Chapter 356: Reach The Sun [750 GT Bonus - s 3/3]

Chapter 356: Chapter 356: Reach The Sun [750 GT Bonus Chapters 3/3]

Chapter 356 – Reach The Sun [750 GT Bonus Chapters 3/3]

After leaving Klaus and Love, Cassius decided to take the opportunity to visit Océane.

It had been a while since he’d seen her, and he wanted to use this time to check in on his maid.

Cassius was quite unsure how long it would take Copycat to give him any more information about when Teacher Newton would be able to heal Océane.

It had already been a long time, and he felt like time was passing far too fast, while Océane’s life just seemed frozen in place.

She’d lose so many opportunities at this rate, and Cassius didn’t know how to feel about that.

But before he could sink into guilt over his maid’s situation, Cassius reminded himself of the words Stella had spoken to him in that dream.

Those words calmed him down considerably, letting him get through the visit without much trouble.

Océane was still very much the same. But there was something different about her appearance now. In the past, Océane’s hair had been long and black. But now, as time passed, her black hair was shifting to brown, and her nails had all turned black.

Cassius had asked the Apothecary why such a change was happening. But all they could tell him was that it was because of her swallowing the raw materials of a Characteristic without a process to properly form that Characteristic.

No one knew what Océane would become once she woke up...if she ever did.

Still, Cassius stayed with her for an hour, using the time to think through his next Chapter for his short story, and talking with Océane occasionally about what had happened in the past few days.

After the visit, he strolled out of the Health Center and wandered around the Inner Ring for half an hour, doing nothing but walking with his hands in his pockets, letting his mind go blank.

Then he took a carriage back to the Outer Ring and sat on a bench, facing a small fountain with sparkling water spilling out of it.

Some birds chirped around him, one of them bold enough to approach him.

It was a strange bird, completely white, its body quite warm when Cassius touched it.

Its eyes, too, were the same white as its body.

It was a stunningly beautiful bird, its appearance setting it apart from the rest.

Cassius smiled and stroked the bird continuously, watching it lean closer as if enjoying the sensation.

"You’re quite unique," Cassius said to the bird. "The whiteness of your body is almost as white as my hair."

That was a great compliment coming from Cassius. His hair was, after all, the purest white most people would ever see: completely immaculate and unblemished.

The bird, as if understanding his words, seemed to shake its head in complete denial, as if to say its white was better. Cassius grew even more intrigued.

He took out some snacks from his space ring and began feeding the bird. The sight was picturesque.

If anyone had been there to see Cassius, with his white hair and unique crimson-pink eyes, feeding a uniquely white bird never before seen at the Academy, they’d have called for a great painter to capture the sight forever.

That’s how beautiful it was.

But Cassius wasn’t a fool. The bird was far too special, and he’d learned to be wary of things that were unique and special.

Besides that, his eyes — more precisely, the spirit and dragon parts of his eyes — had been pulsing ever since he’d touched the bird.

He subtly used the ability he’d gained from Adonis’s eyes and looked at the bird’s Heartfire.

Cassius was taken aback immediately. This time the color wasn’t pink, blue, or even the red and black he’d once seen.

It was white. And it was so white it was almost transparent, making it hard for Cassius to notice at first.

His eyebrows slowly knitted together, and the white bird instantly stopped eating. It lifted its head to stare at Cassius, its eyes filled with more intelligence than most men.

Something clicked in Cassius’s mind all at once, and he spoke, smiling slowly, "How does it feel to be fed by me, White Phoenix?"

The white bird only stared at him, then cocked its head to one side. A strange smile spread across its beak as it opened into a croaking sound.

"It’s always a pleasure to be fed by handsome men." The voice was feminine, and it sounded very far away, as if she were speaking from the depths of a star. "It took you so long to guess my identity."

"I kind of wanted to not think too much today. But I guess I was asking for too much," Cassius replied. "Care to tell me the reason for your visit?"

"I simply wanted to officially meet the Last Born."

"Is this official, to you?"

"Unfortunately, being near my true body would turn you to ash faster than a thought could form," the voice sounded like it was smiling. "You’re still far too weak, Cassius, sweetling."

Cassius looked at the bird, his left eye beginning to burn. "Is that so?"

The white bird grinned even wider. "Oh, sweetling, it really is so." Then it spread one wing and pointed towards the sun overhead. "The day you’re able to reach the sun without burning, that’s the day you can stand in my presence. And that’s also the day I’ll see if you’re worth all this effort. Until then..."

The bird’s eyes glowed with burning white fire.

"...Emrys Stormblessed is the better bet for this story. Not you."

Then the bird vanished in a puff of white smoke, swept away by the wind.

Cassius sat there, still staring at where the bird had been. Then he lifted his head, looking up at the orange sun, faintly tinged with white. He didn’t know why the thought struck him, but it felt like the white part of the sun had grown... bigger?

His mouth curved into a smile.

"How strong must I be to reach the sun without burning, dear goddesses?"

[For your level of existence? Maybe at Fourth Rank you could barely survive. But at Fifth Rank, Ascended, you could definitely reach it,] Ananke replied honestly.

[Just as Ananke said. But you could achieve it faster if you truly leaned into your dragon and spirit heritage,] Marvela said. [That’s quite the power you’ve been given; such a number and quality of red dragons in your left eye, coupled with your Fire Spirit eyes. If anyone can reach the sun besides the White Phoenix, it’s you.]

"I see," he replied, still looking at the sun, and this time he could feel a gaze coming from it. "If I’m worth all this effort, huh?" Cassius scoffed lightly. "As if I asked for any of this. But it doesn’t matter anyway. We’ll see, once I reach the sun."

At that moment, a voice called out his name, and Cassius turned to see both Keisha and Natalia walking towards him.

His guests had arrived.

He looked at the sun one last time before turning his focus to his two friends.

"You guys took your time," he said, standing up to meet them.

"Never thought you’d call us to hang out! I’m so happy!"

"Yeah," Natalia added dryly, secretly overjoyed, "I thought I was dreaming when I saw your message."

"What kind of friend do you think I am?" Cassius grumbled.

"The one who’s never around?" Both Kei and Naty replied in unison, Kei smiling guiltily, as if she’d said it on instinct.

Cassius looked at them blankly, then started walking ahead. The two immediately followed, each taking a side.

"Where are we going? Where are we going?" Kei asked excitedly.

"What do the two of you want to do?"

"How free are you today?" Naty asked.

"As free as I can possibly be."

"Another bicycle ride?"

"No!!" Kei shouted, shaking her head at Natalia’s suggestion. "Not that! I can’t ride a bike, you know that! Let’s go... hm... play games? I know where we can! I watch Clover Wealth’s videos all the time, and I’m so good at it! He’s the best gamer! And handsome!"

Both Cassius and Natalia snapped their heads towards her. "Handsome??"

Kei’s face flushed red with embarrassment as she shook her head again. "No! Not like that! And Cassius is more handsome!"

"Hm, should I ask Meadow for the number of—!"

"No! No!" Kei was about to cry. "I don’t love him!"

"Have a crush on him, then?" Naty said, suddenly interested in her friend’s love life.

"No! I don’t have a crush on him! I have a crush on Aaron!"

This time, Cassius and Naty nearly stumbled to the ground. They stopped and stared at Keisha, feeling like the world had gone darker.

"No... no.... my angel!" Cassius dramatically hugged Keisha. "Don’t get tainted! Don’t follow the path of Klaus and Naty! I beg you!!"

"This fucker!" Naty cursed, shooting Cassius a dark glare. But she immediately followed his lead and hugged Keisha too, looking at her with fear. "No, Kei! Don’t get tainted! You’re too pure!"

"Yes! Leave the filth to us! You deserve Eden!"

"With no snake inside, like Cass!"

"Hey, Naty, that’s too far!"

In the end, Keisha stood there, hugged desperately by her two childhood friends, while the other students watched the scene in confusion.

And that’s how the day went, with Cassius and Natalia trying to shield their angel from the trap of love by listing every bad thing they’d ever heard about Aaron.

It was, to say the least, a difficult endeavor.

After all, Keisha’s crush wasn’t Aaron.

It was Nourou.

’Heheh.’

—End of Chapter 356—