I loaded the Mysticism panel.

Chapter 257 Royal Grand Hotel (Bonus Chapters 34-35 for Monthly Tickets)

Mr. Hutton's signature was sent via express mail.

When the letter arrived at Imperial University, Richard was in his aunt's office.

After receiving the letter, Richard opened it and found a signature sheet from the review committee inside.

Mr. Hutton signed his name in the second guarantor section.

There was also a note inside the letter.

The note read:

"I've read the manuscript. The 'Return' section is well-written and handled very well."

Signing your name is a big deal; you'll have to walk the road ahead on your own from now on.

——H”

Richard carefully put the note away.

Mr. Hutton was his second guarantor, the first being his aunt.

My aunt's had already been signed.

Both scholars placed their names next to Richard's interpretation.

If Richard makes a mistake, they'll have to share the blame.

The supporting documents have been approved, and the guarantor has now signed their name.

Everything is ready; we just need to take one more step before we can start signing our names.

Isabella smiled and said to Richard, "Such a big event deserves a proper celebration."

I've booked a private room at the Royal Hotel; let's go there.

Then they arrived at the Royal Hotel.

The private rooms here are indeed very impressive.

The room features carved wainscoting, a crystal chandelier, and a snow-white tablecloth covering the dining table, upon which rests a set of exquisite silver cutlery.

There were four people who came today.

Isabella, Richard, Sofia, and Clara.

Isabella, as the elder, sat in the main seat.

Richard sat to her left.

The remaining two female students sat on either side.

The waiter handed over a menu with a gold-embossed cover.

Richard took it, opened it, and glanced at it.

The names of each dish are frighteningly long.

"Provençal herb-braised beef brisket topped with Parmesan cheese crisps."

"Highland red venison tenderloin grilled with brandy flames and served with black truffle potato crepe."

Richard's gaze didn't linger on the dishes; he looked at the dessert section at the bottom.

Madagascara vanilla bean caramel pudding.

This is something my sister mentioned in her letter, wanting Richard to take back for her to eat.

Richard then asked the waiter, "Can this dessert be kept at room temperature for half a day? My sister wants to eat it."

Sophia burst out laughing: "Richard, you're such a good brother, you haven't forgotten your sister even at a time like this."

Richard laughed too: "If my sister knew I came to the Royal Hotel but didn't bring her anything she wanted to eat, she'd tear my room door down."

My aunt also curled her lips and glanced at Richard.

Then, she ordered the food.

She was clearly a regular here; she didn't even need to look at the menu to order.

He was very familiar with the process and could speak fluently without hesitation.

After the waiter left with the menu, Isabella said to Richard:

"This meal is to congratulate you on signing your name. Enjoy your meal."

The dishes were served quickly.

During the meal, Sofia alone was enough to keep the entire event in check.

She chattered on and on about the gossip surrounding Beijing University.

For example, which associate professor has a grudge against whom, or which associate professor has a good relationship with whom.

She spoke of it vividly, as if she had experienced it firsthand.

Clara remained as quiet as ever, only occasionally offering a few words of agreement.

My aunt clearly enjoyed the dishes; even her usually stern face relaxed a bit while she ate.

The meal was halfway through.

My aunt put down her knife and fork and glanced out the window.

The sky outside was already beginning to darken.

"I specifically chose this private room," she said.

Richard understood what she meant.

The Royal Grand Hotel is located in one of the most bustling areas of the capital.

Every day, countless people come and go here.

This building also has a long history, with many things deposited in its foundation.

This resulted in the ether concentration in the private room that my aunt specifically chose being much higher than in ordinary places.

This concentration is sufficient for a newcomer to sign their name.

My aunt got up and walked to the door of the private room, then gently pressed her hand on the door frame.

Under Richard's spiritual vision, he could see an extremely thin barrier erected along the four walls of the private room.

When the barrier was completed, the noise outside immediately disappeared.

"That's fine."

My aunt sat back down and gestured, "Let's get ready to begin."

Richard took out the Sphinx Lamp.

The lamp is small, shaped like a sphinx, and covered with mottled patina.

When the lamp was taken out, the ether on it surged urgently toward Richard.

The three people at the table also turned their attention to the lamp.

The aunt introduced Richard: "We can officially begin now, no need to be nervous."

Signing is simple; just follow the guide's instructions and carve your mark on the object.

No ceremony or congratulatory inscription is needed.

Richard did as he was told, holding the lamp in his palm.

The quadruple breathing technique was then activated.

The tree of light in the seat of the sun behind the sternum swayed slightly with each breath.

A wisp of ether flowed slowly down the inside of his right arm into his palm.

Richard closed his eyes.

He could feel the light in his palm.

He had once broken the seal on this lamp, absorbed its ether, and then nurtured it day after day with his own purest ether.

A connection had formed between him and the lamp.

This resonance can no longer be explained by ordinary contracts.

Therefore, Richard doesn't even need to deliberately "carve" any mark.

The moment his wisp of ether entered the lamp body through his palm, the lamp itself came to greet him.

Richard even had a feeling.

It had been waiting for this for a long time.

When Richard's ether entered, the dormant things inside the lamp instantly awoke and surged back along his etheric pathway.

The two strands of ether intertwined in his palm, inseparable.

The Tree of Light within the Seat of the Sun also began to tremble violently.

An invisible "declaration" was sent behind the curtain through this lamp.

The curtain fell, and Richard's existence became known.

Richard could feel the etheric microcirculation within his body stabilize in that instant.

The once somewhat frail tree now had its roots piercing deep into the center of the chest cavity.

[Signature complete.]

Richard Williams, Neophytus → Practitioner.

Richard, a practitioner, opened his eyes.

All three people in the private room looked at him.

"It's done."

My aunt's spiritual vision was always on; she saw the changes just now very clearly:

"In all my years in this industry, this is the first time I've seen such a high degree of compatibility in signatures."

Sofia agreed in surprise: "Yes."

"Mentor, Richard, this lamp gives me a feeling that we...we were born to be together."

Clara looked at the lamp with curiosity in her eyes.

According to the rules, once a newcomer becomes a practitioner, the artifacts will "align" with their respective professional directions.

But Richard's lamp is clearly different from that of ordinary scholars.

The aunt asked, "Richard, has anything changed about this lamp after you signed it?"

Richard felt a special feeling the moment he finished signing his name.

The lamp he received was related to the "recording and analysis" often found in academic work.

But that's not all.

He stood up and walked to the crystal chandelier.

The light fell from above his head, casting his shadow on the ground.

Richard looked at his own shadow.

With a slight thought.

The shadow disappeared.

It wasn't covered by something; it just vanished into thin air.

Even standing under the light, there were no shadows around his feet; everything was clean and tidy.

"ah!"

Sophia jumped up from her chair, circled Richard, and stared wide-eyed:

"Where is your shadow? Where has your shadow gone!"

Clara also stood up to look, her brow furrowed: "Gone, it has completely disappeared from the material world."

The two practitioners couldn't see any clues.

But my aunt is different.

Her observational accuracy far surpassed that of Clara and the other two.

She saw the shadow.

The shadow did not disappear; instead, it was moved behind the curtain.

My aunt slowly said, "Your shadow is indeed no longer in the material world. It has been moved behind the curtain, and not even to the shallowest part."

Indeed, my aunt is absolutely right.

Richard had another thought, and the shadow beneath his feet reappeared out of thin air.

He explained, "I can freely switch between my shadow behind the curtain and the material world."

Sofia didn't understand: "What's the point? Just to make the shadow disappear and then scare people?"

Clara understood: "This allows for the connection of many etheric-level techniques."

Many techniques, like yours, use shadows as a medium.

For example, tracking and positioning techniques require locking onto the target's shadow before they can be activated.

"If you move your shadow behind a curtain, no one can hold you back."

Clara, for the first time ever, said a lot in one breath.

"That's not all."

My aunt added, "The magic of Richard's lamp lies in this kind of 'switching'."

You're only talking about defense; you can also attack.

As she spoke, she looked at Richard: "Since your shadow can switch between the two worlds, then it can..."

Richard quickly explained, "I can use my shadow as a medium to cast spells, making it impossible for the opponent to defend against."

He recalled the hidden answer to a riddle of the Sphinx.

"The shadow is not a servant of man, nor is man the master of shadow."

Shadows and humans share existence, each with its own will, and are interdependent.

This lamp contains the power of the Sphinx's "protection of the two worlds".

The world of light, and the world of shadow.

Now that it has recognized Richard as its master, it has also given him the ability to "ferry shadows between the two worlds".

Sophia understood and exclaimed, "Great stuff, really great stuff!"

This ability is practically tailor-made for scholars!

"There's no need to confront evil head-on; this skill of concealing one's shadow is enough to save one's life."

My aunt chimed in, "It's definitely a good thing. Standardized rare items can't give off this kind of ability."

She looked at the lamp and pondered for a while.

It seems that Hutton's initial assessment was somewhat conservative.

After this incident, the atmosphere at the table relaxed.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; all that was left was to celebrate.

My aunt called over a waiter and, for the first time ever, opened a bottle of wine:

"I'm happy today, so have a drink with me."

She renewed contracts with her two students, but not with Richard.

"Richard, you can't drink alcohol. You're not an adult yet," she added.

Richard shrugged, had no objection, and raised his juice to toast with everyone.

No one expected that Sofia would be the first to run into trouble.

This girl is usually lively, talkative, and has strong social skills.

So everyone subconsciously assumed that she had a good alcohol tolerance.

But after just one glass of wine, her face turned red instantly.

"tutor!"

Sofia stood on the chair, holding an empty wine glass, and gesticulated wildly:

"Let me tell you, your nephew is really something else!"

Back then, I only got eighth place in my training program, while he came in second!

"If, if, if..."

She stood there for a long time, saying "what if," but couldn't come up with a coherent answer.

Then, there was a "thump".

Sofia fell down and slid under the table.

"Really..."

The aunt was speechless, seemingly already aware of Sophia's alcohol tolerance: "She's always like this, one drink and she's out."

Clara put down her knife and fork, bent down and pulled Sophia out from under the table, helping her to a chair.

Richard then noticed that Clara's face had no blush at all.

Both drank it all in one gulp, but one collapsed under the table, while the other didn't even blush.

Richard was somewhat surprised: "Senior Clara, you have a high alcohol tolerance?"

Clara raised her hand and poured herself another glass of wine, then drank it and said calmly:

"good."

Richard silently gave her a thumbs up.

This is truly massive.

Who would have thought that Clara, who is usually the quietest and most polite, could drink so much?

But what truly surprised Richard was...

It's still my aunt.

Associate Professor Isabella, who is usually aloof, sparing with her words, and more rigorous in her scholarship than anyone else.

Surprisingly, his alcohol tolerance is also quite low.

Sofia's limit is one cup.

She's only slightly better than Sofia.

After the third cup, my aunt's face turned noticeably red.

Her usually meticulous manner of speaking began to become increasingly incoherent.

Richard.

My aunt, holding a wine glass, her eyes glazed over, said, "I...I want to tell you..."

"Auntie, slow down."

Richard quickly stepped forward to help her up and then took the wine glass from her hand.

My aunt waved her hand dismissively: "Don't interrupt me."

Let me tell you, don't let my current position as an associate professor fool you. Back when I was sixteen, your grandfather kicked me into a training program.

Under the influence of alcohol, she started bringing up old grievances:

"Back then, I knew nothing. Do you know how long it took me to memorize the irregular transpositions of ancient Greek?"

She held up two fingers: "A whole month!"

I even memorize it in my dreams!

Your mother, who is also my sister, was not married at that time.

Every time I come home, she asks me if I enjoy Beijing University.

"Fun my ass!"

Richard couldn't help but laugh.

This was the first time he had ever heard such words from his aunt.

My aunt steered the conversation to another topic:

"And your uncle, he's a bastard too, he just leaves whenever he wants."

"He wouldn't even write a proper letter; before going to the New World, he only told your maternal grandfather..."

She tried to imitate her older brother's tone, but by then her tongue was already slurred, and her speech was fragmented:

"If I win the bet, I'll have another person at home to keep things going."

Losing... there are many at home... exploring the way.

asshole!

You just left without a word, and the whole family is counting on your older sister.

As a result, my older sister also...sigh.

She sighed and then slumped onto the table.

Another one got drunk.

Only Richard and Clara remained conscious in the private room.

Clara poured herself another glass, drank it, and then put the glass down.

"We need to send them back."

Richard carried Sofia on his back, while Clara helped her aunt.

The two men dragged the two drunkards toward Ashford’s mansion.

On the way, Sofia was lying on Richard's back, still talking in her sleep.

"Second place, hmm, impressive! Next time I'm going to get first place! Hehehe..."

Richard was both amused and exasperated, and reached out to lift her onto his back.

Upon arriving at the mansion, the butler, seeing the situation, hurriedly called for help from the maids to settle Auntie and Sophia in the guest room.

These two people probably won't wake up for at least one night.

We can wait until they've both sobered up by tomorrow before going back.

After all that was done, Richard got up to see Clara off.

Upon reaching the door, Richard thanked her, saying, "Senior Clara, thank you for your help tonight."

"Of course."

Clara's voice remained calm: "My mentor usually suppresses herself too much."

It's nice to finally relax like this.

After saying that, she added, "Congratulations, Richard, on becoming a professional."

After Clara got into the carriage, Richard watched her until the carriage disappeared before turning back to his mansion.

Once he got to his room, he immediately locked the door and drew the curtains.

Richard sat down in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

Tonight's show was quite lively and exciting.

But despite the excitement, there was something he had been wanting to do for a long time.

The moment he signed his name, he gained the "Shadow Switch".

It is about allowing shadows to shift between the material world and behind the curtain.

He had already shown this trick to his aunt and the others.

But this lamp gave Richard far more than just this one ability.

However, he couldn't reveal those things at that time.

Richard lit a candle, and the candlelight cast his shadow on the wall.

He looked at the shadow, but did not use Shadow Switch.

Another thought was projected onto the shadow.

Then, the shadow on the wall moved.

Richard hadn't moved, but his shadow had somehow "stood up" off the wall.

The shadow left the wall and fell to the ground, forming a human shape.

Its outline and shape are exactly the same as Richard's.

But now, Richard's shadow has detached from his body.

It stood alone in the candlelit room.

Richard held his breath and tried to send another thought to the shadow.

The shadow followed his thoughts and began to move.

It walked to the desk, picked up the pen, and dipped it in ink.

The shadow touched the unfinished page of Richard's manuscript.

The candlelight burned quietly.

Richard leaned against the wall, watching his shadow stand in front of his desk, and began to write, stroke by stroke.