Chapter 39: This is an Open Conspiracy
Kongsha thought Saul shouldn't be this foolish.
Every time she visited Saul, it was always in the dead of night when no one was around.
But how could Saul dare to appear at her door, boldly carrying a severed head, at barely past eight in the evening?
Even though Kongsha had made sure the corridor was empty just now, who knew how many people had seen Saul on his way here?
She hadn't explicitly warned him this time, and yet he had so carelessly exposed her existence.
Kongsha grabbed Saul and slammed him to the ground with overwhelming force. The yellow leather wrapping fell from his arms.
The box rolled even farther away, its lid popping off, revealing a severed head contorted in terror.
Its eyes were still wide open, glaring fiercely upward toward the ceiling.
Seeing the head of a first-level apprentice, Kongsha’s anger eased slightly.
"You think you can use this to threaten me? Let me tell you, even if others find out, you're the one who's dead. The worst I get is losing a few academic credits."
"Senior, you've misunderstood."
Saul had no intention of blackmailing Kongsha.
What he was doing was called "waving the tiger’s skin"—using borrowed power as leverage.
If he played this right, he might just be able to pit Sid against Kongsha.
Saul remained on the ground, making no attempt to get up.
Lowering his head, he recounted his entire journey from the morgue to her room.
"I—I really didn't dare to keep this head with me, so I ran straight here. I'm sorry, Senior!"
Hearing Saul’s explanation, Kongsha stood still for a moment, deep in thought.
Her gaze flickered to the mess Saul and the severed head had left on the floor, filling her with irritation.
"There's a bathroom here. Go wash up first. We'll talk afterward."
Saul repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
His whole body felt sticky and unbearable—he hadn't expected to score a bath out of this visit.
But just as he settled into the steaming stone tub, before he could fully enjoy the soothing warmth of the water, Kongsha casually pushed open the bathroom door and walked in. She sat down on a chair directly opposite him.
"Senior, I'm bathing here," Saul muttered awkwardly, sinking lower into the water.
Even though he was only twelve, and Kongsha couldn’t really be considered a proper woman anymore, he still felt like he was getting the short end of the stick.
"You don't have to be shy. I've seen hundreds of body parts on the operating table—dozens at the very least. I probably know your body structure better than you do," Kongsha remarked, and if she had eyelids, she might have rolled her eyes.
Saul had no choice but to imagine he was in front of a male nurse, trying to relax his limbs and enjoy the warmth while scrubbing away the filth.
First-level apprentices weren’t allowed proper baths—just quick, public showers.
Kongsha glanced at Saul’s hands before returning to the main topic.
"You said Sid threatened you?"
"Yes. From the way he talked, it sounds like I'll be losing my job in the morgue soon."
Saul looked at Kongsha, his face full of worry.
"Sid seems to have brought some new recruits back to the tower this time," Kongsha noted, sharing her own intelligence.
"Could there be someone among them with a stronger soul talent?" Saul frowned deeply with concern.
"If Master Kaz has taken a liking to someone…" He sighed bitterly, shoulders slumping. "I might really be finished."
If Kongsha still had eyelids, she would have rolled her eyes again.
"You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll take care of it. Just focus on completing the tasks I gave you."
"Understood, Senior," Saul immediately smiled with relief.
But before he could finish his sentence, Kongsha sauntered over.
Saul's instincts screamed danger—he tried to lean back, but his body quickly hit the solid stone wall.
Kongsha placed both hands on the edge of the tub, leaning forward, lowering her head. The glass dome of her skull pressed against Saul’s forehead.
"Did Sid see what you brought back?"
A surprisingly warm sensation spread across Saul’s forehead. It almost felt like it wasn’t a glass dome touching him, but smooth human skin.
"Maybe Kongsha’s head never actually turned into a terrifying glass case—maybe it's all just an illusion?"
The naive thought flickered in Saul’s mind before he immediately suppressed it.
In this cursed wizard’s tower, even when facing someone who appeared normal, one had to assume they were a potential monster—let alone Kongsha, who was clearly far from normal.
Saul didn't dare to lift his head.
He knew Kongsha’s eyeballs had likely emerged from their milky fluid by now, glaring at him with ferocious intensity.
Every time he met those eyes, an icy dread would shoot through his spine.
It wasn’t the kind of fear one could overcome by getting used to it.
This was an existential terror—an oppressive force that crushed one's soul.
No amount of hot water could dispel the chilling sensation seeping from his core.
"N-no, ma’am." He instinctively reverted to his old, deferential form of address. "But he knows I work in the morgue. He might have guessed what it was."
Kongsha remained pressed against his head.
The pressure mounted.
The warmth was replaced by an unbearable chill.
The icy sensation drilled into his skull like an electric current, as if trying to bore into his brain.
The combined assault of the cold seeping from above and the steam rising from below made it hard to breathe. Saul gasped for air.
"Haa… haa…"
Even though his mouth and nose were unobstructed, he felt like he was suffocating.
Kongsha watched his struggle with satisfaction before finally straightening up, releasing him.
"You were trying to provoke me into dealing with Sid?" She chuckled. "Do you really think you're worth that much? Try to play mind games with me again, and I'll eat your brain."
With that, Kongsha swayed out of the bathroom, leaving him with a parting remark.
"From now on, you’re only allowed to come find me after midnight."
Saul watched the bathroom door close. Slowly, he submerged his head beneath the water.
"That was a proper scolding."
Underwater, his face was calm, the fear from moments ago completely gone.
"But my first goal is achieved."
"Senior Kongsha, once people have conflicting interests, conflict is inevitable. This isn’t trickery—it’s an open conspiracy."
With his hair still damp and disheveled, Saul left Kongsha’s room looking quite the mess.
If he were older, today’s events might have turned into a scandalous rumor.
But neither the man nor the woman involved were the type to inspire romantic gossip.
Sixth floor, West Tower.
The corridor had emptied somewhat.
Some had gone to rest, some were studying, and some lingered, reluctant to give up a rare social moment.
As Saul passed by, conversations quieted. But once he disappeared, whispers resumed like a swarm of mosquitoes.
Doze, Rocky, Jenna, and Duke were clustered together—part of a small social circle.
They had all joined the mutual aid society.
Doze, Rocky, and Jenna had chosen the enthusiastic Senior Luo Kai’s recommendation—Mentor Anze.
Only Duke had, for some reason, switched to the dark-affinity Mentor Kaz at the last moment.
Once Saul disappeared into Room 603, Duke finally withdrew his covert gaze.
Doze noticed and grinned. "What’s wrong, Duke? Still holding a grudge against Saul?"
Hearing this, Jenna looked at Duke curiously.
She hadn't been there when Duke and Saul had their conflict.
And since she wasn’t one to gossip, she wasn’t clear on their history.
Duke quickly smiled. "Why would I hold a grudge? I just find him annoying. We all went through hell to become apprentices—unlike him, who slipped in through the back door, cheating his way past the test."
His words successfully resonated with the others.
"Yeah, I still don’t get it. His magic talent is so poor, how did he pass?" Doze said. "I think Senior Sid didn't want to let him pass at the time, but Senior Nick let him off the hook. Senior Nick looks cold, but who knew he was so soft-hearted?"
"Is his magic talent really that bad?" Jenna was curious.
Back then, she had even invited Saul to join the mutual aid group—after all, inviting one more person meant earning one more magic crystal.
But that Saul completely ignored her. Thinking about it, Jenna couldn't help but pout.
"Of course it's bad. Even our mentor doesn't think much of him," Duke responded casually. But in his mind, he recalled that ever since Mentor Kaz took Saul away, Saul hadn't returned to the lab.
Could it be that Mentor Kaz had chosen him for that job?
Remembering the terrifying and bloody work environment, Duke felt both disgusted and uncontrollably jealous.
Comments
Post a Comment