Chapter 52: Who Is Behind Her?
Jenna saw Koli hesitating and tugged at her pants again.
"Miss Keli, Princess Keli, please, for the sake of us coming from the same principality."
Keli bit her lip. "I can't promise you on someone else's behalf, but I can ask for you tomorrow."
Jenna actually wanted Keli to go right now—today, this very moment—but seeing Keli’s expression, she knew that wasn’t going to happen.
Jenna stood up sadly.
Ever since she learned about the parasite, she hadn't been able to sleep well.
Tonight would probably be another restless night.
Keli finally got rid of Jenna.
If they hadn't grown up together, she really wouldn't have wanted to get involved in the troubles of the Mutual Aid Society.
Back at the dormitory area, Keli knocked on Saul’s door.
"Who is it?"
Saul heard the knocking but didn’t get up immediately.
He was already used to making sure who was outside before opening the door.
"It's your old pal."
"…"
That was a phrase Saul had jokingly taught Keli, but her stiff pronunciation with an awkward accent gave it a whole new feel.
Saul barely cracked the door open before Keli slipped in under his arm.
As soon as he shut the door, she impatiently said, "Saul, I think I’m about to bring you some trouble."
"Hm?"
"It’s Jenna. You might not remember her…"
Keli recounted what had happened and then sighed helplessly. "She seems convinced that I was once parasitized but got rid of it, so now she’s latched onto me."
Thinking of Jenna’s pale face and terrified eyes, Keli added, "Can you tell me where to find Senior Byron? I want to ask if he can help again, or at least make Jenna pay for it herself."
But Saul didn’t immediately agree. Instead, he crossed his arms and sat back at the long table.
"Jenna joined the Mutual Aid Society a long time ago. Why is she only now realizing she’s parasitized?"
Seeing Saul’s suspicion, Keli also began to reflect on Jenna’s strange behavior.
"She said a second-level senior helped her."
"A second-level… senior?" Saul sneered. "Who’s so enthusiastic? Another Lou Kai?"
Saul pictured Sid in his mind.
Was it him again?
The apprentice that Sid brought back to replace Saul had already been swiftly taken care of by Kongsha.
Since then, Sid had gone quiet, no longer making any moves.
But this peace didn’t make Saul feel safe. It was more like an ocean quietly brewing a tsunami.
Now that things had completely fallen apart between them, Sid wouldn’t let him go, and he wouldn’t let Sid go either.
"Why did Jenna come to you?"
"She said I was the only one who attended the Mutual Aid Society once and never returned. She figured I must have noticed something wrong with it."
Saul thought for a moment, then asked, "If the parasite was as obvious as you say, why hasn’t anyone else in the Mutual Aid Society noticed? For example, Doze—he invited me to join back then."
Keli frowned slightly at his words. "You think there’s something off about Jenna? That they’re trying to use me?"
Saul, however, remained relaxed. "No need to be nervous. It’s not your fault. There are just some things you don’t know yet."
Keli looked at him in surprise.
Saul was smiling, but it still made her feel a little stifled.
She realized that Saul had some unusual experiences—things she couldn’t be part of or even understand.
All because she was still too weak.
Keeping her in the dark was actually a form of protection.
Keli didn’t like meddling in other people’s business, but she disliked even more the feeling of being too weak to meddle at all.
"So… should I still help Jenna?" she pouted.
"Yes. Tell her to meet me at 3 p.m. tomorrow on the second floor of the East Tower."
"The second floor of the East Tower?" Keli had never known where Saul disappeared to when he skipped classes. "What’s there?"
"It’s where I work," Saul said, pausing for a moment before adding, "The floor where corpses are stored."
Keli left with a very complicated expression.
Saul figured she might be feeling sorry for him.
But he didn’t think he needed pity—he actually felt his job suited him quite well.
Working on the second floor of the East Tower had given him quick access to the materials he needed for his body modifications.
Otherwise, just gathering enough experimental materials would have put him in massive debt.
Once the door was shut, Saul pulled his left hand from his sleeve.
Because of his skeletal left hand, he had gotten into the habit of keeping it hidden in long sleeves.
That was why Keli hadn’t noticed anything unusual. But in reality, his left hand had changed—it was no longer bare white bone, but a "normal" hand with grayish-brown skin and a slightly odd shape.
The once pale artificial skin had oxidized over the course of the day, turning a mix of gray and brown.
But because of that, it had fully integrated with his body.
The grayish tint had even spread up his forearm, blending in, turning the lower part of his elbow a pale gray.
Now, he could move his left hand freely. And when he meditated, it functioned as an elemental ion collector, drastically increasing his meditation efficiency.
Most importantly, his magical aptitude had improved—if only slightly.
Now, his mana level had reached an astonishing 13 joules.
Among new apprentices, this might not be the highest number, but it was definitely the fastest improvement.
No wonder Senior Byron had been willing to offer 100 academic credits in exchange for Saul’s body modification formula.
But Byron didn’t actually have that many credits on hand.
Now, Saul was the creditor.
Byron owed him a favor—and nearly a hundred credits.
That was the value of knowledge.
Even if it had been figured out through relentless trial and error, recorded in a journal, and tested through sheer stubbornness.
…
Meanwhile, Keli, leaving Saul’s room, had no idea that Jenna had been hiding in Rocky's dorm, secretly watching her through a crack in the door.
"She went to see Saul… then went straight back to her dorm…" Jenna muttered under her breath. "She didn’t go anywhere else. Saul—it has to be Saul! But why him?"
Jenna couldn’t understand.
According to Duke, Saul’s magical aptitude was so low that he could barely cast two zero-level spells.
How could someone like that have helped Keli get rid of a parasite?
"Or… did Saul meet someone?"
Jenna felt deeply uneasy.
Just then, Rocky’s dormitory door suddenly swung open from the outside, nearly hitting Jenna.
"Sorry—huh? Jenna, why are you in Rocky’s dorm?"
Standing at the door were Doze and Duke.
Both of them looked at Jenna with curious expressions.
Jenna straightened up and avoided their gaze.
Doze and Rocky were both part of the Mutual Aid Society, yet neither had noticed anything wrong with themselves. Jenna didn’t dare warn them—she was afraid of being discovered by Luo Kai.
"I-I just had some questions to ask."
Doze laughed. "Then you should’ve come to me, or to Senior Luo Kai. What would Rocky know?"
Rocky, who had been standing behind Jenna, lowered his gaze slightly and murmured, "I-I’ve learned all the basic runes…"
"Yeah, yeah!" Realizing he had been a bit rude, Doze grinned and patted Rocky’s shoulder—but he didn’t apologize.
Meanwhile, Duke kept his eyes on Jenna.
After a moment, he suddenly smiled.
"Jenna… were you just spying on Saul’s dorm?"
interesting
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