FALLEN ORACLE

**Chapter 2: The Fourth Kind of Contact (3)**

Before long, the server returned with a tray bearing four bottles of exquisitely packaged wine, drawing gasps of admiration from the neighboring table.Carl didn't wait for the server to open the bottle. He bit the cork out with his teeth and took a long swig.The server had never seen such a wild drinking style. He froze on the spot.Carl frowned and asked the others with confusion, "Does Dreamweed Cider always taste like milk to you?"The three of them silently cursed him: Who the hell has enough money to drink this stuff regularly?---Halfway through the bottles, someone finally remembered that the nominal purpose of tonight's drinking was to discuss tactics for the Special Competition."Oh, right," Mendes said. "I can't compete this year, so I commissioned a shield staff from Leik today. Chen Yi, make sure to pick it up before the competition."Phil gave a thumbs up. "That's solid of you. Chen Yi and I were just worrying about how we'd manage without you. Your staff will go a long way toward covering our defense."Chen Yi also expressed his thanks. "Thanks. I was agonizing over what staff to make this year. With yours, I won't have to."The Special Competition rules allowed each contestant to bring one staff. Among the four of them, Chen Yi specialized in Elemental magic, Carl in Summoning, Phil in Psionic, and Mendes in Healing.In terms of raw power, Mendes—now a professor—was the strongest. Without him, the squad's offensive and defensive balance would break.He knew more high-level spells than Chen Yi. A staff infused with his mana would naturally be far superior to one Chen Yi could make himself. With his staff backing them up, the squad would effectively gain half a healer."Didn't you say you wanted your sister to replace Mendes? If we're discussing tactics, why didn't you bring her tonight?" Carl asked Phil.Phil shook his head helplessly. "She's not easy to get along with. If she came tonight, she might cause some kind of scene. Better that the four of us drink in peace."Phil knew that his sister's arrogant personality was why her dormmates had ostracized her, and also why few wanted to team up with her. If she found out Chen Yi—an intermediate trainee—would be on the same squad, she might say something hurtful.Chen Yi was already down on his luck today. Phil didn't want to embarrass him further. There was still a month to go. He planned to work on his sister's attitude during that time, so they wouldn't start off on the wrong foot.The four of them drank and chatted about everything under the sun, forgetting all about the Special Competition. With cheese and grilled meat to accompany, the four bottles soon ran dry.Dreamweed Cider wasn't strong, but the Dreamweed itself had mild hallucinogenic properties. It didn't give you the splitting headache of alcohol, yet still offered a pleasant, floaty euphoria.Stuffed and satisfied, Chen Yi lit a Glow spell. The four of them walked shoulder to shoulder, arms draped over one another, stumbling back toward the academy.He wondered if he'd ever have moments like this again after being expelled.Truth be told, Chen Yi didn't really care that much about being expelled. What tormented him was his near-fanatical hunger for magic—that mysterious unknown. Leave Rongqi Academy, and he'd never find such a good learning environment again.Chen Yi privately believed that magic and the nature of the world were intrinsically connected. He couldn't bear the thought of ending his life's understanding of the world at this level.Thinking this, he unconsciously looked up toward the upper realm—that red star.Against the night sky, the planet's rings were clearly visible, like a magic ring activated by fire.Chen Yi sighed inwardly: *My god, where are you? Grant me Divine Communion. Just once. Teach me one spell. A low-level Shock-rank spell, that's all.*Strengthening, Psionic, Elemental, Summoning, Healing—any school would do. Just enough to give me another option in the Magic Tournament. Just enough to give my brothers here a little more support.No—even half a spell. Just give me a thread to pull on.As expected, the red planet that occupied nearly a tenth of the sky hung there, neither closer nor farther, unmoved by his humble plea.---Back in the dorm, Chen Yi barely managed to wash up through the haze of the Dreamweed, then collapsed onto his pillow in a fog.No sooner had his eyes closed than he felt something like a needle pierce his consciousness. But he was too tired to care, and tumbled into sleep.His last thought before drifting off: *Carl lied. Dreamweed Cider still gives you a headache.*---In a daze, Chen Yi felt his body lift into the air.His feet left the ground, but he didn't panic. He could clearly sense something in the surrounding mana—some presence—that made him feel safe.After a dizzying whirl, space seemed to tear open. He arrived somewhere utterly strange. It appeared to be a prison cell.The first thing he saw was the woman bound to the cross. Then the second look, the third, the fourth... always that woman. He couldn't tear his gaze away.Through her tangled hair, he glimpsed a pale neck and delicate features. Her shabby, tattered shift only emphasized the grace of her figure.To be fair, as a man, Chen Yi's looks had few flaws.Over the years, quite a few female classmates—some he knew, some he didn't—had dropped various hints.Chen Yi wasn't dense. As long as he wasn't an i***t and had normal contact with the opposite s*x, he could usually tell what a woman meant.But he'd always been absorbed in his magical studies and research, and had no interest in a relationship that would only become a burden to both parties.So he'd always turned down those hints with tactful grace. Eventually, word spread among the girls that he was immune to their charms, and no one bothered anymore.Some of those who'd hinted at him were genuinely beautiful, with plenty of suitors. But their beauty wasn't even in the same league as this woman's.The woman on the cross seemed to notice him too. She lifted her head with effort and smiled at him.In that instant, Chen Yi even had this thought: *If I could be with this woman, screw magic.*But he quickly steadied himself and began to take in the rest of the cell.On the wall directly in front of the woman hung a dark cyan stone. If not for that stone, Chen Yi wouldn't have been able to tell that this place, with its transparent walls, was a prison cell.Outside the cell stood four white-robed figures. Their faces were hidden by their hoods.Unlike the woman on the cross, they didn't seem to notice him.Chen Yi quickly concluded: by any measure, this had to be a dream.