7 p.m.
Time to clock out.
For once, Saul left work right on the dot.
Though he’d gotten his hands on some more useful mutation materials today, it still wasn’t enough to excite him anymore.
The corpses processed by Senior Byron were very safe to work with, allowing Saul to go through the motions while his mind wandered.
Kaz’s words and his fickle attitude kept echoing in Saul’s head.
As much as he wanted to chalk it all up to Kaz being mentally unstable, his instincts told him there was more to it.
“The soul aptitude… it must all come down to that. What exactly does Mentor Kaz want me to do with this aptitude?” Saul walked absentmindedly, paying no attention to where his feet were taking him.
Normally, he wouldn’t get lost—after all, he’d been walking this same path for nearly three months.
But today, it felt like he’d been walking forever.Why was the turn to the next floor so far away?
Saul realized something was wrong and looked up warily, scanning his surroundings.
He’d encountered situations like this before—last time, he’d shattered the mushroom growing on the ceiling that had trapped him in a looping corridor.
Could it be happening again?
But none of the guests he’d seen today seemed the least bit unusual…
Just then, the candlelight on the walls dimmed.
The shadows in the corners came to life, writhing and scattering.
Saul immediately narrowed his eyes. His right hand slid into his coat pocket, his left raised defensively in front of him.
Demoralized Gaze, Scorching Breath, Strike Undead—
He swiftly reviewed the rune structures and incantations of the three Tier 0 spells in his mind.
The ramp was eerily quiet.
Even the air seemed to be holding its breath.
Saul suddenly looked up. He could feel someone standing just around the corner ahead.
Was this one of Sid’s new tricks?
But if this person was Sid’s trump card… then Jenna and Rocky were just throwaway pawns.
The presence was far too powerful—so much so that Saul couldn’t even think of a proper comparison!
Could Sid really control someone like this?
Saul lifted his head and called out loudly, “I don’t care who you are or what lies you’ve been fed—let me warn you: don’t try anything inside the Tower.”
The danger didn’t abate. The figure still stood just out of sight, around the bend.
“My mentor is Kaz, and he values me highly! If you want to end up exiled like Sid, by all means, take your shot!”
No response.
How awkward.
But still, it was worth a shot—worst case, he could apologize later.
If it made a potential enemy hesitate, even a little, it was worth it.
Ever since things had gone south with Sid, Saul had been setting up contingencies.
But all those plans were useless in the face of absolute power.
Thoughts raced through his mind.
Just as he debated whether to activate his distress signal, the person around the corner finally moved.
And with that, the pressure intensified.
Saul didn’t hesitate. He immediately crushed the vial hidden in his pocket.
A cloud of white smoke burst out, enveloping him completely—and then…
Bounced off toward a crack in the wall, disappearing.
Saul’s jaw nearly hit the floor. He staggered back in confusion and disbelief.
This concealment mist had been sold to him by Senior Byron, meant for emergency escapes and stealth.
Saul had even tested one dose in advance to confirm it worked.
Under normal circumstances, the mist would spread out in a ten-meter radius, hiding him completely.
Combined with the second vial meant to mask his scent, it should have let him escape enemy detection for a time.
But today—before he could even crush the second vial—the first one just… ran off in front of him?
Seriously? Have you no shame?
But this also made Saul realize—this enemy was beyond anything he could deal with.
Even if his diary gave a death warning at the critical moment, he might not have the ability—or time—to avoid the fatal blow.
He let go of the second vial and crushed the third one instead.
This one was for calling for help.
Senior Byron would come as soon as he got the signal.
If he arrived in time—he’d save Saul. If not—he’d collect the body.
Either way, Sid wasn’t getting his hands on the diary.
Having done all he could, Saul calmed down.
He straightened his back and lifted his chin, ready to face whatever came next.
Then, a tall, extremely slender figure wrapped head to toe in pink bandages stepped out from around the corner.
Saul took in a sharp breath—his heart almost stopped.
“I really didn’t expect he could get you involved. Just to kill me? Isn’t that a bit excessive?”
The pink-banded figure tilted his head slightly, silver eyes flickering with confusion.
Seeing that reaction, Saul’s heart sparked with a bit of hope. His stiffened heart began to pound again.
“You… you’re not here to kill me?”
The pink-banded man’s eyes curved into a smile.
“Just like you said—who could make me do something like that?”
His voice was as gentle as ever.
He wasn’t here to kill him?
He wasn’t here to kill him!
The tension drained from Saul’s body all at once, and the breath he’d been holding finally escaped.
Only now did he realize his limbs were trembling slightly.
He forced a bitter smile. “That’s a relief. It's good you're not here to kill me. If Big Pink really wants to kill me, I wouldn’t have had a chance. None of my backups would’ve mattered.”
The pink-banded man slowly walked down toward him.
Only now did Saul notice—his toes were always pointed, like he was tiptoeing.
He moved lightly, yet unsteadily, like he might collapse at any moment but never did.
Like reeds swaying in the wind—only to stand tall again once it passed.
“Big Pink?” the man repeated, curious.
“Ah!” Saul suddenly realized he’d accidentally said that out loud, caught up in the aftershock of escaping death.
“I, uh…” He scrambled to explain.
But to his surprise, the other man smiled again.
He lifted his hand—a strange motion, as though the limb didn’t want to rise.
“You think my pink looks nice too, huh?”
The turn of conversation made Saul uneasy, but thankfully, the man didn’t dwell on it.
“Then call me Big Pink.” He lowered his hand upon seeing Saul’s nervousness. “Are you still studying Wizard Body Modification?”
He knew? He’d been paying attention?
Saul hadn’t forgotten that this man had once saved his life in the lab.
He didn’t think he’d ever become a good person, but he wasn’t one to forget a debt.
Big Pink had saved him without asking for anything in return.
Though Saul knew how powerful the man was, he’d never once tried to mention him to others, let alone rely on his reputation—after all, they’d only met once.
But now… Big Pink had been watching him?
Was it simple curiosity, or—like Kongsha—did he have plans of his own?
“Yes.” Saul raised his left hand, not hiding anything. “I succeeded in my first modification. Got lucky.”
But Big Pink didn’t scrutinize his hand like Mentor Kaz did.
He didn’t even glance at it.
“Saul, your talent shouldn’t be wasted on Body Modification. Now that your magic is up to standard, you should focus on real knowledge.”
“Real knowledge?” Saul frowned. Wasn’t Body Modification valuable?
If not that—then what?
He remembered Kaz’s lecture from earlier.
“You mean my soul aptitude? But… I don’t even know how to use it.”
“Was the book I gave you too basic? Or maybe… you’re just a bit dumber than I thought?” Big Pink’s voice was light and amused, not the least bit angry.
(End of Chapter)