Outside the room, Ariella held her head high, walking with slow, dainty steps, as if mocking Hastur for being kicked out.
"Little cat, were you eavesdropping outside just now?"
"Meow."
"Don't deny it, you're definitely not that well-behaved."
"Meow!"
Ariella tilted her head, only to be grabbed by Hastur and pulled into his arms, her little head ruthlessly rubbed.
The man and the cat waited outside for over ten minutes before Sharon's voice finally came from inside the room.
Hastur opened the door, placed Ariella on the ground, and, ignoring her repeated protests, coldly shut her out.
Inside the room, Reinette Tinekerr had already left. Most likely, Sharon felt too embarrassed and asked her teacher to leave first.
Seeing the teasing, thoughtful look in Hastur's eyes, Sharon took a deep breath and calmly said, "I really like this New Year's gift. Thank you."
She didn't ask why Hastur knew her teacher, or how he even knew that her teacher hadn't perished but was hiding in the spirit world.
In the world of Beyonders, prying into secrets was a taboo.
"Now, I should truly get a messenger of my own."
"??" Sharon looked at Hastur in confusion and reminded him, "My teacher is willing to become your messenger."
"That's your teacher. It feels a bit strange to order her around."
"The Beyonder world doesn't care about that."
"Then are you willing for your teacher to become my messenger?"
"I don't mind."
Hastur smiled. "But I still want to try again."
"Will it be dangerous?"
"No, but it should be lively."
Very soon, Sharon witnessed what Hastur meant by "lively."
"I!
In my name, I summon:
Spirits wandering in illusion, friendly creatures that can be commanded, unique beings willing to become my messenger!"
When Hastur finished the complete summoning incantation in ancient Hermes, the candle flames swelled once more, until illusory, translucent fire engulfed the entire room.
Standing nearby, Sharon's expression grew solemn, her gaze filled with vigilance.
After a brief silence, a massive upheaval erupted in the spirit world. The deafening roars seemed capable of tearing apart the barrier between the spirit world and reality.
Sharon felt her own spirituality trembling under this anomaly, her face turning slightly pale.
This wasn't just summoning a spirit world creature as a messenger, this was practically attracting all the powerful beings hidden within the spirit world!
...
In the spirit world, Reinette Tinekerr, who had just returned to her castle not long ago, turned all four of her heads toward the source of the alluring summons.
Someone was summoning a spirit world creature as a messenger. Many powerful beings hidden deep within the spirit world caught the scent and awakened from their slumber, rushing toward it.
If she hadn't known that the owner of that aura was Sharon's good friend, she would have gone to participate in this unusual "recruitment" herself.
There were too many powerful spirit world creatures gathering. They began fighting each other midway, competing for the chance. Among them were two or three presences no weaker than her, now locked in chaotic battle.
Reinette Tinekerr did not join in. Instead, she lifted her four heads and placed them above her castle, her hands resting on it as she silently observed the chaotic struggle.
Elsewhere in the spirit world, Nast was steering the Black Emperor toward somewhere when the suddenly appearing powerful spirit creatures launched a direct attack on his ship.
And not just one, but a group, including beings no weaker than him.
What kind of massive spirit world riot was this?!
Nast felt his scalp go numb. After dealing with two nearby creatures, he hurriedly opened a spirit world passage and turned the Black Emperor around, fleeing to avoid being dragged into the chaos.
...
The Raging Sea was a forbidden zone for all sailors. Black storms and dim lightning filled the area, approaching it meant being devoured.
Within a vast, cold, and dark mausoleum stood rows of open coffins, each containing a decayed corpse with white feathers growing from its back.
Deep within the mausoleum, black mist flowed like drifting threads. As the mist gradually dispersed, a massive, illusory creature lurking at the bottom revealed a fraction of itself.
It was a gigantic feathered serpent, covered in murky green-black scales. Between the gaps grew pale yellow, greasy feathers, each connected to illusory black tubes that extended into unknown spacetime.
Today, it was unusually active. It raised its mountain-sized head toward the depths of the spirit world, letting out a hoarse, low call, as if communicating with some existence.
In the depths of the spirit world, a dark river flowed from an unknown origin. Though it seemed close at hand, it felt separated by different dimensions.
Today, from the calm riverbed, a burst of fire emerged. Then, with a piercing cry, a massive phoenix leapt out of the river, its entire body engulfed in blazing flames, soaring toward a distant direction.
When this phoenix appeared, the gigantic feathered serpent deep within the mausoleum of the Raging Sea let out a series of cries, whether of sorrow or joy, it was impossible to tell.
Immediately afterward, pale flames ignited across the serpent's body. Its greasy feathers and illusory black tubes were continuously devoured by the flames. As the process continued, the pale flames gradually turned crimson, then shifted toward golden fire.
When the golden flames completely consumed the serpent, they formed an egg covered in golden patterns, as large as a house. As the golden flames were absorbed, cracks appeared on the egg's surface, and fragments of shell began to fall away.
Yet before the fragments could hit the ground, they turned into droplets of golden liquid and merged back into the egg.
When everything finally settled, a small bird wreathed in golden flames was born.
Its eyes were blank and innocent, filled with confusion and curiosity about everything around it. Eventually, guided by a voice deep within its heart, it flapped its wings and entered the spirit world.
When the phoenix flying out from the depths of the spirit world encountered the naive little bird, they briefly confronted each other before naturally merging into one.
Reborn in flames, it took the form of the smaller phoenix, leaving behind a golden trail as it sped off toward a distant direction.
...
Back in Backlund, at Backlund University Library, Azik, who had recently arrived, was flipping through books, searching for traces of history.
Suddenly, his expression froze.
A violent pain struck his head, so intense that he instinctively reached up, as if to keep it from splitting apart.
He forced the sensation down, returned the book to its place, and walked straight toward the library exit without looking back. His pace quickened as the pain intensified, as though two souls were tearing at something within him.
This tearing from the depths of his soul brought torment akin to purgatory.
After leaving the library, Azik endured the pain and wandered aimlessly through the streets.
"Mr. Azik, why are you here… You don't look well. Did something major happen?"
"Quick! Knock me out!"
"Th-this… alright!"
As darkness overtook his vision, fragments of Azik's past memories gradually returned. He recalled his true identity, the Death Consul.
That was a completely unfamiliar version of himself, yet it felt so real, as though that person was the complete whole, while he himself was merely a fragment.
He also saw a phoenix burning with golden flames rising from a dark, frigid river.
He saw, too, a massive feathered serpent deep within a mausoleum, engulfed in flames, eventually turning into an egg and being reborn.
Then, light returned to his vision. He saw Klein looking at him with concern, along with his friend Leonard.
Klein said apologetically, "Mr. Azik, I'm really sorry. I don't have the ability to knock you out, so I had my friend Leonard help you enter a brief slumber. I hope it helped."
"I'm fine. That helped a lot. Thank you."
Azik smiled and nodded. His head no longer hurt as violently as before, but the vague sense of guidance still remained, coming from the spirit world.
"I plan to start a journey next. It might take quite a long time. If anything comes up, you can write to me."
Klein still looked worried. "Mr. Azik, are you really alright?"
Azik smiled gently. "I've recovered quite a bit of my memory, though some of it isn't as pleasant as I imagined."
"You're leaving now?"
"Yes, now."
Klein's gaze dimmed slightly, but soon brightened again as he said with a smile, "I'll write to you often, Mr. Azik."
Azik smiled warmly, nodded to Leonard as well, and then disappeared into the crowd.
Looking in the direction Azik left, Leonard said, "Klein, your teacher's condition seems off. I practically risked my life to put him into a brief slumber, but in just a few seconds, he woke up again."
"Don't worry. Mr. Azik is a very good person," Klein reassured him.
"Heh, a very good person, that's quite a nice evaluation." At that moment, a teasing voice from the old man echoed deep within Leonard's mind.