Chapter 29. Arrogance
“But… Brother…”
The apprentice spoke hesitantly, as though unsure whether he should say what was on his mind.
“What is it?”
The apprentice finally spoke.
“I heard that apprentice is actually quite strong…”
“Go on.”
“I heard that apprentice defeated a teacher from the Sword Chant School during the Swordsmanship Class.”
Richter knew about that apprentice. She had taken a swordsmanship course and displayed remarkable improvent there.
Even he could not help but click his tongue when he heard how quickly she had progressed.
From soone who could not even perform basic sword techniques properly, she had beco an apprentice who could skillfully use a Breathing thod and had even mastered a Combat Technique.
She clearly looked like a future mber of the Sword Chant School.
“Oh? Then that teacher must truly be getting old. He cannot even hold his sword anymore if he lost to an apprentice who has not even joined a school.”
Richter knew that Fulan had improved greatly.
He also knew she was no longer the clueless apprentice he had first t.
But he was certain that she was not his opponent.
No one understood better than he did that the spells taught within the schools were far superior to the spells occasionally rewarded in ordinary courses.
They were also far stronger than the techniques used by those nobles who beca helpless once they left their territories.
“Brother… is it possible that you cannot defeat that apprentice? I heard people say she might even have the strength to compete for rankings in the examination.”
Richter sneered.
“What a group of ignorant fools.”
“Listen carefully. The reason Senior Apprentices are called Senior Apprentices is because we receive the resources of our schools. Our spells and ntal power far surpass those of ordinary apprentices.”
He had never forgotten his first day after joining the Modification School.
The senior student who had guided him had casually cast a terrifying spell.
When Richter later saw the knowledge granted by the school, he could hardly believe what he was reading.
No one understood better than he did that apprentices who had joined a school and those who had not were like people from two completely different worlds.
“She has only joined the Sword Chant School. She has not even learned any of their spells yet.”
“Tonight I will show you how the spells of a school completely crush that apprentice who only won through so ridiculous stroke of luck.”
If Fulan had already joined a school, Richter might have considered whether he should act.
But she had not joined yet.
She had not even had the chance to learn a single school spell.
There was no way she could be his opponent.
Besides, he had just achieved a ranking in the examination and regained the protection of the Modification School.
If he did not exercise the “privilege” he had been longing to use, he would feel uncomfortable all over.
It felt like achieving excellent results but receiving no reward.
***
When Fulan returned to her dormitory, she imdiately noticed a note wedged in the crack of her door.
After reading its contents, she could only smile helplessly.
“I just ca back from there, and now I receive a letter.”
However, the letter had specified nightti, and it was still so ti before nightfall.
She closed the door and placed the shovel she had just purchased beside it.
***
Fulan wore a loose robe as she slowly walked into the wasteland.
She looked around carefully but noticed no movent.
While she was still observing her surroundings, two figures erged from behind a large rock nearby.
Pretending to be sowhat nervous, she asked,
“Who are you?”
Neither Richter nor the apprentice beside him had concealed their faces. She recognized them imdiately.
Richter pointed at the apprentice beside him and said,
“I think you should take a closer look at him and see if you recognize him.”
“Is that… him…”
Fulan’s deliberately clumsy acting seed to amuse Richter. She could see the corners of his mouth curl upward as he continued smiling.
“Forget it, apprentice. Let us get straight to the point. I am the one who wrote that letter.”
“You called here… saying I have a secret… I do not even know what secret I have.”
Richter took out a scroll and smiled.
“We do not actually know what your secret is…”
Fulan’s mouth twitched.
If you do not know my secret, why did you call here?
“But we do know that you once died. Am I right?”
He watched Fulan’s expression carefully, hoping to see her panic.
However, when Fulan heard those words, she seed confused.
“I died once…”
She thought for a mont before realizing what he ant.
Was he referring to the fact that she had taken over the original body, aning the previous owner had already died?
But how did Richter know the original body had died?
Could it be that he had killed her?
“You once lost your life to this Evil Spirit Command Scroll.”
Richter raised the scroll in his hand.
“Now that you are alive again, the one inside that body… is it the original you, or an evil spirit?”
Richter believed there were only two explanations for the apprentice standing before him.
First, the evil spirit had not actually killed the apprentice, and the apprentice had sohow deceived the inspection afterward.
Second, the evil spirit itself had been unusual. Perhaps it had possessed so forbidden technique and had taken over the body before him.
Richter favored the second explanation.
That would explain why this apprentice had suddenly changed so drastically and mastered so many skills in such a short ti.
Those skills might have belonged to the evil spirit in its forr life. After gaining this body, they gradually surfaced, which resulted in the apprentice’s rapid progress.
After hearing his explanation, the panic on Fulan’s face faded.
She calmly drew her sword.
The only thing she had not understood earlier was why Richter wanted to target her.
After this brief conversation, she understood.
Richter had likely sent the apprentice beside him to use the Evil Spirit Command Scroll to kill the original owner of the body.
That was why Richter had looked terrified when he saw her walking around afterward and had imdiately run away.
As for Richter himself, her “resurrection” had piqued his curiosity, which was why he had lured her here.
Now that Fulan had learned everything she needed to know, the next step was simple.
Just like in the future vision she had seen—
She only needed to bury them.
The two Construction School mages would help cover up the traces afterward.
Seeing Fulan draw her sword, Richter laughed.
“Apprentice, are you planning to kill us to preserve your secret?”
When Fulan did not answer, Richter took a badge from his pocket.
“Do you recognize this?”
“This badge is awarded to all Senior Apprentices who achieved rankings in this year’s examination.”
“So…”
“I am a Senior Apprentice.”
Richter put the badge back into his pocket.
“You may think that defeating that Sword Chant School teacher ans school mbers are nothing special.”
“But let tell you sothing.”
“The ones who beco teachers are the weakest mbers of the school. Only those who dare not participate in the examinations beco teachers.”
“And now you are facing —”
“A ranked Senior Apprentice.”
Fulan’s hand holding the sword trembled slightly.
She had a strange premonition.
That mont was about to arrive.
“Apprentice,” Richter said with a smile, “if I were you, I would give up resisting.”
“Of course, if you reveal the secret of your immortality…”
“I can at least grant you a less painful death.”
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