Chapter 33: The Origin of the Little Skeleton

Rowling had not expected that the elderly man standing before him, who looked just like any ordinary old gentleman from Bosang Town, was in fact the renowned Headmaster of Porter Academy, famous throughout the Aragon Continent. He hurriedly bowed with respect, “Headmaster, greetings.”

Leff stroked his beard with a smile. “Rowling, is it? Greetings to you as well. I wonder, did Thomas’s notes prove helpful to you?”

“Rowling, this opportunity to study Thomas’s notes was specially arranged for you by the Headmaster himself!” Harvey explained from the side.

“Yes, these notes have benefited me immensely. I have learned a great deal from them. Thank you, Headmaster, for giving me this chance!” Rowling expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

Leff waved his hand dismissively. “It’s enough if they’ve been of use to you. Rowling, do you know why Porter Academy has thrived for a thousand years, enduring through the ages and consistently producing outstanding talent?”

Rowling thought for a moment before replying, “It must be due to the support of the Holy See and the excellence of the Academy’s teachers.”

Leff nodded. “Those are indeed important factors, but you must understand, Porter Academy is not the only institution on the Aragon Continent with such fine resources.”

Seeing Rowling’s look of puzzlement, Leff smiled slightly and motioned for Rowling and Harvey to sit with him at a delicately carved table. “Having such resources is certainly significant, but more importantly, our academy has always upheld a fine tradition: learning from the strengths of many. Many of our students are exceptionally gifted, each with unique insights into their cultivation.”

“The Academy provides a space for these students to record their cultivation experiences, leaving them for future students and teachers to draw upon. Over more than a thousand years, Porter Academy has amassed an extraordinarily rich collection of cultivation insights—an invaluable treasure, just like the Thomas’s notes you read. It is because of these that our Academy has remained prosperous and ever more vibrant.”

Leff smiled at Rowling. “Young Rowling, if you are willing, you may also record some of your own cultivation experiences for the benefit of those who will come after you. Of course, if you would rather not, the Academy will not force you.”

Harvey added, “Rowling, if you choose to leave behind some notes, it would be best if they pertain to necromancy.”

Leff continued candidly, “To tell you the truth, the reason we allowed you to read Thomas’s notes was in the hope that you might leave behind some insights into the cultivation of necromancy. After all, in over a thousand years, only Thomas and you have successfully condensed a Necromantic Space at Porter Academy. We have far too few notes in this area.”

Leff’s frankness earned a measure of goodwill from Rowling. He was quite willing to agree to leave notes on necromancy; after all, they had granted him access to the invaluable Thomas’s notes, and he would have felt uneasy giving nothing in return. At Harvey’s behest, Rowling took up a finely bound notebook and pen. As he thought, he wrote down some of his insights into the practice of necromancy. Of course, under Kus’s guidance, Rowling was careful not to reveal all the secrets to cultivating a Necromantic Space, recording only the basic steps and omitting the crucial details.

Finally, Rowling also recorded several simple necromantic techniques. Leff and Harvey, upon receiving Rowling’s notes and glancing through a few pages, nodded in approval, praising Rowling for his selflessness.

“Young Rowling, would you be able to summon the skeleton from your Necromantic Space and let me have a look?” Leff asked as he carefully put away the notebook.

With a flash of light, the white skeleton appeared before them. It seemed to sense something familiar in the small room, and so, instead of moving, it simply stood quietly, absorbing the faint trace of familiarity in the air.

Rowling could not help but smile wryly. Ever since his appearance in the arena, the little skeleton had become something of a celebrity; everywhere they went, someone wanted to meet it.

“Not bad, this must be the one from back then,” Leff murmured.

“Headmaster, have you seen this little skeleton before?” Rowling asked quickly.

“Young Rowling, you must have been practicing necromancy on the hillside behind the Academy, yes?” Leff did not answer directly, instead posing a seemingly unrelated question.

Rowling nodded.

Leff looked at the little skeleton, eyes full of reminiscence. “If I am not mistaken, the place where you practiced is not far from where Thomas worked on his necromancy three hundred years ago. That’s why you were able to summon ‘Brian’!”

“It—it’s called Brian? Is it connected to Thomas?” Rowling pursued.

“More than connected. This was once a skeleton mercenary in Thomas’s Necromantic Space. Compared to the bone construct you used in the finals, do you know why your Bone Shield couldn’t withstand the Necromantic Ray, but this one could?”

Rowling had indeed wondered about this during the tournament. Not only was Brian immune to the Necromantic Ray, but he had actually volunteered to be summoned at the time, as if he greatly enjoyed the experience.

Yes—enjoyed it. Rowling recalled the skeleton’s almost blissful demeanor as it was struck by the ray. If, as the Headmaster said, this was once a skeleton recruited by Thomas and Thomas had mastered the Necromantic Ray, then Brian’s immunity to it became much less mysterious.

Leff drew a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Back then, Thomas used this very ‘Brian’ for practice with his Necromantic Ray. Thomas advanced rapidly, and this little skeleton was unable to keep pace, so he abandoned it. Who could have guessed that, after three hundred years, it would undergo such changes—gaining intelligence and becoming utterly unafraid of the Necromantic Ray. I remember, three hundred years ago it was so foolish, always ending up riddled with holes after every practice session...”

When Rowling left the archives, it was already deep into the night. He reflected on the quiet little skeleton, Brian, resting in his Necromantic Space, unable to suppress a sense of wonder. Who could have imagined that a ‘target dummy’ from three centuries ago, after sleeping for hundreds of years underground, would emerge transformed and enlightened? As Leff had said, no one could predict what changes might yet occur in Brian, for it had become a true outlier among skeletons.

When Rowling returned to the dormitory, Mahler and the others were already snoring thunderously. Shaking his head in resignation, Rowling climbed into bed as well, determined to get a good night’s sleep. The next morning, they would head to the imperial capital to buy gifts to bring home. With luck, they would be reunited with their family by afternoon, after a year away.

“Father, Mother, little Hawk—are you all well?”