Chapter 538: Chapter 537- Requirements and promise

Early in the morning, Adrian made his way to the workshop.

Last night, he had stayed awake until three before bidding farewell to Raven and finally going to sleep with the others.

When he woke up, Ruby rose as well and left for Grimvale, since she had only come on short notice.

Ariana and Annabelle were still resting, though Ariana would surely return to the academy soon, given that the final exams were still underway.

As Adrian crossed the front campus, he asked the system, ’Can you actually influence my dreams?’

There was a long pause, so long that he thought it would not respond. Then—

[The system may enforce certain memories upon the host but does not directly influence the host’s dreams.]

Adrian hummed and slipped his hands into his pockets.

For some reason, he had dreamt of his former girlfriend, Terry, two nights in a row. And it had started to bother him.

’Why am I suddenly remembering her?’

[Perhaps that person once held a place close to the host’s heart.]

Surprisingly, even though he had not been directly addressing it, the system responded.

Adrian sighed. ’Terry is a forgotten Chapter of my life, one I would rather not reopen.’

This time, the system gave no reply.

Adrian did not dwell on it further and continued toward his workshop.

Near the workshop entrance, he spotted a familiar silver-haired girl leaning against the wall, seemingly lost in a daze.

Adrian felt a flicker of concern at her pale complexion. The first thing he asked was, “Are you okay?”

Elana flinched and turned toward him. “Yes, Professor. I am completely fine.”

Adrian studied her. “You look pale. Did you not sleep well?”

Elana gave a slow nod. “Some strange dreams, that’s all. But I am well rested, so don’t worry.”

Adrian considered it for a moment. They did not have much time, and since she insisted she was fine, he chose to trust her judgment and gave a small nod.

He stepped toward the door, unlocked it, and moved aside to let her enter.

Once she walked in, Adrian followed and closed the door behind them.

It felt improper, yet necessary.

Inside, Elana glanced around. “Have you not been spending time here, sir?” The thick layer of dust answered her question before he could.

Adrian nodded. “I have been busy with other matters lately and did not get the chance to clean this place. Anyway, before we begin, let us talk.”

He pulled a chair for her and took a stool for himself.

Elana sat without a word as Adrian began listing the precautions she needed to observe during the tuning.

She was already aware of most of them, until he reached the third thread.

“Remember, Elana, I will not anchor the thread to the first major memory I encounter. I must go through every secret and every significant event of your life before deciding what can serve best as the emotional anchor for the fifth thread.”

Elana knew that the third thread was tied to the subject’s memories, but this was different.

The fifth thread demanded a deep inspection of one’s mind. All her secrets, all the things she would not let even her shadow witness, would be laid bare before him.

And he was the last person she wanted to see those parts of her.

For the first time, she felt conflicted. Yet the moment hesitation surfaced, her resolve crushed it. If this was what it took to become useful to him, she would endure it.

In a low voice, Elana said, “Professor, I want a promise from you.”

Adrian nodded. “Yes. Tell me.”

She lowered her gaze. Her fingers trembled slightly, and the tips of her ears were already red. “In exchange for this help, I want you to remember something. Whatever you see in my memories, you must not abandon me.”

She looked up at him, eyes glassy, and reached out to clutch the hem of his shirt. “Whatever you see there, you must not judge me for it or create distance between us.”

Only a fool would miss her feelings. Adrian had long understood that Elana’s emotions for him went far beyond respect or admiration.

He could already guess what frightened her.

He exhaled slowly, then wrapped his hand gently around hers.

“I promise you, Elana,” he said softly. “Whatever I see inside your mind will not change how I see my favorite student.”

Elana’s lips curved faintly, and her trembling heart finally found a measure of peace. She gave him a small nod.

Adrian continued, “Now, about the fifth thread. As I mentioned before, when I enter that space in your mind, you will be completely vulnerable. You will sense my presence, but you will not be able to interfere, even if you try.”

Elana had no intention of doing so, yet she still asked, “Is there any reflex that could make me resist your approach?”

Adrian hummed. “Good question.”

Her smile returned for a moment before he went on.

“The Gate, the threshold between the conscious and unconscious mind, does not have a defense mechanism as such. However, if you are aware that something inside your head could potentially damage your magic processing unit, your mind might instinctively alter the wavelength of your dormant mana supply.”

He leaned back slightly as he explained, his tone calm but precise.

“If that happens, the internal flow will fluctuate. It will not attack me directly, but it could destabilize the process and make the anchoring far more difficult.”

Elana asked, “Is there any way for me to prevent that?”

Adrian chuckled softly. “You are already helping more than you realize. Having faith in me strengthens the bond between a Runesmith and the subject, and that bond plays a major role in achieving a perfect tuning. So no, you do not need to do anything except relax and let me work.”

Elana nodded, committing every instruction to memory. Do nothing excessive. Just relax.

Adrian then explained a few additional measures she could take if she felt something slipping out of control or if she experienced pain or anything unusual.

At times, a subject’s instincts became crucial. In the end, a Runesmith could never truly become one with their subject. They could only exist as a presence within their consciousness, never as its master.

Elana listened carefully before asking, “I have already taken a bath, thoroughly washed myself, and shaved all my body hair as you instructed. Should I take another bath, just in case?”

Adrian shook his head. “No, that will not be necessary. But Elana…” He drew in a slow breath. For the first time, hesitation crept into his voice. “You will need to wear as little as possible. Would you… I mean… would you mind remaining in your undergarments?”

The words sounded terrible the moment they left his mouth. He resisted the urge to slam his head against the desk.

A teacher asking his student to strip. There was no way to phrase it that did not sound wrong.

Elana lowered her head, her face burning red as she murmured, “Professor… could you turn around for a moment?”

Adrian hurriedly nodded and shifted on the stool to move away.

He could faintly hear the rustling from behind and the faint tap of her clothes hitting the floor.

After a minute, she finally said, “Y-You may turn now.”

Adrian took a deep breath and calmed himself down before slowly turning.

But…the moment his eyes landed on his student, he turned completely still.

She was not wearing her clothes anymore.

And…she wasn’t wearing her underwear as well.

Elana stood there completely naked!

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.

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