108 THE UNHOLY MISSION TO THE SODOM RUINS
"Lilleo Gullee, I knew you were the bright star of our academy from the moment you struck our Bell of Aptitude a hundred times," said Dean Faschae, looking at Leo with pride. "The Bell is our treasure, it's never wrong."
"The Bell is broken," Leo replied bluntly. "Get it fixed. Now, what do you need from me?"
"Well, there is one small matter," the Dean said, a glint in his eye.
"Go on."
"In less than a month, the ancient ruins of Sodom will be open for exploration. The city has granted us three entry slots, and I'm considering offering one to you."
"The ruins of Sodom?" Leo asked, intrigued. "What's that all about?"
Dean Faschae leaned back thoughtfully. "The Sodom city we know today was built upon the ruins of the original, the Great Sodom, destroyed by Angels for its sins. Sodom and Gomora were once among the most advanced cities in the world. How far we have fallen…"
"So, why bother exploring a ruin?" Leo asked.
"Who knows what treasures or lost knowledge might still be hidden within those ruins? Every few years, the city allows a few selected individuals from magic academies and noble families to explore. This year, we have a rare opportunity."
"Why me? There are stronger mages here. I'm only a novice Svad," Leo protested.
"That's precisely why. The ancient barrier surrounding the ruins only allows lower-tier Svad mages to enter. Stronger mages are barred to prevent them from unearthing forbidden knowledge."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "So, weaker mages are allowed in just to struggle with whatever fuck is inside?"
"Exactly. Most lack the strength to venture far. It's dangerous—unless you have an exceptional advantage, like your Golden Rakhshasa Transformation Sutra. With that, you could withstand nearly anything in those ruins."
Leo thought it over, then shook his head. "No. I'm not going."
"Are you sure? The ruins may be filled with treasures," Dean Faschae pressed.
"A bird in hand is better than a thousand in the ruins," Leo replied.
The Dean chuckled. "Wise. But consider this: there are more parts to the Golden Rakhshasa Transformation Sutra that aren't available in the Arena Tome. You've only studied one of them. The other parts are locked in the academy's secret vault."
"There are more parts?" Leo's interest piqued.
"If you agree to join the expedition, I'll arrange access to those tomes," Dean Faschae offered.
Leo thought it over, then nodded. "Alright. But you want more than just fucking exploration, don't you?"
The Dean hesitated, then nodded. "There's intense rivalry among students from different academies. Fewer competitors in the other academies would mean less pressure for us."
Leo smirked. "You want me to quietly 'eliminate' the number of geniuses from rival academies?"
"Only if you can do it discreetly, without implicating us of course," the Dean replied, his smile darkening.
Leo crossed his arms. "What's in it for me?"
"The final part of the Golden Rakhshasa Transformation Sutra—Body Unity."
"What does it do?"
"Mastering it would embed the Golden Rakhshasa Transformation Sutra's power directly into your body permanently. It wouldn't just be a spell anymore; it would become a part of you."
Leo doesn't need the spell because he could learn better magic from Yun-Yun. But he has already exposed to the world that he learnt the Golden Rakshasa Sutra, so it was wise to complete the series.
Leo's asked the dean, "How many heads do you want?"
The Dean raised his hands. "Five… no, three will do."
Leo chuckled. "Three? I'll bring you ten heads of the top students from the other academies and noble families."
Dean Faschae chuckled, raising his glass. "Ambitious. But give me three, and the Body Unity Sutra is yours."
"Deal."
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[Back at Court la Mood]
"How did it go in the Tome Arena?" Yun-Yun asked, her voice full of curiosity as she studied Leo.
Suddenly, a brilliant golden apparition appeared around Leo's body—a towering, ethereal Rakhshasa. Yun-Yun's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the magic surrounding him.
"There's something… familiar about your transformation," she remarked, her brow furrowing in thought.
Leo nodded. "Yes, you recognize it. This is the same magic you taught me—the Dragon Body Transformation Sutra."
Yun-Yun tilted her head. "But you summoned a Rakhshasa instead of a dragon?"
"I tried to learn the Golden Rakhshasa Transformation Sutra but failed," Leo admitted.
She raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "But what about this?" she asked, gesturing toward the golden apparition hovering around him.
Leo gave a small shrug.
"It's a trick. I was running out of ideas and there were people chasing me, thinking I'm a demon practitioner. So, I observed the librarian's Rakhshasa Sutra of the librarian. I couldn't copy the whole spell in time, but I managed to replicate the form and shape of his Rakhshasa, and then replaced it with my dragon spirit."
Yun-Yun's expression shifted as she processed his words. "So, behind this Rakhshasa façade, it's actually your dragon spirit?"
"Yes," Leo confirmed.
"Who would think of something like that?" she said, half in awe.
Without thinking, she moved to him and kissed his cheek. "Clever," she added, her voice warm with encouragement.
Leo smiled. "The dean promised to give me the final part of the Golden Rakhshasa Transformation Sutra, the part called 'Body Unity.' Although I probably don't need it."
Yun-Yun's eyes sparkled with interest. "Yes, there's still one more part of the Dragon Sutra that I haven't taught you yet. Would you care to learn it now?"
Leo's smile widened. "Of course, if you're willing to teach it to me."
Yun-Yun nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "Then let's begin."
Leo unrolled several scrolls onto the table. "These are the other parts of the Golden Rakhshasa Body Transformation Sutra."
Yun-Yun's gaze lingered on the parchments before she spoke. "You need to decide. Do you want to master the Dragon Sutra or the Rakhshasa Sutra? You can only fully commit to one. Learning both would be redundant and impractical."
"Which one is better?" Leo asked, his tone curious.
Yun-Yun paused, weighing her words. "Each has its strengths and weaknesses. The Dragon Sutra emphasizes raw power and agility, while the Rakhshasa Sutra excels in resilience and mysticism. If I were you, I'd choose the one that feels most aligned with your style."
Leo stroked his chin, thinking. "What if I combined them? A sutra that uses the strengths of both while covering their weaknesses."