The rain continued to fall, accompanied by subdued breaths.
"Stop... stop for a while, I can't take any more."
Lia gasped, using her weakened legs to slightly prop herself up, needing a break from being completely filled.
"Weren't we supposed to make love all night?" Nathan teasingly said.
"We have to travel tomorrow..." Lia spoke in a barely audible voice, "Besides, aren't you at all worried about Alex escaping? He really hates you, you know!"
Then she gently twisted her waist, allowing Nathan's member to slide slowly inside her, creating sensation without being too intense.
She then spoke softly, "If I'm not mistaken, it won't be long before we see Alex again."
This caught Nathan off guard: "Didn't Alex flee to the Gale Empire?"
"The Gale Empire won't protect him; instead, the Nebula Academy is the safest place for him."
Lia then recalled something and slowly added, "Also, I seem to remember hearing that Alex's master, Reno, has a brother who has been working at Nebula Academy!"
"Oh!" Nathan suddenly felt that this trip to Nebula Academy was becoming more interesting.
"So, you should stay as far away from that guy as possible," Lia advised.
...
A night of tenderness.
The next day, as they set off, Eris looked at Lia with an unusual gaze.
Lia, like a wife who had done something wrong, kept her head down, not daring to meet Eris's gaze.
The half-month journey swiftly passed.
Accompanied by a beauty and listening to Eris's extensive knowledge of magic, Nathan, despite experiencing several episodes of Blood Burning, remained in high spirits.
By the latter half of the journey, his body had mostly recovered, and he no longer suffered from the fevers.
Though the inability to use magic brought many inconveniences to daily life, joining the Free Federation exposed Nathan to many fascinating things, and he gradually adapted to this new reality.
A bizarre fog in his previous life had brought him to this world, introducing him to the power of magic.
Even with the assistance of the Ultimate Villain System, he always doubted whether he was just an ordinary person, not some fated protagonist blessed with incomparable luck.
It wasn't until the carriage crossed the thousand-meter high Skylock Bridge over the peak of Thunderclap Range and entered the gates of Nebula Academy that Nathan finally confirmed he was just a simpleton.
He had never imagined Nebula Academy was built in the sky, a thousand meters above the peak of Thunderclap Range.
The entire academy was composed of numerous floating islands, each unique and independent.
From afar, massive rocks with various architectural styles appeared scattered across the high skies, like a brilliant starry sky.
It was impossible not to marvel at the grandeur of the academy's creators.
Upon entering the first floating island and disembarking, they were greeted by someone to check their identities.
Eris presented three academy enrollment invitations and, after explaining their purpose, led the two towards the teleportation array.
"Hold on!"
The person responsible for inspecting newcomers was a short, middle-aged magus with glasses.
Seeing Eris preparing to leave with others, he quickly called out, "Your invitation has expired. This year's students have already been enrolled ten days ago. So, if you want to see Professor Cliff, you go alone." He pointed sternly at Nathan and Lia, "These two, stay here!"
Just then, another carriage arrived over the Skylock Bridge.
A group disembarked, led by a stern-looking young man in a black robe, followed by four or five attendants carrying luggage and boxes.
The middle-aged magus asked Eris and her companions to wait and turned with a stern face to question the young man in the black robe.
Without a word, the young man handed him a card.
"Anthony Dennis... Ah, you are Minister Frank's nephew! Oh, no problem then."
The middle-aged wizard quickly nodded and bowed, not only allowing the young man in the black robe to pass but also his attendants without any hindrance.
As the robed young man and his entourage left, Nathan's mind stirred, realizing that Cliff at Nebula Academy was either in trouble or lacked real power.
While pondering how to deal with this "gatekeeper," a woman's voice, pleasant and surprised, rang out beside him:
"Eris, is that really you? Haha, long time no see, you've become even more beautiful."
A sweet-looking woman with a tall figure and an elegant demeanor, wearing a robe with an eye-shaped brooch, approached with open arms.
After a moment of surprise, Eris also smiled and went to greet her.
The two embraced each other and after exchanging pleasantries, Eris introduced, "This is my old school friend, Sophia."
"This is my junior, Nathan, and this is Lia."
After the introductions, Sophia, holding Eris's hand, asked about their visit and expressed sympathy upon learning about Nathan's curse.
Noticing that they were being troubled by the gatekeeper, she became visibly angry.
She approached the middle-aged magus and said disdainfully:
"Jim, even if Cliff is no longer teaching, he's still a professor of the academy. It's not right for you to treat them differently. I will report today's incident to the dean exactly as it happened."
At first, the middle-aged magus was disdainful and about to mock, but upon noticing the eye-shaped brooch on Sophia's robe, he quickly retracted his neck, changed his expression, and, with a forced smile, immediately allowed them to pass.
"Sophia, when did you join the Inspectorate Department? I remember you were in the Resource Department just the year before last," Eris asked as the four of them walked and talked, now that the problem was resolved.
Sophia replied with a smile, "My mentor was transferred from the Resource Department to the Inspectorate Department last year, so I followed."
Ten minutes later, after Sophia had left, Eris held a small booklet in her hand.
She waved the booklet with a smile and said, "The Nebula Academy's scandalous and hidden history, something money can't buy."
Nathan's eyes lit up.
"Great stuff, exactly what I need right now," he said excitedly.
Eris handed the booklet to Nathan but cautioned, "Junior brother, things here are different from Crystalis. Without our master around, you... be careful!"
"No worries! Trust me!" Nathan assured her, patting his chest.
...
Soon after, they arrived in front of the teleportation array.
Eris instructed carefully, "Once we pass through the teleportation array, tell me if you feel anything unusual, especially any signs of fever, since Master forbade you from using teleportation arrays."
Nathan nodded and followed Eris toward the teleportation array.
As he stepped into it, he felt a strong pull and a slight discomfort in his body, but fortunately, the distance was short and unlikely to trigger Blood Burning.
The next moment, they appeared on another floating island.
The environment here was much better than outside.
Nathan saw groups of young people in robes, talking and laughing as they walked by.
Under the shade of trees, beside the corridors, the sound of laughter relaxed Nathan's mood.
He felt a long-missed campus atmosphere, reminiscent of his student days in his previous life, making him feel years younger.
Eventually, they arrived at a pointed-top building, passing through layers of beautifully engraved stone pillars and arches, and entered a spacious structure.
A white-robed elderly man, with a bright gaze and hair as white as snow, greeted them warmly.
A grandmaster-tier sage's pin adorned his chest, and he moved with a calm and friendly demeanor. Beside him stood a lean-faced middle-aged wizard.
Eris bowed respectfully to greet this old friend of her master and made introductions, explaining their purpose for the visit.
Cliff introduced, "This is Professor Mand, a good friend of mine for many years. Since we're here, let's have him join us in diagnosing this young man's condition."
Then, Cliff led the visitors into a reception room next to the hall.
Both experts conducted a thorough examination of Nathan.
After consulting for a while, an hour later, Cliff reached a conclusion.
"This young man is afflicted with a dark magic curse."
"Logically, with his current magical prowess, he should have died at the moment the spell was cast. But his survival is a miracle."
"However, the severity of the curse lies not in the damage it causes, but in its subsequent effects."
"In this world, everyone's power has its limits."
Cliff explained patiently, ensuring Nathan understood, "Everyone has their weaknesses, things they can't accomplish. Once the curse brings these to your attention, and you recognize them but can't overcome them, the curse achieves its purpose."
Nathan had a moment of realization upon hearing this.
In fact, the principles of the world are the same; this applies to life as well as the world of magic.
Cliff continued, "Without the curse, you wouldn't think about things you can't do and wouldn't be troubled by them. But once the curse takes effect, it will constantly plague you. It will destroy your will and ruin your future."