FALLEN ORACLE

**Chapter 7: Sudden Changes (1)**

"Where's Carl?" Chen Yi returned to the dormitory from the library, his mind full of new discoveries, and noticed one person missing."He rushed off this afternoon, asked for leave from the academy. Said something about family business." Mendes was organizing his books as he answered. "Maybe his family wants to build a new manor and need Carl to summon a Clay Giant to help."Phil smirked. "With their wealth, they'd lack money to hire a mage? No need for Young Master Carl to make the trip personally. I think it's something else. Like... the Duke arranged a... matchmaking session for him."Chen Yi nodded. "Could be. I wonder which noble family's daughter?""Noble daughter? No, no, no—it should be *daughters*. Young Master Carl gets to pick one. Or several." Phil said."Must be nice to be rich," Mendes sighed. "With my current income, I don't know when any girl will look my way, when I can afford a house, when I can start a family. Sigh..."Phil comforted him, "Don't worry, you're still on probation. Once you're promoted to mid-level or even senior professor, your income will definitely go up. Mendes, the youngest professor at Rongqi Academy—just put that title out there, and countless girls will want to marry you.""Ah, women are such a hassle. Dating costs money. Marriage costs money." Mendes grumbled."You could always find a rich woman to support you," Chen Yi suggested."Then my status in the family would be precarious. Besides, me, a man, living off a woman—what kind of achievement is that? I'll just save up and buy a house the hard way."If Mendes had known that Chen Yi's storage ring contained an entire villa, he might have had a breakdown.Phil said, "That still doesn't justify eating only a piece of dry bread for lunch every day. And you're a professor, still crammed into student dorms with us—your students will mock you if they find out. If you're struggling financially, come to me. Or Carl. You know Carl—rich, and a bit simple. Shake him a few times and gold coins fall out.""One thing at a time. Brothers are brothers, money is money." Mendes waved his hand. "Enough about my problems. Chen Yi, we're both commoners. What are your plans?""What plans?""For your future—marriage, family. You haven't thought about that yet?" Mendes looked at Chen Yi incredulously."No," Chen Yi said innocently.Phil patted Chen Yi's shoulder with deep significance. "Chen Yi, you're not getting any younger. But a man has to move forward. I know it's hard to move on after someone special. Lisa's death was a tragedy for all of us, but..."Before Phil could finish, Chen Yi rolled his eyes. "How many times do I have to say it? Lisa and I were just ordinary friends.""Fine, fine, ordinary friends. But all those girls who asked us to deliver love letters to you over the years—why didn't you reply to a single one?""Not interested."Mendes eyed Chen Yi warily and took a step back. "Not interested in girls? Chen Yi, you... you wouldn't happen to be...""Get lost!""Then what's your deal?" Phil wouldn't give up.Suddenly enlightened, Mendes exclaimed, "Oh! I get it! We've overlooked a possibility all along. Chen Yi already has a woman he likes, and she's not at our academy."Chen Yi was momentarily speechless. He didn't know any women outside the academy at all.The only one worth mentioning was the mysterious goddess—Tiya."Yes! That's it! He's blushing! Chen Yi likes a woman off campus!" Phil, who had the most romantic experience in the dorm, rendered the verdict."Keep guessing, you idiots. So boring." Chen Yi turned his back on them and went about his own business.*"Phil said I blushed?"* he thought. *Come to think of it, what exactly are my feelings toward this goddess who has given me so much? Gratitude? Admiration? Respect? Maybe something else?**What if she really is a witch?* Chen Yi pounded his head in frustration.---That night in his sleep, Chen Yi once again arrived at that transparent cell.He bowed respectfully to Tiya, even though he knew she couldn't see him. She sensed his presence and offered her usual smile.He could see her smile. She couldn't see his troubled expression.Judging by their faces alone, you might think Chen Yi was the one being tortured.He clearly saw that the large wound on Tiya's left ankle looked as fresh as when it was first torn open—neither scabbed nor bleeding. That must be the effect of the cruel spell on her limbs.Chen Yi counted the days. Today marked exactly one month since his last Divine Communion, and that one had been exactly one month after the first.Other people's Divine Communions had no fixed cycle. *So this is another exception for me,* he thought.This time, no accidents occurred. Tiya taught him another carefully prepared spell.*"Wait for me,"* Chen Yi whispered silently as he watched her chained figure being dragged away.After waking, Chen Yi didn't dare delay. He immediately recorded the new spell. Then he was astonished to discover that Tiya had taught him *two* spells at once—something unprecedented.On the continent of Alpha, it was common to learn one spell over multiple Divine Communions, but never multiple spells from a single communion.But thinking about it carefully, all existing spell sequences were devised by mortals based on spells the gods had taught them. No god had ever just handed over a complete, ready-made spell sequence like Tiya.*"She's doing everything she can to make me stronger,"* Chen Yi concluded.