CHAPTER 30

"Hey! Look what I brought back!"

In Dormitory Building 1, Room 327 of the Repin Sorcerer's Academy, Jialina struck a proud pose in front of the door.

As one of the top magical schools in the Kingdom of Sutton, the student dorms were usually shared between two people.

"What's the guy sent you this time, some more junk?" Her roommate, Yufi, didn't even lift her head, engrossed in her study materials.

She was preparing for the upcoming Wand Cup Inscription Competition. In the preliminaries, an unknown wild mage had ranked above hundreds of prestigious students like them, which was adding a lot of pressure.

"What do you mean, 'that guy'? He's my boyfriend, alright!"

"Does he know you're his girlfriend?"

"Of course he does. He gave me two of the most sought-after tickets for the premiere of 'The Sacred Mountain Journey.' Do you have any idea how much these tickets are worth if sold on the black market?"

Jialina pulled out two golden tickets from her expensive, handcrafted bag.

"But, as your best friend, of course, I thought of sharing them with you first. How about it? Let's go see the magical film at the Horseman Theatre tonight."

"Is that really the only reason you want to share?"

"Of course!" Jialina's gaze drifted out the window.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of our group project," Yufi was about to decline, using the competition as an excuse, when her eyes suddenly caught sight of the runes on the magical film ticket.

Many theaters engraved runes on their tickets for authenticity, and the runes on this ticket were from her idol, the illusionist Fulin Uman.

Instantly, she was intrigued. Balancing work and relaxation was key to learning, and anything Fulin was involved in, she had to check out.

"Alright, wait for me to get ready."

"You agreed! This is awesome!"

...

Outside the Horseman Theatre, the bustling scene had returned after a long while.

Carriages filled the streets in front of the entrance, and various street vendors had gathered, hoping to cash in on the crowd.

"I found this snack I've never seen before," Jialina ran up holding a paper box, "It's called popcorn, and they even allow food in here."

Yufi tried a piece of popcorn. It was sweet with a hint of rice flavor. Pretty good.

"You wouldn't believe it, when my family took me to see plays as a kid, there were so many rules. Eating was out of the question, and even sneezing or coughing would get you scolded."

The audience continued to file in.

As soon as they entered the theater, the difference from the stage plays was immediately obvious. There were no elaborate sets—just a massive screen hanging from the ceiling.

The room was darker than a traditional theater, and it was hard to even find their seats, so much so that someone cast a light spell.

A staff member repeated the safety instructions through amplification magic: "Once the film begins, all light sources will be turned off. Please don't panic, and during the screening, refrain from using lighting spells as it may disturb others..."

The 2,000-seat theater quickly filled, and the room plunged into darkness.

Then, the screen lit up.

In the night mist of Cornflower Street, four griffins galloped, pulling a carriage.

Inside, a person was urgently communicating via a telepathic spell: "What do you mean all the healing potions from the Kurman Apothecary are faulty?"

Many of the audience recognized the person on screen.

"Isn't that Master Soren?"

"Yeah, he came to our school to give a lecture when I graduated."

A sudden impact cut off the audience's murmurs, and the tension in the plot ramped up.

Yufi immediately recognized that the creature was an Aladragon from the Trego Toy Store.

Now, she was genuinely interested in this magical film. How did they manage to make the Aladragon do the required movements?

As the scene of the Aladragon turning into a zombie unfolded, it terrified many viewers.

Yufi wasn't scared, but Jialina grabbed her arm tightly, enough to make her wince in pain, her grip surprisingly strong.

The plot slowed down for a bit, focusing on the protagonist's family matters and the reasons for their journey to the Sacred Mountain.

But after the shocking opening scenes, the mundane plot only made the audience more uneasy, wondering when the next "bomb" would go off.

A clever move.

Yufi realized this wasn’t an art form that relied solely on visual spectacles—it had solid dramatic foundation.

And once the zombies appeared in the carriage, the tension escalated again, not giving the audience any time to breathe.

The theater was now alive with gasps, screams, and anxious breaths, all mixed together.

Yufi was also emotionally drawn into the story.

She felt the tension when the main characters were separated from their loved ones, the worry as they fought their way through zombie-infested carriages, and the joy when they were reunited with their family.

And when the main characters were blocked outside the safe carriage, the emotional buildup reached its peak.

Why?

Why, after overcoming so many hordes of zombies, were they blocked by their own kind?

Her extensive reading experience told her that this was the moment someone should die.

But why was she feeling so uneasy? Wasn't this just a typical plot device?

When the young man threw his magic ball against the isolation door and the half-orc blocked the zombies with his body, she became angry, starting to hate the characters in the story, particularly the high-level manager from the apothecary who incited others not to open the door.

She even began to feel disgusted with the Kurman Apothecary in real life. What had once been a symbol of cost-effectiveness, now made her feel a bit sick.

From now on, she’d pay extra for potions made by other companies, even if the difference was small, just for the peace of mind.

Meanwhile, Jialina was already on the verge of losing control when the half-orc blocked the door. When he mentioned the name of his unborn daughter just before dying, she broke down in tears, just like many others in the theater.

Yufi understood—it was the end of an era for traditional theater. It might not disappear, but it would certainly be overshadowed by magical films, relegated to the dusty corners.

She watched as the goblin grandmother chose to open the door, choosing to die with the indifferent people around her. Despite the bloodshed, she felt a strange sense of relief.

Two hours passed quickly, and not a single second of the magical film felt boring.

It was even better than expected.

Maybe after graduation, she could become an illusionist for magical films, just like her idol, Fulin Uman.

At the end of the film, the protagonist, remembering his daughter’s birth, smiled as he turned into a zombie and fell from the train.

As a father, his final act in life was still to protect his daughter.

The film didn't directly show his fall but only a shadow fading into the speeding railway tracks, with a sense of melancholic romance.

Jialina was already crying uncontrollably, struggling to catch her breath.

Yufi wanted to comfort her, but it was just a story, right? She opened her mouth to speak but found her voice trembling as well. Unnoticed, warm tears traced her face.

When the last two survivors arrived at the Sacred Mountain's checkpoint, the film abruptly cut to black.

Names appeared on the screen, even including the names of every zombie actor.

This was something that would never happen in traditional theater, where minor roles were often lost in the crowd, treated as mere background.

The lights slowly came back on, and the audience stood, applauding for a long time. Even though they weren't sure if the creative team was present, this was the recognition the work deserved.

But just then, a loud roar shattered the harmonious atmosphere.

"Look! It's that bastard from the Apothecary! Don't let him get away!"