Chapter 88: Exposed |
Saul didn’t wait for Kongsha’s answer.
Not that he really expected one anyway.
Leaving her room, he continued upward, passing through dimly lit corridors and ignoring the whispers from the shadows. He headed straight to the fourteenth floor of the West Tower.
Dorm 1416.
This was Senior Byron’s new home.
Wizard apprentices could choose to move to the corresponding floor after their promotion, or stay put if they didn’t want the hassle.
Most chose to move—after all, the hardware facilities differed a lot between floors.
This was Saul’s first time visiting Byron’s dorm, and it was late at night. He didn’t know if Byron was already asleep.
You couldn’t expect all apprentices to be night owls like Kongsha.
But the next second, the door opened inward on its own.
“Huh?” Saul poked his head in, seeing no one in the living room.
He stepped inside.
The place was a mess, like the owner had half-finished unpacking and then gone to bed. Many boxes were open, their contents untouched. Others were stacked so high they blocked the view of the room.
“Senior Byron? Byron?”
No answer.
Saul figured he wasn’t home. With the mental power of a Third Rank apprentice, he couldn’t possibly sleep through all that.
But if he wasn’t home, and the door wasn’t locked… could it have been left open intentionally for him?
Saul stepped forward, “climbing mountains and crossing seas” until he found the workbench hidden behind a pile of boxes.
The workbench was just as cluttered, covered with all sorts of things. Only a palm-sized clear space was left at the center, with a letter sitting on it.
On the letter were the words: For Saul’s eyes only.
“Still such ugly handwriting,” Saul muttered, shaking his head. He picked up the letter and unfolded it.
It read:
This paper can only be touched by Saul. If anyone else touches it—don’t bother reading, go find the antidote. You’ve got 10 seconds left to live.
9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2...
Saul, I’ve received my first Third Rank apprentice mission and will be away for a while. I still owe you 8 credits. If you’re in a hurry, you can take the red potion on the table as compensation. If not, wait till I get back.
Unfortunately, I don’t have many friends in the tower, and no one owes me favors. I can’t ask anyone to look after you, so take care of yourself. I hope you’ll still be alive when I return. If you die, well… guess we’ll call the debt even.
Hopefully I’ll complete my first mission successfully and come back alive. If you’re worried I won’t, go ahead and take the red potion as collateral.
That’s all. Goodbye.
Oh right, if one of your friends finds this letter instead, you can tell them it’s not poisoned. No antidote needed. If it’s not your friend… well, too bad.
Still owe you 8 credits — Byron.
After reading, Saul couldn’t help but laugh.
He’d never told Senior Byron that countdown joke, yet the guy had come up with it himself. Despite looking like a total dope, sometimes Byron was surprisingly sharp.
Saul had originally come to ask Byron about spirit resin, but that clearly wasn’t happening now. He could only hope Byron returned safely.
He left the red potion untouched, letting it sit where it was. He didn’t even check what it was, afraid he might not be able to resist.
Saul casually destroyed the letter and left the dorm, which looked more like a garbage heap than a living space.
Back in the hallway, the dorm door closed itself again. Saul was sure that after tonight, it wouldn’t open so easily anymore.
“Senior Byron’s gone too. Looks like I’ll have to ask Senior Mark tomorrow instead. Though he knows I’ve done body modifications, he doesn’t know the materials I used. He probably won’t connect it to spirit resin.”
Saul turned, ready to head back to sleep.
Just then, he noticed something odd—his shadow on the ground looked like it had grown.
Something long and thin flicked past the back of his neck.
Immediately alert, Saul froze and readied his incantations and potions.
He slowly raised his left hand, reaching toward the back of his neck.
All the while, his peripheral vision kept a close eye on his shadow.
When his hand finally touched the skin at the base of his neck, he felt… nothing unusual.
His shadow hadn’t changed either.
“Was it just my imagination? Or has the thing already left?”
He entered a semi-immersive meditative state, scanning his surroundings. No signs of unusual spirits.
Still, he didn’t let down his guard, cautiously leaving the Third Rank apprentice dorm area.
Only when he returned to his own dorm did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“Walking around the tower at night really is dangerous. With Kongsha and Byron both gone, I’d better stop wandering late at night.”
...
After lunch the next day, Saul hurried to Mentor Kaz’s lab to look for Senior Mark and buy some knowledge.
Just as he was about to push open the door, he heard voices from inside.
“…It’s good you’re willing to work hard. If your uncle had been a little more diligent, he wouldn’t have left the tower at thirty.”
“I’ll keep working hard, Senior Cole. Um, can I assist you with your experiments?”
“I suppose that’s fine. You already worked here with Mark, so you’ve got experience. Saves me the trouble of finding someone new.”
“Thank you so much, Senior Cole!”
“No need to thank me. Working with a cute girl like you will definitely improve my mood.”
Hearing this, Saul walked in—and saw the Second Rank apprentice named Cole, his hand resting on Angela’s shoulder.
Cole was a bit chubby, with a warm smile on his face. He looked gentle.
Angela kept her usual bright smile, seemingly unaware that anything was off.
Noticing someone enter, Cole casually pulled back his hand and nodded at Saul.
“This is Mentor Kaz’s lab. What do you need?”
“Hello, Senior. I was looking for Senior Mark. He’s not here anymore?”
Angela gently reminded Cole that Saul was also under Mentor Kaz.
Cole raised an eyebrow, then his smile brightened even more.
“So you’re Saul, the First Rank apprentice the mentor values most now.” He walked over to Saul. “Mark’s gone on a field mission. I’m handling his work now. If you need anything, you can ask me.”
He seemed quite enthusiastic.
Saul politely thanked him.
“Thanks, Senior. But I was just returning something to Senior Mark. Since he’s away, I’ll wait till he’s back. I’ll take my leave now—goodbye.”
Cole looked a bit disappointed Saul was leaving so soon, but didn’t stop him. He just invited him to come by whenever.
Saul offered some polite words, glanced briefly at Angela standing silently behind Cole, and left the lab.
Back in the hallway, Saul felt a bit lost. Overnight, the three seniors he was most familiar with had all left the tower.
Now he had no choice but to go to the library and search blindly.
The library was nearly empty. Whether borrowing or returning books, everyone there moved quickly, unwilling to linger.
As Saul entered, he noticed the anxious middle-aged man who usually sat on the left was gone.
Did someone trigger that “holographic projection” again?
“Are you here to borrow books?” a haughty voice called from the right.
Saul turned and saw a young man of about eighteen or nineteen, chin tilted up, looking down his nose at him.
“If you’re borrowing, go in. If not, get lost.”
Looking closer, Saul realized the arrogant youth looked nearly identical to the anxious middle-aged man from before.
(End of Chapter)