Lilina carried Wu Yan back to her bedroom and set him on the table. "Little Dark, wait here for me. Don’t wander off, okay?"

Wu Yan was still lost in the incomplete Magic Array he’d been studying moments ago, his mind elsewhere.

Lilina walked to the corner and began rummaging through her wardrobe.

Wu Yan’s gaze locked onto a nearby pocket where the corner of a book titled *Fundamentals of Magic* peeked out.

*Magic… is calling to me!*

He propelled himself forward on two Tentacles, but his uncoordinated limbs sent him tumbling instead.

The obsessed Wu Yan ignored the stumble. He dragged the book out with a Tentacle…

…only to freeze.

He couldn’t turn the pages.

*Why?*

*These Tentacles are too thick…*

*Seriously?! Can’t even flip a page?! What kind of messed-up design is this?!*

In that moment, Wu Yan felt the world’s profound malice pressing down on him.

*Hmph. Think this tiny setback will crush me? How naive!*

He clamped a page between his mouthparts and flipped it open.

*Ha! It works! For magic, I’ll throw dignity out the window today!*

Page by page, he struggled. *Not this one… not this one either…*

Halfway through, he finally spotted the familiar Magic Array.

*Ha! Found it! Now, next step is…*

…

"Little Dark! What are you doing?! You can’t eat that!"

Lilina, now changed into fresh clothes, rushed over in panic at the sight of Wu Yan gnawing the book.

She couldn’t afford a replacement. With few friends—and those she had barely scraping by in this status-obsessed academy—asking for help was out of the question. Lilina never burdened others unless absolutely desperate.

She scooped Wu Yan up. "Hungry? I’ll get you something delicious soon. Just hold on a little longer!"

*This month’s budget will be even tighter with Little Dark to feed… I’ll just eat less myself. But if I can finally communicate with him, it’ll be worth it.*

Cradling Wu Yan, she headed for the door.

*No—*

Nothing was more despairing than being dragged away just as curiosity was about to be satisfied.

Wu Yan shot her a reproachful look—then froze.

Lilina now wore a simple, relatively new maid uniform instead of her slightly worn Mage robe.

*When did she change? Right… she left briefly while I was flipping pages. I… missed something important…*

***

Cafeteria.

Lilina set Wu Yan down at an empty table. "Stay put, Little Dark. I’ll be right back."

She hesitated but trusted their Contract Beast bond to track him if he wandered. Reassured, she left.

Wu Yan caught her warning—*don’t run off*—and bored, began tracing the table’s grain.

Then he stiffened.

*These patterns… they look exactly like that Magic Array.*

*No mistake. It’s the same one.*

His sharpened memory had etched over half the Array’s lines today. He recognized nearly every curve.

Thrilled, he studied the patterns intently.

Minutes later, he exhaled. Every line was memorized.

*Soon I’ll cast real magic…* Joy surged through him. *I’ll test it when no one’s watching.*

***

"Who brought this Dark Beast into the academy? Such a lowly Monster Beast will only offend the President’s eyes! You—throw it out immediately!"

A black-haired girl sneered at Wu Yan, snapping orders at her companion.

"Yes, Vice President!"

The attendant spun around, instantly switching to a deferential tone toward a figure entering the cafeteria.

"President, please take this seat. A minor disturbance—I’ll handle it at once."

The newcomer stepped fully inside. Waist-length golden hair framed a face dominated by piercing gold eyes radiating quiet authority. Her tall frame carried an aura of unapproachable grace.

"Mm. Thank you for your diligence."

***

"You dare lay hands on Little Dark?!"

As the girl reached for the still-studying Wu Yan, a figure blocked her path.

Wu Yan’s vision darkened—he saw Lilina. One Tentacle coiled around her shoulder, yanking him onto it.

"What’s this? Don’t you know the President requires peace and quiet?" the girl sputtered.

"Vice President! The Dark Beast’s owner is here!"

"So? The Student Council has claimed this area. Leave. Now."

"How can you?! I was here first! And there are only three of you—why take so many seats?" Lilina protested.

The black-haired girl chuckled coldly. "Your presence drags down our status. If you were upperclassmen, I might show respect. But a second-year… still just a Mage Apprentice?"