Chapter 88: Exposed

Saul didn’t wait for Kongsha’s answer.

He hadn’t really expected one anyway.

Leaving Kongsha’s room, he continued upward, passing through the dim corridor, ignoring the whispers coming from the darkness beyond, and headed straight to the 14th floor of the West Tower.

Room 1416.

This was Senior Byron’s new home.

Wizard apprentices could choose to move to the corresponding floors after their promotions, but if they found it troublesome, they could also stay put.

Most chose to move, though—there was a significant difference in the facilities.

Tonight was Saul’s first time visiting Byron’s dorm, and it was already late at night. He wasn’t sure if Byron was asleep.

He couldn’t expect every apprentice to be a night owl like Kongsha.

Saul knocked gently three times, then put his hand down and waited.

However, the very next moment, the dorm door opened inward by itself.

"Hmm?" Saul peeked inside but didn’t see anyone in the living room.

He stepped in.

The living room was a mess, as if the owner had left in the middle of unpacking. Many boxes were opened, their contents still inside. Some were stacked so high that they blocked his view of the rest of the room.

"Senior Byron?"

No response.

Saul assumed Byron wasn’t home. After all, with a third-level apprentice’s mental acuity, it was impossible for him to sleep so soundly.

If Byron wasn’t here, but the door was unlocked… was it left open for him on purpose?

Saul took a few cautious steps forward, maneuvering around the stacked boxes.

After some effort, he finally spotted a workbench hidden behind them.

The workbench was just as chaotic, cluttered with various items. But in the center, a small palm-sized space had been deliberately cleared.

A letter lay there.

On it were the words: "For Saul’s eyes only."

"Still such ugly handwriting," Saul muttered, shaking his head as he picked up the letter and unfolded it.

The letter read:

---

This paper can only be touched by Saul. If anyone else touches it, stop reading immediately and go find an antidote. You have about 10 seconds left to live.

9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, …

Saul, I’ve received my first third-level apprentice mission and will be away for a while. If you need the eight academic credits I owe you urgently, you can take the red potion on the table as compensation. If not, you can wait until I return.

Unfortunately, I don’t have many friends in the Wizard Tower, nor does anyone owe me any credits, so I can’t ask anyone to take care of you. Please take care of yourself. I hope to see you alive when I return. If you die, then I guess that clears my debt.

I also hope I can survive my first mission. If you’re worried I won’t, you might as well take that red potion now as collateral.

That’s all. Goodbye.

Oh, and if any of your friends happen to be reading this letter instead, you can tell them it’s not actually poisoned. No need to go looking for an antidote. If they’re not your friends, then just let them panic.

—Byron, who still owes you eight credits.

---

After reading the letter, Saul couldn’t help but chuckle.

Byron’s fake countdown threat—Saul had never taught him that trick. He must have come up with it himself. For someone who usually acted so clueless, Byron was strangely sharp at times.

Originally, Saul had come to ask Byron about Spirit Grease. Now, that was out of the question. He could only hope Byron returned safely.

He left the red potion untouched on the table. He didn’t even check what it was—just in case he was tempted.

After casually destroying the letter, Saul exited the messy dorm.

The door automatically shut behind him. He was certain it wouldn’t open so easily next time.

"Senior Byron is gone too… I guess I’ll have to ask Senior Mark tomorrow. He knows about my necrobionic modifications, but he doesn’t know the details of the materials. He probably won’t associate spirit grease with it."

Saul turned to leave.

Just then, he noticed something odd about his shadow on the ground.

There was something long and thin flickering near his neck.

Saul immediately tensed up, preparing a spell and a potion.

He slowly lifted his left hand toward the back of his neck.

At the same time, he kept an eye on his shadow.

His fingers touched his skin.

There was nothing there.

The shadow on the ground remained unchanged.

"Was it just my imagination? Or did something already leave?"

Saul entered a semi-meditative state, scanning his surroundings for spiritual entities.

Nothing unusual.

Still, he didn’t let his guard down. Maintaining his heightened alertness, he carefully left the third-level apprentice dormitory area.

Only when he reached his own dorm did he finally exhale.

"Yeah, walking around the tower at night is still dangerous. Now that Kongsha and Byron are both gone, I should avoid late-night excursions from now on."

---

The next afternoon, after lunch, Saul hurried to Mentor Kaz’s laboratory to consult Senior Mark.

Just as he was about to push the door open, he heard voices from inside.

"...It’s good that you’re so hardworking. If your uncle had been more diligent, he wouldn’t have had to leave the Wizard Tower at thirty."

"I’ll keep working hard, Senior Cole. Uh… can I assist you in your experiments?"

"Sure. You’ve helped Mark here before, so you should have some experience. Saves me the trouble of finding another assistant."

"Thank you so much, Senior Cole!"

"No need to thank me. Doing experiments with a cute girl like you makes everything more enjoyable."

Hearing this, Saul stepped inside.

He saw a stocky young man standing behind Angela, his hand resting on her shoulder.

The man, Cole, was slightly chubby but had a warm, friendly smile. He looked approachable.

Angela, as always, was all smiles, seemingly unaware of anything unusual.

When Saul entered, Cole withdrew his hand naturally and nodded at him.

"This is Mentor Kaz’s lab. What do you need?"

"I’m looking for Senior Mark. Is he not here anymore?" Saul asked.

Angela whispered something to Cole.

Cole raised an eyebrow, then his grin widened.

"Oh, so you’re Saul, the first-year apprentice Mentor Kaz values so much." He stepped closer. "Mark went on a field mission. I’ve taken over his work for now. What do you need? You can ask me."

Cole seemed warm and welcoming.

Saul politely thanked him.

"Thank you, Senior, but I was just here to return something to Mark. Since he’s away, I’ll wait until he returns. I’ll be going now. Goodbye, Senior."

Cole looked a bit disappointed but didn’t stop him. He even invited Saul to visit often.

Saul responded politely, then glanced briefly at Angela—who stood quietly behind Cole—before leaving the lab.

Back in the hallway, Saul felt a little lost.

In just one night, the three seniors he was most familiar with had all left the Wizard Tower.

Now, he had no choice but to search the library for answers.

The library was mostly empty.

Those who came to borrow or return books hurried in and out, unwilling to stay long.

As Saul stepped inside, he noticed the anxious middle-aged man who usually sat on the left was nowhere to be seen.

"Did someone accidentally trigger that ‘holographic projection’ again?"

"You here to borrow a book?"

A haughty voice came from the right.

Saul turned and saw a young man—eighteen or nineteen—looking down at him with his chin lifted.

"If you’re borrowing, go inside. If not, get lost."

Looking closer, this arrogant youth bore a striking resemblance to the anxious middle-aged man.

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