in about half a year, he will have to pay you more than eight thousand pounds according to the contract.”

Hyperion had heard that Lánqí owed Tata a lot of money and also knew that before she met Tata, there had been some wonderful history between Lánqí and Tata.

It was hard to imagine how these two people with completely opposite personalities could get along harmoniously, instead of Lánqí irritating Tata with one look and then being sanctioned by her.

“Lánqí still needs to work hard.”

Hyperion sighed.

Some people seem like millionaires on the surface, but in reality, they are deeply in debt.

However, Lánqí was now a man with a clear net worth.

Although Hyperion didn't know what level her bounty was in the Resurrection Church, she knew that the news had been made public in the Southern Continent by the branch of the bishop—

The Destruction Bishop's branch offered a bounty of 10,000 pounds for Lánqí.

The Decay Bishop gave a quote of 16,000 pounds, wanting Lánqí alive.

The Dimensional Bishop said that if Lánqí could also kill the Holy Son of Destruction and satisfy his obsessive-compulsive disorder, he would donate 20,000 pounds to the I克力忒 Academy's public welfare fund.

According to news reports, the Destruction Bishop had recently found the Dimensional Bishop and had a big fight. The Dimensional Bishop was now half-dead and fleeing in a sorry state.

“Now that you two are on holiday, the Dean of the Sage Academy can finally have some peace and quiet.”

Talia said.

She didn't initially expect that a Stone Tablet Holder would be living in this city and willing to work at the school. At the closing ceremony of the academic exchange visit held at the I克力忒 Academy last time—the team fighting competition—she saw Loren on the judge's bench from afar.

Even from a great distance, she could sense the man's terror.

But why did Hyperion say that their Dean was always having his mentality messed up by Lánqí?

Talia didn't understand. If it were her, she would have used some coercive means to correct Lánqí properly.

“……”

Hyperion choked.

That day's match was between the I克力忒 Academy and the Yarolan Royal Academy, with a final score of 5-0. She saw Loren sitting in his chair, sobbing uncontrollably. At that moment, she thought that if there was another chance, she would definitely stop Lánqí.

Knight Captain Juliana was definitely coming.

Nearly half of the Yarolan Royal Academy academic visiting team had not been able to return.

In particular, the last five fighters not only needed to have their physical wounds treated in I克力忒 for several months, but the psychological and mental trauma may need a lifetime to heal.

It was just that, possibly due to Fēinìkèsī’s arrest and the chain reaction caused by the Destruction Bishop and the Dimensional Bishop's battle, the Resurrection Church's actions in the Yarolan Kingdom had been extremely active recently. Knight Captain Juliana could not leave her post in the Yarolan Kingdom without authorization.

But she had said that once the Resurrection Church's problem in the Yarolan Kingdom was resolved, she would definitely come to I克力忒 to find Loren in person and tell him to wait.

After learning this news, Senior Lu Wei’xi’er of the Student Union excitedly opened a bottle of champagne that day. They were not worried about the newspaper’s performance next year.

(End of this chapter)