Chapter 92: Talias Mood Shifts

Chapter 92: Talia's Mood Shifts

Early morning light streamed in through the glass skylight, bathing the wooden beams and bookshelves in a soft glow. The faint scent of wood mingled with the bedroom fragrance Talia kept on her drawer chest, creating an aroma reminiscent of vanilla and a hint of rum. It was delicate and fresh without being cloying.

"Well..."

Lance hadn't quite anticipated that Talia's attitude toward him would have deteriorated so much. However, he didn't mind. After all, he had come bearing something he knew she would love. His lips curled into his signature smile, an expression that was innocent and a touch mischievous, as he held out an enchanted card toward Talia.

"I'm here to pay my tuition."

[Shadow Realm Recording Program]

Category: Spell Card

Grade: Purple (Rare)

Attribute: Link/Reconnaissance

Tier: 2

Records the challenger's data within the Shadow Realm. Recording can be toggled on or off at will.

Issued by the Southern Continent Shadow Realm Management Association. Registered Challenger: Lance Wilford.

Talia cast a cold, indifferent glance at it, appearing completely uninterested. Her heart skipped a beat as the words slipped out. "What would I want with that?"

She hadn't yet figured out how to subtly probe Lance to get her hands on this very item. To think he would simply hand over an enchanted card containing a complete record of the ancient Demon Kingdom Shadow Realm challenge!

Talia couldn't help but wonder. How did Lance know that she wanted this? There was no way for him to know she was a demon.

Clearly confident that what he was about to say would pique her interest, Lance triumphantly said, "Tali, the Shadow Realm dungeon I challenged this time was no ordinary one. Guess what I found inside?"

"What?" Talia crossed her arms and glanced at Lance's expression with a hint of curiosity.

She had actually watched the latter half of his challenge. Aside from the history of the ancient Demon Kingdom stored in the recording program, she hadn't felt there was anything particularly valuable.

Lance snapped his fingers and revealed the answer, "Magic that can alter the fur of magical beasts!"

Upon hearing this, Talia's face went cold, and the slight interest she had felt vanished completely. Lance was once again joking with her without knowing where to draw the line. This guy was becoming more and more annoying.

However, seemingly anticipating her reaction, Lance leaned closer to her chair, bent down, and whispered, "If we team up, combining our strengths, we could research magic to alter human hair. Just imagine: In the middle of a fight, being able to style your opponent's hair... Wouldn't that be the ultimate way to express my desire to respect my opponent?"

Talia immediately looked at Lance's smiling face. She realized that this little rascal was about to open a forbidden door yet again! Imagine making an enemy go bald right in the middle of a battle. That enemy wouldn't stop until they had murdered Lance.

This was a spell far more outrageous and dangerous than the spells that made people kneel or mute. Having witnessed the finished cards Lance had produced before, Talia ultimately couldn't help but feel a surge of intense interest.

Lance stared into Talia's golden eyes, knowing he had piqued her interest. He continued unhurriedly right beside her ear, "So, Tali. Although the details of this magic are stored only in my head and weren't recorded by the Shadow Realm Recording Program to prevent others or the Association from seeing the prototype of such core technology, the program did record the entire process of my challenge. I think you should understand the background and events before we develop the new spell. Who knows? Maybe there's something I overlooked."

By appealing to both emotion and reason, Lance's voice began sounding like the whispers of a devil.

Talia lowered her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She couldn't help but wonder if Lance had cast some sort of Mental magic on her. How was it that she could never bring herself to refuse him?

The historical data of the ancient Demon Kingdom contained within the recording program was merely a bonus, yet it was precisely the thing she wanted most. The spell for modifying the fur of magical beasts was the core of this deal, and it was equally tempting. Once again, Lance seemed to know exactly what she craved, enabling her to obtain everything to her advantage without a single worry or hassle.

She had initially felt like ignoring Lance for the rest of the day, but now she felt like she ought to treat him a little better. A human's life was short, yet this young man possessed immeasurable value. She would likely spend decades by his side, fully realizing that potential. So, rather than constantly harboring suspicions, it was better to treat him well, ensuring he would be all the more willing to work his heart out for her.

Talia didn't immediately take the enchanted card from Lance's hand. However, her tone had softened slightly as she said, "This is only enough for me to teach you up to Tier 4 cards."

Beyond that point, she would have nothing left to teach regarding general card making techniques, unless of course she resorted to teaching him the demonic way of card making from start to finish. However, that was absolutely out of the question. Teaching him up to Tier 4 was already her limit. No matter what he said later, she wouldn't teach him any further.

"No problem." Lance agreed decisively, and Talia took the Shadow Realm Recording Program card.

She casually said, "I'll return it to you once I've finished reviewing it."

"Alright, no rush." Lance nodded. He didn't need to get the card back in a hurry. He wouldn't need it before his next Shadow Realm challenge, so he had a full two months where it was essentially useless to him.

"Tali, before we look into the hairstyle modification magic, I have another question. Since I want to maximize my card making success rate and pass the registered card maker exam, could you help me test for affinities like you mentioned last time?"

Beyond the new deal he had just struck with Talia, the next most important step was determining the future direction of his career as a card maker.

"The card maker exam, eh?"

Talia knew that Lance needed to obtain registered card maker status in the Southern Continent to make money quickly. Furthermore, the higher his starting certification as a card maker, the greater the benefits and fee waivers he would receive. Since the money he earned would ultimately be hers, it was certainly in her interest to help him pass this exam, which would be a challenge for him at his current ability.

Even if Lance, who had just reached Rank 3, were to craft mental affinity enchanted cards, his success rate in producing a finished card within the limited number of attempts allowed during the exam would be low. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if it took him a year or two to pass.

They needed to determine if there was a type of magic with which Lance had an even better affinity. Of course, Talia couldn't guarantee that they would find a better type of magic for him.

"Follow me." She stood up and led Lance to an inner room nearby.