Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Hillbert’s hall was divided into light and darkness at this moment.

Though he had nothing to fear anymore, he still considered everyone’s feelings... at the very least, he made enough preparations before turning the dark hall into a viewing chamber.

Apart from Russell and Carpenter, no one else could open that dark door to enter the comfortably arranged small hall.

In the middle was the largest and most comfortable sofa lounger woven from vines, and on the small tea table beside it were some exquisite snacks, delicious fruits, and a pot of wine with ice flowers.

To the right rear of this chair were two slightly smaller loungers made of metal wire, sharing a small table between them with some food made from local materials and juice.

Although they looked similar, the production process was completely different, and the taste had a slight difference as well.

However, Russell and Carpenter wouldn’t care about these differences... they knew very well their teacher was always generous; if he didn’t give something to them, it naturally meant they weren’t meant to enjoy it.

Thanks to Aislin, Hill had collected quite a few exquisite and luxurious... in other words, very extravagant recipes.

Devils in any world have a special pursuit for this kind of enjoyment.

What they wanted, of course, wasn’t the taste of these foods themselves, but because... in a world as materially scarce, all waste signifies the blood and tears of the poor.

The more publicly they pursued such ’decadent luxury’ as the nobles, the more ’frozen bones’ their underlings naturally had.

The desire steeped in debauchery mixed with the endless grievances and hatred is, for devils, the greatest and most delicious power.

But for Hill, this so-called luxury was not worth mentioning at all.

These were things he could grow with just a thought.

But the food grown with his Force of Nature cannot yet be given to Russell and Carpenter.

The power in this world is particularly mixed... faint forces of darkness, traces of Styx force, and even some messy intertwined powers of laws.

Kids born in such a chaotic environment have naturally unbalanced bodies, just like their strange elemental energy.

The plants growing in Hill’s pendant contained the purest Force of Nature... a type of purification ability that was especially potent.

This purity was almost akin to poison for Russell and Carpenter.

It would make them lose their current balance of constitution.

Of course, once they advance to the Eighth Ring and control the power of laws to regulate their body energy, these foods would no longer have any impact on them.

As for why Aislin can still be influenced by external energies... In Hill’s eyes, someone like Ruth doesn’t count as a true mage who controls the laws.

Of course, he could understand, as Ruth, after all, had the misfortune of a legacy that couldn’t be used.

But Russell was different.

He was Hill’s student; even if he couldn’t become one of the top powerhouses, at the very least, he should stand above the average level, right?

This average level, of course, didn’t refer to this world; it should at least be measured by Toril’s standards.

Hill was still filled with hope for the future of Russell, the first student he recognized.

-----------------

"Brother Russell, what are you doing?" Carpenter asked curiously, looking at Russell cautiously peering outside the door as she sat by her harp.

"The teacher is more relaxed lately!" Russell said thoughtfully, "It seems that the crisis that threatened his life before is gone."

"Isn’t that a good thing? Why do I feel like you’re worried?" Carpenter blinked in confusion, unable to resist strumming a few notes with her nimble fingers.

"Playing dumb?" Russell straightened up, looking indifferent, "The teacher even pays attention to your teaching progress; do you think he’d neglect mine?

I’m just an 8th-level mage right now!

He’s already demanding me to operate at the level of a 10th-level mage.

I always knew the teacher looked down on low-level spells, but I never thought... that anything below the Sixth Circle Spells was, in his eyes, just the basics.

It’s the kind of basics that any child could master if they study earnestly."

"That’s not true~" Carpenter replied earnestly, "It’s that you’re a smart and gifted child like that.

Look at someone like me; he just wants me to learn what I should.

Of course, his attitude towards specialization also makes me feel a bit heavy, but at least I only need to dive deep into one path.

At least I only have to ensure that I use illusion-related spells well and skillfully.

Although I don’t understand why prophecy spells are also related to illusion techniques, I’m already very satisfied to learn less."

If, in the past, Carpenter would secretly feel sour about the gap caused by innate talent, now she was willing to admit that life has its limits, and life is inherently unequal.

As long as she doesn’t have to live as exhausted as her brother... she didn’t even want to recall the time when ’Gilbert’ the teacher, while assigning assignments, said those words, ’When destiny entrusts a heavy duty on someone, it endows them with exceptional talents.’

So, people with good talents should study hard and not waste the gifts from heaven.

Moreover, of all the benefits bestowed by heaven, only learning ability has the least potential for repercussions, so it certainly needs to be well-utilized.

Although Carpenter could understand that their teacher might be speaking out of his own feelings... after all, his own knowledge was a bit too extensive, obviously someone who had learned comprehensively from a young age.

But for a poor student like her... Carpenter never thought she would one day be so happy to admit she was a poor student... she still couldn’t bear such heavy responsibilities.

"It seems like the teacher suddenly increased his expectations because he made a mistake some time ago," Russell sighed, his expression a bit painful. "Although he didn’t say much, I still caught a bit of it.

He felt that some obscure and cruel things were unnecessary for him, so he didn’t look into them seriously, but coincidentally encountered them in our world.

So, the teacher even had to go find someone he really didn’t want to face to inquire.

Even though the other party didn’t say much and just told him, the teacher still felt this was a significant oversight on his part.

Then he thought, this sort of mistake, he couldn’t let me, his acknowledged student, make it again.

But things are different now compared to the past!

When I was at Level 1 and 2, learning 3rd Level spells in advance wasn’t an issue.

Although learning the entire school is indeed a bit tiring, I can still handle it.

But 4th Level spells, there are really too many!

I haven’t even fully understood 4th Level yet, and learning 5th Level spells at the same time, I..."

"Tsk~" Carpenter interrupted him unhappily, "If you keep talking, next time when I practice a new song, I’ll go to your room!"

No amount of psychological preparation was any use hearing such words.

"Ah..." Russell silently folded his hands in front of his lips.

"So, who exactly did the teacher consult about this matter that made him so unhappy?" Carpenter rolled her eyes in annoyance... the successful threat was actually even more unsatisfying for her.

"How would I know, anyway, it’s definitely someone even more annoying than Aislin," Russell thought for a while before saying, "Given our teacher’s character, whoever can make him dislike is likely to have some character issues."

-----------------

"Rommel, what are you doing?" Kamente Tower, slowly walking over, asked with some surprise.

Rommel, holding an exquisite ear pick and fiddling with it, looked up gently: "Ah, I seem to have been getting scolded a lot lately, my ears are a bit itchy."

"Strange custom." Kamente Tower muttered.

"Is there something you need me for?" Rommel chuckled, "Although it’s not like you can’t come to find me, but it’s best if..."

"Since when did I become a brave person who dares to order around those Lady Sia fancies?" Kamente Tower spoke self-deprecatingly, "You don’t have to worry about exposing anything, I’m notoriously fawning.

Besides, now, I reckon everyone is more focused on Rosero, who mysteriously took Aislin to monitor Delphus, right?

What are they up to?"

"There’s a deity, very famous across the Multiverse, who might come to this world," Rommel thought for a moment, still giving him a small reminder, "That’s someone even the mastermind behind Sia Tower doesn’t dare mess with, a madman.

Rosero taking Aislin away isn’t out of good intention."

"Then why did Ruth let her go?" Kamente Tower couldn’t help but become cautious, "What are they up to at the Tower of Dark Enigma?

Come to think of it, they’ve always been in cahoots with the Defense Tower... Are those two planning to use Aislin for something?"

"Why don’t you mention Delphus?" Rommel asked with keen interest, "From his actions, it’s clear he’s not really that... hopeless."

"Delphus definitely has issues, I know." Kamente Tower said decisively, "But whatever his problem’s source, it’s definitely not from his true intentions.

That guy’s probably like me in the past, his true nature dominates most of him, but part of him is controlled by other existences.

Rommel, you should understand, Sia Tower’s judgment on human souls seldom errs.

If they deem Delphus to be a truly bad person, then it proves when he’s committing those immoral acts, it’s absolutely not an act.

But, how should I put it... getting a good person to willingly do bad deeds isn’t easy, whereas having a bad person achieve a good goal under the guise of doing bad deeds can still be achieved in quite a few ways.

Tsk, why am I telling you this?

You certainly understand better than I do!"

Rommel nodded: "If it were anyone else, I might hesitate.

But if it’s that person’s methods, it seems quite normal."

He suddenly raised an eyebrow with a smile... Lansendel’s faction has always been one of Toril’s biggest jokes.