Just because the pet ran away, is it necessary to make a big deal out of it, as if catching a cheater?!

After being surprised for a moment, Bryce felt that he hadn't done anything wrong and decided to play dead. At this moment, he couldn't help but feel that it would have been better if he hadn't turned into a human form. Nothing would have happened, and what could Bryce do to a ball of fur... He didn't believe that the other party could still beat him up.

"I've been paying attention these past few days." Bryce said, "Your aura is different from usual... It reminds me of that prince."

Just like Rafael, Bryce didn't have a good impression of that prince, and he had no intention of befriending him.

Shao Ci was completely shocked by his keen observation. "?! Wait, can you even notice something like this?"

Then Bryce gently pressed his slender fingers on Shao Ci's body, and a force was transmitted.

"I heard that the Celestials can transform into human form when their power is sufficient," he said softly, "and I want to try it now."

Only then did Shao Ci notice the book about Celestials that Bryce had put aside.

Damn, why did it have to happen at this moment!

Shao Ci wanted to struggle, but as a ball of fur, he had no strength and could only be held down by Bryce. Soon, his body started to heat up, accompanied by the same pain as last time."

This time, the speed was much faster than last time. Shao Ci felt as if his body had been crushed by something. He didn't know how long had passed. Shao Ci leaned against Bryce, his body covered in sweat. He was exhausted and couldn't even lift a finger.

When he was still a ball of fur, he could tolerate being touched to some extent, but now that he had transformed into a human form, most of his body was in contact with Bryce, and Shao Ci felt terrible all over.

Bryce gently held him in his arms and softly asked, "Can you tell me now? Where have you been these past few days?"

Shao Ci decided to play dumb and looked at Bryce blankly, as if he couldn't understand what he meant.

If he said that he had gone far away for a mission, Bryce would definitely suspect him. But if he didn't say anything, Bryce would also have suspicions.

"Don't you want to tell me?" Bryce lifted Shao Ci's chin with his hand, his gaze darkened. He directly kissed his lips.

Shao Ci could clearly feel his body trembling slightly. Was he scared?

It seemed that ever since the last banquet, the furball had been resisting his advances.

Why was it like this? Did he do something wrong?

Although he appeared normal on the surface, Bryce was actually being tormented by this situation. He even skipped the classes of a seventh-level mage and hurried back to the dormitory.

However, he didn't see Shao Ci's figure at all. He had set up many magic arrays around, so why wasn't he there?

Bryce couldn't control himself and went outside to look for Shao Ci, but he couldn't find him at all. The suppressed emotions in his heart were about to explode. When he returned to the dormitory with an expressionless face, he saw the furball lying on the bed as usual.

Clearly, the other person was completely different from what he had known before. The furball was not only a Celestial, but also someone who could escape from the magic arrays he had set up and return as if nothing had happened. A Celestial who had studied magic.

In that moment, he almost wanted to lock the other person up, in a place where only he would be present.

However, he held back. As the days went by - the second day, the third day, the fourth day... - the other person was absent every day, and when he returned, he carried the aura of other places.

After using tracking magic on the magic array, Bryce finally knew where the other person had gone.

But now, the furball didn't want to tell him about it and even wanted to deceive him.

Bryce's kiss was intense, coupled with the electric shock sensation when they touched. Shao Ci felt a moment of dizziness and couldn't muster any strength to struggle.

When he felt like he was suffocating, Bryce finally released him.

"It's okay," Bryce lifted his head and gently held Shao Ci's face in his hands. He said softly, "No matter what you've done, my feelings won't change."

Contrary to this gentle voice was the hint of obsession in his pale blue eyes.

That's right, his feelings would never change.

What he wanted was for the other person to belong to him forever.

Afterward, Bryce carried Shao Ci to the bed and lowered his head to gently kiss the base of the wings behind him.

Celestials are different from ordinary people. During their growth period, the wings are one of their sensitive areas, and the base is the most sensitive. Just a touch would make them weak all over, let alone flying. Even if their clothes had slightly rough friction against the delicate wings, it would render them unable to move.

Because of this, Celestials in their growth period rarely leave the Celestial territory.

Only when they have fully grown up does the sensitivity of their wings decrease.

Almost every time Bryce kissed him, Shao Ci's body trembled, and uncontrollable low sobbing sounds escaped him.

Bryce turned him over and saw the watery gleam in his emerald eyes. He lowered his head to kiss away the tears.

To possess him.

To make him completely his.

A voice echoed in his mind.

A crimson blush appeared on Bryce's delicate and handsome face. He gently leaned down to kiss Shao Ci's neck and continued with gentle kisses down his body.

After completely opening up his body, Bryce tenderly comforted Shao Ci while fully entering him.

Shao Ci's body had long become weak. The waves of pleasure mingled with the pain given by the system made it almost impossible for him to breathe. Tears of a purely physiological response kept falling.

　　——

In the middle of the night, when Shao Ci woke up, he had only one thought.

Is it unreliable to dress up as a pet?!

Tossing and turning all night, he was exhausted.

No, that's not the point. The point is, what should he do for the next mission?

Shao Ci was completely torn.

And then he fell back asleep.

When Shao Ci woke up again, he felt a jolt and realized that he had turned back into a furball. Now he was being carried in Bryce's pocket.

The pocket was also bound by a binding spell, so Shao Ci couldn't jump out. He could only look out from the top of the pocket, and it seemed to be a forest around.

Shao Ci: "Huh?!"

Is this another mission to hunt down demons sent by the academy?

This kind of mission can improve the score in the academy, enhance reputation, and even make extra money by selling the demon's crystal core. Therefore, it is quite popular among senior students.

Although Bryce has only been enrolled for more than half a year, he is frequently sent out for missions due to his strong abilities. In the past, when he went out on missions, he would leave Shao Ci in the dormitory because he was worried about the dangerous situation.

But this time... after all that happened before, he definitely couldn't leave himself in the dormitory.

It was surprising to the other teammates that Bryce actually brought a pet with him on the mission.

Although they each had their own thoughts, Bryce's strength was the strongest among them, so they didn't dare to say anything about just bringing a demon pet.

"I heard that a third-level demon appeared in the forest this time, it's really terrifying," Someone spoke up.

"Yes, a third-level demon... that's a strength comparable to a fourth-level mage," Another person expressed concern. "I wonder if we can handle it."

After all, they were all students from the academy, and their strength was naturally not very strong. They hadn't experienced much combat yet, so facing a demon was quite daunting.

Shao Ci thought to himself that a third-level demon could easily be killed by Bryce, it posed no threat at all.

But why are we talking about killing a third-level demon? This kind of mission sounds familiar.

Soon it was noon, and everyone stopped to rest and eat their food.

Bryce took out Shao Ci and fed him a lot of delicious snacks.

Shao Ci was still a little scared of Bryce after what happened yesterday, but nothing is more important than food (.

The other teammates looked enviously at the delicious snacks. They only brought ordinary dry rations for convenience... They thought it was nothing special, but with the contrast of that furry ball, they couldn't taste anything anymore.

They never expected that as geniuses who were admitted to the Imperial Magic Academy, they would one day eat worse than someone's demon pet.

In the afternoon, everyone continued to move forward into the forest, but the mist became denser, and the air was filled with a restless energy. Subconsciously, everyone became nervous.

Shao Ci suddenly felt something was not right.

This place feels more and more familiar, and the mention of the third-level demon from before is also concerning... Wait a minute, he remembered!

Shao Ci recalled that in the original text, there was a mission to kill a third-level monster, which resulted in Bryce's identity being exposed.

That was because there is an ancient temple ruins in this forest. Although it is just ruins, it contains an extremely powerful light energy.

Ordinary mages wouldn't feel much being here, but light mages would feel extremely comfortable. However, for those who study dark magic, coming here would make it extremely difficult to control their powers, leading to uncontrollable outbursts of power.

While Bryce in the later stages would naturally be able to control it, he hasn't experienced complete growth yet, and moreover, he is the reincarnation of a part of the Dark God's soul, which makes the influence on him several times stronger.

Shao Ci turned to look and saw Bryce indeed frowning slightly, appearing uncomfortable.

Just as Shao Ci was thinking about this, a broken temple appeared before their eyes. Although it was already in ruins, its power was still present, with almost no mist around it, radiating a sacred aura in the sunlight.

The others immediately felt relieved and suggested resting in the temple.

In this mist, they always felt that something bad would happen, making them feel uneasy."

Bryce was indeed uncomfortable with the aura of light, but since everyone else wanted to go, if he voiced a different opinion, it would easily raise suspicion. He could only enter the temple with the others.

The sacred aura in the temple was very strong, and Shao Ci felt extremely comfortable.

After all, he was a celestial being, different from humans who needed great devotion to gain the recognition of the Goddess of Light. Celestial beings received the Goddess of Light's recognition from birth and could unleash light magic with power several times greater than humans.

However, celestial beings were also very proud. Unless there was a critical situation or they needed to deal with followers of the Dark God, they generally wouldn't act together with humans. Even when they did, they never spoke more than necessary.

And the celestial beings are a highly united group, and they rarely abandon any of their companions.

Shao Ci still didn't know what problem he had that led to his abandonment... Well, he probably wouldn't meet any celestial beings in his lifetime anyway.

In contrast to Shao Ci, Bryce was becoming more and more uncomfortable, his face turning pale.

The others immediately noticed this abnormality, and someone who usually had some dissatisfaction with Bryce spoke up, "What's wrong with you? You look exhausted. Could it be that you're not devout to the Goddess of Light?"

"How is that possible? The Goddess of Light is so gentle. Even unbelievers wouldn't feel anything strange, except for those heretics."

"Hahaha, does that mean we have a heretic among us?"

Initially, these few people were joking, but they noticed that Bryce's expression was getting colder, and their laughter became quieter. Their faces showed a mixture of shock and panic.

In the next moment, the floor beneath their feet suddenly turned black, and several black vines burst out, directly entangling their bodies.

"Wait, we were just joking."

Shao Ci: "..." Some jokes should never be made.

The sacred aura in the temple seemed to intensify as if stimulated by this magic, but Bryce was determined to silence these people before anything else."

In the next moment, Bryce had reached a point where he couldn't control his own power. A large amount of dark elements surged out from his body, and the vines on the ground began to thrash uncontrollably.

Two people were scared out of their wits on the spot, while the others quickly regained their senses and hastily freed themselves from the black vines, running away.

The once radiant temple, filled with the aura of light, was now filled with countless dark elements, engulfing the temple in crisis.

Bryce collapsed to the ground as if drained of strength, feeling his consciousness slipping away. At this moment, he could only hold Shao Ci tightly in his arms.

　　…………

　　……

The few people who managed to escape looked at the scene with complex expressions. "That's dark magic." "How is that possible? He's actually a heretic? He was just trying to kill us a moment ago."

"I never expected it. I thought Bryce was the most outstanding student in this year's class."

"What are you talking about? How can you still call him a senior after this?"

The expressions of the group quickly shifted from astonishment to disgust. Dark magic was despised by everyone on the continent.

"Just the thought of having been with a heretic makes me shiver down to my spine." "Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's inform the school quickly."

　　…………

　　……

In the temple, Bryce had completely lost consciousness.

With most of his power depleted, he had no way to escape from the temple. Even walking became difficult for him.

Shao Ci started to feel anxious.

If things continued like this, they would be sitting ducks.

The people who managed to escape would definitely report to the school.

And the abnormalities here would soon be discovered. According to the speed at which the Radiant Church acted, they would arrive here within a minute.

Shao Ci was shocked. According to the original storyline, Bryce was only discovered by his teammates because he felt uncomfortable in the temple. Then, after returning, his identity was revealed, and he was captured.

Perhaps Bryce's current power was much higher than in the original text, causing a stronger reaction from the temple.

Things were looking grim. Even if he was the protagonist... it would be extremely difficult for Bryce in his current state to escape.

Suddenly, Shao Ci remembered the teleportation magic he had researched before.

Teleportation magic was considered advanced magic that ordinary mages couldn't use. Although Shao Ci could use it, it would backfire on him.

However, while relying on his own power was impossible, using the power within the temple might be achievable.

Shao Ci's spirits lifted. He jumped out of his pocket, as the magic inside had already been destroyed.

As a celestial being, Shao Ci absorbed some of the light energy from the air and gradually took on a human form.

It seemed like an illusion, but each time he transformed into a human, it was faster, and he appeared slightly taller than before.

Not wearing any clothes made Shao Ci feel uncomfortable, but luckily Bryce had brought spare clothes. Shao Ci pulled them out from Bryce's embrace and put them on, feeling much better.

Then, Shao Ci began to draw a teleportation magic circle on the wall. Time was running out, and he had to hurry.

With the surrounding light energy, the magic circle quickly took shape. Although it was a bit crooked, it still worked. It started to glow. This was a one-time use teleportation circle, to ensure that Bryce wouldn't be captured after teleporting.

Shao Ci looked at the magic circle and felt a surge of excitement. It seemed that he had a natural talent for magic. He was able to draw such a complex and large-scale magic circle right away.

Outside, the noise had become chaotic, indicating that someone was approaching. However, dealing with the dark and light elements outside was not an easy task, and it should buy them some time.

Shao Ci immediately wanted to place Bryce in the teleportation array. It was an undirected random teleportation array, and Shao Ci didn't know where Bryce would end up. But with the power of the protagonist's aura, he should be able to successfully follow the original storyline.

【Strategy Object: Insufficient Hatred Value of the Original Male Lead, which may affect the development of the original storyline.】

Shao Ci: "What?! How can there be a hatred value when it's so dark!"

Or could it be because this time he didn't experience the betrayal of someone he was closest to? After all, the Count and Countess, as well as his younger brother Marvin, may not be dead, but they were as good as dead. They held no place in Bryce's heart.

And the best friend in the original text, Chris, currently had no role at all. Even if he wanted to betray, he couldn't.

Who else... Shao Ci paused, realizing that it was only himself.

He had worked so hard to improve the affection level of the original male lead, but now he had to do something like this!

Shao Ci looked at the still unconscious Bryce and gritted his teeth. For the sake of the storyline, he could only do this.

Bryce slowly regained consciousness and found his pocket empty. His heart tightened and he quickly looked up.

A golden-haired youth in a white robe stood not far away, sunlight pouring down through the cracks in the ruins, casting a radiant glow upon him.

Although they were so close, he felt as if they were from two different worlds.

Could he really keep someone like this by his side forever?

Bryce struggled to stand up, leaning against the wall. His hand touched the wall of the temple, and the light elements almost permeated his body. The pain was intense, but he felt nothing.

Shao Ci looked at him with a cold and indifferent gaze and said, "Finally, the day has come."

Bryce was taken aback and looked at Shao Ci, asking, "Do you... hate me?"

He seemed very cautious, with a hint of fear in his eyes. Shao Ci had never seen him like this before, despite their long acquaintance.

"I do hate you," Shao Ci said. "How could a celestial being like someone who uses dark magic? Don't you find it ridiculous?"

Bryce fell into silence. "..."

Shao Ci forced himself to continue, "I despise someone like you the most. Just the thought of being with you before makes me sick to my stomach."

With words like these, Shao Ci couldn't believe Bryce wouldn't succumb to darkness.

"But you've never done anything to me," Bryce spoke softly.

"Before, it was because I didn't know my own identity that I stayed by your side," Shao Ci patched up the story. "I've remembered everything recently, so I wanted to leave your side. But you came to the temple on your own... It's too late now. The people from the Radiant Church will arrive soon, and there's no way you can escape."

Bryce's face turned extremely ugly. He slowly approached, as if trying to grab Shao Ci's hand, but Shao Ci suddenly pulled away.

Bryce could clearly see the deep disgust in Shao Ci's eyes.

His heart instantly turned cold.

At this point, we should thank the system's emoticon plugin. Otherwise, Shao Ci would have been exposed immediately.

【Strategy Object: Hatred value of the original male lead, Bryce, has reached its maximum.】

Shao Ci: "..." What kind of mixed feeling is this? Why does the system have to emphasize that Bryce is a strategy object at a time like this?

"So, this is how you truly see me. Do you really hate me this much?" Bryce's face grew even paler. He forced a bitter smile, and blood trickled from the corner of his lips.

But he seemed oblivious, his gaze growing colder.

Shao Ci heard the extremely noisy sounds from outside again. It seemed that time was running out.

But Bryce grabbed Shao Ci and kissed him on the lips, causing blood to instantly spread between their teeth.

At the same time, Shao Ci could feel a surge of power from within Bryce's body.

This is bad. Bryce must want to go down together with me.

At this critical moment, Shao Ci gritted his teeth and pushed Bryce away, revealing the teleportation magic circle he had drawn behind him.

The teleportation array immediately emitted a bright light, completely enveloping Bryce's body and pulling him into it.

Shao Ci could only see the cold and distant expression in Bryce's pale blue eyes.

In this situation, even if Bryce was teleported away, he would likely think it was a coincidence and wouldn't realize that Shao Ci was responsible.

Shao Ci finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Wait, the situation isn't resolved yet. Why am I relieved?!

After Bryce's departure, the dark elements outside were completely purified.

Shao Ci felt weak and his body was still overheating. It wouldn't be long before he turned into a ball of fur.

Many guards entered the area. Since they didn't capture Bryce, they naturally apprehended Shao Ci, the only living person in the temple.

To Shao Ci's surprise, he was brought before Raphael.

Isn't this going a bit too far? Although the influence of the Radiant Church isn't strong in the empire, shouldn't someone from the Radiant Church have the opportunity to interrogate him? But this might be a good thing... Compared to the Radiant Church, Raphael might be a bit better...

In the dungeon, Shao Ci was chained and kneeling on the ground, while Raphael sat not far away, smiling at him. It seemed that he didn't bother asking any questions and decided to take action directly, clearly wanting to establish his authority.

The magic circle under Shao Ci's knees lit up, and in the next moment, he felt as if his whole body was being cut by a knife... But thanks to the system's protection, he didn't feel a thing.

That's right, magic in this world is quite convenient. They have magic for interrogations like this. So, isn't your terrifying magic just as bad as dark magic?

"Tell me everything you know," Raphael said coldly. "I have plenty of time to wait here."

His appearance was completely different from what Shao Ci had seen before, but it was closer to the original text.

Shao Ci gritted his teeth and refused to speak (mainly because even if he told the truth, no one would believe him). He couldn't control himself and collapsed to the ground, feeling his body getting hotter and hotter... If this continued, he would probably turn into a ball of fur on the spot!

Raphael watched this scene with a slight smile, seemingly prepared to further enhance the intensity of the magic circle.

Little did he know that after Shao Ci felt his body getting hotter and hotter, he suddenly lost consciousness. After a burst of light, his clothes were empty, and the person inside had disappeared into thin air.

Everyone was taken aback. "Indeed, it's a creation of the Dark Church." "How can a living person just disappear so easily?" "It's truly terrifying."

However, there was a small bulge in the clothes, and inside, something seemed to be trembling like a living creature.

The expressions of the crowd became more serious as they blocked Raphael's path.

"Your Highness, please be careful." "We don't know what kind of dark magic this is. It might be a trap."

"No need to worry." Raphael stood up, his face calm. "I haven't sensed any traces of dark magic."

Besides, with his power, even if something unexpected happened, he could definitely protect himself.

With a slight movement in his heart, he ignored his subordinates' obstruction and walked directly to the magic circle, lifting the clothes to reveal what was inside.