Saine's strength and kindness alone were limited in the end.
When the anatomy class ended, a total of three apprentices had been swallowed whole by Master Ke Suo Long's pet.
This also showed why the total number of apprentices at the Black Wizard Academy had never been able to rise.
There were always apprentices casually erased by Black Magicians, whether in class or in daily life.
Before they possessed sufficient strength and a powerful backer, trembling as they lived on was the norm for all apprentices.
After an anatomy class that lasted nearly three hours ended, Master Ke Suo Long left the classroom first, and only then did the other apprentices file out.
The deaths of three Entry-Level Apprentices seemingly had not affected these apprentices, who were already accustomed to death, very much.
A few Low-Level Apprentices who had enrolled earlier even sneered at those feeble Entry-Level Apprentices.
These Low-Level Apprentices were clearly tyrants within the surrounding apprentice circles.
Not a single Entry-Level Apprentice dared meet their eyes.
Yet when these Low-Level Apprentices, whom Entry-Level Apprentices could not afford to provoke, passed by Saine at the podium, they all respectfully lowered their heads and greeted him.
Saine knew all of these Low-Level Apprentices. The leader was named Wei Da, and he too was someone on the verge of breaking through to Intermediate Apprentice.
A few months ago, Saine and he had merely been on the same level.
Yet a few months later, he had to respectfully bow whenever he saw Saine. That was the rule of the Black Wizard Academy.
Saine also knew that Wei Da had always wanted to take Master Ke Suo Long as his teacher.
Unfortunately, Master Ke Suo Long did not think much of this low-level apprentice. "Stupid and foolish" was Master Ke Suo Long's assessment of Wei Da.
The one thing he had going for him was that Wei Da had never made any overly obvious mistakes in anatomy class, so he had not been devoured by Master Ke Suo Long's pet.
Wei Da was also a low-level apprentice who appeared rather frequently in anatomy class, so he and Saine could be considered nodding acquaintances.
After Wei Da and the others left, the apprentices in the classroom departed even faster.
A faint smell of blood still lingered throughout the classroom, but many had long since grown used to it.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, only two people remained in the classroom.
One was Saine, standing at the podium. The other was the female apprentice beneath it.
"My name is Tian Di. Thank you, Senior Brother Saine, for saving my life." The girl beneath the podium bowed to Saine at an angle greater than ninety degrees.
Tian Di was not even ten years old yet, her body as flat as a plank.
Saine had no particular proclivities, so he was not interested in
the girl before him.
Even his decision to take a certain risk to save her had merely been caused by that trace of kindness and reluctance in Saine's heart.
In truth, Saine already regretted it.
Because Master Ke Suo Long had not taught this generation of Entry-Level Apprentices the Cross Stitching Method, he could not rely on his luck every time.
Nor could he hope that Master Ke Suo Long's memory would decline.
Little Tian Di did not know what Senior Brother Saine before her was truly thinking. In fact, stories about Saine had been spreading widely through the Black Wizard Academy's apprentice circles lately.
Besides gaining fame by killing Yierke and Scarface Qiao Ke, Saine's winning of an academy reward in the Grade Assessment had also made many Low-Level Apprentices and Entry-Level Apprentices remember him.
What little Tian Di knew about Saine's deeds actually went back even further.
For example, she had learned from several senior sisters that Saine had once saved Meili during anatomy class a few years ago.
Female apprentices were, after all, more delicate in their thoughts and more emotional than male apprentices.
Although female apprentices made up a relatively small proportion of the Black Wizard Academy, quite a few female Low-Level Apprentices and Entry-Level Apprentices had been moved by Saine's deeds from back then.
This time, Tian Di had merely asked Saine for help with the mindset of giving it a try. She had not expected Saine to really help her!
Just like the rumors said, he truly was a "good person."
Or does he want to "make a move" on me? Tian Di could not help fantasizing.
Apprentices of the Black Wizard Academy generally matured early in mind.
Saine had not expected the little girl Tian Di before him to have imagined things that far.
Faced with Tian Di's gratitude, Saine shook his head and said in an even, indifferent tone, "Actually, with only two mistakes, Master Ke Suo Long probably would not have done anything to you."
"The reason those three apprentices were fed to Master Ke Suo Long's pet was because they had all made more than three obvious mistakes," Saine said.
"But I'm still truly grateful to you. Is there anything you need me to do for you, Senior Brother?" Tian Di took a step forward and asked from extremely close to Saine.
Based on Saine's ten years of experience and observations at the Black Wizard Academy,
even if he directly pushed her down right now, this little girl named Tian Di would probably not resist at all.
Yet Saine ultimately did nothing. With his understanding of human anatomy, doing that sort of thing with Tian Di, who was not even ten, would bring nothing but pain to both sides, with no pleasure whatsoever.
"How old are you this year?" Saine casually asked.
"Nine. But in another two months, I'll be ten," Tian Di answered.
Tian Di's answer gave Saine an expression of just as I thought.
But immediately afterward, Saine said something Tian Di had never expected.
"Since you're almost ten, you should be fairly strong. Help me carry this specimen back to my dormitory."
Saine pointed at the apprentice specimen on the podium, which no longer had a heart, liver, or kidneys.
This apprentice specimen was a gift Master Ke Suo Long had given Saine, and also counted as payment for Saine serving as his assistant in anatomy experiment classes.
If one wanted to achieve something in anatomy and the study of human structure, talent alone was not enough. One also needed unwavering, persistent practice.
Otherwise, why would Master Ke Suo Long think so highly of Saine and praise him in public as "professional"?
Some apprentices only saw Saine's splendor before others, never the effort and sweat he had poured in behind the scenes.
Saine's request stunned Tian Di.
The little girl first glanced at the curled-up apprentice specimen on the podium, then at Saine.
Seeing that Saine's cold, indifferent expression had not wavered in the slightest, Tian Di swallowed and ultimately did not dare offer the slightest objection.
Could Senior Brother Saine have unusual tastes? Or does he want to do something after we get back to the dormitory?
That's it. Senior Brother Saine wants me to take this specimen to his dormitory. Once we get back to the dormitory... Tian Di thought.
The fluctuations in Tian Di's heart revealed the mindset of a weak apprentice desperately trying to cling to an Intermediate Apprentice as a backer.
Over the two years since she had enrolled, more and more of the young sisters around her had either "fallen" or died miserable deaths.
If Tian Di, whose looks were fairly proper, wanted to continue living and studying in peace, she had to find herself a backer thick and hard enough to rely on.
She had considered several candidates before, but none could compare to Saine before her.
He was handsome, powerful, and kind-hearted. There was no male apprentice more dependable than him.
The only thing Tian Di could not quite get a handle on was that she had heard Saine already had a girlfriend, and that she was an immensely powerful Advanced Apprentice.
At worst, I'll be his lesser woman. As long as he can protect me, that's enough, Tian Di thought.
The richness of this nine-year-old apprentice's inner emotions would probably leave people dumbfounded if spoken of.
Saine had not thought that much at all.
The reason he had Tian Di carry the specimen back for him was simply because of the Principle of Equivalent Exchange that magicians generally followed.
Saine had saved her once. Shouldn't she offer something in return?
Before you continue