Chapter 84: Chapter 84

The moment Velithra’s words fell, the atmosphere grew unbearably tense.

Yet Lathel paid no heed to her threat. What truly caught his attention was her personal information panel and her Affection Points toward him.

Name: Velithra Moonsong

Race: Legend Ninetail Fox

Affection Points: 45%

Description: Saintess of the Lunar Fox clan, bearer of the bloodline of the Legendary Ninetail Fox.

Though she outwardly appears wanton and seductive, deep within she yearns for a purer love more than any other woman.

She constantly opposes Lyra due to the wheel of fate, but later, both she and Lyra fall in love with Lucien after he resolves all the troubles they face.

Through the power of the Lunar Fox clan, Lucien unites all the southern Beast clans.

Seeing the panel displayed, Lathel sneered inwardly.

Even Professor Lyra, upon their very first meeting, had maintained Affection at 50%. But Velithra’s was only 45%.

This meant that—despite her showing interest, despite her drawing near—she did not truly like him at all.

Worse, if he failed to control his own emotions properly, Velithra might grow to hate him, her Affection plummeting without restraint.

’This little fox truly knows how to deceive others.’ Lathel thought to himself. ’She wants to use me to draw everyone else’s hostility onto me.’

’At the same time, she seeks to humiliate Lyra. If I were to abandon Lyra for her, the result would be disastrous.’

Lathel knew this all too clearly, because he had already glimpsed the future thanks to the Future Sight Card.

It was all just a chain reaction.

Had Lathel not been accepted as Lyra’s disciple in the first place, he would have become Morlan’s. And Lucien would have become Lyra’s disciple.

With Velithra’s hatred toward Morlan, she would surely have despised Lathel as well.

Naturally, the one she approached today would not have been him, but Lucien.

From there, countless events would have unfolded between Lucien and Velithra, gradually shifting her feelings toward him.

’What a pity, Lucien. Today, the one she chose to approach was me, not you.’ Lathel sneered inwardly.

He glanced at Velithra, then smiled warmly: "Professor Vely, this will be of great help to me. Since you wish to give it to me, I shall gladly accept it."

"Ah~" Velithra was taken aback. She had not expected Lathel to respond so directly.

Before Velithra could respond, Lathel had already taken the box from her hand, his palm lightly squeezing her slender waist.

"Um~" A soft moan escaped Velithra’s lips, so faint that none but Lathel could hear it.

"You..." She looked at him, her eyes filled with surprise and confusion.

But Lathel immediately placed the box into his Storage Space, leaving her no time to react.

Velithra frowned, her gaze toward Lathel sharpening, but that sharpness lasted only for a fleeting instant.

[Ding! Velithra’s Affection Points toward you decreased by 2%, now at 43%.]

Seeing the notification appear, Lathel only smirked inwardly before dismissing it.

"Professor Vely, I must enter the Library. I hope you can take care of my wife for me." Lathel said with a smile.

Velithra took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on Lathel with a mix of curiosity, discomfort, and disdain.

Yet her lips still curved into a seductive smile as she spoke softly: "Rest assured, I will take good care of your wife."

Lathel nodded lightly, slowly releasing her. But in that fleeting instant, his index finger once again pressed against her delicate, supple waist.

"Um~" Velithra bit her lip, struggling not to let another strange moan escape her mouth.

Lathel cast her a provocative smile, positioned so that only she could see it.

’This brat...’ Velithra thought inwardly.

But Lathel had already stepped before the Library’s entrance, bowing his head: "Vice Principal, please open the gate to the library for me."

Morlan frowned, casting a glance at Velithra before raising his hand.

The sound of massive gears turning echoed. The circular gate began to rotate, slowly splitting apart to reveal a wall woven from countless strands of energy vibrating at an impossibly high frequency.

"As always," Morlan declared loudly, as though reminding Lathel: "Each person may take one item they deem suitable."

His gaze suddenly locked on Lathel, brimming with killing intent, fury, jealousy, and a torrent of negative emotions. His voice dropped low: "If you have the ability, take more. But... I will not guarantee your life if you do."

With that, he flicked his hand, as though shooing Lathel away.

But Lathel did not grow angry. Instead, he bowed with the grace of a true noble, then stepped inside.

Lucien drew a deep breath and followed after. Yet as he passed Morlan, a voice echoed in his mind.

Startled, he halted, looking up at Morlan. But then, only with a slight nod, he stepped into the library.

Morlan smiled with satisfaction as he watched Lucien enter the Ancient Library.

Turning toward Velithra, he asked with a smile: "Professor Moonsong, would you care to..."

"Sorry..." Velithra instantly cut him off: "I wish to have some tea with the crown princess consort here, please do not disturb us."

With that, she led Selvia beneath a tree, her hand flicking as a spell of privacy enveloped their entire space.

Morlan’s mouth hung open as he watched what had just happened, his heart surging with both fury and disappointment.

He knew all too well how much effort it had taken to obtain that pill.

That grade 7 elixir could not be purchased with money, nor exchanged for any treasure. The only way was to stake his very life on completing a mission given by a mysterious Herbalist.

Only after finishing that mission had the mysterious Herbalist agreed to concoct the pill for him.

Of course, if he had chosen to trade that opportunity for a pill beneficial to himself, one that could help him break through, then he would not be this enraged.

But after all his efforts, the beauty not only failed to treasure his gift, she gave it instead to the man he hated most.

’Damn it...’ Morlan cursed inwardly. ’Lucien, I hope you can retrieve that pill for me.’

’My pill... my beauty... huhuhu...’

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"Is this the Ancient Library?" Lucien frowned as he gazed at the sight before him, his heart surging with both excitement and pride at being able to stand here.

Before him was not a quiet library full of books as its name suggested when Morlan had spoken of it.

This place resembled a labyrinth, its walls woven from strands of energy that constantly shimmered with a faint glow.

Lucien looked up, seeing above him a bizarre, chaotic sky. The longer he stared, the more his mind twisted and distorted like that space itself.

He shook his head, forcing himself to calm down, muttering: "Just now, Master Morlan said I don’t need to forcefully search."

"I only need to follow what my mind and intuition tell me, let destiny guide my path."

"And... I must retrieve the pill for Master."

Taking a deep breath, he slowly stepped into the only passage before him.

Lucien followed his instincts, but suddenly, something made him halt.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

Heavy sounds echoed as the walls began to shift, reshaping the passages completely from what they were moments before.

"These walls... they can move?" Lucien muttered. "Then how am I supposed to find what I need?"

He shook his head, unwilling to overthink.

"If Master Morlan said destiny will guide me, then I need not worry."

Step by steady step, Lucien advanced with unwavering determination.

After about ten minutes, he found a glass sphere hovering in the air ahead.

"That is..." Lucien approached slowly, seeing clearly that within the sphere floated a scroll.

He extended his hand toward the sphere, but when it was less than ten centimeters away, he stopped.

"This... is not meant for me." Lucien whispered, shaking his head before stepping aside and continuing on.

He did not know why, but deep down he felt that item did not belong to him.

He pressed on, encountering four more glass spheres, each containing different items. Yet for each one, the same feeling stirred within him: none of them were his.

"Could it be... none of these truly belong to me?" Lucien’s patience began to fray.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

The maze walls shifted once again. Lucien stood still, waiting for them to finish moving.

This time, the wall before him slid aside, revealing a glass sphere floating in the air, radiating a crimson glow.