Chapter 285: Wanting to Corrupt This Talent
Solitaire, like a startled rabbit, ran wildly out of the library until she reached a deserted corner of a corridor, where she leaned against the wall, panting heavily.
The cold touch of the stone wall calmed her confused mind a little.
"Calm down, let me calm down!" She slapped her cheeks hard, forcing herself to calm down quickly. "I was so out of control just now!"
She suddenly realized a crucial problem: Kurtz and Serie weren't at the Magic Association at all!
This was said by Flamme herself.
Besides, she hadn't seen the two of them at all during this time; otherwise, they would have already spotted her and finely chopped her into minced meat.
If that was the case, then wouldn't her ghost-like appearance just now make her even more suspicious?
In case Carlo found something strange and reported it to Flamme...
The thought that Flamme might become suspicious and then connect it to Serie and Kurtz sent chills down Solitaire's spine again.
But compared to facing Kurtz and Serie head-on, this risk seemed bearable.
"They're not here...they're not here for the time being." Solitaire kept repeating this phrase, as if she had grasped at a straw.
The fear was gradually replaced by a sense of relief at surviving a disaster. But after the initial relief, an even stronger emotion welled up inside.
Curiosity, and a kind of excitement mixed with fear.
Carlo's words echoed in her mind.
Kurtz's magic of immortality and the magic of transferring life force. If this were true, what did it mean?
This meant that the legendary god-slayer, through this magic, had extended his life in an incredible way and was still alive today.
This completely overturned her understanding of the laws and limits of human life.
Like the elves, the demons were a race with seemingly infinite lifespans, and their lifespan was not limited by the laws of life.
Unlike races with finite lifespans, such as humans and dwarves. Their laws of life had limits; they were fixed and could not be changed. As one of the few masters of magical theory among the demon race, Solitaire was very familiar with this law.
After all, in the hundreds of years she had studied human magic, she had seen many human magicians who tried to break the limitations of this law.
But without exception, they all failed.
But now, Carlo, this seemingly unremarkable human mage, was actually trying to break this rule!
Although it was a recreation based on the magic left behind by that god-slayer, it was enough to prove that the other party had already glimpsed the shadow of Kurtz on the path of magic.
What an amazing magician!
But it was precisely this remarkable fellow that Solitaire sought to corrupt. A tremendous temptation coiled around her heart like a venomous snake.
On the one hand, she was filled with a thirst for this forbidden knowledge that touched upon the laws of life, a temptation that no magic researcher could resist.
On the other hand, she was also well aware of the extreme danger involved.
This was not only the realm of the gods but might also touch the sore spot of that god-slayer.
The fact that a demon like her dared to go right under someone else's nose to learn their collected magic was already incredibly provocative.
Now she was trying to uncover the secret to how the other person had survived to this day; it was as if she were courting death.
If she were discovered, it would be merciful for that god-slayer to bombard her with magic for an hour.
But—
"Go back...or just run away?" Solitaire struggled intensely with her inner turmoil.
Running away was not shameful; it was the safest option. For demons, creatures almost devoid of emotion, their own lives and the defeat of their opponents were the two most important things.
She should immediately leave the Magic Association, stay away from this place of trouble, return to the demon realm, and continue her original life.
But...the secret to the god-slayer's immortality was right before her eyes!
Carlo's research had made crucial progress. Was she just going to give up like this? She was not willing to accept it!
In her hundreds of years of life, she had never been so close to such a revolutionary field of knowledge. If this were revealed to the human race, it would definitely cause a huge uproar.
Moreover, if Kurtz were still alive, wouldn't running away now draw attention?
Perhaps...perhaps she should just pretend she knew nothing.
By continuing to lie low, she could safely study human magic, observe Carlo's progress up close, and perhaps even find some clues about Kurtz's weaknesses.
Yes! That was it!
The timid heart was ultimately overwhelmed by greater greed and a sliver of wishful thinking.
Solitaire took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her expression, straightened her somewhat disheveled mage robes, and decided to return to the Magic Association.
She was relieved to find that Carlo had not yet left when she reappeared in the library.
"Mr. Carlo...?"
Solitaire tried to convey just the right amount of apology in her voice. "I'm sorry, I suddenly remembered something very urgent, and I lost my composure."
Carlo was taken aback when he saw Ayla return. "It's alright. Miss Ayla, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Ayla waved her hand, took a few steps closer, and her gaze returned to the books in Carlo's arms.
Her tone suddenly became serious. "Mr. Carlo, I am very interested in the research you just mentioned. To be honest, I also have some knowledge of the field of life magic."
Carlo immediately became wary again, clutching the book tightly: "This is just my personal research..."
"I understand that Lord Kurtz's manuscripts need to be kept confidential." Ayla nodded in understanding, but then changed the subject. "However, Mr. Carlo, don't you think that studying such a complex subject alone is too inefficient?"
Especially in the perilous realm of life energy conversion, which no mage had ever touched before, the slightest mistake could render everything futile.
She looked into Carlo's eyes and said earnestly, "Perhaps...I can help you?"
The more people involved in research and exploration, the less risk there will be, and the faster the progress will be.
I assure you, I will never reveal any secrets about Lord Kurtz's manuscript; I simply have an unparalleled love for magic itself.
Carlo hesitated. He had encountered many problems. Although Flamme provided the key elemental runes, the subsequent derivation and reproduction were still fraught with difficulties.
If he were to continue the research on his own, it might take another year or so, but clearly, Miss Flamme was getting impatient.
Although he didn't know why the other party was in such a hurry, Carlo actually wanted to reproduce the magic as soon as possible, considering how much Miss Flamme had helped him.
Moreover, Miss Ayla just now has a wide range of magical knowledge, so she could really offer some help.
Besides, she was a Level 2 mage of the association, so she should be trustworthy, right?
Seeing Carlo's wavering eyes, Ayla pressed her advantage and laid out several professional problems and solutions related to life magic, including the one Carlo had been struggling with recently.
If Ayla's demonic nature had prevented her from deciphering the holy scriptures, she would definitely have used holy magic on Carlo to enhance her persuasiveness.
Even without demonstrating any magic, Carlo's eyes lit up immediately upon seeing the wealth of magical knowledge Ayla displayed.
He didn't expect Ayla to actually understand, and her thinking was so clear.
Faced with the urgent need for research, Carlo's pitiful vigilance quickly crumbled.
"Alright." He finally relented, though still somewhat hesitant. "But Miss Ayla, you must swear that you will never reveal the contents of the research or Lord Kurtz's name!"
"I swear on the honor of a human mage!" Ayla immediately made a solemn promise, but secretly sneered in her heart.
What did the honor of a human mage have to do with a demon like her?
Thus, an unusual research team was formed.
Human mage Carlo and demon mage Solitaire, disguised as a human, began working together to tackle the magic of immortality that could overturn the world.
[End of Chapter]
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