The villainous young master just wants to live a Buddhist-like life.

　Its body was enveloped in black light and began to grow exponentially at a visible speed. Two times, ten times, a hundred times!

　With each blink, "Demon King Aldridge" grew larger.

　After three blinks, it had already taken the shape of a mountain.

　"Buhoo!"

　The roar of "Demon King Aldrich" echoed throughout the barrier, no longer possessing its previous weak and feeble quality.

　Its entire body was shrouded in ominous black mist, especially between its limbs, which were surrounded by dark clouds, exuding a terrifying aura.

　But if you look closely, you'll find that apart from the wings on its back being larger in proportion, its body shape and outline have not changed at all—it is still an adorable round-faced, short-legged cat.

　"This is the 'God-Devouring Beast'."

　Although Dak's eyes looked strange, he did not let his guard down.

　He didn't intend to wait for the "God-Devouring Beast" to reveal any traces before taking action; he immediately spoke, giving it a mandatory command.

　"Get down!"

　The "God-Devouring Beast," which had clearly intended to pounce, suddenly changed its posture and obediently lay down on the ground.

　"Aleister Eldridge."

　Dak stared into its eyes and slowly called out its name.

　The moment "Demon King Aldridge" revealed his true form, Dark felt its complete transformation.

　Thanks to his prior assessment, he was not ambushed.

　"Demon King Aldridge," the part of his consciousness that holds memories, does indeed reside within his true form.

　Only when it transforms into the "God-Devouring Beast" can it awaken from its slumber.

　In its non-real form, it is lost in a dream, just as it was when it was controlled by the "Mud Nightmare Crystal".

　Dark, expressionless, repeated the entire prohibition he had given to the little black cat.

　The true form of "Demon Lord Aldridge" has no time limit. However, if it wants to exist for a longer period of time, it needs more magic power to sustain it.

　After a fifteen-minute reiteration of the ban, Dak gave Professors Kazel and Harvey time to conduct their research and sampling before reverting to his black cat form.

　The little black cat was as clingy as ever.

　Dark cradled it in his arms, rubbing the flesh between its chin and neck, and sighed, "Professor, is it possible to erase its memories?"

　Professor Kazel shook his head and said, "That's very difficult. The process of erasing memories gives it the opportunity to end its own life. And after being transformed into a magical spirit, it's almost impossible."

　"Is that so?" Dark pondered. "What would happen if its willpower in its black cat form overwhelmed its true form?"

　Professor Cazell twirled his wand and said, "That's a very good idea. You can give it a try."

　Dark smiled and said, "I'll give it a try when I have time." In any case, under these circumstances, the "Demon King Aldridge" Magical Spirit Card is far safer than the "Demon King Aleister" Card.

　However, if you want to summon it when it is in the public eye, you must first erase its name and replace it with a new name that will not be recognized.

　When he brought it up again, the others began to brainstorm ideas, especially Witt, who was very interested in it.

　"I think 'God-Devouring Beast' is a pretty good name. What do you guys think?" he said smugly.

　Although Witt looks quite irritating, it has to be said that the name he proposed this time is quite reliable.

　Well, if the gods don't revive!

　Once the gods are resurrected, such names will become obvious taboos.

　o

　Although Dark was not afraid, he did not want to cause trouble for no reason.

　“I have an idea,” Aurora raised her hand and spoke up, “How about ‘fairytale animal? A kitten’?”

　Dark: "Good idea."

　And so, the new name "Demon King Aldridge" was decided.

　It was a bit hasty, but who can blame him when Darke likes it?

　As for the opinion of "Demon King Aldridge" himself, it has no right to offer any opinion.

　The weak eat the strong.

　Dak doesn't talk about good or evil, right or wrong, or cause and effect.

　This world is utterly unreasonable in the face of absolute violence. With the return of the gods, it will only become more cruel.

　He must seize this opportunity to transform the Demon King into his own power.

　"After all this time, we finally have some good news," Professor Sylph said with a smile. "If all goes well, the matter of the Demon King can be considered settled. Let's prepare for a celebration party tonight. And congratulations to Dark for making it into the top sixteen of the Golden Cup."

　Although Dark wanted to leave immediately to conduct the experiment on [Tianze Bantai Yun 1 - Summoning], he was the main character tonight and couldn't spoil the fun. Besides, he wanted to ask Principal Arte about her. Of course, he was actually more interested in [Tianxin Changci Squad Hush from 1 Scorpion] Chris.

　Professor Sylph did not hide this matter.

　Chris's exploration team included another pair of twins who could use "Telepathic Magic," and the information they gathered each day was instantly transmitted to the Duke's mansion.

　Professor Sylph's access to information was slightly delayed. Therefore, she would sometimes obtain the latest news from the Duke's mansion through Eve.

　Overall, the exploration team did not encounter too much danger.

　They were extremely cautious and would never venture into dangerous territory without absolute certainty. What truly troubled them was the arrival of the Holy Church team, whose arrival was yet unknown.

　Moreover, besides the Holy Church, at least three other forces are eyeing the Mountain of Gods.

　Under these circumstances, Chris's exploration team was even more hesitant to take any risks.

　They simply set up camp at the foot of the Mountain of the Gods, engaging in a protracted struggle with other forces while leveraging the advantages of the "Scorpio Maid Corps" to conduct clandestine investigations.

　As a result, the secrets of the Mountain of Gods were not uncovered, but the true nature of those forces was thoroughly investigated.

　Besides the Holy Church's forces that are out in the open, two of the three largest forces are actually from human noble families, one of whom is a hidden faction within the royal family.

　In other words, the king's forces have also joined the hunt for the Mountain of the Gods.

　While not entirely unexpected, this still surprised Dark. He whispered, "Professor, what about the other human force?" Professor Sylph glanced at him and said, "It's the Duke of the North." Dark racked his brain, and a kind and amiable face gradually appeared in his mind.

　The Mountain of the Gods is located in the North, so it makes sense that the Duke of the North would be involved. "And what about the last non-human force?" Dark asked.

　Professor Sylph said expressionlessly, "They are elves."

　Although Professor Sylph is a half-elf, her relationship with the elves is clearly poor.

　Dark didn't press for more information about the elves, but instead pondered, "What about Principal Arte? She hasn't come out for so long."

　Professor Sylph shook her head and said, "He did come out, and even brought a gift for the exploration team. Do you know what it was?"

　Dark asked curiously, "What is it?"

　Professor Sylph continued expressionlessly, "A stone, a piece of clothing, a sword sheath."

　Dak laughed: "These three things can't possibly be put together." Professor Sylph said: "They were given as a package deal."

　"Didn't she leave any message?" Dark asked.

　Professor Sylph said, "She said, 'Walls have ears.'" Darke immediately understood: "Because there are other forces involved?"

　But Professor Sylph slowly shook her head and said, "No. If she wanted to remain unheard, those people would never be able to hear her."

　Dak was speechless.

　[June is over, 4 new bounties added. Goodnight everyone.]

Chapter 859 Darkdemon and the Exchange Student (4k)

　Things were much more serious than imagined, yet much better than expected. Principal Art was not in any real danger.

　The team she initially led has safely reunited with the team Chris brought.

　However, finding the answer seems to require some more time. But she has spent far too long exploring the Mountain of the Gods; it's time for her to return to the academy.

　"Cynthia should be back in April, before Easter."

　Professor Sylph briefly revealed Principal Art's itinerary. Dark asked疑惑地问道, "Why Easter? Is there some important appointment?"

　Professor Sylph said, "It has nothing to do with Easter itself. It just so happens that we had guests visiting on that day."

　Dark asked, "Guest?"

　Professor Sylph nodded and said, "This was originally scheduled to be explained at the meeting next Wednesday, but since we've already brought it up, let's elaborate a bit more."

　The two did not hide their conversation from the people around them.

　People who were not originally interested in this couldn't help but come over when they heard the word "gathering".

　Professor Sylph said, "Well, based on a certain consensus, we decided to cooperate with the Holy Mystic Academy to a certain extent. Of course, that's the official explanation."

　"Cooperation with the Holy Mystic Academy" Diana, who had rushed over after learning about the dinner party, exclaimed in surprise as if she had suddenly realized what the professors were talking about.

　Professor Sylph glanced at her, wanting to say, "You should just keep eating: That's how it appears on the surface. But they clearly have other intentions, though we also have some things we want to figure out. Plus, we happened to have some contact at the Mountain of the Gods, so we reached a certain level of consensus."

　Dark nodded and said, "Then, in what way will the cooperation take place? Since Principal Arte needs to come back in person to oversee things, the visitor must be of extraordinary status."

　Professor Sylph pondered for a moment, then said, "This time, it will be the Holy Church's Archbishop, Caleb Norris, leading the team personally. He will bring several students along, ostensibly for exchange and learning."

　Dak: "Exchange and Learning"

　“Yes,” Professor Sylph said, “In order to promote friendship between the two colleges, enhance mutual understanding and respect among students, and cultivate a comprehensive worldview, the two colleges send exchange students to each other for study.”

　Dark pondered, "I see, an exchange student?"

　Professor Sylph said, "Yes. However, this matter was only finalized two days ago. So the selection of exchange students has not yet been decided."

　Dark said, "That's interesting. Is there a limit to the number of people we can send?"

　Professor Sylph said, "Two or three. It depends on who they send. Exchange students represent the college, so even if we don't consider mission execution, they should at least be on par with the other side."

　Dark asked curiously, "What exactly is the mission?"

　Professor Sylph said, “We need to investigate some things. The library of the Holy Mystic Academy contains the scriptures we need to help ‘Oil Serpent’ forge its divinity. Additionally, Cynthia also needs to investigate something related to the Mountain of the Gods. However, the main task will be carried out by the leading professor; the students will only assist.”

　Dark nodded and said, "Then it would be best to choose from within the organization." Professor Sylph sighed, "You were originally the best choice, but you have to participate in the Golden Cup."

　Dark smiled. Even without the Golden Cup, he wouldn't want to visit the Holy Church's lair.

　However, there was one person present who was absolutely qualified. "Then let Witt go," Darke suggested casually, glancing at Witt. Witt's face darkened, and he quickly shook his head.

　But Professor Sylph looked at him and said, "William is indeed one of the candidates. There's a Holy Soul Spring within the Holy Ritual Academy, which is beneficial for soul repair. Furthermore, the Holy Ritual Academy has a trial known since ancient times as the 'Sword in the Stone.' If you pass the trial, you can obtain a holy sword. You haven't obtained a holy sword yet, have you?"

　Witt, pierced through the heart by a sword, said with shame, "I will try my best." Darke, eyes downcast, pretended not to know what the "Holy Sword" was. Professor Sylph said, "If it is confirmed to be Witt, then the other two should also be chosen from the second year students."

　Dark blurted out, "Then add Robert and... um..." He immediately realized that this exchange student event should be a key plot point in the original game used to help players obtain the Holy Sword.

　The three exchange students are naturally the trio from the original story.

　That is, Witt, Robert, and Emma.

　As for his minor villainous role, it's probably meant to highlight the later supporting characters—the students from the Holy Mystic Academy who were exchanged to St. Mary's College.

　However, the timing of this plot point and the underlying reasons should be different.

　At least in the original game, most players will not be given related tasks.

　However, these are all just speculations.

　Moreover, the subsequent development of this incident will certainly be completely different, and it has no practical reference value.

　Even exchange students from the Holy Church's Mystic Academy may not be the same group of people.

　“Robert’s words…” Professor Sylph was seriously considering Dark’s suggestion, “This exchange program is different from the normal one, and Robert’s level is somewhat lacking. But if Witt feels he needs someone trustworthy to be with him…”

　“No!” Witt quickly shook his head and said, “Don’t worry about me! Robert does have some shortcomings, and he’s not an insider. It’s not good to put him in danger.”

　(Wait, when did I agree to be Qin's exchange student?)

　Witt was taken aback, then saw Professor Sylph nod and say, "While this exchange is theoretically safe, it's at this crucial moment, so the risk isn't entirely nonexistent. Furthermore, the relationship between our academy and the Holy Mystic Academy has deteriorated in recent years, and exchange students sent there will undoubtedly face challenges from their students. So, Witt, who do you think would be a suitable candidate?"

　"I," Witt almost instinctively glanced at Dark. Dark immediately rolled his eyes, indicating it was none of his business. Witt looked away and then at Diana. Diana puffed out her cheeks and shook her head vigorously.

　Rose lowered her head and began to savor the sweetness of the milk tea before he could even look at her.

　Only Aurora gave him a gentle, faint smile.

　Witt felt a pang of bitterness and looked at Professor Sylph: "Professor, are there any grade requirements?"

　Professor Sylph said, "No, but it would be best if one senior student mentored two junior students. I think the other side would be the same."