As the last bat disappeared from view, the surroundings gradually grew quiet.
Virt and Robert exchanged a look and jogged out of the secret chamber.
The sudden swarm of bats had left them a bit flustered, but the vampire's self-destruction had been so horrifying that they were worried about Dark's safety.
But when they stepped out of the secret chamber, Dark's Magic Guide Spirits had already scrambled out ahead of them, gathering affectionately at his feet.
The high level of intelligence these Magic Guide Spirits displayed made Virt extremely envious.
Professor Jones had explained some related concepts in the dueling class at the end of the semester, but it was a realm beyond the reach of junior Magic Guide Masters.
No one knew how Dark had managed it.
Even Professor Jones had said it was something one couldn't simply be envious of.
Virt took a deep breath, and only after seeing that Dark was mostly unharmed did he stumble backward, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor.
Both mentally and physically, he had reached his limit.
Robert, however, still had some energy. He looked around and said to Dark, "Are you okay?"
Dark looked up. "I'm fine, for the most part."
Robert: "What about that vampire? It won't come back, will it?"
Dark thought for a moment, then chose his words carefully. "We should still be careful. It's best we leave the secret passage tonight and tell the professors about the vampire's appearance as soon as possible. Hmm, Professor Sarah should still be at the academy."
Robert nodded quickly. "That's what I was thinking too!"
The two then looked toward Betty and Scott, who were emerging from the other side.
Although Dark already knew someone was with Virt and Robert, this was the first time he had seen their faces clearly.
He was more familiar with Scott, but he had only seen Betty's face once in the infirmary and had little impression of her now.
Scott had been avoiding him for some time, but now that it was inevitable, he said with resignation, "Demon, what are you doing here?"
Dark's eyes narrowed slightly. Connecting this with the mirror in that small secret chamber, he had a good idea. "Perhaps we entered the secret passage for the same reason."
Scott was surprised. "You have a treasure map too?"
But Dark turned to Betty. "And you are, Senior?"
Betty was forthright. "Hello, I'm Betty Murray from Magic House. You can just call me Betty."
Dark: "I couldn't possibly. Senior Murray, how did you encounter the vampire?"
Betty replied, still shaken, "I don't know. We were just camping here for the night. No one would have thought there'd be a vampire in this secret passage! I mean, it wasn't until Virt screamed that we realized we were being attacked in our sleep."
At this point.
Scott's face suddenly changed, and he stammered, "Wait, I heard that if you're bitten by a vampire, you become its servant? Then Virt..."
Everyone's gaze instantly focused on Virt.
Virt shuddered and subconsciously touched his own neck, only to find that the wound had already healed, leaving only a faint, unremarkable mark.
This frightened him even more. "Is that really a thing?"
Betty quickly reassured him, "Not necessarily. A vampire only converts its prey into a blood thrall during the 'embrace.' If it's just a normal feeding, it won't happen."
Dark nodded. "That's true. But we've never encountered a real vampire before, after all. To be on the safe side, we should still get Virt to Sister Carian for an examination as soon as possible."
Virt immediately pushed himself up against the wall and stood, saying frantically, "Then should we leave right now?"
Dark: "The sooner, the better!"
...
Before leaving, Dark went back to the dragon's lair for one last look and, sure enough, found that the secret realm used to hide the treasure was already showing signs of collapse.
"I was hoping to travel through it one more time."
Dark felt a sense of loss, but then he remembered that he had sketched every scene, and he felt a little fortunate.
Perhaps this was life.
A journey filled with limitless scenery.
But looking back, only memories remain.
...
After packing up all his things, Dark walked out through the small secret chamber.
The collapse of the dragon's lair was clearly having a knock-on effect on this small chamber.
Standing inside it, one could even feel tremors like an earthquake.
But once they were outside the chamber, there was nothing.
The group of five witnessed the secret chamber disappear, and only then, with a mix of emotions, did they begin their journey back!
...
On the way, aside from encountering a few bats, they faced no other dangers.
Virt became too exhausted to walk halfway through and had to summon his [Magic Beast: Stag] to ride.
Scott and Betty's stamina was also average.
With many stops and starts, they finally made it out of the secret passage before eight in the morning.
By this time, everyone was utterly exhausted.
But to completely resolve any lingering worries, they dragged their tired bodies and knocked on the door of the infirmary.
Sister Carian had finally gotten the chance for a peaceful night's sleep, only to be woken up again.
Her expression was clearly unhappy when she opened the door, but upon learning that Virt had been bitten by a vampire, she immediately said, "Get inside!"
...
Sister Carian had Virt lie down on a medical bed. She first examined the bite on his neck, then disinfected it with alcohol and drew a blood sample with a syringe.
She dropped the drawn blood into a petri dish, quickly mixed a reagent, and dripped it into the dish to conduct a test.
The reagent reacted with the blood, emitting a light of seven colors.
After examining the spectrum, Sister Carian finally relaxed. "You're lucky. There are no signs of becoming a blood thrall."
She put down her tools, took off her gloves, washed her hands, and only then turned to them. "Tell me, where did you encounter the vampire?"
Dark briefly conferred with Betty and the others, then spoke up, "In the secret passage."
Sister Carian looked them over briefly and asked curiously, "Did you deal with it?"
Dark shook his head. "Not completely. He turned into a huge swarm of bats and escaped into various parts of the secret passage."
Carian crossed her arms, resting one hand on her chin as she mused, "Escaped by turning into bats, did he? That's a classic vampire trick. But you can rest assured, I've already notified your Professor Sarah. She'll be here soon. If your story is true, you might even get extra points."
Dark was surprised. "We can get points for this?"
Carian smiled. "You discovered a potential crisis within the secret passage and even successfully repelled it. Why wouldn't you get points?"
Dark: "But last time..."
Carian: "You didn't?"
Dark: "No."
Carian shrugged. "Perhaps you can look forward to the opening ceremony of the new semester. Cynthia always likes to let things pile up and then choose a grand occasion to set them off herself, like fireworks. You know, she hasn't been back since that incident. Hmm, did I let something slip?"
Dark said seriously, "Not at all, Sister. I didn't hear a thing."
Sister Carian patted his shoulder kindly. "If you're tired, you can go lie down inside for a bit. I have some sleeping potions... well, maybe after you've given your report."
Before she had even finished speaking, a gentle breeze entered through the window.
Professor Sarah arrived with the wind and said immediately, "Let's have the report now."
..
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