A commemorative painting!
Ethan's pupils narrowed as he fixed his gaze on it.
The painting showed Miss Black reclining on a bed.
Her dark green eyes were focused on the door, her black curls cascading over her shoulders.
She seemed to be waiting for someone.
Sunlight poured through the window, spilling into the room in soft, gentle hues.
It all looked warm and serene.
Yet, in the painting, Miss Black's shadow stretched across the floor...
...with two pointed ears and a jutting snout, like that of a beast.
It was the silhouette of a werewolf.
This twisted the seemingly cozy scene into something far more sinister, like the big bad wolf dressed as a harmless grandmother, lying in wait for Little Red Riding Hood.
Ethan mused to himself.
He was thrilled to have acquired a painting of such high artistic value.
"I wonder what power I'll gain once I repaint it... With its historical significance, this should qualify as a Tier 3 piece."
"What's wrong, Wright?"
Miss Black asked softly, glancing curiously at the empty space where Ethan had been staring.
Ethan snapped back to the present and tucked the painting away.
He shook his head and replied,
"Nothing."
He paused for a moment.
Then, he carefully assessed Miss Black's condition, nodding with satisfaction.
"It looks like the potion has fully cleansed the werewolf curse from your body. This way, your father is bound to be pleased."
Ethan still remembered.
Mr. Black, who had fused with the Necronomicon.
His tragic fate was said to be the result of "defying destiny."
Successfully curing Miss Black...
...should unlock the next sections of the Necronomicon.
How thrilling... Ethan's heart swelled with excitement, and even his typically composed cobalt-blue eyes...
...sparkled with delight.
Noticing this, Miss Black couldn't help but let a faint smile tug at her lips.
Then, her expression grew somber once more.
"My father... vanished when I was young. I don't have many memories of him, but I heard from family members that he did a lot of terrible things."
And for that, he was disowned by the House of Black.
"Is that so?"
Ethan responded nonchalantly.
He passed no judgment on Mr. Black's deeds.
But he had indeed followed the trails the man left behind, chasing ancient magic all the way.
A strand of golden light appeared at Ethan's fingertips.
It shifted into a bird, soaring through the air with a melodious chirp.
Miss Black watched, a little mesmerized.
Ethan's clear voice echoed from within it.
"No matter what, your father managed to suppress the werewolf curse in you for many years. Even today, that would be an extraordinary feat."
"For that alone, I hold him in high regard."
Miss Black's eyes widened, and she stared at Ethan in stunned silence.
She had never discussed her family with him, so how did "Wright" know... And he seemed to know everything.
The golden bird circled overhead.
Through the shimmering golden light, the boy's face—growing more mature by the day—looked so handsome and assured.
A smile danced on his lips, and his cobalt-blue eyes held a calm, steady glow.
His demeanor was gentle.
Yet, inexplicably, Eve sensed a subtle distance.
As if a higher being were glancing down with pity upon the mortals below, from an lofty vantage point.
"Wright, I want to know your true—"
Before she could finish, Ethan suddenly stood up, as if struck by a sudden recollection!
"Oh no, the final exams are almost here—I have to hurry back."
The flow of time between past and present was roughly aligned.
Each silver key couldn't sustain an extended stay.
Ethan playfully ruffled Eve's hair, turning her neat locks into a tousled mess.
He grinned and said, "I'm off! I'll come find you again soon!"
With that,
He vanished straight through a portal.
Like a fleeting breeze, it stirred Eve's emotions and then whisked away... "Honestly."
Eve bowed her head and let out a soft chuckle.
Feeling her heartbeat, more intense than her newly purified blood, she whispered almost inaudibly.
"This time, I still didn't get his real name..." Eve turned her head.
She gazed at the fresh buds on the branches outside the window, swaying gently in the breeze... "Never mind, there will always be a chance later."
Winter faded, spring bloomed, spring departed, and summer arrived.
There was still plenty of time.
Eve pulled her gaze away, her eyes suddenly sharpening.
"Next, it's time to confront... those old fools who want to cast me out of the House!"
[Congratulations! You have drawn another extraordinary painting!]
[Name: The Lost Knight of the Wolf]
[Tier: Tier 3 · Blue Precious]
[Description: Brought from the past to the present, meaning "lost home." From now on, she will fight only for you]
[Effect: Actions as swift as mist, coming and going without a trace, with a speed bonus in shadows; attacks with sharp claws, capable of tearing steel in one strike; highly resistant to curses]
[Hint: She will be very happy if you pet her head fur]
On the canvas stood a werewolf knight, armored and valiant, with a heroic air.
Those cold, dark green eyes resembled an old acquaintance.
It was an extraordinary painting born from repainting the commemorative piece "Waiting Wolf Girl."
"Excellent. Now I have a guardian for the moonpetal flowers. And that shadow bonus trait is perfect for the dim Forbidden Forest."
Ethan's lips curved upward.
With a flick of his hand, he summoned the Wolf Knight directly from the painting.
A rush of warmth immediately enveloped him.
Ethan buried himself straight into the warm, fluffy chest.
Mmm, it carried the scent of sunshine.
Ethan instinctively inhaled deeply a couple of times.
Then, he lifted his head, utterly content, his face dusted with wolf fur.
"Woof?"
The werewolf tilted her head, blinking her dark green eyes.
She resembled an old acquaintance.
[You have gained the "Eve Black" specialty: Stealth!]
[When obscured by shadows, you will be difficult to detect by senses or magic, and surprise attacks will deal maximum damage]
Oh ho, another bonus?
Ethan: "Although I'm a righteous, light-aligned wizard, I don't need backstabbing... but it does seem handy for playing at being a ghost."
Meeting the Wolf Knight's expectant gaze, he pondered for a second, then reached up and patted her head.
"Go on, guard the moonpetal flowers for me. Don't let anyone trample them."
In Ethan's envisioned future,
He would one day cultivate a sea of moonpetal flowers.
Then, pure white petals would dance on the wind, blanketing the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
A powerful enough guardian was essential.
"Woof—!"
Under the gentle strokes, the Wolf Knight wagged her tail joyfully.
She raised her head and unleashed a bright, resounding howl that sent nearby beasts scattering in terror.
Oh my goodness! Another monster?!
This Forbidden Forest is becoming unlivable.
"With the Wolf Knight here, I won't have to worry about the moonpetal flowers over the holidays... Hmm, I should start planning what to do this summer."
In Ethan's mind,
He already had an intriguing scheme:
He would approach Lord Voldemort under the guise of Mr. Lamp.
Pettigrew was dead.
But old Crouch's son was still alive.
Barty Crouch Jr.
In the original tale, the loyal Death Eater who impersonated "Mad-Eye" Moody for an entire year.
"Barty will still do everything in his power to resurrect Lord Voldemort... Even though I've destroyed two of Lord Voldemort's soul fragments and one of his servants, I'm still a good-hearted wizard at my core, and I won't kill without cause."
More importantly, Lord Voldemort was a treasure trove of secrets.
How had he transformed into that "withered corpse baby" form?
What dark arts had he employed?
What artistic inspirations could be drawn from him? What materials for extraordinary paintings could be harvested?
He was deeply, deeply curious.
As a Ravenclaw, Ethan took great pride in his insatiable thirst for knowledge.
"It's a positive trait, even if I don't know where Pettigrew and Barty located Lord Voldemort. But the original story clearly mentions their hideout—"
"The old Riddle House."
Snap—Ethan cheerfully snapped his fingers.
"As long as I head there and lie in wait, I'm bound to run into them!"
However, some preparations were in order first.
He needed to create some new artworks.
After all, several of his go-to paintings, like the Portal and the Hellhound, were hallmarks of Ethan Vincent.
Mr. Lamp required his own set.
Ethan thought: "Come to think of it..."
"The intermediate gift package I got after completing that series of paintings is still unopened... I remember it's displayed in the system gallery."
The Necronomicon could be viewed there as well.
Ethan nodded slightly, his decision made.
"Then, let's head to the gallery first."
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