Chapter 42: Opportunity

Chapter 42: A Stroke of Luck

What was the definition of a blessing from the heavens? Wen Ying instinctively scratched his ear. “Beros, what did you just say? I think I didn’t hear you clearly.”

Beros.

A name he had heard many times before, but when this demonic mirror called it out, it suddenly sounded different. Perseus was a bit stunned and repeated, "I said I can do it too."

Scarlet, who had been listening behind them, had a look of horror on his face. He even stumbled a few steps back and leaned against the wall to keep from falling. Had Perseus gone mad? Why would he offer himself for such a task?

Wen Ying's smile was a bit strained, his mind filled with question marks. If not for his previous search for Perseus on the Demon Realm's online network, he might have thought that Perseus was jealous of Scarlet.

Any other demon was possible, but not Perseus. The lessons from their past encounters made Wen Ying realize that his imagination had been overly affectionate. Dealing with Perseus required a different mindset than with ordinary beings.

But a demon volunteering for service was not something to be refused, especially one as popular as the top-ranked in the Demon Realm. He would definitely fetch a high price! Wen Ying quickly calculated the potential earnings in his mind, and his smile widened until his eyes were barely visible.

"Thank you for your support in my career. I'll come find you after I've experimented on Scarlet since I'm still not very proficient. I would feel embarrassed if I asked you to help me now." Wen Ying looked up at Perseus, his eyes shimmering like bright stars. His silver-gray eyes held a hint of amusement, his gaze fixed solely on Perseus.

Scarlet's lips twitched. Did this demonic mirror differentiate between people? Wasn't his time just as valuable? The more he listened, the more Scarlet wanted to strangle Wen Ying. Wen Ying had made him repeat the water manipulation spell countless times earlier. Although it didn't consume much magic power, controlling the shape of the water required mental effort. After so many repetitions, Scarlet's brain was now in a state of confusion.

”Beros, it’s up to you.” Reason returned to Beros as Wen Ying’s calling his name had stirred an inexplicable heat within him, quickening his heartbeat. This excitement should have been reserved for the thrill of intense combat.

Wen Ying's smile never left his face. "Alright, we should go. Class is about to start, and we can't be late for Feng Luo's lesson."

Upon seeing Scarlet still standing there, Wen Ying turned his head and called out, "Why are you still standing there? Do you want Feng Luo to increase your training if you're late?"

Scarlet's expression was peculiar, his emotions fluctuating like a chameleon. Wen Ying couldn't make sense of it, but as Scarlet approached, he continued walking forward.

When it came to demons, it was best not to delve into their thoughts in everyday life. Their thought processes were different from humans', and even among different demon species, there were disparities. Wen Ying wasn't a pureblood demon; he still possessed human-like thinking.

In the afternoon, Feng Luo taught close-combat techniques. For Wen Ying, such classes were like oases in a desert, though a gentler oasis would have been preferred.

From their first encounter, Feng Luo had promised to look out for Wen Ying. True to his word, after the lesson, Wen Ying found himself once again lying in the school infirmary's recovery room.

When school ended, Cheng Haoyuan and Lu Qingtao came to visit him, only to be stunned by the sight of Wen Ying, wrapped in bandages as if every bone in his body was broken.

Cheng Haoyuan snapped back to reality, rushing over in a few strides, his voice choked with emotion. "Did they hurt you because you helped us?"

Looking at the young man's indignant and righteous expression, Wen Ying fell silent. How could he explain that his injuries were the result of his own incompetence and lack of skill?

His silence made Cheng Haoyuan believe he had guessed correctly. Lu Qingtao had seen the schedule for Class One, and he vaguely recalled Feng Luo teaching in the afternoon. With Feng Luo being the devilish sort, he wouldn't have allowed Wen Ying to be bullied, right? Lu Qingtao wasn't entirely sure.

After much deliberation, Wen Ying finally spoke up, "It's not because I was helping you. Demons sparring together usually don't suffer any lasting consequences. Any injuries can be healed with a few spells. It's just that my combat skills are poor. If they were better, another demon would be lying here now."

Unconsciously, Wen Ying thought about when it might be Feng Luo's turn to lie there... He startled at his own thought, realizing that his mindset was gradually becoming more demonic.

In the human world, he had always been a model student who never fought, a complete weakling in battle...

Lu Qingtao pushed aside Cheng Haoyuan and pulled out a bag. "This is the payment for the cards we bought from you. Take a look. If you think it's not enough, we can give you more."

Wen Ying took it but didn't open it. Instead, he put it directly into his spatial bracelet and waved his still functional right hand. "Those cards are just ordinary to me."

Pausing, something flashed through his mind, and his tone lost some of its casualness. "All of you can use the cards?"

Cheng Haoyuan nodded. "I had everyone try them out, and we all can. Thankfully, we all can; otherwise, it would've been troublesome."

Wen Ying lowered his eyelids. Feng Luo's mention of 'selection' had meant this. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent three months in the human world looking for suitable candidates among humans.

Feng Luo likely chose those with magical abilities, people with innate talent for magic. They could learn spells and, with time spent in the demon realm, increase their magical powers, giving them some means of self-defense.

What an effort, Wen Ying thought with a hint of darkness flashing in his eyes. He didn't expect Feng Luo to be so fond of humans and even deliberately chose someone who could adapt to life in the Demon Realm. This demonic "abduction" was also a tremendous opportunity for Lu Qingtao and the others.

With their mission accomplished, it was almost dark. Lu Qingtao and Cheng Haoyuan didn't dare to stay too long and soon took their leave. Wen Ying told them, "The cards I gave you won't have my magic replenishing them after a month, and they'll disappear. Remember to come find me every month to recharge their magic."

He had experimented with this during lunchtime. Knowing that his cards were unstable, he needed to clearly indicate this if he wanted to sell them to other demons to avoid disputes.

The school doctor would come later to continue treating Wen Ying. Low-level healing magic drained the energy of the one being healed, so it couldn't be used continuously. Under less time-sensitive circumstances, staged treatment was best. Thus, Wen Ying spent another night at the infirmary and called Aruda to explain the situation.

The next day was the weekend, and the academy was on holiday. After waking up the following morning, Wen Ying called Scarlet to come to school to continue assisting him with the experiments. Scarlet looked as if he had just been bitten by a dog; he shouldn't have made that bet in the first place.

Wen Ying had been occupied for two days, and Huiguo had been occupied for the same duration. He finally realized that the ice magic wasn't cast by a demon nearby but by Cheng Haoyuan himself. This possibility stunned Huiguo. After pondering over it, he vaguely recalled seeing the human holding something card-like, something familiar.

Upon further reflection, Huiguo suddenly became furious. When it came to cards, no one else in the entire academy could make such items except Wen Ying. He had never seen enchanted items in the shape of cards, so it had to be Wen Ying who gave the card to that human.

Having anticipated his own rage, Huiguo had already prepared a headache for that human. Fuming, his face flushed red, he smashed a bunch of things in his room.

"Demon of the Magic Mirror! A mere Demon of the Magic Mirror is driving me crazy!"

The low-ranking demons serving outside were accustomed to Huiguo's habit of smashing things when he was unhappy and weren't overly panicked. To be honest, they had always felt that this legitimate fallen angel heir should be of the rage type.

Frustrated, Huiguo angrily called Wu Shaluo.

Wu Shaluo was soaking in a hot spring crafted from magical stones within his family's compound. The Scarlet Crow clan was heat-resistant, and the pure red fire elemental magic stones elevated the water temperature to an unbearable level for humans, enough to scorch their skin upon contact.

"A young master, your phone is ringing," a servant girl entered with the vibrating device.

Wu Shaluo lazily took the phone, glanced at the caller ID, and answered the call.

"Cousin, that Mirror Demon is outrageous! You have to help me deal with him!" Huiguo's anger seemed to be seeping through the phone.

Wu Shaluo, annoyed by the volume, held the phone further away and asked, "What happened? Explain."

Huiguo recounted the events of that night, and Wu Shaluo's eyes narrowed.

"Cousin! That guy is way too arrogant! Helping humans, he must be deliberately provoking us! It could even be those demons from Wu Fei's faction trying to stir trouble!"

In the castle, Wu Fei sneezed, sensing someone was cursing him.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Wu Shaluo asked nonchalantly. He didn't bear any hostility towards Wen Ying but believed there was no need to be angered by a low-ranking demon. No matter how outstanding the Mirror Demon was now, he was still a low-ranking demon with limitations. As demons approached adulthood, their power would experience a sudden surge, creating a vast disparity between low- and high-ranking demons.

"On Monday, drag that guy down from the top spot and give him a good beating!" Huiguo, unlike Wu Shaluo, was getting more and more agitated as he thought about it.

"Alright," Wu Shaluo yawned nonchalantly. "He likes to use Pyros' flames. I'll tell him that stolen goods are still stolen, and my fire isn't something a replica of Pyros' flames can defeat."

Wen Ying would also be hitting Feng Luo, Wu Shaluo thought as he hung up the phone, his expression turning grim. He rubbed his ear, which still hadn't grown back its missing feathers.

The next day, after classes on Monday morning, Wu Shaluo went out to throw away some trash, intending to challenge Wen Ying when he returned. However, upon coming back, he saw the butterfly-winged merman standing in front of Wen Ying. He walked forward, confused. It was now after school hours, and the hallways were filled with demons who loved causing trouble. At the sight of something interesting happening, they all crowded around, even more eager for excitement than humans.

"If you lose, stay away from Lord Pyros. No matter how special you are now, a Mirror Demon with limited potential doesn't deserve to be by the side of the noble Lord Pyros," said the butterfly-winged merman, Phileas, with conviction. "Lord Pyros' future partner should be an equally powerful demon, not a lowly one."

The usually cold and arrogant butterfly-winged merman was now visibly agitated, seemingly having held back for a long time.

"I've been observing you for a while, and you've been shamelessly seducing Lord Pyros! This can't continue."

Wen Ying looked bewildered at being pointed at. Before him stood a handsome face, delicately beautiful yet genderless, with blue scales beneath the eyes that exuded a sultry charm. Long hair like seaweed cascaded down, but it wasn't remotely feminine, preventing anyone from mistaking its owner for female. The figure exuded a strong and sharp demeanor, with wings that resembled butterfly wings, their gradient colors shimmering dreamily. A thick, fantastical tail completed the picture, radiating no weakness. Wen Ying had no doubt that this tail could easily snap a human's neck.

This merman had no legs, only a tail coiled around twice on the ground. Judging from the upper half of its body, it was clear that this was a large-framed demon. Perhaps due to spending most of its time in water, the skin appeared very fair.

This was a powerful and handsome demon. Wen Ying's heart skipped a beat. He probed, "Do you have a crush on Belos?"

Felios replied, "No, I'm just a follower of Lord Belos."

Wen Ying almost thought he was about to witness a love triangle. It was a relief that it wasn't the case. He let out a sigh of relief.

However...

Wen Ying rolled his eyes. The merman's bet came at the perfect time. Lately, he wanted to focus on researching products and didn't have the time to accompany those demons in their ranking matches every other day. Taking this opportunity, he could willingly give up the top spot. If he lost, he would have a perfect excuse to keep his distance from Belos, forced to "not like" Belos, and rid himself of the impact of the incident where he had hooked Belos' tail.

Wen Ying's calculations clicked loudly in his head. When he saw the scales on the butterfly merman's skin, he recalled Aruda asking him to pay attention to high-magic-content scale materials a few days ago. His calculations grew louder.

He curved his eyes, his silver-white irises shining bright as he pointed authoritatively, "I accept your challenge and bet." Demons in the Demon Realm sure loved to bet with wins and losses. How many was this already? Wen Ying grumbled inwardly.

"You've stated your request. If you lose, you'll give me the scale on your collarbone."

Again, Wen Ying heard the gasps of the surrounding demons. His hand that pointed at Felios' collarbone scale trembled slightly. What now? Why were the surrounding demons reacting uniformly in astonishment again? The last time they did that was when he hooked Belos' tail with his own...

N-No way, Wen Ying's eyelids twitched wildly.

"Goodness gracious, this Magic Mirror Demon is quite the Casanova."

"Does Belos know about this?"

Belos was indeed aware. He sat in the classroom, observing the scene at the door and listening attentively. Upon hearing Phileus' revelation, he understood that Wen Ying's recent actions were actually seductive gestures. No wonder he had found it peculiar. Before Belos could delve deeper into his thoughts or grasp the full meaning, he heard Wen Ying's authoritative declaration.