Imprisoned for a Trillion Years, I Was Worshipped by All Gods!

Chapter 505: Chapter61-An Academy Without Mentors?

When the girl arrived, she looked at Alan and asked, "Is this an apology gift for me?"

Isabella turned to Alan in confusion.

Alan hadn't expected to see the girl again so soon, but with Isabella present, he chose not to say much.

The girl, however, was clearly quite at ease. As she spoke, she swiftly drew the dagger from her waist, sliced off a crispy, golden piece of roasted rabbit, and popped it into her cherry-like lips, savoring it.

A moment later, she nodded in approval.

"Not bad. The roast is just right—perfectly seasoned, flavorful. But you can't just eat rabbit all the time; you need a balanced diet."

Alan was dumbfounded.

He had planned to give Isabella the first bite, yet this girl had not only helped herself but also started criticizing his cooking?

Before Alan could say anything, the girl had already devoured half the rabbit. Smiling, she declared,

"From now on, our meals will be your responsibility. That's settled!"

…?

Who exactly agreed to that?!

Alan immediately refused.

"I came here to study, not to be a chef!"

"Besides," he added, "Sirius Academy should at least have some staff to take care of basic necessities, allowing us to focus on learning magic, right?"

"Ahem."

Just as Alan finished speaking, the short old man coughed twice and said,

"There's knowledge to be gained in all aspects of life—including cooking. Besides, the academy currently lacks funds to hire staff, so for now, you'll have to handle things yourselves. Honestly, I think her suggestion is quite reasonable."

Alan and Isabella exchanged speechless glances.

They had known this academy was a mess, but not this much of a mess.

"Elder, are you really this broke?" Alan couldn't help but ask.

Under Alan's astonished gaze, the short old man sighed.

"No students mean no funding. No funding means no students. We're stuck in a vicious cycle."

Licking his lips, he added,

"I haven't had a drop of tequila in ages."

Alan had no words.

Was he here to study, or had he just moved into some secluded mountain village?

How could this place lack literally everything?!

"Oh, and I am Sirius Academy's headmaster. Just call me Gayle. Our academy respects the nature of its students and follows a philosophy of unrestricted learning."

When speaking in grandiose phrases, Gayle suddenly seemed much more serious.

But Alan couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about all this—though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

At that moment, the girl—who was still playing with her dagger—suddenly looked up at Alan.

"Alan, got any more? I'm still hungry."

Alan glanced at the rabbit carcass, now stripped clean of meat—not even a scrap remained.

Even a dog wouldn't have left the bones this clean.

Seeing how famished the girl looked, Isabella quickly spoke up,

"My brother brought other game as well. I'll go get it and start roasting!"

As Isabella left, Alan took the opportunity to ask seriously,

"Headmaster, are we really the only people here? Will Lioncrest Academy send anyone after us?"

Gayle confidently patted his chest.

"As long as I'm here, we're as steady as a rock!"

But with his tiny stature, the gesture looked anything but reassuring.

Alan could sense that Gayle's strength was unfathomable, so he didn't press further. Instead, he hesitated briefly before asking,

"Headmaster, if this is an academy, where exactly will we be studying? And who are our mentors?"

Gayle blinked.

"Didn't I just say? We respect students' freedom. That means you study whatever you want, however you want."

"…???"

Alan's eyes widened. Was this really Sirius Academy?!

The girl beside them finally spoke up.

"There's a library in the back mountains with magic notes and skill books left behind by past generations."

As she spoke, she licked her pink tongue across her sharp dagger, savoring the lingering taste of roast meat.

"But what you can actually learn from them depends entirely on your own luck."

Alan rubbed his temples.

"Forget it. Let's eat first."

Sighing, he turned and went to find Isabella.

After Alan left, the girl twirled her dagger with impressive dexterity and asked,

"Where did you find him?"

Gayle smirked proudly.

"A peerless genius, recruited straight from Lioncrest Academy!"

"Oh?" The girl gave Alan a serious look. "Then why do I sense that he doesn't even have a mana core? You call that a genius?"

She continued coldly,

"He should stay out of the war between the two academies. I alone am enough."

Gayle observed her for a moment, then sighed.

"Blanche, I've seen how hard you've worked all these years. You've suffered too much."

Blanche remained expressionless.

"This is my duty. No one else needs to bear it."

Her gaze turned toward Lioncrest Academy's direction.

For a brief moment, she seemed to see the bodies hanging beneath the Sky Ladder.

Among them were her brother, her father, and many of Sirius Academy's past geniuses and elders.

Though they were long dead, their lingering spirits remained.

They were still watching over Sirius Academy.

As long as Lioncrest Academy stood undefeated, as long as their bodies remained unclaimed, they would never rest in peace.

Gayle's expression grew heavy.

"But you're the last heir of your family now."

Blanche's long lashes trembled. Her voice was calm and emotionless, but her eyes burned with unwavering resolve.

"That's why I have no other choice. This is the path I must walk."

Gayle sighed.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Lioncrest Academy surpasses us in every aspect. Among all our top talents, only Duke Alice stands a chance against them."

Blanche chuckled faintly.

"How will we know if we don't try?"

She turned away, her red dress flowing like flames.

"If I fail… at worst, I'll simply reunite with my father and brother."

With that, she strode out of the hall.

Gayle silently watched her leave, standing motionless like a statue.

Time passed swiftly, and soon night fell.

After ensuring Isabella was asleep, Alan entered his Hell Training Mode.

Feeling the surge of mind power within him, Alan curiously asked,

"Senior, does this mean I'm officially a Grand Magus now?"

The cloaked woman nodded.

"More or less. Your soul tier is already high enough, and your elemental control is quite advanced. However, your current tier—Iron Lv.10—is holding you back. Once you break through, you'll naturally become a true Grand Magus."

Alan nodded.

He had faced Wilson and Caesar, both late-stage Bronze-tier prodigies, with ease.

Even back then, he had sensed that his strength had grown immensely.

Now, all he lacked was a tier breakthrough.

"By the way, Senior, I recently comprehended [Blade Spirit]. How should I continue training it?"

The woman examined him.

"Your case is special. Most people only grasp their 'force' through countless trials and hardships, but you skipped that process entirely."

"As a result, although you can wield [Blade Spirit], your foundation is shallow. Until you reach Alice's level—able to mold your 'force' freely—you won't be able to unleash its full potential."

"You must fill in the gaps. Also, you must start searching for a suitable staff soon."

A staff…

Alan's expression turned serious.

Finding the right one wouldn't be easy.

And buying one?

Bronze-tier staffs were too fragile, but Gold-tier staffs were far too expensive.

It was a serious problem.

But for now, he focused on training.

Aside from practicing visualization techniques, Alan also began training in swordsmanship.

With the enhancement of [Blade Spirit], even the simplest sword techniques could unleash terrifying power.

Especially after absorbing the elemental energy from the light array, his mastery of the Light Sword Spell deepened significantly!

The Next Morning

Alan stepped out of the valley.

Gayle had informed him that Alice was waiting for him outside.

Hurrying down the mountain path, Alan soon spotted a woman standing beneath a large tree.

Alice!

She was wearing a long dress, softening her usual sharp and imposing demeanor with a touch of elegance.