Chapter 471: No Good People

After returning, Saul and Julie immediately reported the strange underground roots to the academy.

The academy took it seriously and quickly sent someone to report to the dean.

Saul, having just received his reward, was now browsing the exchange list in the mission hall.

Most of the wraiths and vengeful spirits on this mission had been dealt with by Saul, so Julie had voluntarily given him the majority of the contribution points.

The mission hall of Bayton Academy functioned similarly to the registry room in the Wizard Tower—it also calculated points and allowed item exchanges.

There was a wide variety of missions here, from exterminating wraiths like Saul’s task, to research on experimental subjects, and even public outreach assignments.

He wasn’t interested in these miscellaneous tasks. His focus was entirely on the exchange list, checking what items could be redeemed.

Since he had rejected Dean Pond’s invitation, he wasn’t considered an internal member of the academy, which limited what he could exchange.

Right from the start, Saul flipped directly to the sections on meditation methods.

But after looking for a while, he found that either the methods listed were ones he’d already seen and didn’t suit him, or they were beginner techniques suitable only for First or Second Rank apprentices—far too basic to replace the Erosion Diagram.

While flipping through the list, Saul noticed a figure approaching. He quickly closed the book and looked up.

To his surprise, it was that Shaya—the same guy who had backed out right at the beginning of today’s mission.

Wasn’t this the paranoid one who always thought someone was trying to kill him? And now he was approaching a stranger like Saul on his own?

Though, calling it an approach wasn’t quite accurate—Shaya stopped five meters away from Saul.

“You’re actually still alive? Julie’s alive too…” Shaya muttered thoughtfully. “Looks like you’re not bad for a rookie. But I advise you to behave. Don’t even think about trying to plot against me.”

Sparks crackled lightly across Shaya’s body, though unlike Monica, they didn’t scorch his skin.

Saul put down the list and tilted his head. “Being overly cautious and overthinking things… that can be dangerous too.”

Shaya had intended to leave after speaking, but stopped in his tracks at Saul’s comment.

“What do you mean? What danger?”

“What you’re showing resembles a condition I once read about in a book—paranoia. Mild cases lead to overthinking and insomnia. Severe cases cause hallucinations and make it hard to distinguish dreams from reality.” Saul smiled.

In truth, he didn’t know much about paranoia or its symptoms. But with a stubborn, paranoid person like this, sometimes playing along was more effective.

“You—you…” Shaya stuttered. What Saul described… he did suffer from most of those symptoms.

Someone as obsessed with staying alive as he would naturally be terrified of any possible illness.

Just as he took a step forward to ask more, a shadowy figure dashed into the mission hall like the wind, scanned the room, and stepped in between Shaya and Saul.

It was Jonah, the dark-element wizard from Bayton Academy.

“I heard you caught a wraith. Want to sell it?” he asked directly.

“No.” Saul answered bluntly.

He earned magic crystals to run experiments. And wraiths and vengeful spirits were key materials for those. Of course he wasn’t going to trade them away for money.

Saul had no interest in giving up a watermelon for a sesame seed.

Jonah was about to speak again when another person interrupted.

“A dark-element wizard like Saul wouldn’t sell a wraith to you, would he?” The newcomer was a tall, broad-shouldered man with reddish-brown skin.

When he spoke, small flames flickered between his teeth.

Clearly a fire-element wizard. And a powerful one at that.

He turned to Saul and said, “Hello, I’m Kent, a First Rank fire-element wizard. Julie already told me about you, and what happened on your mission today. Don’t worry, the academy will expedite the investigation. I hope we’ll have a chance to do a mission together someday.”

Kent nodded politely to Saul, then transformed into a ball of flame and swaggered off.

Once Kent had gone, Jonah—still not giving up—repeated his question.

“You really won’t sell it?”

“No,” Saul replied firmly again.

“Hmph! Fine, don’t sell it!” Jonah scoffed, then vanished like a gust of wind.

With Jonah gone, Saul was about to return to browsing the exchange list when he realized Shaya was still lingering nearby.

Shaya looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Eventually, he worked up the courage to reduce their distance to just three meters.

“That illness you mentioned earlier—how do you treat it? Does it require any special magic materials?” Shaya squinted at Saul suspiciously. He figured if Saul pulled out a vial and said,

‘Coincidentally, I have the cure right here—just 999 magic coins!’

, he’d walk away on the spot.

But Saul didn’t even look up. “I’m not a healer. How would I know how to treat it?”

That answer actually put Shaya a little at ease.

“Then which book did you read about it in?”

Saul flipped a page. “Can’t remember.”

Shaya rubbed his hands together. “Got any suggestions then?”

“Maybe go talk to Julie. She seems pretty skilled at emotion-based magic. She might be able to help you relax a little.”

“What? Let Julie cast spells on me? Not a chance! What if she uses the opportunity to hurt me?” Shaya rejected the idea instantly.

“Then maybe find someone wise and experienced to chat with,” Saul said offhandedly.

He closed the exchange list and waved over a uniformed apprentice.

“This list—are these really the only items outsiders can redeem? There’s no other channel for trades?”

The apprentice bowed respectfully. “Apologies, sir. This is everything currently available for external exchange. However, if you’re looking for something in particular, you can post a request through us. If someone else happens to have what you’re after, they might be willing to trade.”

“Thanks. I’ll consider it.” Saul handed back the list and stood up.

Shaya was still lost in thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Saul getting up and instinctively took three steps back.

As Saul walked away, he suddenly heard Shaya’s voice in his mind via transmission spell.

“Kent is one of the strongest First Rank wizards in the academy. He’s usually the team leader on big missions. But he’s not a good person.”

“Jonah never likes to fight. Always hiding in the lab. He spends all his reward points from lectures and research on buying wraiths. Definitely not a good person.”

“Julie’s favorite trick is manipulating emotions, stirring people’s feelings. She’ll make you think you’ve fallen for her. Not a good person either.”

Shaya spoke rapidly, giving Saul a rundown of the people he’d recently encountered.

Without breaking stride, Saul replied via transmission spell: “And what about you?”

“Me? Anyone who tries to hurt me—I’ll kill them!”

After a pause, Shaya sent one more line.

“There are no good people here. Only the living… and the dead.”

(End of Chapter)

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