Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Search

Later that night, while Adonis was thinking about how to impress Isabella, Minos entered the room.

He smiled as soon as he saw Adonis pondering.

“Hey Adonis, I heard you really made a mess in your first class. Good. You’re really following after your idol.”

Adonis looked at Minos’ face and rolled his eyes.

“An idol? Sorry, but I’m not a fan.”

Minos laughed while he removed the coat from his shoulders.

“Oh, you will be. You just don’t know how awesome your roommate is,” he added with smug confidence.

Adonis didn’t bother to reply to his narcissistic words.

Instead, he asked, “Do you know where I can find Aether Silk and some high-level beast cores, possibly A-grade and above?”

After hearing the question, Minos tossed his coat onto the back of a chair and dropped into the seat opposite Adonis looking straight.

“And why do you need Aether Silk and high-grade beast cores? That too above A-grade no less. That’s not a shopping for a freshman, roommate. Spill it.”

Adonis leaned back in his chair. He was thinking if he should trust this guy. After a while, he decided.

“Let’s just say… I’m preparing something that requires very specific materials. You don’t need to know the details.”

Minos let out a short laugh,

“Not important? Come on. You’re talking about stuff most third-years can’t even afford to dream about. High-level beast cores show up in auctions with prices that make nobles bleed, and Aether Silk? That’s rarer than a top grade Arts. The only reliable source is deep inside Void Spider caves, where even veteran hunters avoid unless they want to end up as cocoon decorations.”

He leaned forward, continuing mischievously,

“That being said, I happen to know the location of one such cave. Fresh intel. Untouched nest. But I’m not handing that information over for free. Tell me what you’re really planning to use them for, and maybe I’ll share then.”

Adonis was silent for several long seconds.

He had already spent hours earlier that day scouring every accessible corner of the Academy library, public shelves, restricted indexes, even bribing a sleepy clerk for a peek at the lower-tier forbidden sections.

But he found nothing useful. The texts on ancient Ether Mechanisms nost likely went extinct.

But, Adonis, the original creator of the game, knows every hidden mechanisms.

He wanted to build the Ether Net inside his body for more efficient control over sword Arts.

But finding the materials was harder than acquiring dragon eggs.

With no other leads, he exhaled softly through his nose and met Minos’s gaze.

“Very well, Minos. But this should stay between us. No one must know about it. If your swear on your, you’re on. ”

Minos raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Adonis, my friend, you have my word. You can trust me. I never break my vows.”

Adonis obviously wouldn’t belive a person whom he basically met yesterday. But since he have no choice, he had get Minos on board with utmost cautiousness.

After a exhale, he started revealing the forgotten knowledge.

“I know an ancient technique. One that can make Ether utilization ten times more efficient. Not just in combat, every aspect like recovery, reinforcement, channeling, even passive absorption from the environment. Those materials are required to make an imprint l on the body. Without them, the backlash would tear a normal Swordmaster apart.”

Minos went very quiet.

His playful nature vanished. He became very serious.

“Ten times,” he repeated like he was possessed. “You’re serious?”

Adonis gave a single nod. “Yes. Deadly serious.”

For a moment, Minos studied Adonis’s face as though seeing him for the first time.

A entirely different storm was rising through his mind.

His smile turned into a grin,

“Well damn. That’s worth more than a cave location. Fine. You’ve got yourself a deal, Mate. Tommorow, I’ll accompany you there after class.”

—

The next day, in Isabella’s class, Adonis’ mind wasn’t focused on her.

And this struck Isabella as odd. By this point, she should have caught his gaze on her hundreds of times, but oddly enough his eyes were elsewhere as if he was deep in thought.

“Could it be that he has truly realized his mistake?” she thought inwardly. “But why doesn’t it make me happy? Was I secretly wishing that my student would look at me? Since when?”

She quickly shook her head to cast aside all the ridiculous thoughts. But no matter how much she tried, his handsome face never left her mind.

It was a passive effect of the Chaotic Harem Body, combined with the high Charm stats he now possessed.

The combination of those two would never allow Isabella to forget him.

Even when the class ended, Adonis didn’t look at her. She was at a loss.

But outwardly, she maintained her ice-cold persona.

She walked in front of Adonis with a cold huff while unconsciously swaying her hips left and right.

Despite that, Adonis didn’t look at her.

She fumed in anger and went inside her private room.

As soon as she left, Adonis let a naughty smile form on his lips.

[ Affection Level: 1% (Aware of your existence) ]

Vexa laughed melodiously inside his mind,

<Wow! Your idea is simply ingenious, Master. By intentionally ignoring her, you have already made a place in her heart. Even I couldn’t have thought of something like that, Master.>

’Oh, Vexa, you give me too much credit. It’s not genius, it’s instinct.’

’Ignoring her isn’t some grand strategy I invented. It’s basic. People especially women like Isabella crave what they can’t easily have. She’s used to being stared at, desired, feared, respected, but never ’ignored’. Not by someone who already dared to look at her like she belonged to him.’

He smiled evilly.

’The moment I stopped feeding her ego, even just for a day, I planted the seed. Now every time she glances my way and finds nothing, every time she sways those hips and gets no reaction, it stings. It confuses her. And confusion is the first crack in that perfect ice wall she’s built.’

<You’re enjoying this far too much, Master. Playing with her mind before you even touch her body. Cruel, byt delicious. I like it.>

He shook his head while walking,

’Cruel? No. Patient. She’s not some tavern girl I can charm with a wink and a compliment. She’s Isabella Frostbite. With SS-rank physique and Absolute Zero Sword Soul in her grasp, she is an untouchable instructor who freezes first-years for breathing wrong. You can’t conquer someone like that with force or flattery alone. You need to make her *want* to be conquered.’

’Right now she’s angry. Frustrated. Questioning herself. Wondering why the arrogant little null who dared call her beautiful suddenly acts like she doesn’t exist. That question will eat at her. Every day she doesn’t get my attention, the need for it will grow. And when I finally decide to look at her again,, when I let her feel the full devotion of my gaze once more… she’ll be the one who can’t look away.”

<Master, you’re terrifying when you get philosophical. So what’s next? Keep ignoring her until she cracks, or do you have a little push planned?>

He replied,

’For now I will keep her on edge like this. After I am back from the Void Spider Cave, I will move with my next plans.’

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