Just as Stiller was about to lift his foot again, the Sun Talisman he had slipped into his pocket moments before suddenly released a warm current that felt like a soothing spring breeze.
That current rose from the pocket of Stiller's right leg and then flowed through his entire body.
Basking in this warm sensation, Stiller felt as if every pore in his body was opening up, prompting him to narrow his eyes in comfort.
Driven by this warm current…
Wisps of grayish-black smoke began seeping out through Stiller's pores.
As those wisps of grayish-black smoke were expelled, the pallor on Stiller's face visibly improved.
"This is…"
Noticing the changes in his body, Stiller narrowed his eyes.
He took out the Sun Talisman from his pocket again and studied it carefully.
"Is this what they call a good deed rewarded?"
Looking at the clearly extraordinary Sun Talisman in his hand, Stiller suddenly smiled in understanding.
After slipping the Sun Talisman back into his pocket, Stiller resumed his patrol in that little-known museum.
Step by step, he walked deeper into the corridor shrouded in the gray fog.
In that bizarre museum, even those collection pieces that could be called extremely dangerous—ones that would pose a severe threat even to Eren at his current level—displayed a hint of apprehension when faced with what seemed to be an ordinary security guard uniform on Stiller.
Even the ever-present cold gray fog in the museum receded to either side whenever Stiller passed by.
However…
With careful observation, one would notice:
Neither the museum's bizarre collection pieces nor that ever-present, chilling fog was actually afraid of Stiller himself; rather, they were apprehensive of the seemingly ordinary security uniform he wore.
...
Meanwhile…
Once he withdrew his Spirit Vision, Eren felt the space around him distort slightly.
In the next instant…
He found himself back inside the sunlit halls of the New York Museum of Modern Art.
"So, I'm back!"
Glancing around, Eren saw that the surrounding crowd was still busy admiring the various exhibits in the museum, showing no sign of having realized that, in just a split second, Eren—right in front of them—had fallen into a deeper layer of that mysterious museum.
Actually…
It was Eren's spirit form that had entered that mysterious museum; his physical body had remained in the real world without budging. And the spot where Eren now stood happened to be directly in front of a painting.
From others' perspectives, Eren had simply appeared to be quietly appreciating the painting in front of him, looking like a normal student immersed in the artwork.
After all…
The painting in front of Eren could be considered a piece with a distinctive style among the museum's many works.
It was a portrait of a middle-aged man, yet strangely, this man had a pair of goat-like horns on his head and bizarre pupils—two crimson irises tinged with the color of blood.
An obvious "demonic" portrait.
Its artistic style was somewhat dark, and the demonic elements in it were far from mainstream taste. However, to young, passionate students in a rebellious phase who think that sort of edgy, cool art is more appealing, paintings like this often hold a special allure.
Of course, compared to the paintings Eren had seen in that hidden museum—the ones overflowing with mysterious power—this so-called "demon portrait" fell a bit short.
Yeah!
At least it was vastly inferior to that "Hundred Beauties Competition" painting he had seen earlier.
...
"Hey, you like this painting too?"
Just as Eren was about to walk away, a voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
At the same time, a bespectacled girl—who had somehow appeared at his side—spoke up.
"It's by the Italian painter Robert—titled Demon Baron. Though not among Robert's most iconic works, back then it was very popular in certain art circles…"
The bespectacled girl who appeared at Eren's side, calmly explaining the painter's background and the historical context of Demon Baron, was someone Eren recognized: Hanna, the girl with glasses from the group known as the "Extraordinary Spiders."
Of course, while Eren did recognize her, they weren't exactly close—just acquaintances who had interacted a few times. The main thing he remembered about her was that she seemed to love painting.
Watching Hanna give a detailed account of the artist and the historical context behind Demon Baron, Eren quietly removed the word "seems" from his mind.
"You really like to paint?"
Without even turning around, Hanna answered reflexively, "Absolutely! Don't you think these paintings are cool?"
"I love painting, and I love seeing other people's paintings. A classic painting can be passed down for hundreds, or even thousands, of years—way longer than a person's short lifespan of just a few decades."
"We only live once. I think that in my life, I should leave something behind in this world. Given my abilities, standing out from billions of people in modern society is almost impossible. But among fewer than a hundred thousand painters, my chances of standing out go up significantly."
"And so, my greatest dream in life is to create a painting that can be passed down for hundreds or even a thousand years—so that centuries from now, people will still remember that there was once someone named Hanna in this world…"
"That's a great dream."
After Hanna finished, Eren nodded and offered words of affirmation.
"Right? You think so too, right?"
Hanna, whose looks were somewhat downplayed by her glasses, broke into a bright smile, then shook her head in mild frustration. "Though I've gone from something 'impossible' down to a 'hell-level challenge,' creating a painting that can gain widespread recognition in my own lifetime is still insanely tough…"
"Sigh. I wonder if I'll ever get the chance to paint something like that."
Seeing Hanna's lament, Eren shook his head and smiled. "As long as you're still alive, there's always a chance, right?"
"You're right. So… could you do me a favor and block for me?"
With that, Hanna sidled closer and, using both Eren's body and her own as cover, discreetly took out a small camera from her bag. She quickly snapped a picture of the Demon Baron painting in front of them.
Her camera seemed to be specially modified: all that could be heard was a faint click or two; there wasn't even a flash.
And judging by her proficient manner, Eren could tell right away that Hanna had done this sort of thing more than a few times.
Once she quickly completed her "crime," Hanna stashed the incriminating camera back in her bag, presumably to avoid detection.
"Thanks."
Tucking the camera away, Hanna finally breathed a sigh of relief and whispered a word of thanks to Eren.
Eren had no intention of voicing any opinion about Hanna's covert photography inside the museum. They were, after all, just some Western paintings whose names he could hardly pronounce; Eren had no burning sense of justice compelling him to report her.
Rather, he found himself curious about that small camera in Hanna's bag.
"As far as I recall, museum security checks are done at the entrance. How'd you manage to sneak in something like this, especially since it's explicitly banned?"
"Shh!"
Hanna quickly gestured for silence. After confirming the nearby visitors didn't overhear Eren's question, she breathed another sigh of relief.
"That's my little secret. But if you really want to know, I could tell you—only if you agree to help me take a few more photos of the exhibits here."
"It's extremely difficult to copy these masters' paintings by just referencing pictures I find on the Internet. Only more authentic photos can help me grow as an artist."
Eren waved her off. "No way. If the museum staff or our chaperone see us, we're in big trouble. I'm not dragging myself down just to satisfy my curiosity. Besides… I doubt your sneaky photos are going to be more detailed than those professional shots the museum itself might provide."
"You don't understand! I'm not trying to replicate the art exactly; I'm trying to reproduce the spirit, the essence captured in these works, and then incorporate that into my own paintings…"
Hanna gave a quick explanation. She didn't look too disappointed by Eren's refusal—perhaps this wasn't the first time she'd heard something like that.
After getting the shot of the demon portrait she longed for, Hanna's face showed a hint of satisfaction.
"Thanks again. Without you, it wouldn't have been so easy to snap that photo. I'll treat you to dinner sometime…"
Suddenly realizing something, Hanna paused mid-sentence and added quietly, "Actually, never mind treating you to dinner. I'd rather not get on your… well, I don't want to cause any trouble for you."
She rejected her own idea, then said, "Alright, how about this: once I successfully copy this painting, I'll give you the best piece from my own works, as a thank-you for helping me out!"
"The best one you've got?"
Eren smiled sincerely. "I'll be waiting for your masterpiece then."
Seeing Eren's genuinely appreciative smile, Hanna also looked touched, as if happy to be taken seriously.
"Alright, it's a deal."
She held out her slender hand toward Eren for a high-five.
Slightly startled, Eren extended his right hand and completed the high-five.
Pa!
Although Eren and Hanna's high-five was fairly quiet, the crisp sound still attracted attention from some nearby onlookers.
Among them…
Were Gwen, standing not far away, and Doug—who was mingling with a group of Chinese-American girls, trying his best to showcase himself in hopes of securing a date for the winter formal.
Looking at Eren talking and laughing with Hanna—and even making physical contact—Doug reflexively swallowed hard.
"This is so bold of him! Cozying up to another girl right in front of Gwen… It's basically NTRing her in plain view! Isn't he afraid Gwen will break his… third leg?"
Doug vividly recalled seeing Eren and Gwen arrive together at the museum's entrance. They were even wearing matching outfits. If that didn't suggest something, Doug would write his name backward from now on.
Still, witnessing Eren so casually conversing with Hanna…
A wave of genuine envy surged up in Doug's heart.
Although Hanna might be unconventional at school and not too fond of makeup, very few were blind to the delicate features hiding behind those glasses. She was undoubtedly on the secret "beauty list" of Midtown High.
First, Eren arrives with the campus goddess Gwen, and now he's chatting happily with Hanna, another beautiful girl… plus the earlier invitation from Hillary.
In such a short time…
Eren, who had been even more of a wallflower than Doug, was now entangled with multiple beauties from school.
Meanwhile, Doug was still fretting about finding any partner willing to attend the winter formal with him—failing so badly that he was practically begging.
The thought of it made Doug, the chubby boy, shed tears of envy in his heart.
After the high-five with Hanna, seeing how many gazes were suddenly drawn to her—Gwen's included—Hanna, who tended to be carefree and unconventional, found herself a bit uneasy.
She was willing to gift Eren a painting and share a high-five simply because Eren's sincerity made her feel respected, not because anything more was going on.
Of course, Hanna wouldn't deny that Eren had a unique charm she found appealing. Otherwise, even if they shared the same hobby, she wouldn't have initiated conversation so readily.
Giving Eren a small nod as farewell, Hanna quickly fled the scene as if making a clean getaway.
The moment Hanna left, Gwen shot a deep look in Eren's direction before returning to keep order among the students. The others, disappointed that there was no drama to watch, quickly shifted their focus elsewhere.
(End of Chapter)
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