Chapter 165: An Invitation from Ku Jin

Saul ran down the corridor.

He had just created a new Dead Man’s Flower, and the moment he planted it in the hallway, he instantly regained consciousness.

Yet, this time, the dream did not end.

Finally, someone had discovered his crimes and was now chasing him down.

That terrifying hunter had already raised his bow, ready to loose the arrow at any moment.

Saul was forced onto a ramp, but another figure emerged at the top.

The person blocking his path had only half a face, making Saul, who was sprinting at full speed, almost stumble and fall.

It was Kongsha—someone he hadn’t seen in a long time!

“Got you,” Kongsha’s red lips curved into a faint smile.

Saul turned back. The pursuer behind him, holding a silver-blue longbow, had a grim expression.

The hunter was a Level 3 Apprentice.

Compared to him, the seemingly terrifying Kongsha was actually the safer option.

Saul heard himself chanting a spell at an incredible speed—so fast that even he couldn’t make out the runes within it.

But as he chanted while running, Kongsha’s half-filled glass head suddenly sprouted numerous eyeballs.

These eyes pressed tightly against the glass wall, filled with overwhelming desire and excitement, all locked onto the rapidly approaching Saul.

“AHHH!!! DIE—”

Saul instinctively raised his hand, but his mind suddenly went blank.

He completely forgot what he was about to do.

All that remained was a short, sharp scream…

—

Saul’s eyes snapped open. He found his left cheek pressed tightly against the cold stone floor.

He didn’t get up immediately.

It seemed like this dream had ended with the murderer’s death.

If that was the case, then it wasn’t a bad outcome.

At least he wouldn’t have to endure the nausea of biting into raw flesh every time he slept.

However…

He remained on the ground, observing his room from this unfamiliar angle for the first time.

Like a timid voyeur, hidden in the most secret crevices, silently watching and staying wary of the outside world.

Strangely, this position gave Saul a sense of security.

After a long while, he finally got up and glanced at the time.

6 AM—just in time for breakfast.

Saul was a bit hungry.

He raised his right hand and suddenly stuck out his tongue, lightly licking the bone-white tip of his finger.

The hunger seemed to subside slightly, but at the same time, a deeper craving surged within him.

Taking a deep breath, Saul suppressed the violent emotions rising inside him and walked into the washroom.

He filled a basin to the brim with water and plunged his head into it.

Only when his lungs began to wail in protest, and his trembling arms could barely support his weight, did Saul suddenly yank his head up.

Water splashed everywhere, hitting the walls and floor. Excess water dripped down his nose, cheeks, and hair, soaking into his collar.

“Damn it!” Saul cursed several times in a row. “I nearly lost myself just now.”

He wiped his face with his hands, the friction between bone and skin leaving a faint sting that made him even more alert.

“This Nightmare Butterfly… has become this terrifying already?”

“Is it because the magic radiation in the Wizard Tower has amplified its influence? Or… is it about to hatch?”

His eyes were becoming an urgent problem.

Even if the dream’s original host disappeared, Saul couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t be pulled into the dreams—or rather, the consciousness—of someone even more terrifying one day.

“Should I go to Hayden for surgery right now?”

Saul considered it but shook his head.

“I’ve prepared materials for sealing cocoons, but not specifically for the Nightmare Butterfly. I don’t know if things will go wrong.”

“I can’t be reckless. Rushing leads to mistakes.”

Even though he knew the Nightmare Butterfly was far more dangerous than expected, Saul kept telling himself to stay calm.

“The danger comes from the unknown. I must study the Nightmare Butterfly’s properties. Even if I can’t find a definite answer, I need to learn more.”

Saul patted his left shoulder. “Hey, Diary, can’t your item identification give clearer descriptions?”

The diary remained silent.

“Guess I’ll check the library.”

Saul still felt it was unwise to extract the cocoon recklessly. If he couldn’t find answers in the library, he could consult his mentor.

If all else failed, then he could take the risk—after all, he still had the diary as a last resort.

After tidying up, Saul left his dorm.

But the moment he pulled open the door, he found himself facing a towering figure—Ku Jin.

“Senior Kujin,” Saul immediately put on his signature polite smile. “What can I do for you?”

“I need an assistant for an experiment,” Kujin said. “Since you’ve earned Tutor Kaz’s approval, I believe you’re capable. If you agree, I’ll pay you 10 academic credits per session.”

Payment per session?

And a high rate at that.

Saul was instantly tempted. “I’d love to help, but may I ask what kind of experiment it is?”

“The experiment details cannot be disclosed casually. If you’re free now, you can follow me.”

Saul did not move.

“Apologies, Senior Kujin, but I have something important to take care of right now.”

Kujin’s face darkened.

Saul immediately proposed, “How about 2 PM this afternoon?”

Kujin pondered for a few seconds before nodding. “Fine. 2 PM. My room, 1404.”

Saul responded immediately, “No problem.”

Watching Kujin’s figure disappear down the hall, Saul maintained his smile.

Ever since he started working in the morgue, he knew apprentices often made small private transactions.

As long as it wasn’t something too outrageous, the mentors usually turned a blind eye.

But having witnessed Kujin and Ferguson’s secret dealings, Saul understood—this was no small transaction.

It was bait.

And the question was whether or not to take the bait… and how.

Closing the door, Saul hurried toward the library.

But his eyes were the more pressing concern—more so than even his hand reconstruction experiment.

—

At 6:05 AM, the library was still empty.

The moment he stepped inside, Saul spotted the arrogant-looking young librarian standing in the center of the room.

He didn’t greet him, instead dashing past, his arm brushing against the librarian’s sleeve.

No—not brushing past, passing through it.

The librarian was just about to explode in anger when he noticed that a piece of his sleeve had vanished.

His opened mouth snapped shut, but his tongue failed to retract in time—a piece was bitten off, only to disappear before hitting the ground.

His lips trembled as he slowly lifted his gaze, staring at the direction where Saul had disappeared.

And then, he started crying.

Even his tears vanished before they could fall.

—

Saul was unaware of what had happened outside.

Following his memory, he searched through Advanced All-Knowing: Insects, hoping to find information on the Nightmare Butterfly.

But after flipping through every index, he found nothing.

He tried Advanced All-Knowing: Aberrations.

Nothing.

Advanced All-Knowing: Monsters.

Nothing.

Advanced All-Knowing: Spirits and Apparitions.

Still nothing.

Saul set down the last book, his head spinning from the flood of information.

Even with his recent minor mental enhancements, the overload made him dizzy.

Had this been before, he’d be crawling out of the library by now.

“Should I ask the librarian?”

Just as the thought crossed his mind, another idea surfaced.

Dream. Nightmare. Butterfly.

His gaze turned toward the library’s deepest section.

Through the white mist, he could almost see Bookshelf No. 14.

Even though the Tower Master had once assured him that the thing beneath that shelf was merely his own fear, Saul had avoided it for a long time.

But now, it was time to face it.

Because beneath that shelf…

Lay his past self.

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