Chapter 39

Chapter 39

"Isn't this the day we've been waiting for all these years?"

"Hmm?" The voice hovering in her ear suddenly paused for a moment. "Amelia, why do you seem less than thrilled?"

Although Amelia was well aware that the person beside her was not the real Li Qingzhi, the chill she felt piercing through her bones made it impossible for her, no matter how composed she usually was, to remain entirely calm in front of this Dark Soul avatar.

Having just had a dream of Li Qingzhi's death, she knew all too well the reason behind such a nightmare.

For she had witnessed many who met their end in such a manner.

Drained of their magic, they fell to the ground with blood streaming from their eyes... And all of that was...

"Lord Ai Mo," Amelia managed to keep her voice steady, ensuring it held no trace of unease, "I am at your service whenever you need me."

A moment of silence passed like a slow flow of dark spirits before the voice resonated again in her ear:

"Yes, you know what is expected of you."

"Amelia, your desire for vengeance has its chance now."

With that, Dark Soul vanished from Amelia's palm, yet the green-haired girl remained motionless on her bed, as if still lost in thought.

Once, the revenge she had held above all else now left her feeling strangely empty.

In two days... Li Qingzhi will die.

Or rather, everyone in Elmonte will perish.

At this thought, Amelia's mind involuntarily conjured up a scene of corpses littering the once-peaceful Elmonte, everyone meeting the same fate as in her nightmare, including Li Qingzhi.

Just as Amelia was in a daze, a soft knocking sound echoed at her door.

Her uncle Ernest's voice soon followed from outside, interrupting her chaotic thoughts:

"Amelia? What's wrong?"

"Why do I hear a strange noise?"

As reality tugged her back, Amelia, hearing Ernest's voice, felt as if she had been transported through time, as if all that had just transpired was but a fleeting illusion.

A nightmare, with its tendrils of darkness coiling around her, an icy chill that refused to dissipate, and the haunting image of corpses littering her mind, uncontrollably surfacing.

In the end, the young girl shook her head. "It's nothing."

"I just... had a nightmare."

Upon finishing, Amelia couldn't help but furrow her brow, even at her own words.

For she knew that this was more than just a nightmare.

Not an illusion, but the reality that is about to arrive.

...

"In two days, we have the exchange event between our school and Danatec. At this gathering..."

At the podium, Ernest, sporting round glasses, was discussing the details of an upcoming exchange meeting when a brown-haired youth, after observing those around him for a while, couldn't resist leaning in to whisper his inquiry.

"Qingzhi, what are you pondering about? You've been lost in thought for a while."

"I recall you were quite enthusiastic about the symposium before."

Hearing Bruce's words, Li Qingzhi, who had been lost in thought while staring ahead, shook his head subconsciously. "I wasn't thinking about anything..."

However, that wasn't entirely true. As Bruce mentioned, he had initially been eager for the upcoming symposium, as it was said to be a competition among the most outstanding students from both schools. But now, he had no interest in delving into the details of the event, all because his mind was preoccupied with another matter:

His relationship with Ludwig seemed to have plummeted into an irreparable abyss amidst recent events.

Ever since Li Qingzhi left Leo's castle, he hadn't had any contact with Ludwig. Although he couldn't help but think of Ludwig every day, he sensed their relationship drifting further apart, beyond his control.

Li Qingzhi, who was typically forthright and expressive in matters of the heart, had indeed entertained the idea of sending Ludwig a scroll bearing his innermost thoughts on multiple occasions.

Even if the previous misunderstanding was immense, he had no desire to let it estrange him from Ludwig. Long before, the blond youth had become so integral to his life that the thought of parting ways was inconceivable.

After realizing that he might have hurt the blond teenager's feelings, Li Qingzhi truly wished to convey to Ludwig that he held an incomparably important place in his heart, not someone who could be rendered unimportant by a simple misunderstanding.

Li Qingzhi felt no diminishment of his affection for Ludwig due to the misunderstanding; if anything, it had grown stronger within him, though he couldn't fathom why.

Yet, amidst Li Qingzhi's countless impulses to send a scroll to Ludwig, whenever he gazed at the magical scroll before him, he was always at a loss for words, his heart overflowing with emotions that seemed to find no outlet, no suitable way to express themselves fully.

What on earth is going on?

Li Qingzhi was utterly perplexed, unable to discern the crucial breakthrough he had been seeking. It was as if a veil of mist shrouded that vital point, obscuring his vision at this very moment.

Thus, he could only repeatedly fold the magic scroll that had already been unfurled before him. Though his emotions were in turmoil, his heart felt strangely empty.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ernest was still at the podium, elaborating on the history and origins of the Elmont and Danatec Exchange Conference. Beside him sat Bruce and Amelia. Noticing the brunette youth's lingering distraction, he refrained from further interruptions and instead, commenced a hushed conversation with Amelia.

Yet, the green-haired girl, for some reason, also seemed to lack enthusiasm today. She merely nodded lightly in response, lost in her thoughts.

In the end, Bruce had no choice but to join Matthew in their front-row conversation, which Matthew was enthusiastically engaging in. The two quickly fell into an animated discussion.

Everything seemed so natural. The warm sunlight filtering through the window cast a gentle glow on Li Qingzhi's desk, warming the duster he had placed there. It felt like any ordinary afternoon.

Only Li Qingzhi knew how different this moment truly was for him. Ever since leaving Leo's castle a couple of days prior and experiencing a shift in his relationship with Ludwig, his heart had been restless, constantly drawn to thoughts of his blond friend.

Just then, the green-haired teacher on stage began to mention the participants of the symposium: "Aside from the senior students, some juniors have also been selected to participate, following Danatec's arrangement."

"The specific participants include Horace from the Spirit Element Academy, Carl from the Earth Element Academy, and Ludwig from the Flame Element Academy..."

Upon hearing Ernest's name, Li Qingzhi instinctively felt a jolt in his heart. He couldn't help but lift his gaze, focusing on Ernest's next words, hoping to learn more about Ludwig from them.

Ludwig would also be attending the exchange session.

This realization didn't surprise Li Qingzhi, nor did it surprise the other students. After all, Ludwig was the most outstanding genius mage among the students of Almont. It would be strange if the school didn't include him.

As Li Qingzhi began to attentively listen to Ernest's words and ponder about Ludwig, he suddenly heard his own name being mentioned by the green-haired teacher:

"In addition, there will be Merry from the Water Elemental School and Li Qingzhi from the Plant Elemental School."

Upon this announcement, almost all the students were taken aback.

Even though Li Qingzhi was an outstanding freshman in the Plant School, those participating in the exchange session were typically upperclassmen with more practical experience. There were no other freshmen besides him; how could such an arrangement be made? Shouldn't they have chosen an experienced senior from the Plant School instead?

Though Li Qingzhi was the most exceptional Second Rank A among the freshmen, there were still outstanding seniors in the Plant School who had reached the Third Rank.

In the midst of everyone's confusion, Li Qingzhi himself was dumbfounded: "…Me?"

Why would it be me?

In this moment of astonishment and confusion, the perplexed Li Qingzhi couldn't help but unconsciously entertain a thought in his mind:

Does that mean I have to compete alongside Ludwig??