Chapter 154: A New Job

Because of the embarrassing incident with Little Algae, Saul stayed in Mentor Rum’s laboratory for another ten minutes before heading out.

When Little Algae first emerged from the back of his neck, Saul even suspected that the spirit had possessed it.

But after observing Little Algae’s behavior… well, he could confidently rule out that possibility.

Before leaving, Nick informed Saul that his share of the mission reward had already been collected by Byron.

Saul could go to Byron’s dormitory anytime to retrieve it.

Since Saul had only been a Level 1 Apprentice when he took on this mission, his role was officially recorded as an assistant. That meant Byron was fully entitled to claim his portion of the reward.

Even if Byron decided to keep it for himself, the registration office wouldn’t intervene.

However, Saul wasn’t particularly concerned about that.

Senior Byron had helped him more than once and had even saved his life twice. He wouldn’t mind giving Byron all the credit.

Besides, the greatest reward from this mission was already in Saul’s possession.

The knowledge of two Level 3 Apprentices and one Rank 2 Wizard was all stored safely in his diary.

Even though death had erased some of their memories, the remaining knowledge still formed an enormous treasure trove for Saul.

This time, he had accumulated a considerable number of Soul Fragments, so he didn’t have to worry about the three black pages losing their stored consciousness due to a lack of soul energy.

For a wizard, nothing is more valuable than knowledge.

The excitement of his gains temporarily made him forget the shadow following him.

He went to the registration office to update his nameplate and then headed to the Corpse Room on the second floor of the East Tower.

Before leaving the tower, he had reported to Mentor Kaz that he might be away for two months.

Since Byron was also Kaz’s apprentice, the mentor hadn’t been upset about Saul temporarily leaving his job at the Corpse Room. Instead, he had simply chosen a new apprentice from the recent recruits to fill in during Saul’s absence.

Now that Saul had returned earlier than expected, he needed to reclaim his position.

Saul assumed that the Corpse Room would be empty at this hour.

However, as soon as he pushed open the room’s crimson door, he saw two figures standing in the center of the room.

It was Kurom, a first-year apprentice, and he was dancing…

…with a headless female corpse.

The two moved in perfect sync, their motions coordinated and smooth.

Even though there was no music, they seemed completely immersed in the dance.

If it weren’t for the missing head, Saul might have mistaken the woman for a regular guest.

“Kurom.” He interrupted the scene.

“Ah, Senior Saul.”

The red-haired apprentice stopped dancing without any embarrassment and greeted Saul cheerfully.

Then, he helped his dance partner remove her gown and gently placed her back onto the conveyor belt.

“Is that a spell of yours?” Saul asked. He had never seen a spell like that before, and it certainly didn’t seem like something a Level 1 Apprentice could pull off.

Kurom scratched his nose, looking slightly bashful. “It’s actually a magic trick, combined with a bit of my natural talent.”

The elegant gown that had fallen to the ground transformed into an old bedsheet.

“Talent?” Saul narrowed his eyes.

If it was just a magic trick, he could replicate it easily.

But making a corpse move so fluidly and obey commands wasn’t something that could be done with just a Level 1 or 2 spell.

“Companion Fairy.”

A hoarse, aged voice spoke from behind them.

Both Saul and Kurom turned simultaneously to see Mentor Kaz walking in with his hands clasped behind his back.

“That’s a rare talent. Some say it’s a blessing granted by fairies at birth,” Kaz said with a slight smirk. “Of course, others call it a curse.”

Even upon hearing the word curse, Kurom’s polite smile didn’t falter.

Saul, however, was intrigued. “Companion Fairy… I think I’ve read about it somewhere.”

“A Companion Fairy is an invisible fairy that ordinary people cannot perceive,” Kurom explained enthusiastically. “They are tiny beings that drift between reality and fantasy. The weak ones can only make small changes to reality, while the strong ones can pull people into their illusory world.”

He then extended his hand toward Saul, palm up, and smiled brightly.

“This is my Companion Fairy! Look, isn’t it adorable?”

Saul stared at Kurom’s empty palm and then at the boy’s sincere expression.

Suddenly, he understood the true meaning of the term ‘green tea’ (referring to someone who appears sweet and innocent but may have hidden depths).

Maintaining a neutral expression, Saul half-closed and then reopened his eyes.

This time, he saw a green, slimy creature sitting in Kurom’s hand.

It looked somewhat like a slime, but any resemblance to cuteness ended there.

Even though it had no discernible scent, Saul could almost smell the stench of a sewer rising into his nostrils.

He instinctively leaned back slightly. “You have… an interesting taste.”

Kurom’s smile disappeared.

At that moment, Mentor Kaz spoke again.

“Enough of that. Saul, now that you’ve been promoted to Level 2, Kurom will take over your job here.”

Saul was taken aback. “Mentor?”

“Follow me.”

Kaz turned and walked out.

Saul glanced back at Kurom. “I’ll come by later to collect my things.”

Kurom didn’t look the slightest bit thrilled about taking over the job.

He just stood there motionless, his face pale as he nodded blankly.

“Understood, Senior Saul.”

---

Saul chased after Mentor Kaz, watching as the old man walked toward the depths of the hallway.

He had always been curious about what lay beyond that passage, but he had never ventured there before.

Only the corpse-handling staff ever entered.

As they proceeded, a nearly tangible darkness began enveloping them.

Even the pale candlelight couldn’t fully dispel the surrounding shadows.

The hallway behind them gradually faded into obscurity, giving Saul a creeping sense of no return.

“We’re here.” Kaz finally stopped. “This is the first floor of the East Tower.”

Saul blinked in confusion.

Wait… did we ever go downstairs?

“Step up beside me.”

Saul did as instructed and moved shoulder-to-shoulder with Kaz.

The moment he did, a massive door appeared before him.

It was made of a strange, dark metal, exuding an icy chill that could be felt even from a meter away.

A complex six-pointed star array was engraved into its surface.

At first glance, it resembled the magic circles found on the sixth floor of the East Tower, but upon closer inspection, its internal structure was far more intricate.

“When passing through, you must only open one side of the door,” Kaz warned. “If both sides open at once, stand completely still until the doors shut again.”

With that, Kaz pushed open the right half of the door and led Saul inside.

As they stepped through, the temperature dropped several degrees.

A ten-meter-long corridor lay ahead, leading to another narrower metal door.

Saul shivered, his half-healed arms breaking out in goosebumps.

He pulled his collar tight. “Mentor… what is this place?”

“You can think of it as another corpse room.”

Kaz continued forward.

“But the bodies and materials here… are far from ordinary.”

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