Chapter 1541 Who Is the Protagonist <TOC> Chapter 1543 Archetypal Story
Translator: SumTLMan
It was the second day of Angel returning to Achillea Comprehensive College.
For the second day, he was noticeably more relaxed than before, thanks to his teaching experience the previous day. Most significantly, he found that earning the required points was not as difficult as he had imagined.
After just one lecture the day before, his score had inexplicably increased by 5 points.
This was almost double his anticipated two points. For context, the average points typically earned by members of the Research Institute for a lecture usually ranged from 2 to 3 points.
Although he was unclear about the criteria for the evaluation, Angel suspected that his 5 points were likely a result of his innovative work on the magical blood energy transformation formula.
Originally, Angel had planned to just skate by with average scores, hoping to accumulate 20 points after delivering ten lectures. With one class alone accounting for a quarter of that target, he naturally felt a sense of ease.
However, his relaxed mood did not last long.
When Angel once again entered the circular lecture hall, ready to methodically continue his discussion on Alchemy Illusion, his attention was suddenly captured by an individual sitting at the back. At some point, Fingernail Granny had entered the lecture hall and sat quietly at the back, watching him.
By the time the bell signaling the start of class rang, Fingernail Granny had not left.
This implied that she seemed intentionally present to listen to his lecture.
Though it is common for Research Institute members to sit in on each other’s lectures, this usually occurs in a way that does not disrupt others. Angel had just begun teaching and was still exploring his teaching methods and styles. During this initial phase, other members generally avoid attending the lectures, so as not to influence the quality of the class due to external factors.
The arrival of Fingernail Granny was completely unexpected, ratcheting up the tension in Angel, who had been at ease.
However, although Angel felt a bit anxious, this sense of urgency slowly dissipated when he began lecturing. On the contrary, the people in the audience felt as if they had ants crawling up their spines, sitting with straight backs and serious expressions.
Members of the Research Institute often attend lectures, but Fingernail Granny rarely comes.
Although Fingernail Granny is a member of the Research Institute, she neither teaches nor visits Achillea Comprehensive College, usually remaining in her own alchemy lab. For everyone present, this was the first time Fingernail Granny had made a special effort to attend a lecture, and they had no idea what had transpired. Her mere presence exerted an intangible aura that stifled any fidgeting or whispering among them.
Even during the question-and-answer portion led by Angel, very few dared to speak up.
Due to the lack of questions, Angel finished the lecture nearly half an hour earlier than he did yesterday.
He pondered, should he end the class earlier today?
But just then, he received a whispered message. Angel looked somewhat surprised at Fingernail Granny, who was sitting in the back row. She subtly nodded at him, and he said to the still tense crowd below:
“Since there are some newcomers today, I will once again release the Shadow of the Cage for you to experience. For those new to this, you can refer to the contents of today’s lecture to explore the Alchemy Illusion. For those who have seen the Shadow of the Cage before, you can choose to leave early or delve into some finer details within the Alchemy Illusion.”
Aside from Fingernail Granny, there were about ten newcomers in the audience. Regardless of whether they were newcomers or those who attended yesterday’s lecture, everyone chose to stay.
Even if someone entertained the thought of leaving, under the scrutinizing gaze of both Fingernail Granny and Angel — members of the Research Institute — they didn’t dare act so impulsively.
Angel took out the Shadow of the Cage, gently caressed its trumpet-like petals, and the halo of light subsequently scattered.
As the eerie and unsettling sound of a water harp emanated from the Shadow of the Cage, Angel placed it in the center of the podium and took a seat beside Fingernail Granny.
“You spoke very well today,” Fingernail Granny whispered to him once Angel had settled in his seat.
Angel nodded shyly, then voiced the question that had been bothering him: Why had Fingernail Granny come to his lecture today?
“Besides wanting to hear your lecture, there are some things I need to confirm,” Fingernail Granny mused.
“Is it because of the Shadow of the Cage?” Angel ventured. He said this because the one who had communicated with him mentally earlier was none other than Fingernail Granny. She hoped that Angel would revisit the Alchemy Illusion according to yesterday’s lesson plan, and naturally, that illusion was the Shadow of the Cage itself.
Amidst the surreal backdrop of the water harp, Fingernail Granny fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
Angel wanted to press further, but at that moment, the effects of the Shadow of the Cage started to unfold, and darkness gradually enveloped the surroundings.
As he was about to be swallowed by the illusion of the Shadow of the Cage, Angel caught one final glimpse of Fingernail Granny. Her expression was calm, but her eyes betrayed a complexity of emotions, undulating like ocean tides — expectation mixed with a sense of sorrow.
…
Ever since Fingernail Granny heard the name “Alex” from Van Nathan, her emotional state had been anything but stable.
The name was, in fact, not particularly special to her. Indeed, over the past millennia, there were hardly any moments when she thought of this name.
But the instant she heard it, fragments of time buried deep in her “box of memories” erupted like a fountain, spouting forth from their hidden depths.
As the sinister and eerie sound of a water harp emanated from the Shadow of the Cage, Angel placed it at the center of the podium and took a seat next to Fingernail Granny.
She saw this name within one of her deeply hidden, fragmentary memories——
“This play is absolutely dull,” said a vaguely outlined figure, shrouded in a gentle light of remembrance, as they stepped out of an aquamarine theater.
“I was hoping for some eye-opening cultural performances from the other world, but it seems just as clichéd as the Southern Region. Ah, a Baroness having an affair with her servant? This hackneyed plotline is ubiquitous. Most importantly, the play was written by a noble. Is he mentally ill?”
A then-younger Fingernail Granny giggled, covering her mouth, “While it’s certainly clichéd, I thought the Baron character was quite nuanced. The plot did have some twists. It’s not entirely unwatchable, is it?”
The vague figure immediately retorted, “What irritates me most is that Baron. He lives a stifled life, and most importantly…”
“Most importantly?”
The figure muttered under their breath, “His name is the same as mine when I was a mortal.”
Hearing this, Fingernail Granny paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. “Ah, I see, so that’s why you’re critiquing this play.”
“It’s not entirely that; the uninspired storyline is also a significant part.”
Their voices gradually lowered, the scene increasingly blurred until it completely faded away.
That was the end of the memory fragment.
It was a very ordinary episode, one that Fingernail Granny sometimes recalled but never pondered deeply upon.
That was until she heard Van Nathan utter that name.
Alex.
Fingernail Granny suddenly remembered this snippet. She recalled that the title of the play that irritated him was called —Alex’s Red and Black—.
Alex was the name of the Baron in the play.
Chapter 1541 Who Is the Protagonist <TOC> Chapter 1543 Archetypal Story