Chapter 23: The Replaced Visualization Diagram

Saul’s enthusiasm for academic discussion vanished completely. He directly took Keli’s meditation book, fighting off his dizziness, and flipped through it from beginning to end.

The sequence and content were all the same—except page seventeen. He had the Human-Monster Movement  Diagram instead of Keli’s Ten Thousand Serpents Diagram.

Keli leaned in for a look as well.

“Why is this page different for us? Hmm…” She only glanced at it before tightly shutting her eyes and turning away. “Ugh, so dizzy… I feel like throwing up.”

It took her a long while to recover enough to open her eyes again. They were red, on the verge of tearing up.

“This diagram… probably only someone with your kind of mental strength could handle it. I can’t even look at it for a second.”

Saul pulled his meditation book back and stared intently at the monster on the page.

Only someone with strong mental strength would choose this diagram. Then, conversely, is this the only diagram that wouldn’t make someone with strong mental strength dizzy?

He glanced again at the Ten Thousand Serpents Diagram in Keli’s book.

If not for the Human-Monster Movement Diagram, he probably would’ve chosen that one as his meditation visualization.

A string of questions surged through Saul’s mind.

Did someone deliberately swap out the content on his page?

Who would do that? Could it be that Sid again?

Did he know he’d pick this Human-Monster Movement Diagram? Did he tamper with it somehow?

Would continuing to use it put his life in danger?

At this thought, Saul glanced at his left shoulder. The hardcover book lay there silently.

Okay, no immediate danger.

All the meditation books and other teaching materials had been delivered to his door by a maid. Could Sid have made the switch somewhere in that process?

Even though this diagram had saved him twice, Saul wasn’t confident enough to keep using it for meditation.

“Hey, kid, your name’s Saul, right?” A First Rank apprentice sitting on Saul’s other side suddenly leaned over.

He looked to be around seventeen or eighteen, towering over Saul by a full head.

“Where’d you get that meditation diagram?” He had clearly overheard Saul and Keli’s conversation.

“Senior, have you seen it before?”

“Senior? Heh, I like that.” The boy grinned. “I once saw it in a book. First and Second Rank apprentices use different meditation books. If I remember correctly, that diagram should only appear in the Second Rank edition.”

He licked his lips, eyes practically glowing.

“I’ll give you one credit—let me make a copy of it.”

He wanted a copy of this mysterious diagram?

Saul’s hand rested on the back of the book.

He thought of how the diagram had helped him in the lab and of the maid lying on that cold conveyor belt yesterday.

“I mean, I could, but aren’t you worried it might be dangerous? It is a diagram meant for Second Rank apprentices, after all.”

The senior licked his lips again. “That’s none of your business. So, are you selling or not?”

Sell it, of course.

After class, the three of them went to the ninth floor of the East Tower library. There, the senior found someone to help copy the visualization diagram.

Saul had him transfer the one credit directly to Keli’s account at the registry.

The First Rank apprentice didn’t know about Saul and Keli’s agreement. He just gave the two of them a meaningful glance and said with a sigh, “Ah, youth… spending money on a girl.”

Keli was so furious she nearly charged over to kick him in the nuts, but Saul held her back.

“Is his brain waterlogged? I’m only twelve!”

“Yeah, clearly,” Saul replied, calming her down.

After that guy left with his freshly copied diagram, Saul left Keli behind and returned to the library to extend the loan on Grimm’s Understanding of Sorcerous Body Modification by a day.

Because of yesterday afternoon’s unexpected trip to the morgue, he hadn’t finished transcribing it. But now that he had income, he didn’t mind keeping it another day.

Book renewed, Saul returned to his dorm for lunch.

The maid delivering his food this time wasn’t the same one as before—obviously, since the last one had been stuffed under the workbench.

The new maid looked older, and her hands trembled as she handed Saul the food—almost spilling it.

Her face was pale, and she kept bowing in apology as if afraid Saul would take her life any second.

Saul’s expression was cold as he waved her off.

Maybe she’d been scared by her predecessor’s death—or maybe she knew something.

Saul decided to take his meditation book and go find Mentor Kaz.

Kaz wouldn’t want the new assistant he just hired to die the next day, right?

With that in mind, Saul glanced at the food on the table.

If they could tamper with his book, then what about his food?

If they’d wanted to poison him, they probably would’ve done it earlier.

Still, once suspicion sets in, everything becomes nerve-wracking.

He looked at the food again but couldn’t summon the appetite.

“I’m still too weak. I need to buy myself time. At the very least, I can’t let Sid do whatever he wants like before.”

Starving, Saul rushed to the second floor of the East Tower to the morgue.

There were no customers today. The candleholders on the conveyor belt platform flickered dimly as if they might go out at any moment.

Saul stood near the conveyor and listened carefully. He could hear a faint rustling from the other room.

He asked softly, “Senior, no work today?”

A loud thud came from the other side. After a while, a voice finally responded.

“Can’t you see the damn lights? Talking all of a sudden in a place like this, trying to scare someone to death?”

“Uh… sorry.”

Saul thought about it. If he suddenly heard a voice in a place like this, he’d probably jump, too.

“Senior, if there’s no work, are we just supposed to sit here and wait?”

“What else do you think we’re supposed to do? If you dare sneak off and screw up Mentor Kaz’s tasks, you’ll be the one lying on the conveyor belt tomorrow.”

Saul glanced at the dark, stained conveyor belt and obediently sat back down at the table.

The smell in here was awful, the atmosphere creepy, but at least there were desks, chairs, and writing materials.

S,o Saul continued transcribing Grimm’s Understanding of Sorcerous Body Modification.

When you focus, time flies.

Before he knew it, it was nearly 7 PM, and Kaz still hadn’t shown up.

“What now?”

He rubbed his belly. A twelve-year-old could eat from dawn till dusk. Especially after two days of relative comfort, Saul found himself totally unprepared for hunger again.

He was already dizzy and seeing spots. If Kaz didn’t show up today, was he supposed to go hungry again tomorrow?

Should he go find Kongsha?

But then he shook his head.

He didn’t want to be entirely at her mercy. If he couldn’t prove his worth again, she’d probably make him take that potential-draining potion again.

“No corpses today?” Kaz’s voice suddenly came from the doorway.

Saul turned around in surprise.

Kaz’s expression was calm. He didn’t seem annoyed at the lack of harvest.

“Mentor!” Saul rushed over, holding the meditation book that had been sitting on his lap.

“If you have questions, ask fast. I’m in a hurry.”

“Mentor,” Saul said, flipping open the Human-Monster Movement Diagram, “this is my meditation book.”

Kaz glanced at the diagram, his interest clearly piqued. “An Erosion Diagram? You’re just a First Rank apprentice, and you’re using that to meditate?”

(End of Chapter)

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