Villain Path

Chapter 24. Personal disciples and quest tasks

Shen showed up at the Peak of Lurking Wind in the afternoon. Pondering where to look for Al and Annis, he first went to the lecture hall. It was very curious what kind of artifacts were taken from the clearing by the kids. Considering what an amazing sword Muan got, it could be something equally amazing. And would it be right to take these things from them and give them to the lords? After all, Shen has never been a person willing to submit to the majority opinion.

In any case, it was necessary to first see the artifacts before making a decision. He had already thought that he would have to search for them for a long time, as the disciples, as if sensing his appearance, were already running down the corridor towards him. (In fact, they heard the news that Lord Shen had arrived at the peak of Lurking Wind, and immediately ran to look for him.)

Nodding in satisfaction at the disciples' greeting, Shen told them to follow him. After some time, they stopped in a remote place in a vast park, stretching on the western slope of the peak of Lurking Wind. Shen took them this far, not wanting to be heard by outsiders.

Turning to his disciples, he folded his arms over his chest and majestically said:

"Show me your artifacts."

Al Luar and Se Annis looked at each other and obediently fiddled around: Annis pulled out a hairpin from her hair, and Al took the pendant from her neck. Shen first took the hairpin and twirled it with interest. It was made in the form of a large blue-violet flower, so skillfully that from a distance it seemed indistinguishable from the real one. Shen could feel the energy lurking within the artifact.

[The artifact helps in the development of spiritual forces and the formation of a golden core], informed System. [Unlike many artifacts of this kind, it does not have negative actions, recognizes one master and is destroyed at the time of his death.]

"Has he already recognized Annis?"

[Not yet, you need to feed him with blood.]

"Annis, give me your hand," Shen demanded.

Se Annis immediately stretched out her hand to him, blushing slightly. Shen pricked her finger with the tip of a hairpin. The girl gasped in surprise, and the teacher ran her finger with a swollen drop of blood over the blue petal. The girl watched in amazement as the petal eagerly absorbed her blood and lit up with a dark light. A moment later, on her palm was laying exactly the same hairpin as it was before all these manipulations.

"You are now her rightful mistress," Shen explained. "The artifact does not recognize another owner."

"Thank you teacher!" exclaimed the girl and again tied her hair with a hairpin.

"Now your pendant."

Shen reached out and Al gave him a pearl pendant shaped like a water droplet. The power contained in him seemed to Shen much stronger than the power of a flower. Well, not surprisingly, this is the property of the protagonist.

[Possesses healing properties], System calmly told. [Accelerates tissue regeneration and heals mental wounds. Also reduces attack damage.]

"Uh," Shen drawled, "I would have been like that. Does he recognize one owner? Can I tie him to Al?"

[Recognizes the owner. The owner can transfer the pendant at his own discretion. But if someone takes it against the will of the owner, the pendant becomes just a useless trinket. The artifact has already recognized Al as the owner, no further action is required.]

"As expected from the main character. Well, obviously, I cannot give the artifacts to the lords."

"Take it," Shen returned the pendant to Al. "The artifact has already recognized you as its owner."