“Sir, thank you for saving me.” Saul climbed up from the floor. His legs were still a little weak, but he forced himself to stand and look the pink-bandaged man in the eye.
“New apprentice, until you have enough knowledge and power, don’t stay in the East Tower alone. At night, only your dorm is safe.”
His voice was low but incredibly clear.
“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t kno—”
“Don’t say you’ve seen me.”
Saul was cut off before he could finish.
The pink bandaged man raised a hand and waved. A gentle breeze brushed past Saul, causing him to blink instinctively.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing outside Dorm 604.
He quickly glanced both ways down the corridor. The flickering candlelight cast a dim glow, and everything was silent.
No time to think. Saul opened the door and rushed inside.…
Midnight had passed.
The blue hourglass instantly flipped. The sand that had just filled it began falling again. Time resumed its slow passage.
On the eleventh floor of the West Tower, two dormitory doors opened simultaneously.
Mark stepped from his dim room into the even dimmer corridor, looking toward the door diagonally across from his.
“Midnight’s passed. Our deal ends here. I’ll only act once whether he lives or dies; he’s just my junior from now on.”
There was no impatience on Mark’s face, nor even a hint of a smile.
Sid stepped out from the dorm across the hall, his expression slightly amused.
“Of course, that was the agreement. But don’t you want to know why I’m so dead set on killing that kid?”
“No.” Mark turned and slammed his door shut.
“What a bore. People who hang around corpses all day are all like that.”
Sid’s golden hair looked dull in the faint candlelight. He lowered his head, the flickering light and shadows slicing across his face.
For an instant, his expression twisted then settled back into a dark calm.
“That diary must be on him. It only reappears when its previous owner dies. Damn kid, your only crime is being too lucky. The diary I searched for all these years just landed in your lap.”
Sid’s right hand closed and opened as if recalling the exact sensation of gripping the hardcover book.
Too bad it was only after he flung it that he realized it was the very thing he’d been searching for.
By the time he kicked over Saul’s body and frantically searched it, the diary was gone.
Then, Saul started breathing again.
There was only one explanation: the diary had saved him.
Staring at Saul’s childish face, Sid had countless times imagined personally killing him.
But he couldn’t.
According to his grandfather’s notes, the diary would never go to someone who killed its master with their own hands.
He would have to make other plans.
Sid slowly backed into his dorm and shut his eyes tightly.
Diary of a Dead Wizard… What’s your secret? Why did my grandfather kill all his friends and family just to get you?
Sid was full of questions but also utterly determined.
Whatever had driven such a brilliant man to madness, he had to have it.
…
After a day of chaos, danger, and madness, Saul still had to wake up early for class the next morning.
Life can be so cruel.
It was past midnight now, and he forced himself to sleep.
But the terrifying scene in the lab kept replaying in his mind.
Was that lab incident connected to Senior Mark? And why did he try to kill me?
Who was that pink-bandaged man? Could he be one of the five mentors?
“Calling him the pink-bandaged man feels kinda rude,” Saul tried distracting himself with irrelevant thoughts to stay alert. “He was so powerful, just wiped out all those monsters in a flash. Let’s call him Big Pink.”
Drowsiness began to settle in, and Saul felt himself drifting off.
Knock knock knock!
Is it morning already? Is Keli here to wake me?
Saul scrambled up and turned up the lamp only to find it was just past 1 a.m.
Knock knock knock!
The knocking continued.
Saul didn’t want to get up. After what he’d been through, he was jumpy and on edge.
“Sir.”
The person outside the door couldn't wait any longer and called softly. The voice turned out to be the maid from the daytime.
Saul went to the door and opened it just a crack.
Sure enough, it was her.
She wore a silky pink cloak that draped over her shoulders.
Only her beautiful face and pale neck were visible, and below that… It seemed she wore nothing.
Saul stood behind the door.
“What do you want?”
“Sir,” she smiled, a blush creeping across her cheeks, “I know you’re young, but don’t you want to… touch me?”
As she spoke, she raised her hand. The silk slid smoothly off her bare skin and fell to her feet, revealing—
A carved wooden body!
Saul instantly backed up and tried to slam the door shut. But she stuck her head through, her face wedged in the crack, only her mouth visible.
Her lips opened wide, screaming—
“Help me… Kill me! Kill me! Kill me!”
…
Knock knock knock!
Still knocking.
Saul’s eyes flew open as he gasped for breath.
A dream?
He leapt from bed and turned up the lamp, checking the hourglass clock.
12:30 a.m.
It really had been a dream.
Saul grabbed the crystal orb by the table and crept toward the door.
“Who’s out there?”
Silence.
“I don’t need special services,” Saul said loudly.
“…It’s me. Kongsha.”
“….”
Saul hesitated. How could he be sure it really was Kongsha?
But he couldn’t stay locked inside forever.
He cracked the door just wide enough to slam it shut if needed.
Outside stood a woman in a hooded gown, her delicate chin the only part of her face visible, lips downturned.
“Lady Kongsha.”
He stepped aside. Kongsha walked straight in and sat in Saul’s chair, pulling down her hood.
Her head was still terrifying, but after what Saul had just survived in the lab, he could now face it calmly.
“You’ve had quite the thrilling apprentice life. That young and someone’s already trying to get in your bed?”
Kongsha crossed her legs, resting her elbow on one and her cheek in her hand, her sensual, graceful figure fully on display.
If not for that half-head, she was far more alluring than any maid.
“You finally came to see me,” Saul said, closing the door behind him.
“Now you understand your situation, don’t you?”
“If you mean the fact that, for some reason, my strongest elemental sense was changed to dark element… then yeah, I think I get it.”
“Hmph.” Kongsha gave a cold snort. “You thought your elemental sense was impressive? If not for my help, you might not even have picked a main element.”
Saul paused. What she said was probably true.
He had sensed all elemental particles during meditation but weakly with each one.
He walked up to Kongsha, softening his tone. “Senior Kongsha, are you here to help me?”
“Of course. What, you think I came to offer you special services?” Her smirk was icy as she held out her hand, revealing a small vial.
It was the same medicine she’d given him before to treat his injuries.
“Senior, what is this?”
“A potion that temporarily enhances your sensitivity to dark elements.”
“This is the stuff I drank last time?”
“Not exactly. This one is different. You take a drop before meditating each day. It will keep your perception heightened for a few hours. After a month of adaptation, I’ll give you a new one to help you reach 10 joules of magic in the first test.”
How does she know I need 10 joules in the first test? Who told her?
Saul stared at the potion in front of him. He was tempted but didn’t accept it right away.
“Senior, can I ask… does it have any side effects?”
(End of Chapter)