Some Secrets

Owen wanted to ask more, but Elwin refused to divulge any further, leaving Owen no choice but to give up. 

"Alright, if there's nothing else, that will be all for now. I need to step out," Elwin dismissed Owen.

Undeterred, Owen thickened his skin and asked again, 

"Professor, there's one more thing I need to consult you about."

"Hmm? Go ahead," Elwin said, patiently enduring.

The learning atmosphere at the Grand Magus Academy was intense, with senior students often discussing academic matters with professors. 

But in the lower grades, where the focus was on basics, it was quite rare for students to seek professors for queries. 

In his decades of teaching, Elwin had never encountered someone like Owen. 

It was as absurd as a first-grader asking questions to a university professor.

Owen pondered for a moment, appearing somewhat hesitant. 

"If you have something to say, just say it," Elwin noticed Owen's hesitation, "I'll do my best to help you with whatever I can."

"Professor, is there something strange within the academy?"

Elwin laughed heartily, "Haha, well, we are a magic academy, isn't it normal to have some odd things around?"

"It's just that last night, as I was trying to sleep, I heard what seemed like ancient god whispers in my ear."

The smile on Elwin's face vanished, and he raised an eyebrow slightly: "Go on."

"After the whispers of the ancient gods, I heard something like the beating of a huge drum. Under those drumbeats, the arcanergy in my body started to circulate on its own, and its fluidity was several times better than before."

Professor Elwin's face grew more solemn. 

"But as I practiced more, my heart felt as though it was being grasped, and I struggled to breathe." 

Owen recounted the previous night's events, mixing truth with fiction.

"And then?" Elwin asked, somewhat anxiously.

"Then? Well, I naturally woke up. If it weren't for the boiling arcanergy in my body, I would have thought it was all just a dream," 

Owen said with a hidden smirk, feigning confusion.

"Heart of Gordon?" Elwin murmured to himself, "Has that thing grown again?"

"Heart of Gordon?" Owen repeated, "What is that?"

"Hmm, you could call it a containment object, something left behind after killing certain 'Eerie' creatures. It's related to the forbidden technique you were asking about earlier."

"Can you tell me more?" Owen's eyes lit up, sensing something significant.

"No, I can't go into details," Elwin glanced at him, 

"But I can tell you about the Heart of Gordon. It's the heart of a grandmagus, infused with Eerie energy, and astonishingly, it's been perfectly preserved. This object can enhance the power of the arcanergy in your body."

"That powerful?"

"Heh, you've seen the consequences, though. While it can enhance your arcanergy, it can also control your mind."

"If you immerse yourself in its power for too long, it can make you lose your sanity. You're lucky to have escaped from the influence of the Heart of Gordon."

"Otherwise, you could have turned into a mindless killing machine."

Owen felt a surge of excitement. 

The Heart of Gordon was incredibly powerful. 

He had to find a way to get his hands on it.

Elwin tidied up the textbook in his hands and hurried away: 

"Alright, don't worry about this matter. I'll speak with the principal to reinforce the seal on the Heart of Gordon, so it won't affect you anymore."

"Thank you, Professor."

...

Stars dotted the sky as the moon climbed into the heavens. 

The night, like a pool of ink, made the Grand Magus Academy appear even more mystical under the moonlight. 

Dark clouds gathered, obscuring the moon that had just emerged, casting a somber mood over the Academy. 

Rain seemed imminent.

In the library, Elwin stood in front of the wooden door, accompanied by an elderly man with white hair. 

"Principal, that's the situation. How did the Heart of Gordon come to affect Owen?" 

Elwin glanced sideways at the kind-looking old man.

Principal Kendo spoke slowly, 

"The Heart of Gordon naturally gravitates towards strength, seeking a powerful host as part of its subconscious instinct. It's understandable that Owen was affected."

"But in the past, strong individuals from the angel race have come to the academy. Why weren't they affected?" Elwin was puzzled.

"The angel race is strong, but dragons are even stronger. Perhaps the Heart of Gordon didn't want to miss out on such a suitable host as Owen."

As he spoke, Principal Kendo lightly tapped the wooden door a few times, and the magic array dissolved. 

The aged face emerged from the door: 

"A rare visitor, Elwin. It's been a long time since you visited the restricted area after looking at the 'Soul Ascension Forbidden Technique.' I was starting to think some abyssal creature had invaded you and turned you into an Eerie."

Elwin's mouth twitched slightly, "Antonio, you still have such a sharp tongue."

Antonio responded with a yawn.

Principal Kendo inquired, "Has anyone entered the restricted area recently?"

Antonio blinked, "No one has been in recently. Why do you ask?"

Of course, no one had. 

After all, last night was when the dragon stealthily raided the library's restricted section. 

"The Heart of Gordon has shown some unusual activity. I came to check."

"I see."

The wooden door swung wide open, and Kendo followed Elwin into the sublevel.

Observing the disarray in the restricted area, Kendo frowned slightly, "The books and scrolls here are all very precious. Why are they just strewn about on the floor?"

Elwin, slightly embarrassed, chuckled and his arcanergy stirred within him. 

The books and scrolls lying on the ground flew back onto the shelves, and in an instant, the entire sublevel was as clean and tidy as if washed by a great wave. 

Novice magic – the cleaning spell. This spell was simple yet practical. 

There was even a joke in the academy: the cleaning spell is the true divine art. 

After all, even gods need to use the cleaning spell to tidy up their training environments.

Neither noticed the two gaps on the bookshelf.

Kendo shook his head slightly and walked over to the spot where Owen had been earlier.

He softly recited an incantation, and a magic array materialized in the void. 

A wooden door gradually emerged from the ground. 

Kendo, accompanied by Elwin, pushed open the door and entered the second sublevel.

Upon entering, the first thing they saw was a massive circular hall. 

At the center of the hall stood a huge stone platform, covered with complex magical runes, emanating a powerful magical force. 

Atop the platform, a heart, bound by chains, throbbed under the faint light. 

Its surface was marred with crisscrossing scars – a terrifying sight on a heart, yet it continued to beat.

The chains tightly wrapped around the heart, firmly binding it to the stone platform, preventing any escape. 

The Heart of Gordon radiated a formidable magical force, making the surrounding air feel oppressively heavy. 

Each beat of the heart caused the entire space to tremble, as if responding to its call.

After a thorough inspection, Kendo pondered and said, "The seal is intact, and there's no leakage of the Heart of Gordon's aura... Did Owen deceive us?"

Elwin shrugged slightly, indifferent to whether Owen had lied or not. 

He spoke seriously, 

"Every containment object must be treated with utmost seriousness. If something like this falls into the wrong hands, it could be a massive disaster. We should reinforce it, just to be safe."

Kendo agreed with Elwin's suggestion. 

Raising his hand, he channeled his arcanergy, adding many more magical patterns to the chains locking the Heart of Gordon.

Owen's half-truths, falling on the Heart of Gordon, turned into a very real seal. 

If the Heart of Gordon could speak, it would surely curse Owen to no end.

...

Owen sat in the eastern area of the academy. 

Here, a vast forest stretched out, with a peak known as Gazing Summit. 

Standing atop Gazing Summit, one could look up at the stars and observe the vastness of the universe. 

It was only in this place that Owen could truly feel his own insignificance.

Owen didn't climb Gazing Summit to wallow in melancholy. 

He was preparing to attract lightning into his body, to temper his flesh and complete the first step of Thunder Resonance. 

Feeling the gusty winds around him, Owen knew the time was almost right.

He took a deep breath and began to draw a magic array. 

Using a purple lightning stone magic pen, he traced complex runes on the ground, resembling the trajectories of lightning, filled with immense power. 

His movements were skilled and swift, each rune perfectly etched without the slightest deviation. 

His formidable mental strength enabled him to complete the magic array recorded in the forbidden technique.

As the magic array was finished, the air around him started to tense up.