Just as Hyacine had said, although Anaxa had a bad reputation among the public, he really was a very gentle person.
The next day, Hyacine came to Amos with a new project registration form.
However, despite the shocking efficiency, the girl’s expression was somewhat unnatural.
Amos knew why.
“Let me guess.
Professor Anaxa approved the project, but on the condition that you join it as well, so I won’t waste resources.” Hyacine’s little face turned red.
“Sorry.
I clearly said I wouldn’t steal your results, but…
how about I go talk to Professor again…” Amos pulled Hyacine over and had her sit down.
He slowly made her a cup of tea before continuing, “Actually, Professor Anaxa isn’t making things difficult for me.
He’s helping me.” “Why do you say that?” “Because I already wanted to do this project with you.
I just didn’t say it because I was worried your studies were too busy.” “After all, you’ve been teaching me this whole year.
You know my level.
I can do simple records and experiments, but if we’re talking about deeper research…” Amos shook his head.
Seeing this, Hyacine didn’t comfort him.
Instead, she showed a lively smile.
“Then, as payment for joining the project, I’ll be even stricter when teaching you from now on~” No one knows the passing of time in the mountains, yet a thousand years have gone by in the world.
When Amos counted the time again, he realized that another two years had passed without him noticing.
His project still wasn’t finished, and his studies were progressing only normally.
He was still far from keeping up with Hyacine and had only reached the level of an ordinary scholar.
But this year was worth remembering for Amos.
Because one day, without any warning, a girl suddenly knocked on his door.
Amid the falling wind and snow, the pink-haired, pointed-eared girl rushed into Amos’s arms and shouted, “Amos, I’ve come to rely on you!” Only after half a day did Amos learn the whole story from Cyrene’s broken explanation.
It turned out that Janusopolis intended to appoint Cyrene as the Saintess of Time, but Cyrene didn’t want to spend the rest of her life trapped in the Temple of the Three Aspects of Fate.
So she recorded all the prayers she had comprehended from Oronyx’s whispers, treating it as repayment for the temple’s teachings, and then fled Janusopolis to seek refuge with Amos.
Naturally, Amos had no reason to refuse.
Life with one person became life with two.
At the same time, Amos discovered a way to speed up the experiments.
Oronyx’s prayers could reverse time within an area, returning objects to their previous states.
In other words, Amos could now conduct multiple hybrid experiments at once without worrying about the process becoming too complicated to record or external factors causing failures.
After all, once Oronyx’s divine light shone down, objects would return to their previous forms, and every factor interfering with the experiments could be analyzed clearly.
Thus, with Cyrene’s help, another half year passed.
After two and a half years of practice, Amos finally completed his research.
He now had a respectable achievement and had fully absorbed Hyacine’s knowledge.
He was confident in passing the Grove examination.
That day, Amos got up early.
Cyrene specially prepared a “certain victory breakfast” for him, which consisted of one sausage and two eggs, symbolizing completeness.
After breakfast, Amos left the house with Cyrene’s blessings, only to unexpectedly run into Hyacine, who had come to deliver news.
The pink-haired twin-tail girl brought Amos one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.
“Congratulations, Amos.
You don’t need to take the exam anymore.
From now on, you’re an official scholar.” “Why?” Hyacine glanced at Cyrene, who had also come out after hearing the news, and paused.
“Teacher Anaxa wants you to focus entirely on hybridization research from now on, because…” “Janusopolis has fallen.
Without the most convenient transportation network, every city may have to become self-sufficient from now on.” “How could this…” Cyrene instinctively grabbed Amos’s arm.
Although she had run away from Janusopolis, that didn’t mean Janusopolis had treated her badly.
The teachings of Fate were incredibly precious.
After Cyrene learned every classic of the Temple of the Three Aspects, leaving was no different from betrayal.
But the temple hadn’t tried too hard to stop her.
During these six months in the Grove of Epiphany, the Temple of the Three Aspects had never interfered with Cyrene’s life.
Apart from certain times, this was the first time Amos had truly experienced the girl’s astonishing strength in everyday life.
To this, Amos remained silent.
The three and a half years in the Grove of Epiphany had been like an unbelievably wonderful dream.
His career was successful, husband and wife lived in harmony, and he had made a close friend.
Amos had gained everything he wanted.
Yet fate never made sense.
The curtain of happiness was blown aside by the wind, and the world once again showed Amos its ugly face.
As though mocking him, ‘Look, savior from beyond the sky, what can you change?’ Amos’s response was only one sentence, “I understand.” ——— The fall of Janusopolis shook all directions, but it failed to affect the Grove’s normal operations.
That afternoon, Amos, who had “passed” the examination, entered the Grove of Epiphany and stepped onto the branches representing the seven schools for the first time, arriving at the true entrance of the Grove of Epiphany.
After waiting with Hyacine for a while, a scholar from the Lotophagists School and a one-eyed man dressed in dark green approached.
Amos recognized the one-eyed man but pretended not to.
Only after the two stopped did Hyacine introduce them.
“This is Professor Medea, director of the Lotophagists School, and this is Professor Anaxa, Sage of the Nousporists School.” Amos bowed to both of them.
Medea smiled warmly and was about to speak, but Anaxa interrupted him.
“So you’re Amos?” Anaxa looked Amos up and down.
Strange light flickered in his mechanical eye.
“Yes, Professor Anaxa.” Anaxa nodded.
“Call me teacher.
From now on, you’re one of the Nousporists School.” Hyacine covered her mouth in surprise, while Medea revealed a shocked and dissatisfied expression.
“Professor Anaxa, we clearly agreed…” “Call me Anaxagoras.” Anaxa interrupted him.
“We had agreed that this kid would study under me while joining the Lotophagists School, but your people can’t teach him.” “What do you mean they can’t?
You haven’t even taught him yet, so how…” “Do you know what his soul looks like?” Anaxa suddenly questioned him.
Medea couldn’t answer.
The Lotophagists School rarely studied souls.
And even if he knew something, he wouldn’t answer.
Because the man standing before him was the peak of both soul studies and alchemy within the Grove, the famous “Blasphemer.” “His soul is as tough as a warrior’s and as unpredictable as an ambitious schemer’s.
Despite being burdened by thoughts that leave it in chaos, it still possesses colors as brilliant as those of my student here.” “Interesting.
This is the first time I’ve seen such an interesting soul.” “Tell me, kid.
What do you really want from the Grove?” Amos looked at Anaxa’s mechanical eye and remained silent for a long time before deciding to tell the truth.
“I want your soul techniques, Teacher Anaxa.” Hyacine and Medea looked at Amos in disbelief, while Anaxa curled his lips into a smile.
“See?
This kid isn’t as gentle as he acts.” “I won’t ask why you want to learn my soul techniques.
I’ll only tell you one thing.” Anaxa pointed at his head.
“Everything you want is in here.
Prove yourself to me, and you can take it.” “Yes, Teacher.”