Chapter 16 Back to Square One in One Night
1424words
That academy was where "Winifred" was buried, and also the beginning of Frederick's ten years of pain. Now that he's returned as the leader of dark forces, it absolutely couldn't be as simple as going back to reminisce about the past. More likely, he went back to... cause trouble.
I walked into a bustling tavern, the place where information flows most freely. I found a corner to sit down, ordered the cheapest ale, then quietly perked up my ears to catch the conversations around me.
"Have you heard? That 'Black Prince' Frederick returned to the academy a few days ago!" A mercenary at the next table lowered his voice, but couldn't hide the excitement in his tone.
"My goodness, why did he go back? Didn't he level Arthur the Dean's courtyard to the ground last time?" another voice exclaimed.
"Who knows? Maybe he felt he didn't demolish it thoroughly enough!" The mercenary burst into laughter. "But seriously, with his fame now, his every move is closely watched. I heard the royal knights have already sealed off the airspace around the academy, fearing he might cause another commotion."
I took a sip of the bland ale, feeling increasingly uneasy. It seemed the situation was even more serious than I had imagined.
Bidding farewell to the tavern, I stood at the foot of the only mountain path leading to the Royal Academy of Magic. Unseen for ten years, it remained unchanged—a steep, nearly vertical stone stairway winding upward and disappearing into the clouds and mist.
Looking up at those towering structures that seemed like the dwelling place of gods, my heart was filled with mixed emotions. Once, I was a star instructor here, revered by all students. Now, I was just a nameless "Moonlight Flower Spirit," an "unidentified person" attempting to infiltrate.
At the foot of the mountain, a faintly visible magical barrier, like an overturned transparent bowl, enveloped the entire academy. Sunlight striking its surface occasionally refracted into rainbow-colored halos, appearing both beautiful and deadly.
"This must be the academy's protective barrier, 'Shield of Arcadia'." I recalled the game setting, "As the kingdom's premier magical institution, this barrier only allows those with specially crafted academy badges to pass through authentication and teleport directly inside."
My current identity is "Moonlight Flower Spirit," LV.15, forget about having a badge, I don't even have a legal identity document. That protective barrier looks no different from an impenetrable wall of bronze and iron to me.
Refusing to give up, I tried to mobilize the meager magical power in my body to attempt flight. However, just as my body barely lifted half a meter off the ground, I crashed headfirst into that invisible barrier.
"Buzz——!"
【System Warning: Unauthorized access attempt detected, identity verification failed!】
【System Warning: Magic lightning activated, please retreat immediately!】
A powerful current instantly spread throughout my entire body, shocking me until I was completely numb and my hair stood on end. I screamed in pain and fell heavily back to the ground.
HP-10。
It seems that forcing my way through won't work. I can only choose the most primitive, most foolish, and also the only feasible method—climbing up.
Looking at that seemingly endless flight of stone steps ascending the mountain, I felt like crying.
"Why? Why do all the important places in the magical world have to be built in such high places? Haven't you ever considered the leg health of innocent visitors? Don't you know this is very energy-inefficient and bad for carbon reduction!"
I was frantically complaining in my mind about this world's unscientific architectural planning, but for the sake of my ultimate mission of "filling in all plot holes to return home," I could only grit my teeth and swallow my frustration.
I took a deep breath and stepped onto the first stair of the mountain climb.
The climbing process was much more difficult than I had imagined.
The mountain path was steep, and the steps were covered with moss, making them extremely slippery. The biting mountain wind cut across my face like a knife, making me sway precariously. The higher I climbed, the thinner the air became, with each breath bringing a burning pain.
"Damn it... I'm a flower fairy, why do I have this 'oxygen deficiency' setting?!" I leaned on my knees, gasping for breath, "Where is my photosynthesis?"
【System Notification: 'Moonlight Fairy' racial talent [Moon's Blessing] is reduced by half during daytime, please be aware.】
Looking at this emotionless notification on my system panel, I was so angry I nearly lost my breath.
Time passed minute by minute. The sun rose from the east and slowly set in the west. I dragged my legs that felt as if they were filled with lead, mechanically climbing upward. My consciousness began to blur, with fragments of the past continuously flashing through my mind.
I remembered six-year-old Frederick, that little one who would tug at the hem of my clothes and softly call me "mentor"; remembered his smug and mischievous smile after successfully pulling a prank; also remembered how he unhesitatingly offered his treasured possessions to get me an antidote...
"That little brat... what has he become now..."
I don't know how much time had passed, but when I dragged my exhausted body up the final step with my last bit of willpower, the familiar and magnificent academy gate finally appeared before my eyes.
"Finally... finally arrived!"
I was so moved that tears welled up in my eyes, my legs gave out, and I collapsed directly onto the ground. The emotion I felt in that moment was even more intense than when I learned I had been accepted to graduate school. I did it! I actually conquered this insane mountain on my own two feet!
However, before I could even catch my breath or celebrate my great achievement, a cold, slender figure slowly emerged from behind the massive gate.
He wore an exquisitely tailored black knight's formal attire, with a silver sash hanging from his shoulder and a golden emblem glistening in the sunset. His figure stood as straight as a pine, with silky black hair floating gently in the wind. His face was breathtakingly handsome, his features like the most outstanding sculpture created by divine hands, but those deep eyes were colder than the thousand-year ice of the Frostwind Mountains.
My heart, in that moment, skipped a beat.
It was him.
It was Frederick.
He had grown up. The childishness had faded away, and he had developed into a handsome and dangerous young man. Above his head, the text indicating his identity had also changed long ago.
【NPC Status】
Name： Frederick·Reeve (Frederik·Reeve)
Identity： Dark Council Lord
Level： LV.???
Titles： 【Fallen Prince】，【Shadow Dominator】
Status： Displeased
The three question marks for his level meant that his power had far exceeded the scope of what I could perceive.
He merely cast a cold glance at me, a gaze like one might give to a roadside stone, without the slightest ripple of emotion, much less any hint of recognition. It seemed he didn't recognize my face, which bore a slight resemblance to "Winifred's."
Then, just when I thought he would walk past me as if ignoring a stone, he didn't even bother to lift his hand.
It was merely an overwhelming, suffocating magical force, expanding from him like an invisible tidal wave.
[System Warning: You have entered the range of NPC 'Frederick's' skill [Sovereign Pressure], all attributes temporarily reduced by 30%!]
That power effortlessly flipped me up from where I sat collapsed on the ground, my body like a fragile leaf caught in a gale, flying directly out of the mountain gate, plummeting toward the abyss thousands of feet below.
The sensation of weightlessness instantly enveloped me.
I watched the academy gate grow more and more distant, looking at that figure still standing coldly at the entrance, feeling the wind whistling in my ears. All the grievances, exhaustion, and anger that had accumulated throughout the entire day completely exploded at this moment.
I let out an angry roar in mid-air:
"Frederick——! You bastard! I spent a whole ten hours climbing this damn mountain! And you just knocked me back to square one with a single move!!"
I want to hit someone, the kind of urge that can't be suppressed!
【System Notification: You have been impacted by the skill 【Sovereign Pressure】, HP-50. Current status: Free falling.】
