He Holds a Rose from the Abyss

– Extra (5) Year-End Assessment (II)

The holiday of the Magic Research Society started early.

Berg jumped into the carriage and was about to leave Zefnar City and return to the capital. Before leaving, he just a ‘hmp’ at Chi Lang and said, “Next year, my marksmanship will definitely surpass yours.”

Longbeard and Chi Lang were the last to pack up and close the door.

Longbeard patted Chi Lang on the shoulder: “I appreciate your behavior, I will secretly add chicken legs to you next year.”

Chi Lang: “…say, why does the Magic Research Society have a holiday so early? It’s earlier than the holiday in our academy.”

“Because it’s too cold, everyone doesn’t do their jobs and just study every day how to use fire magic to warm themselves up more effectively, might as well take a vacation.”

Chi Lang felt that this reason was acceptable.

Longbeard added: “This way, I can also pay less money. It’s still cost-effective if you think about it.”

Chi Lang:  …

“Do your best next year. The ultimate goal of the Mechanical Department is to surpass the dwarves’ mechanical technology.” Longbeard stroked his beard. “The fate of mankind is in your hands.”

Chi Lang:  …

“That’s it,” Longbeard said goodbye to Chi Long. “Go have a good, lazy, and drunken new year.”

Chi Lang also sent some food to Luth. Since Luth stopped going to the Magic Research Society, he was basically cut off from outdoor activities, and Chi Lang was a little worried about him from time to time.

Luth was still immersed in his research, and Chi Lang asked casually, “How are you going to celebrate the New Year?”

“In the company of knowledge, of course.”

The expected answer, Chi Lang thought, but when he turned to leave, Luth stopped him.

“Young man, I applied for the long gun from the Magic Research Society, but I’m not used to using it, so I thought I’d just give it to you.”

Chi Lang stared at Luth and replied with a smile, “Thank you.”

*

The final examination was in the form of a maze, which occupied the entire right half of the academy. When the construction of the maze began, the students’ activities were restricted to the left half of the academy, and the use of levitation magic was prohibited.

And the students of the elemental department who participated in the labyrinth construction had to take other exams.

Getting out of the labyrinth was not difficult for a magician, just use some detection magic. And Chi Lang and the other students of the Prophecy Department needed to use magic to interfere with the detection of other magicians at every fork in the road, preventing them from finding the right path so easily.

This labyrinth could not accommodate all the people, so the test was divided into several sessions, and Chi Lang happened to be assigned to the last session in the evening.

So, he stood alone at a fork in the road, shivering with cold. Almost everyone at his fork in the road has found the right way.

Chi Lang felt that he should get zero points, because no one would go the wrong way.

Joyce asked sympathetically as he passed by this fork in the road: “I only temporarily learned detection magic before I entered the maze, I didn’t go wrong, did I?”

“You didn’t.”

“And did anyone go the wrong way?”

“No.”

Joyce gave him an encouraging look and hurried off to find Dana.

Chi Lang hung his head and heard the sound of footsteps on the snow again. His mind wandered and he looked up to see Sheffield.

He ran over and pulled Sheffield back: “Don’t go forward, stay with me here.”

Sheffield smiled and asked, “Aren’t you going to let me pass the test?”

“Think about it, if you pass, I may be the only one who gets zero points, but if you stay here with me, we both get zero points, which feels much better.”

The snow was a little heavier, and after Sheffield stood here with him, Chi Lang felt a lot warmer.

“How many others are there after you?”

“Not many. I can also use some magic to keep them from finding the right way, if you want.”

“No need, as long as I don’t get expelled, it’s fine, let others do better in the test.” Chi Lang suddenly thought of something. “Why don’t you take me away? I feel like the result will be the same whether I’m here or not.”

“Where?”

“Go to that clock, just so we can see how they all get through this maze.”

So they went to the bell in the academy, where they set up a makeshift tent, and then got some food and water from the dormitory.

Looking down from a height, Chi Lang found that although these magicians often went to the wrong way, after taking a few more turns, they could successfully find the exit.

Each person was able to find their own special and correct path.

After the last person walked out of the maze, the snow was not as heavy as it was at first, but drifted slowly and came down to the land calmly and gracefully.

The snow wall that made the maze suddenly began to shake, as if it was about to collapse.

Sheffield held his hand and also looked at the swaying snow wall.

As expected, the snow walls fell one after another, but at the moment they fell, they all shattered into snowflakes the size of dust. From a distance, it was like fireworks wrapped in snow falling continuously.

The crowd was silent for a while and then burst into cheers. The young magicians began to use elemental magic. Sparks swayed in the air with electric lights, and suddenly, a gust of wind blew to extinguish the fires, but in an instant, a more vigorous flame was ignited.

The magic feast officially kicked off after the assessment. Chi Lang and Sheffield sat in the tent and watched the snow fall.

“They’re like this, they should be cheering all night.”

“Last semester too, but you were drunk, so you didn’t feel it.”

“Then let’s not sleep, let’s wait for the sunrise here.” Chi Lang thought for a while. “Let’s do this, you tell me a story, and then I’ll tell you another one.”

Sheffield’s look was gentle: “What do you want to hear? The story of the brave man’s quest?”

“No, start with the story of your childhood, and I’ll also tell mine.”

“All kinds of stories?” Sheffield’s eyes were full of smiles. “Including the people I had a crush on when I was very young?”

Chi Lang: “No, you don’t need to… Not right, can you still  remember the person you had a crush on when you were young?”

Sheffield couldn’t reply for a while, and Chi Lang was very proud: “Student Sheffield, it’s wrong to cheat like this, so you have to kiss me, and then continue to tell your story, you can’t lie.”

Sheffield gave him a kiss on the cheek and then asked, “What about when you lied?”

“I don’t have anything to lie about, my life is very dull, and I rarely have any exciting experiences.” Chi Lang looked into Sheffield’s eyes. “After I came here, I met a lot of people and I was very lucky to be able to make friends with them. Among them, you are my greatest luck.

“So now I feel like every tomorrow is worth looking forward to.”

Sheffield used magic to stop the wind and snow, then wiped the little snowflakes on Chi Lang’s face with his hand, slowly approached Chi Lang’s face, and kissed him very lightly.

“Chi Lang, every time I kiss you, I feel very sorry, because the kiss of this second can never be recreated. But also feel very much looking forward to it, because in the next second, I can continue to kiss you.”

The cheers of the crowd faded away, the sound of the bell drowned in the sound of the wind and snow, yet Chi Lang could not hear even the sound of snow falling so close. It was as if he could only hear his own heartbeat.

‘Let the sunrise come soon, let the wind stop soon,’ he thought.

He felt that his heart was about to burst, he didn’t seem to be able to contain so much love, but he didn’t want to like Sheffield any less, he just worried that the wind would blow his love away over time.

Perhaps it was a psychological effect, the wind really seemed to have died down a bit, and the snow was still falling.

They snuggled in the tent and waited for sunrise.