Luke felt genuinely impressed.
This was exactly why professionals mattered.
If this research had been handed to him, he probably never would have achieved anything like Frey's results.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that meeting Frey had been like finding buried treasure.
The two of them continued researching in that direction, but soon another new problem appeared.
Frey frowned slightly in thought. "How do we ensure that everyone's information can be transmitted accurately? Or rather, communication between people should at least require some kind of introduction."
When Luke heard that question, he began thinking as well.
That was true. If they could not solve this problem, then the Dreamnet would ultimately be meaningless.
In the vast spirit realm, every message sent by each person was like a tiny fish swimming through the open ocean.
It could not achieve the kind of crisscrossing, interconnected structure Frey imagined, spreading out like a spiderweb.
To put it more plainly, even adding friends required a username, while the Dreamnet's current state was like everyone having an account but no way to add anyone else.
"In other words, we now need an existence capable of intervening in this kind of thing."
Luke was thoughtful. In simple terms, they were still missing a core programmer.
Someone responsible for coding, writing programs, and configuring the settings.
And in the spirit realm, the one who could easily accomplish something like that was...
The two of them looked at each other, then their gazes suddenly shifted at the same time toward the little black dog in the corner, whose ears were perked up as he eavesdropped.
Nocturne was actually quite interested in these novel human ideas. Even he had never thought about using his own abilities this way.
Using dreams as a pathway for communication really could ignore distance...
He was listening intently when he suddenly noticed their gazes turning toward him. Nocturne had seen that kind of look countless times before.
It was the look of someone who only knew how to take and never give anything back.
At the same time, he gave a faint shudder and had a bad feeling.
You two are not thinking of making me, the great Eternal Nightmare, work for you, are you?
"In a certain sense, isn't this also a good opportunity for you to return to the field you are best at?"
Seeing the little black dog's expression, Luke spoke leisurely.
When the little black dog heard that and thought about it, his eyes really did reveal a flicker of temptation.
That made sense.
All this time, he had been very worried. Although his power was slowly recovering, because of his restrictions, he had never been able to find a way to connect to the spirit realm.
But now, these two humans needed him to enter the spirit realm and help them achieve their goal.
Wasn't this the same as releasing a tiger back into the mountains?
One had to know that the spirit realm was where Nocturne had been born. If he returned there, it would be no different from going home.
He could absolutely take advantage of a moment when these two were not paying attention to search for a way to break the seal on himself.
Just as he was about to agree, Luke had already stood up. "Forget it. There's no rush with this. Let's finish the other parts first."
Frey nodded and also rose to her feet.
The two of them walked out, leaving the little black dog alone. But he was not anxious in the slightest.
His little black bead-like eyes darted around craftily as he imagined the day he escaped. Just thinking about it made him feel wonderful.
He was certain that these two would come looking for him again, because he was the only one who could handle this matter.
At this time, Luke and Frey, who had left one after the other, were also discussing this problem.
"Giving him permission to return to the spirit realm so rashly is still too risky," Frey said as she followed behind Luke.
"I know. After all, that guy was born there." Luke nodded slightly, his face thoughtful. "The spirit realm is unknown territory to us, but for him, it's like home. If he takes the opportunity to do something we don't know about, no one can predict the consequences."
Just now, he had only tested the waters a little, and that little black dog had practically written all his thoughts on his face.
Luke could guarantee that if they really let Nocturne get his way, the little black dog would definitely cause trouble in the spirit realm.
Maybe he really would figure out how to undo his seal.
So for now, this idea could not be carried out.
However, for this matter, it was also true that only the key's true owner, the little black dog, could do it.
"We can try to think of other methods, but without this step, our exploration of the spirit realm seems to have reached its limit."
Frey looked troubled. In the end, they were outsiders.
Although they had touched the edges of the spirit realm, it was almost impossible for them to understand it more deeply.
"There's no rush. The key to this matter is the little black dog. As long as we keep the little black dog here, we don't need to worry about not figuring it out."
Luke's thinking was still clear.
Nocturne was the key to the Dreamnet. Without Nocturne, the Dreamnet really would be nothing more than a dream.
As long as they first found a way to lock Nocturne down completely, the rest could be handled slowly.
Frey nodded.
And so, this matter was temporarily set aside.
In the blink of an eye, two days passed.
May 5th.
Because today was the day of the petricite colossus experiment, Luke got up very early.
The weather today was mild, bright, and sunny, with white clouds drifting overhead and a gentle breeze hanging in the air. When it brushed against the face, it only felt comfortable.
Last night, after two consecutive nights of intense activity, Luke had finally had one night to rest and restore his energy.
After climbing out of bed, he went to the courtyard and practiced Vitality Arts twice, then washed up.
Luke planned to leave after breakfast.
Since there was nothing to do right now, he sat down on a chair in the courtyard.
Before long, he heard footsteps coming from outside the courtyard wall. Soon, a flash of brilliant blond hair entered his sight.
Beneath that blond hair was a delicate, pretty face, with fine brows, bright eyes, and white teeth. She carried an innocent, lively, and energetic air. Her figure was slender, her chest had begun to lift slightly, as though finally showing signs of development, and she was no longer short either. At this moment, she already had a bit of the graceful feeling of a young lady coming into her own.
Looking at Miss Crownguard before him, a thought could not help flashing through Luke's mind.
The girl next door really had grown up.
"Good morning."
When Lux saw Luke, she raised her hand and greeted him in a crisp voice.
"Good morning. Why is Miss Crownguard here so early today?"
Luke lazily replied, then casually asked.
"Is no one earlier than me?"
Lux asked that for some reason.
Luke found it strange. "Why do you ask?"
By now, Lux had already walked over. She sat down on the chair beside him, then stared at him with a serious little gaze. "I keep feeling like you're hiding something from me. You, Sona, and Fiora, the three of you, have you been secretly doing something fun without me?"
Recently, she had clearly sensed that the atmosphere between those three was different from usual.
She was certain that they must be hiding something from her.
As she spoke, a suspicious look gradually appeared in her eyes. She stared seriously at Luke's expression, judging whether there would be any trace of lying in what he said next.
When Luke heard this, he could not help laughing. "You're overthinking it. When have I ever left you out of anything fun?"
This thing was fun, sure, but three was already plenty. If there were four, wouldn't it turn into a complete free-for-all?
"That's true."
Lux thought about it, then nodded slightly. But she still felt that something was wrong. "But..."
"What but? We're in this courtyard all day. What could we be doing behind your back?"
Luke still had that lazy attitude as he interrupted Lux. Then he lightly changed the subject. "I recently researched a new dessert called cream puffs, and I'm just missing a professional like you to evaluate them."
Lux's eyes lit up. Then she pretended to be reluctant. "Honestly, what am I going to do with you?"
Although she said that, she could barely keep the corners of her mouth from rising.
"Wait here. They'll be ready soon."
Luke smiled and stood up, then walked toward the kitchen, thinking that it was just about time to make breakfast anyway.
"Mm-hmm."
Lux nodded obediently and watched Luke leave.
Then she immediately lay down on the rocking chair without a care in the world, closing her eyes in delight as her mind began imagining the taste of cream puffs.
As for the matter she had been concerned about when she first entered, she had already forgotten it completely.
After all, what he said was true. What could Luke possibly hide from the sharp-eyed Lady Lux?
As a professional dessert master, Lux gave the cream puffs an extremely high evaluation.
It could be said that she was extremely satisfied with this breakfast.
After breakfast, there was still no rush to leave, so Luke returned to the front courtyard and planned to bask in the morning sun.
Beside him, Lux did the same. She lay down lazily, her face full of happiness and comfort.
The two of them lay on their rocking chairs in almost identical poses, as if they had been carved from the same mold.
The other girls were each busy with their own things. Those practicing swordsmanship practiced swordsmanship, the one practicing the zither practiced the zither, and the one reading continued reading.
Luke leisurely closed his eyes and silently said in his heart, "Check in."
Check-in successful.
Congratulations, host. You have obtained the item: Demon Contract.
Congratulations, host. You have obtained Basic Skill Upgrade Card x1.
Rewards have been issued to the system backpack. Host, please check them yourself.
The system's reward immediately drew Luke's attention. He instantly moved his consciousness into the system backpack and examined the item called Demon Contract.
A while later, after he finished understanding it, a look of realization appeared on his face.
This should be considered a kind of master-servant contract. It possessed an absolutely supreme contractual effect. Once signed, only death in the truest sense could break the contract, or else the contract's master had to personally release it.
The effect of the Demon Contract was that he could choose one target to sign the contract with. Without question, Luke would naturally be the side with dominant authority.
As for the other party, once they signed the contract, from that moment onward, they had to obey Luke's commands and could not defy him.
It could be said to be an extremely powerful item.
It meant that as long as the contract was signed, Luke would have a tool person who obeyed him one hundred percent.
Of course, there was one restriction. The other party had to sign it willingly.
Luke thought about it slightly and felt that the limit of "willingly" depended on how it was defined.
He put away the Demon Contract. No matter what, this item had come at exactly the right time.
At present, he had a fairly suitable target to test it on.
After lying there for half an hour, Luke felt that it was about time. He opened his eyes and said, "The Mage Association is going to test the newly built petricite colossus later. Want to go take a look?"
Hearing that, Lux, who was beside him, also opened her eyes and immediately nodded. "Yes!"
As the former president, she had heard something about this matter, though she was not very clear on the current progress.
She had not expected the experiment to begin so quickly.
"Then let's just the two of us go."
Luke thought about it, sat up, and said, "Yurna, prepare the carriage."
"Yes."
Hearing this, Yurna began preparing the carriage.
When Lux heard Luke's words, she was stunned for a moment. Then, for some reason, a sudden hint of joy rose in her heart.
She suddenly realized that it had been a very long time since she and Luke had spent time alone together.
Not the kind of occasional moment where they happened to be alone, but like back when they went to school together, went shopping together after class, and it felt as though the entire world only had the two of them in it.
Seeing Miss Crownguard's dazed expression, Luke said, "Or should we ask the others?"
He figured that probably no one would go. Sona had to practice the zither, Fiora had to practice swordsmanship, Kahina also had things to do, and the only idle person was Poppy, who had recently been taken by Quinn to play around at the personal guard camp.
A trace of disappointment flashed across Lux's face. She felt that if everyone went to see something interesting together, it would also be a lot of fun.
But for some reason, at this moment, she had a selfish feeling and did not want Luke to call anyone else.
"I'm fine either way."
Her tone suddenly lacked the same lively energy as before.
"There's no real need. Let's just go."
Luke felt that it was not a big deal anyway. This trip was only to see the results of the Petricite Colossus Department. There was no need to make a big production of it.
Lux's eyes instantly brightened, and she moved even more eagerly than Luke. "Great. Hurry up!"
She climbed into the carriage first, and then Luke slowly got on as well.
Soon, the carriage set off in the direction of the Mage Association.
Inside the carriage, Miss Crownguard excitedly lifted the curtain and looked at the scenery along the way, humming an unknown little tune. She seemed to be in a very good mood.
From the side, her beautiful eyes shone brightly and looked especially lively.
Luke placed his gaze openly on her face. That charming face was prettier than any scenery along the road. Sunlight spilled through the window onto the young woman's face, making this moment feel bright, warm, and breathtakingly beautiful.
Noticing Luke's gaze, Lux turned her eyes toward him and asked curiously, "Is there something on my face?"
Luke said, "Clean as can be."
Lux frowned unhappily. "Then why are you looking at me?"
"This carriage is only so big. Where do you expect me to look?"
Luke sounded rather justified.
"Hmph! I can't be bothered with you!"
Lux gave a soft snort and turned her gaze back out the window. But two rosy clouds quietly rose on her cheeks, making her look even more lovely, tender, and captivating.
Of course, Luke did not keep staring at her. After looking for a couple more seconds, he moved his gaze away as well, joining her in looking at the scenery beyond the carriage curtain.
By now, the carriage had already arrived on a street. People, carts, and horses came and went, and it was already quite lively despite the early hour.
After a while longer, the carriage slowly arrived at the Mage Association.
Once it stopped, Lux was the first to step down from the carriage. She had not been here for some time, and seeing the new Mage Association now, she could not help sighing. "It feels like this place has changed so much."
"You'll have to get used to it. Every part of Demacia is changing now, and this is only the beginning."
Luke got down from the carriage and walked inside as he spoke.
Lux followed after him.
The two chatted casually along the way, and soon they arrived at the Petricite Colossus Department.
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