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“Ugh—where am I?”
With the lingering pain in his body, Mu’en gradually awoke from his unconscious state, realizing he was lying in an unfamiliar room.
Before he could take in his surroundings, a face that looked like an old flower bloomed in front of him.
“What the hell, who is that?” Mu’en almost had a heart attack but quickly recovered. “You are… Professor Gran?”
“Ah, Mu’en, you’re finally awake.”
Professor Gran stared at Mu’en with an extraordinarily brilliant… and eerie smile.
“Congratulations! The surgery was a great success; you are now a beautiful young lady.”
“What?”
Mu’en froze.
His face turned pale in an instant.
Could it be that the Crowned One was so powerful that with a mere gesture, she completely changed my gender?
No, no, no!
Mu’en quickly tossed aside the blanket covering him… and looked down.
He let out a breath of relief.
Thank goodness… it’s still there.
Huh? Still there?
Mu’en immediately lifted his head and looked at Professor Gran in anger:
“Professor Gran, please don’t joke like that!”
“Eh?”
Professor Gran stroked his chin in confusion:
“Isn’t that the favorite joke among you young people?”
“How can that be? That’s a frightening joke!”
“It seems I’m a bit out of touch with the times.” Professor Gran sighed, then became meaningful again: “But… frightening? Although it’s not a very good joke, it hardly qualifies as frightening.
You are very sensitive, Mu’en. Have you perhaps… experienced such a thing?”
“Nonsense.”
Mu’en subtly averted his gaze: “No, absolutely not. That ridiculous thing? It’s impossible even to think about.”
“I see, perhaps it’s just me overthinking.”
Professor Gran’s demeanor became a bit more serious as he asked:
“Enough of that, how do you feel? Is your body alright?”
“I… I feel much better.”
Mu’en took a moment to assess his body and found that aside from some pain, both internal and external injuries had mostly healed.
But for the injuries to heal this quickly…
“Eh, could it be…?”
“Exactly, I’ve healed your injuries.”
“Then the one who saved me before…”
“Did you forget? It was also me.”
Professor Gran snapped his fingers and said:
“That time was indeed critical. If I hadn’t risked my life to save you, Mu’en, you would have probably been turned into meat paste by now.”
“Is that so…”
Mu’en sighed softly, feeling a bit complicated about surviving, then thanked Professor Gran:
“Thank you, Professor Gran.”
“Ah, no need to be formal. It’s the duty of a teacher to save students, isn’t it?”
Professor Gran patted Mu’en’s back and encouraged him to sit up straight:
“For me, this is just a trivial matter.”
“It may be trivial for you, Professor Gran, but you truly saved me, so I will definitely repay this kindness.”
“Is that so?”
Professor Gran suddenly revealed a strange smile as if to say you finally said that:
“Then just in time, Mu’en, I have an opportunity for you to repay me right now.”
Huh?
What a coincidence?
Mu’en shivered, his sense of crisis, honed from repeated persecution, buzzed in his mind.
This is…
An arranged atmosphere!
“Actually, the repayment I mentioned means money.”
Mu’en rested his chin on crossed arms and said seriously:
“One million or two million, Professor Gran, name a number. The Duke’s Mansion will definitely satisfy you. Of course, if you don’t want money, treasures are also acceptable.”
“Indeed, as the Duke’s son, you are quite wealthy. But I’m afraid I don’t need money right now.”
“Then come find me when you need money, I’m leaving first.”
“Wait.”
Professor Gran grabbed Mu’en’s shoulder and leaned close with a pained expression:
“Mu’en, the teacher risked his life to save you. Are you just going to leave like this?”
“But…”
Mu’en’s mouth twitched: “Didn’t you just say it was a trivial matter for you?”
“That’s just taking it lightly. Why would you take it seriously?”
Professor Gran released his grip, flashing a knowing smile:
“Of course, if you insist on leaving like this, tomorrow’s school news headline might read that the infamous Mu’en Campbell has once again been ungrateful, abandoning his teacher who risked his life for him under the sunset, leaving the teacher to wallow in sorrow every day…”
“Stop, stop, stop!”
Mu’en interrupted Professor Gran, horrified:
“Where did this ultimate male student-teacher romantic trope come from? Besides, what sunset? This broken place can’t even see the moon!”
“So…”
Professor Gran grinned, his smile seemingly innocent, but it only increased Mu’en’s discomfort:
“Mu’en, you wouldn’t want your reputation to be damaged again, would you?”
“…”
The atmosphere fell into a brief silence.
Professor Gran savored Mu’en’s struggle with great delight.
“So despicable, Professor Gran.”
Mu’en gritted his teeth:
“Just spill it, what do you want?”
“Nothing much, Mu’en, you don’t need to be so nervous, making me feel like I’m some weird creature that’s been dubbed a Minotaur.”
Professor Gran put an arm around Mu’en’s shoulders as if he were an old friend, then after a moment’s thought, said:
“Actually, I have a niece.”
“Niece?”
“Yes, indeed, a niece. She tends to be a little lazy in the mornings.”
“Lazy?” Mu’en grew even more puzzled.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“Of course it does! Because she likes to sleep in, she needs a sunny, handsome big brother to wake her up.”
“So…”
Mu’en was shocked:
“You talked so much just to have me wake your niece up?”
“Exactly.”
Professor Gran nodded: “It’s roughly like that, but my niece can be a bit grumpy in the mornings, so you don’t have to worry, Mu’en.”
“That only makes me more worried!”
He thought to himself, given how much effort Gran put into framing this, it couldn’t just be a matter of waking up a niece.
Could it be…
Mu’en stroked his chin, seriously saying:
“Your niece is actually a grumpy, easily angered, hand-ripping scumbag mountain gorilla, isn’t she?”
“…”
Professor Gran visibly twitched.
“Your imagination is quite vivid, Mu’en, but no—that thing isn’t a gorilla.”
“That thing? You just called her that thing, didn’t you? Who refers to their own niece like that?”
Ahem. “In any case, time is of the essence. Let’s talk as we walk.”
“Wait, I’m not even dressed! Let me find something to wear.”
“Don’t worry—I’ve already prepared everything.”
Professor Gran displayed a knowing expression, snapped his fingers, and like a magic trick, Mu’en was suddenly clad in a fitted suit.
Seeing Professor Gran’s unbothered smile at his meticulous arrangements, Mu’en felt a chill run down his spine, thinking about when would they stop using him as a tool.
But he had no choice; he could only be swept along by Professor Gran toward the unknown.
…
A few minutes later, in a certain underground area of the academy.
As Mu’en gazed at the heavy, imposing metal door before him, he was utterly stunned.
“Professor Gran… Your niece… lives in the vault?”
“The vault?”
Professor Gran scoffed dismissively: “This door, made from dozens of rare metals, and hundreds of magical formations, crafted with countless artisans’ efforts, could withstand an invasion by an Evil God for a significant time. Even Bairland’s most robust vault would not compare to a single hair on this door.”
“…an Evil God invasion?”
Mu’en’s heart raced.
In his memories, only the Church of Life’s Holy Realm seemed capable of crafting something to this extent.
And this door was so sturdy…
“Could it be that inside isn’t your niece but rather some secret weapon of the academy?” Mu’en speculated.
Professor Gran paused for a moment, then immediately put on an “innocent” smile:
“Secret weapon? Child, have you read too many storybooks? How could a place like the academy, which allows students to learn peacefully, posses such violent things as secret weapons?”
“It totally must be! You just shifted your gaze!”
“Young people should not be so suspicious; you’re apt to notice the odd colors of the hats you’re wearing.”
Professor Gran stepped forward, inserting a gem into the groove at the base of the door.
Seventeen gemstones were already embedded in the intricate compass-like device.
“Talking about not wanting to come, yet you all move quite fast,” Professor Gran raised an eyebrow, looking at the gems.
Then, twisting his wrist, the gemstones emitted a soft glow.
A thunderous sound echoed.
The huge mechanisms unfurled layer by layer, accompanied by a sense of rumbling, and the grand door slowly opened, revealing the deep darkness inside.
Professor Gran stood at the entrance, arms crossed, looking at Mu’en:
“Are you going or not, kid? Give a clear answer. While I would love for you to go, as a professor, I won’t force a student to do what they don’t want.”
“I… I’ll go.”
After a brief hesitation, Mu’en released a long breath, as if squeezing all the air out of his lungs.
“Wow.”
Professor Gran laughed: “I thought you would refuse, after all.”
“I wanted to refuse… I just suddenly recalled some things.” Mu’en said.
At that time.
Due to the difficulty of connecting the textual descriptions with the actual images, coupled with the urgency of the situation, Mu’en hadn’t thought much of it.
But upon calming down, the many trivial details he overlooked started to resurface in his mind.
That Crowned One…
Mu’en raised his head and earnestly asked Professor Gran:
“Professor Gran, the Crowned One who attacked me before was that Holy Maiden of the Church of Life, right?”
“Oh? You actually know her?”
Professor Gran raised his eyebrows in surprise: “That Holy Maiden has been missing for twenty years. I thought no young people would recognize her. What? Do you have a hobby of collecting those fake Holy Maiden pictures just like the Pink Bear Dean?”
“No, of course, I don’t know her…”
I only know the plot of the original book.
In the original story, the Holy Maiden, manipulated by the Love God, once invaded the academy.
At that time, it seemed she had accumulated enough power, hence there were no appearances of the male student cult, who were merely sacrifices.
In the plot of the original story, only the Holy Maiden appeared. Yet an invasion by a powerhouse like the Crowned One without any forewarning was even more terrifying, for no one could predict her actions.
And the Love God’s purpose for invading the academy was—
To hunt down Ariel.
Indeed, as the protagonist, Ariel had undoubtedly provoked the Love God, who was the most active Evil God in the early stages, effectively dismantling the cult of believers in Bairland.
Enraged, the Love God directly manipulated the Holy Maiden to invade the academy and hunt Ariel down.
Naturally, as the protagonist, Ariel couldn’t easily face defeat; her multiple cheats, combined with her own strength and unyielding nature, allowed her to hold out until Professor Plon arrived with a great protective artifact.
And due to that event, Ariel also gained fortune from misfortune and successfully ascended to a higher realm.
This can be regarded as a fairly conventional protagonist power-up event, but the only problem was…
It happened too early.
This event was supposed to occur at the end of this academic year, after all, according to the timeline, Ariel had yet to have too much interaction with that Love God—not to mention angered him.
And the most recent event should be the Blood Demon incident a month later, definitely not a stage too early for the Love God.
Thus, the cause of all this…
“Could it only be because of my interference?”
Mu’en couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
No matter how he thought about it, it was probably because he provoked that Love God that led to the earlier invasion.
But…
What Mu’en couldn’t understand was…
At the time, the Love God didn’t seem to solely target him for the kill.
Her attack appeared merely casual; she clearly had ulterior motives.
Otherwise, at such close range, with a Crowned One attacking with full force, unless a deity appeared in person, no one could be saved.
“So just because I, a little butterfly, fluttered my wings, this massive storm brewed?”
The sudden emergence of the acting dean, Pink Bear.
The Love God invaded a whole year earlier.
It was as if just because Mu’en, the blonde villain who was supposed to exit a month ago, remained active in the story, all the plots were thrown into chaos.
Although Mu’en wanted to shout, “I just want to live happily! What’s wrong with that?”
“But it’s still connected to me, right?”
Concluding his thoughts, Mu’en looked at Professor Gran and earnestly asked:
“If I go in and wake up that academy’s secret weapon, can it successfully resolve this incident?”
“Naturally…”
At this point, Professor Gran was too lazy to continue pretending:
“But I advise you not to use the term secret weapon, as she would get angry.”
So saying your niece is acceptable then?
Mu’en couldn’t help but complain.
However, since he’d received such an answer, there was no longer any reason to hesitate.
Mu’en gradually stepped into the darkness where the massive door opened.
“Wait.”
Just as he was about to step forward, Mu’en suddenly recalled something and stopped, turning back to ask in confusion:
“Speaking of it, couldn’t Professor Plon resolve this incident?”
After all, in the original story, Professor Plon used a great protective artifact to solve the invasion of the Love God.
Mu’en remembered that the Holy Maiden was also Professor Plon’s student, and their encounter was rather tragic.
But regardless, the invasion of just the Love God shouldn’t reach the scale that would necessitate using a secret weapon that even Mu’en was unaware of, which meant it couldn’t have been something that should appear during the early to mid-stage.
“Huh? You don’t know?”
“What do I not know?”
“Oh, right, you fainted then, so you didn’t see anything.”
“So…”
“If it were just that Holy Maiden controlled by the Love God, Professor Plon would certainly be enough, but the problem is…”
Professor Gran sighed:
“There’s also another Evil God, the Moon with the power of Night.”
“I see, that Moon came too.”
Mu’en nodded and continued to move forward.
But as soon as he took a step, he froze.
“Eh? Wait, that Moon?”
The only Evil God known as the Moon must be the Silent Moon.
As an Evil God, it was only natural for her to make a move.
The problem was…
In all the plots Mu’en knew of, this Silent Moon had never invaded the academy!
She was essentially an Evil God who only appeared in the mid-stages, and by then, the academy part had long ended!
Why?
Was it again because of me?
But I can’t remember any connection with that Silent Moon.
A butterfly flapping its wings can stir a storm, but no matter how it flaps, even if its wings are worn down to a nub, it can’t trigger a volcanic eruption unrelated to it.
“Professor Gran, please explain this matter in more detail…”
Mu’en abruptly turned back, anxiously wanting to inquire about what just happened.
However, just as he turned his head, Mu’en’s expression stiffened at the sight of a shoe sole rapidly growing larger in his field of vision.
“Since you’re going in, then hurry up and get in!”
Professor Gran kicked Mu’en in the butt, impatiently roaring:
“If you keep babbling like this, the old man Plon will be dead!”
…
…
“Ouch!”
Behind that grand door, the darkness was actually a staggered platform, not level ground.
So after being kicked by Professor Gran, Mu’en predictably fell, landing face-first.
Pain surged from both sides. For a moment, Mu’en found himself at a loss, unsure whether to rub his rear or his face first.
But fortunately, the ground was softer than he imagined, so he didn’t worry about any damages to his handsome face.
“Damn Professor Gran, at least let me prepare a bit first.”
Mu’en silently cursed, but he understood that time was indeed running out.
Because no one knew how long Professor Plon could hold off against the two Evil Gods.
“I’ll leave those questions for later; for now, I must focus on the present.”
“This place is…”
Mu’en lifted his head, preparing to survey his surroundings.
Then he was momentarily astonished by the breathtaking view before him.
Flowers.
Countless flowers.
An ocean of bright flowers stretched endlessly to the horizon, overwhelming in beauty.
Above that skyline, even the darkness he had fallen from was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a clear blue sky.
A gentle breeze wafted through, carrying the fragrance of flowers and warm air, making every pore on Mu’en’s body relax in a truly unbelievable way.
It felt like stepping into a beautiful world untouched by darkness.
“This is… where the academy’s secret weapon resides? So beautiful.”
Mu’en stood in a daze for a moment before instinctively moving forward.
He wasn’t worried about getting lost in the endless sea of flowers, as all the blooms leaned gently in the same direction, almost as if they were bowing towards some existence or being drawn by some force.
Before long, he arrived at the center of the flower sea.
There, he saw a young girl surrounded by various cute dolls and clustered flowers.
The girl seemed to be in deep sleep, but as Mu’en looked at her, his pupils trembled—once, twice—shook once more.
Because that girl…
Was a loli.
And not just any loli.
Dressed in a cute pink nightgown, her skin appeared even whiter and more rosy. Her face, supported by layers of blooming flowers, was as delicate as a porcelain doll, with just a slight baby fat that accentuated her liveliness and cuteness.
What stood out even more than her features was her strikingly pure white hair, also incredibly prominent amid the flowers.
In summary, this was a White-haired Loli!
Mu’en suddenly felt his heart pounding wildly.
A White-haired Loli!
This wasn’t just hitting his XP level; it was practically ramping a dance party atop it!
What strong man could resist a sleeping White-haired Loli?
“I want to pinch her cheeks…”
Gazing at the girl’s rosy face, Mu’en couldn’t help but think this.
But soon, he was rational enough not to let the allure of the White-haired Loli completely consume him.
He recalled the purpose of his visit.
“Are you saying… the so-called secret weapon of the academy is this White-haired Loli?”
Mu’en was somewhat shocked.
He had thought it might involve some otherworldly figure or perhaps a dragon or such monstrous creature.
Never did he imagine it would be a White-haired Loli.
“Wait, a White-haired Loli and an otherworldly figure seem not to conflict.”
Mu’en stroked his chin in contemplation.
Just like in those fantasy novels, the younger something appears, perhaps the more terrifying their cultivation is!
“But…”
Mu’en turned his gaze to the cute dolls beside the girl.
“An otherworldly figure… could they also like pink dolls?”
After all, youth refers to appearance, but their intellect is bound to be more mature.
“So…”
Mu’en lightly clapped his palm, creating an imaginative backstory filled with at least a hundred thousand words about a naive and adorable White-haired Loli, abused by the academy and depicted as a secret weapon, imprisoned lonely in this flower sea.
“No wonder Professor Gran said she didn’t like being called a secret weapon; anyone recalling their tragic experiences wouldn’t feel good, right?”
Thinking of this, Mu’en couldn’t help but grit his teeth: “Why haven’t I noticed how evil the academy was before? Just wait until I get out; I’ll report your mistreatment of young girls!”
“But…”
Mu’en’s eyes suddenly re-energized:
“Since she’s a naive and adorable tragic girl, I should be able to pinch her cheeks, right?”
“This can’t be considered as perversion; she’s just too cute!”
Determined, Mu’en reached out and gently pinched the soft cheeks of the girl.
Ah, so soft.
In that moment, Mu’en felt his heart might just melt.
“I wish this moment could be frozen in time.”
But he could only wish.
Because a gust of wind blew by.
The entire sea of flowers swayed at once, resembling waves in the ocean, layering upon one another.
In the midst of this commotion, the girl stirred slightly, her eyelashes fluttering, then opened her eyes.
With ruby-red pupils, she first displayed the confusion of having just awakened, then, as if sensing something, her gaze shifted to the large hand resting on her cheek.
A hint of puzzlement appeared.
“Ah, you’re awake?”
Briefly distracted by the wind and flowers, Mu’en noticed the girl’s awakening and quickly pulled back his hand, panicking.
What should he do? He felt he might have pinched too long.
She wouldn’t think of him as a creepy pervert, would she?
No, he needed a way to make up for it.
In the midst of his fluster, Mu’en suddenly felt something in his pocket—it’s a candy?
Huh? How did I have candy in my pocket?
Could it be…
“Professor Gran…”
Mu’en couldn’t help but feel touched; you’re quite reliable at crucial moments!
Thus, Mu’en took out the candy and presented it to the girl, revealing a friendly smile akin to that of a child-abductor’s, gently saying:
“Here, little sister, don’t be angry. Big brother’s giving you candy.”
“…”
As soon as Mu’en’s words fell, the world around seemed to press the pause button, freezing in place.
Even the wind stopped.
All the flowers bowed their heads, as if they could not bear to witness the scene to unfold.
The girl sat up.
Her ruby-like eyes glanced at the candy in Mu’en’s hand, then shifted to Mu’en himself.
She still bore an expressionless face, but her lips curled up slightly, seemingly smiling:
“Interesting.”
As soon as the girl’s voice, mellifluous like a lark, rang out, Mu’en’s smile instantly stiffened.
His complexion turned pale.
That tone…
Could it be…
“Only a small nap for decades, and the academy’s students have become this bold?” The girl spoke, her tone cold and unwavering.
Mu’en’s mind buzzed.
A nap for decades?
It’s over.
She’s a big shot!
Damn it, Gran, you’ve set me up!
Mu’en stared at himself, offering candy to a big shot, and started to ponder how many tables to prepare if he were to host a banquet for guests.
“Huh?”
The girl scrutinized Mu’en with eyes sharper than blades, as if peering deeply into his very being.
Then she let out a soft sound of realization:
“You seem… a little different.”
“Haha, I don’t know what you mean, I’m just an ordinary person.”
Mu’en scratched his head awkwardly.
But before he could say anything further, he suddenly felt a chill run through him.
“Eh?”
Glancing down, Mu’en suddenly found himself naked in an instant.
What the hell, this White-haired Loli big shot suddenly started stripping my clothes?
She can’t be the legendary Yandere, right?
What should he do? Being stripped by a Yandere-level big shot? And she’s a White-haired Loli! How should he react? Should he just lay flat or have a token struggle?
While Mu’en’s mind raced, the white-haired red-eyed girl moved closer, her fingers brushing across Mu’en’s skin, her clear eyes shimmering like stars.
“The Mark of the King of Withering.” She said softly.
In one sentence.
In an instant.
It felt as if blood had frozen; Mu’en felt cold all over.
He stared down at the girl, whose expression remained unchanged, and his body couldn’t help but shudder.
Fear surged in his eyes.
Like a mole infiltrating an organization, abruptly exposed by the leader.
But with no time for hesitation, that fear instantaneously transformed into rage and resolve.
Mu’en’s right hand withdrew from behind, the dagger hidden in his storage glinting dangerously as he thrust it towards the girl’s vital point at an unconventional angle.
Simultaneously, crimson flames surged around his skin, rising like quicksilver, rushing towards the girl.
“You really have guts,” the girl said, though it wasn’t clear if it was mockery or admiration.
She extended a finger, lightly flicking it upward.
In the next instant.
Mu’en’s movement froze, and the flames instantly extinguished.
Because he found himself rising to an exceedingly high vantage point.
As if shooting into the sky on a rocket.
The flower sea and the girl shrank in his view, making them look diminutive.
Then, as he reached the apex, he fell back down.
The flower sea and the girl enlarged once more in his eyes, along with something else that magnified along with them—a headless body.
Hmm?
A headless body?
Before his mind could process this incomprehensible information, Mu’en saw the girl moving her finger again.
So.
Hand. Arm. Torso. Thigh. Foot.
Internal organs. Meridians. Bones.
Mu’en’s entire body was disassembled piece by piece, like building blocks.
Yet, throughout the entire disassembly process, not a drop of blood flowed, and Mu’en felt not a hint of pain.
It was as if he had become a toy.
“Strange?”
The girl meticulously examined those disassembled parts, then reached out, catching Mu’en’s head.
She observed the head displaying alarm, and in a puzzled tone, questioned:
“You clearly haven’t lost anything from your body, nor is your soul missing. Even looking at your fate’s trajectory, you have a happy family, harmonious friends—so how did you acquire the powers of the King of Withering?”
At this point, the girl showed a hint of curiosity:
“If you were to say you have lost anything… it would only be your purity. Could it be you obtained your powers from trading your purity with the Evil God?”
“…”
Mu’en’s lips twitched, thinking to himself, “Big shot, you really have a sense of humor.”
“No, your powers don’t seem to be a simple grant.”
As if discovering something, the girl’s fine eyebrows slightly raised.
“Crimson fire with a source, manifestations of certain rules; this is… divine favor.”
“Eh?”
Upon hearing this, Mu’en froze.
Divine favor?
Me?
From which God?
The King of Withering?
But the fire on him wasn’t obtained through the black book, was it?
And this fire remaining with him felt more like a means of temptation from the King of Withering to lead him to corruption.
“It seems you aren’t aware of the power that resides within you.”
The girl’s lips curled slightly, as though captivated by discovering something novel.
She gazed deeply into Mu’en’s eyes as if wanting to unravel his deepest secrets.
“Yet, it’s rare to see an Evil God taking an interest in a mortal. You, young man, must be hiding some secrets.”
“How could that be? I said, didn’t I? I’m just an ordinary person.”
Mu’en forced a smile.
If secrets were to be mentioned…
The black book.
But this time, no matter how much Mu’en called out within his heart, the black book remained eerily silent.
As if it had vanished.
“Forget it. I don’t have a penchant for prying into others’ secrets. Besides…”
The girl looked upwards, gazing at the sky.
“Time seems to be running out.”
She took the candy from Mu’en’s hand, tore off the wrapping, and popped it into her mouth, displaying a hint of satisfaction:
“Sweet.”
Then.
She stepped past Mu’en, heading towards the edge of the flower sea.
“Eh?”
This left Mu’en bewildered.
“You’re… just going to let me go like that? You’re not going to kill me?”
“Kill you?”
The girl turned back: “Why would I want to kill you?”
“Because… I’m connected to the Evil God and possess his power?”
To Mu’en’s knowledge, the strong in this world almost universally detested and loathed the Evil Gods. If even a hint arose, they would extinguish it at any cost.
Thus, Mu’en had acted decisively; he assumed the girl would eradicate him immediately.
“I see.”
The girl nodded, then countered:
“Have you ever used the power of the Evil God to harm others?”
Mu’en hesitated, then shook his head.
“Do you think you’re a bad person?”
Mu’en shook his head.
“When you sleep at night, do you hear strange voices whispering in your ear, urging you to destroy the world?”
Once again, Mu’en shook his head.
“Then that’s fine.”
The girl’s ruby-red eyes glittered as her brows eased, and for the first time, she revealed an unmistakable smile: “You’re a good person and haven’t done anything bad. Why would I kill you?”
“But the power of the Evil God…”
“Only cowards fear pure power.”
The girl pivoted, leaving a sound of a near-sigh behind her:
“Alas, there are too many cowards in this world.”
“Only cowards fear pure power…”
Reiterating the girl’s words, Mu’en felt her petite figure rise in stature.
Oh, I’m in love; this is the aura of a big shot!
Simply too cool!
Huh, wait.
Watching the girl’s retreating figure, Mu’en suddenly remembered he was still in a “disassembled” state and shouted in panic:
“Since that’s the case, big shot, change me back before you go!”
“You’re quite interesting. I’ll remember you.”
The girl glanced back, then her tone turned slightly cold:
“But my face is not something to be easily pinched.”
“…”
Damn, does the big shot also hold grudges?
It was just a quick pinch of the cheeks, was it really necessary? Surely there was more hostility behind this!
“But…”
Mu’en displayed a smile, muttering softly to himself:
“Feeling like this overbearing and stunning red-eyed white-haired loli also really strikes my XP too.”
Right when Mu’en thought he was alone in that sentiment, he suddenly felt his perspective shifting.
Gradually rising…
Then falling.
This time quickly!
Like sitting on a free-fall ride!
“Damn!”
So, before despair hit, Mu’en only managed to leave one word behind.
…
The girl hadn’t gone far, extending her hand and lightly swiping in front of her.
As a result, a door swung open.
Outside the door, a dozen old professors, including Professor Plon, stood silently along the path. Upon seeing the girl emerge, even the usually arrogant professors lowered their heads together.
“Mentor Meladomir,” they respectfully addressed.
“Mm.”
The white-haired red-eyed girl lightly nodded, looking at everyone:
“It’s been decades; you’ve all aged so much, Dudley. The last time I saw you, your back could still be straight.”
“To see the mentor again is truly an honor.” The oldest professor even wiped away tears, showing a childlike emotion.
“Such a reunion is no time for melancholy,” the girl spoke softly.
“By the way, this awakening truly was beyond my expectations; according to my previous predictions, I was supposed to awaken after five years.”
“It’s our incompetence for not being able to protect the academy.”
All the professors showed faces of shame.
“It’s not your fault; it was only recently I noticed…”
The girl looked up, her tone becoming serious:
“Fate has shifted significantly without notice. The Moon, which was supposed to be unrelated to the academy’s trajectory, directly intruded into it.”
“We’re also unaware of the specifics. Plon seems to know something, but due to his silence pact, he cannot reveal it casually.” The normally flippant Professor Gran faced the girl with a grave expression.
“It’s alright.”
The girl waved her hand. “I’ll find out the specifics once I meet him. You all should continue with your own affairs, or get some rest. Don’t wear yourselves out at your age.”
“Yes.”
The professors bowed their heads respectfully, almost resembling children reprimanded by their parents, not daring to disobey in any way.
Just as they prepared to leave, Gran suddenly popped his head into the door, catching sight of Mu’en, who had turned into a floaty collection of body parts, with his head bobbing up and down rapidly, revealing a schadenfreude smile.
Thank goodness I had foreknowledge; otherwise, had I became like this now, it might have been me.
But right as he prepared to withdraw, Mu’en’s voice rang out:
“Big Shot! Professor Gran just called you his niece!”
“…”
Professor Gran’s smile turned awkward as he turned back, only to see the girl silently staring at him, her expression charged with the same obscure intensity he’d encountered with Mu’en.
