CHAPTER 527: CHAPTER 259: THE LIAISON YOU CALLED IS OUT OF SERVICE

Bazatous excitedly shared with Ethan the idea of his blood and flesh factory, but in reality, it sounded more like a proposal to turn the academy’s faculty and students into aberrant creatures; it was merely spiritual guidance.

As for providing "volunteers," Old Ba perfectly resolved the ethical dilemma. Not only could he provide a large number of followers already in a state of mental collapse, but he also had a hundred methods to ensure they wouldn’t die suddenly after drinking the magic potion. As for the changes to their bodies...

Ethan thought the changes brought by the magic potion would actually make them more like normal people.

While talking about his many followers, Ethan inadvertently overheard Bazatous’s evaluation of them—a bunch of waste lacking creativity and passion for art, self-proclaimed steadfast followers who utterly failed to understand his ideas. Therefore, Bazatous had always set them aside and wouldn’t have thought of this group that called out "Father" if Ethan hadn’t brought up the issue of magic potion volunteers.

Out of humanitarian concern, Ethan felt it best not to let those fanatical followers hear Bazatous’s evaluation of them; the words were too harsh and would cause many to shed pearls.

After discussing the volunteers and art courses, Bazatous set about designing the curriculum, planning to take the students out for fieldwork, letting them appreciate up close the superiority of blood and evolutionary art. Ethan initially thought Old Ba was acting on a whim, but it turned out he was earnestly preparing the course and had already planned the content for the next semester.

If the students of "Introduction to Art" could accept their teacher having seven eyes and wearing a dress that wriggled like a living creature, they would probably gain a lot from the class.

Communication between Lindong and the headmaster also proceeded smoothly, and the academy immediately decided to organize a banquet, scheduled for tonight.

Recently, many things had happened at the academy, and the administration had much to announce to the students.

However, just when Ethan thought the day would pass peacefully, Rowena brought a message from the headmaster and Franky requesting Ethan meet them in the headmaster’s office before the banquet.

The sky had already started to darken, and excited discussions among the students could be heard throughout the academy.

The news of Lindong’s return had spread among the students, and the new enrollees couldn’t wait to see the legendary "Black Demon King."

Some students from the Empire mentioned Ethan; they had heard about changes in the imperial capital and knew of another Elemental Shaper, equally talented as Lindong, from letters sent by their families.

All signs indicated that a new era of magic was on the horizon.

Ethan soon met the dark-circled Franky in the headmaster’s office, his eyes seemed to sink into darkness, looking tired and sleepless.

"Mr. Ethan, you’re finally here."

Seeing Ethan, Franky’s brow finally relaxed a bit.

The headmaster sat in front of his office, carefully perusing the yellowing dossiers, and his usually calm face was unusually heavy.

"It’s bad news, about the time travelers."

Franky began, "Perhaps the descriptions in books about time travelers are incorrect, or they have been incomplete from the start. I’ve counted the headcount at the academy and found a professor and an assistant missing. Recently, there’s also been a case of alchemical materials theft from the storage room; upon checking carefully, it was materials used to brew a shape-shifting potion."

"Do the time travelers also need magic potions for transformation?"

Ethan thought this suddenly demeaned them significantly, expecting them to be a higher level of dark creatures, more advanced than shape-shifters.

"It’s complicated." Franky calmed himself, organized his thoughts, and then said, "They need the shape-shifting magic potion to disguise themselves as the headmaster, but that’s because they’ve already turned into someone else first."

He knew this explanation was rather convoluted; it confused him for quite a while when he first learned of it, "The academy’s Horned Owl Beast found a body blasted aside at the island’s edge. When the search party arrived at the scene, they had... reverted to their original form, and by that, I don’t mean a red octopus face, but the missing alchemy class professor."

Initially, Franky also thought this might be another deception, but after thorough verification and re-verification by the patrol team, it was confirmed the deceased was indeed the missing alchemy class professor, while his assistant’s whereabouts still remained unknown.

As for the reason for the disappearance...

Franky glanced at Ethan.

He didn’t believe anyone could survive a direct hit from Ethan’s Wind Element Magic.

Besides, the investigation team found traces of the Flash Thunder Spell on the tattered clothes.

"Maybe the time travelers assassinated the alchemy class professor before infiltrating the academy?"

"We’ve investigated the professor’s wounds; they bear traces of Wind Element cuts, and the fall from a height almost shattered all his organs."

Franky spoke as tactfully as possible because he and the entire search team agreed on the verdict—the alchemy class professor died from Ethan’s Wind Element Magic. Of course, as an eyewitness, he could attest the two time travelers were the first to launch an attack on them.

As Lindong said, it was justified defense.

"You’re saying they initially infiltrated the academy using the identities of the alchemy class professor and assistant, and then used the magic potion to transform into the headmaster’s form."