"Back again? Where did you go this time?" The guardian watched as Robert and Constantine quickly returned and instinctively asked while controlling the teleportation portal.
"No need, that guy disappeared, and it's hard to find him now, so let's wait for him to show up on his own!" Robert waved his hand and said to the guardian, "Be careful here, since you've collaborated with him before, he might come to settle that score…"
The guardian shrank his neck upon hearing this, a sense of crisis flooding him. Although Valentine was no match for Robert, the guardian was not Valentine's match either. If Valentine really came to the magical academy, the guardian wouldn't stand a chance!
"If I encounter danger, can I contact you?" The guardian, having snapped back to reality, looked at Robert tentatively and somewhat hopefully, "After all, if I really died, or if the magical academy was destroyed, this convenient teleportation portal would no longer be usable…"
"You can contact Constantine directly when the time comes. He can contact me," Robert glanced at the guardian, showing no intention of revealing his identity and address, and instead looked towards Constantine.
There's a special communication method between Robert and Constantine. As long as the guardian can contact Constantine, Constantine can reach Robert, just with an extra step in between.
"Okay, okay…" The guardian sighed in relief upon hearing this. With Robert's support, the guardian felt less afraid of Valentine.
It's fair to say that after experiencing today's events, the guardian's mindset changed rapidly. He hadn't left the magical academy for many years and naturally yearned for the outside world. However, after facing a real death threat, the guardian felt that staying in the magical academy was quite nice, at least not having to worry about his life...
"What about me?" Claire, standing by, looked at Robert with a flicker in her eyes and asked softly, "Can I also find you?"
"Yes, if something happens to the Holy Grail, you can contact us through the guardian. If you really want to step into the true supernatural world, just awakening your abilities isn't enough..." Robert looked at Claire, pondered for a moment, and then said softly.
"I'm not very familiar with the powers you've awakened. It just so happens that this magical academy teaches the powers of your lineage. You can learn well from the guardian. Here in the magical academy, both the Holy Grail and you would be relatively safer."
Robert wouldn't blindly instruct on a power system he wasn't familiar with. Although from his father's perspective, Robert could be considered a magician, he also keenly noticed the difference between Qi magic and other magicians.
For Qi magicians, their power comes from the Qi naturally existing between heaven and earth and their own Qi. Most of the time, Qi magic relies on one's own Qi, supplemented by mental power, to slightly leverage the Qi between all things.
But for Robert, his own Qi is powerful and versatile enough to support him in evolving different Qi magic spells. This is why his father said he was the most talented magician.
Compared to Qi magic, other magic systems are not the same. At least the magic Robert learned from Constantine shows that some magic systems have a more complex and troublesome underlying power.
Transmitting magic is straightforward, mainly because Robert and Constantine build a mental bridge between them for communication, essentially no different from telepathy.
But tracking magic is different. It tracks the essence of a target known from memory, utilizing a certain force from the universe. Robert discovered that this power doesn't seem to originate from Earth, leading to some speculation in his mind.
Because of this borrowed force, tracking magic can locate targets in the simplest and quickest way, theoretically not as the caster's own power but as an ability granted by the underlying force.
Robert hasn't fully understood these concepts and also isn't clear about the system that the so-called magicians, Shadow Hunters, belong to. So, he didn't feel it appropriate to teach.
"I understand…" Claire's eyes flickered with disappointment, then she nodded and spoke softly.
Robert and Constantine didn't stay long and soon left the magical academy through the teleportation portal. They didn't return directly to their homes, as Robert was still cautious about his identity, not even letting Constantine know who he truly was.
As Clark said, they would keep their identities hidden as long as possible, and the fewer people knew, the better.
In Robert's view, Constantine was just an NPC issuing tasks, and Claire and the guardian were merely interesting characters encountered along the adventure. They hadn't become official friends yet, so he wasn't inclined to reveal his identity to them easily.
Of course, if there were more interactions, perhaps their relationship could progress further, and Robert could treat them as he does Steve.
"Why don't you come over to my place?" Constantine looked at Robert with a flicker in his eyes and extended an invitation, "I have quite a few interesting spells. You seem very talented, perhaps suited to be a magician…"
"How do you know I'm not a magician?" Robert looked at Constantine with a smile, "Because I didn't fuss about the things you hid when teaching me tracking magic?"
"You noticed?" Constantine's expression turned slightly awkward, unsure what to say next.
Constantine sought Robert out not just because Robert was capable of handling troublesome foes but also because he felt Robert might help him pay off some debts, especially since Robert didn't seem like a magician in his eyes...
As a freelance magician, Constantine had encountered many magic systems and learned numerous spells, inevitably using some that came at a significant cost.
Not all magic requires a repayment. Some magic dimensions are quite friendly, willing to offer their powers to all magicians, similar to a free open-source platform.
However, many spells do require repayment, especially the more powerful ones. Constantine had to settle quite a few debts, often tricking demons into "voluntarily" helping him pay them off, even deceiving many friends, which is why he had so few.
When teaching Robert tracking magic, Constantine subconsciously transferred the cost of using the spell to Robert. He worried Robert would notice, but Robert showed no reaction when using the spell, allowing Constantine to relax...
Now that Robert suddenly brought it up, Constantine felt awkward and worried. If they fell out over this, not only would he get beaten up, but he'd also lose a strong ally. This seemed worse than the cost of tracking magic...
"This time we didn't encounter any formidable foes. If you do, remember to contact me. If something happens to the Holy Grail or the magical academy, let me know…" Robert waved his hand, not wanting to delve into details with Constantine. Christmas was approaching, and according to the Kent and Danvers families' tradition, they were planning a trip. It was good this affair didn't take too long; otherwise, Martha would be upset about the family vacation missing someone.
Seeing Robert disappear, Constantine sighed in relief but then became puzzled, "He knew but didn't care. Does that mean he's so powerful that he can ignore these costs? No way, isn't that like the Supreme Sorcerer?"
The Supreme Sorcerer of Kamar-Taj is famously indebted in the magical world, or more bluntly, a notorious defaulter.
The Supreme Sorcerer's power isn't the most formidable among
the dimensions, but as long as she's on Earth, even the big shots from those dimensions can't do much about her.
Thus, the Supreme Sorcerer has borrowed powers from countless dimensions, and it seems she's not worried about repaying those debts...
"Wait, if that's the case, aren't I benefiting? As long as I find strong foes for him, can't I transfer some of the cost to him? After all, he doesn't care..." After a series of thoughts flashed through Constantine's mind, he became excited, realizing this was good for him since Robert didn't require him to pay any price.
As for finding strong opponents for Robert, Constantine wasn't worried. If others couldn't find strong foes, couldn't he, Constantine, find them? If all else fails, he could bait himself. Hell is full of demon lords and even hell lords eyeing his soul. Just a little sell-out, and isn't that a strong opponent for Robert?
Although Constantine didn't understand why Robert wanted to fight strong foes, when it comes to causing trouble and attracting strong foes, Constantine is a professional, not inferior to his deception skills, even surpassing his magical proficiency!
On the other side, Robert, who had left, was unaware of Constantine's thoughts. If he knew, Robert wouldn't be angry but would encourage Constantine to keep it up. Although he found some clues about angels causing trouble, there wasn't a satisfying battle, with only Valentine as a pre-dinner dessert, hardly filling. Naturally, Robert hoped Constantine, this "NPC," could be more reliable.
After returning home, Kara was planning a travel route with Martha. As superhumans, they could easily go anywhere, but their parents were not, so the plans had to consider the parents' preferences.
"It's almost Christmas, and you're still running around! At least Kara knows to come back and spend time with me..." Martha looked at Robert returning and complained with some dissatisfaction.
Robert blinked, realizing at some point, Martha and Kara's relationship seemed closer than his with them. Martha always sided with Kara.
"Lost the target?" Clark approached Robert and asked softly.
"Yes, it seems to be related to angels..." Robert nodded and detailed his experiences.
"Figures!" A spark flashed in Clark's eyes, somewhat discontent, "I thought demons were Earth's threat, but it's good we found out early. If those angels really descended on Earth, we might be deceived by their appearances. Don't worry, I'll pay some attention to this matter too..."
"It's probably hard to find them. I couldn't with magic, and your hearing and vision might struggle too. It seems they're much more cunning than demons!" Robert shook his head, speaking softly, then caught onto what Clark had just said, "Even without what you saw before, I wouldn't be fooled by the appearance of angels. I don't have faith in that stuff."
"Keep it down! Don't let Martha and the others hear!" Clark glared at Robert upon hearing his words. He hadn't discussed the matter of angels and God with the Kents, as they had believed in it all their lives. Telling them now might shatter their beliefs, so it was better they didn't know, especially since they wouldn't directly conflict with angels.
"Is Lana going this time?" Robert shrugged, glanced at Martha and Kara planning quietly, and asked.
"Yes, this time we're all going together, so you'll need to sleep in a room by yourself." Clark smiled, nodded, and gave Robert a meaningful look.
Previously during family trips, Clark and Robert would share a room, with the Kent parents, the Danvers parents, Kara, and Alex pairing up. But with Lana now in the picture, Clark definitely wouldn't share a room with his silly brother.
After all, Clark and Lana had solidified their relationship for quite some time now. Even though demon events interfered with their time together, Lana's initiative eventually led to a successful blending, then full speed ahead, unstoppable.
Clark was relishing the taste, having waited nearly thirty years. It was impossible for him not to have such thoughts, as his physiological responses were no different from a normal Earthling...
Of course, for this family trip, they'd still need to be mindful of the noise, but spending idle time glued to Lana was a given. It's better for the silly brother to keep his distance...
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