Chapter 85: The Arcanist’s Grand Heist

After tallying the items delivered by the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau, Bai Yu did not linger.

Taking out her keys, she promptly left her home, intending to make a trip to Xian City International High School.

It was astonishing to consider how, in just half a month, she had transformed from an ordinary high school student into someone with the authority to freely utilize school resources.

‘What a delightful turn of events,’ Bai Yu mused, a wave of secret pleasure washing over her.

Yet, the lingering reality of needing to rely on ride-hailing services for transportation still left Bai Yu feeling somewhat exasperated.

Her Mother, for instance, hadn’t given her any money in ages; soon, she wouldn’t even be able to afford a meal.

How could she even contemplate advancing as an Arcanist when her most pressing concern was simply eating?

“This time, I absolutely must find where the money is stored,” she declared.

Bai Yu thought to herself, recalling the exorbitant prices she had seen during her previous visit, which felt akin to outright robbery.

The first time she witnessed them, she had even questioned if they were genuinely denominated in Dragon Summer Nation currency.

She casually hailed a ride-hailing service, indulging in a touch of luxury this time by opting for a premium vehicle.

‘Things are looking up, folks!’

A wave of contentment swelled within Bai Yu as she happily settled into the car, setting off towards Xian City International High School.

Along the way, she kept herself occupied, discussing the advancement materials for the Eternal Night Spiritual Core with Moweila.

Spirituality, knowledge, and ritual were the absolute foundations for advancement, and Bai Yu had only just fulfilled the spirituality requirement.

Indeed, her current spiritual aptitude was exceptionally high; what she lacked were knowledge and the necessary rituals.

The rituals, in turn, demanded specific advancement materials, and the ideal environment for them was undoubtedly night.

For her particular spiritual core, this was the only environmental condition that was easily met.

Now, however, she was vexed by the challenge of reaching the South Pole when the time came to break through to the Fourth Rank.

‘She couldn’t possibly just swim there, could she?’

‘She’d surely be intercepted.’

‘Perhaps she could consult Lu Xingyao, or perhaps, upon gaining entry to that… Lugos Academy, she could ask the academy to devise a solution.’

After all, possessing two spiritual cores was an unparalleled advantage.

While Bai Yu was deep in thought, the vehicle arrived at the gates of Xian City International High School.

The gates now stood utterly dilapidated, secured by heavy chains.

In a mere matter of days, the once-thriving school had been abandoned, transforming into a desolate, uninhabited zone.

Bai Yu sighed softly, then stepped out of the car.

The Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau had provided her with a large ring of keys, and it took Bai Yu a considerable effort to locate the correct one.

“Hmm?”

It was only as Bai Yu inserted the key into the lock that she realized something was amiss.

This lock was, in fact, a wondrous artifact.

Observing the set of keys in her hand, Bai Yu realized the anti-theft measures here were exceptionally robust.

‘Presumably, such stringent security was in place because the contents within were specifically intended for her.’

Without further contemplation, Bai Yu confidently entered the school grounds.

It appeared much as it had during her previous visits, save for the fact that she was now entirely alone.

After a brief circuit around the exterior, she noticed that all the vehicles previously parked on the school grounds had been driven away.

Bai Yu felt a pang of exasperation, though she quickly conceded that these items were, after all, private property.

‘Her plan to sell off assets had fallen through.’

‘A premature end to her ambitions, even before they truly began.’

“It’s best to head to the library first,” she murmured.

Bai Yu hastened to the Arcanist section of the library, and just as she had predicted, not a single book had been removed!

‘Excellent, truly excellent!’

As Bai Yu gazed upon the rows of books, her heart pounded with excitement.

These were no ordinary books; each volume contained genuine, esoteric knowledge.

Whether concerning the advancement of Arcanists or the methods for learning arcana, all could be found within these pages.

However, Bai Yu suspected that the Principal’s rank as an Arcanist wasn’t particularly high, so the knowledge within would likely only serve her for a limited period.

Still, that would be sufficient.

Should the need arise, even if she no longer required these books herself, she could always sell them or even establish her own library to distribute them.

Since they were essentially free gains, any method she chose would result in profit.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Bai Yu plunged in, beginning her search for books suitable for the advancement of her [Eternal Night] Spiritual Core.

She specifically sought out ancient, rare volumes, heavy with profound knowledge, believing they would grant her greater power upon breakthrough.

This applied equally to both her spiritual aptitude and physical strength.

Typically, an ordinary Arcanist advancing from one rank to another would not require so many precious, ancient texts, nor the corresponding valuable ritual materials.

Bai Yu, however, harbored no such reservations; she intended to pursue the best possible path, pushing everything to its absolute limit.

She surmised this might well be the most extravagant First Rank breakthrough in the history of Arcanists.

If ordinary Arcanists were to witness this, their hearts would likely bleed with envy.

Items they cherished beyond measure, things they could never hope to access, were being dismissed by Bai Yu as mere refuse, not even warranting a glance.

Furthermore, with Moweila’s assistance, her selection process was considerably expedited, as Moweila’s insights far surpassed those of any contemporary arcane expert.

After several hours spent diligently searching the vast library, Bai Yu finally emerged, laden with over twenty books.

This collection already represented the maximum knowledge a First Rank Arcanist could assimilate; even as a Witch, she couldn’t possibly add more.

The sheer weight of the books alone would be enough to crush an ordinary person, let alone the immense volume of knowledge they contained.

Bai Yu retrieved her phone and located the contact number for the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau headquarters.

Her intentions were, of course, self-evident: she was going to directly request advancement materials.

Following Moweila’s instructions, Bai Yu meticulously listed all the required items, totaling several dozen entries.

Bai Yu felt a slight tingle of dread, for though she was unaware of the precise value of these items, she knew they were certainly not cheap.

Moreover, to prevent the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau from discerning her true spiritual core, Moweila had requested numerous extraneous materials, serving as a smokescreen.

Concurrently, Bai Yu requested another set of books detailing advancement knowledge, reasoning that the headquarters would be unaware of her current situation.

The items here had been provided by the Director of the Xian City Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau; anything from headquarters would be a separate matter.

Bai Yu truly embodied the very definition of shamelessness, milking every possible resource until her hands were sore.

This wasn’t born of greed, Bai Yu rationalized; possessing few resources herself, she was compelled to maximize every opportunity.

Finally, after compiling a list tens of thousands of characters long, Bai Yu hit send, the cost of which in phone charges alone was surely astronomical.

With the message dispatched, Bai Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

The most crucial task was finally complete; now, she merely had to await the delivery of the materials and then ascend beautifully.

‘She wondered if any “sandbags” would appear to join the fun, or perhaps some lawbreakers, upon whom she could properly practice her combat skills.’

‘After all, she had been fighting against higher-ranked opponents for quite some time, which had left her feeling frustrated; she yearned to easily crush some weaker foes!’