Kongsha thought Thor shouldn't be this stupid!
Whenever she went to see Thor, she did so late at night, when no one was around.
So how had Thor dared to show up at her door a little after eight, carrying a head and swaggering around like he owned the place?
Though Kongsha had noticed that no one was in the corridor just now, who knew how many people had seen Thor on his way up?
She'd only forgotten to warn him about one thing, and he'd gone and exposed her existence!
Thor was slammed to the ground by Kongsha's tremendous strength, and a yellow leather pouch fell from his arms.
The box rolled farther away, its lid fell off, and a head filled with terror at the moment of death tumbled out.
Its eyes were still rolled sharply upward, staring at the top of its own head.
When Kongsha saw the head of a Level 1 Apprentice, some of the anger in her heart eased.
"Did you think you could use this to threaten me? Let me tell you, even if someone else found out, you'd be the one to die. All I'd have to do is pay a few credits."
"Senior Sister, you've misunderstood."
How could Thor possibly be threatening Kongsha?
His move was called borrowing a tiger's skin.
If he played it right, he might even get Sid and Kongsha at each other's throats.
Thor didn't get up. He just sat there on the floor.
With his head bowed, he recounted everything that had happened from the moment he left the Corpse Room.
"I, I really didn't dare keep this head with me, so I came straight here. I'm sorry for the trouble, Senior Sister!"
After hearing Thor's explanation, Kongsha stood still and pondered for a moment, looking thoughtful.
Then she noticed the floor, dirtied by Thor and the corpse's head, and felt annoyed.
"There's a bathroom here. Go wash up first. We'll talk about the rest afterward."
Thor thanked her repeatedly.
His whole body was sticky, and he'd been uncomfortable for ages. He hadn't expected he'd get to use Senior Sister's bath, too.
But Thor had barely settled into the steaming stone tub, and hadn't even had a chance to enjoy the soothing warmth of the water against his skin, when Senior Sister Kongsha flung open the bathroom door, strode right in, and sat down on a chair across from him.
"Senior Sister, I'm taking a bath." Thor felt awkward and sank farther beneath the water.
Though he was only twelve, and the woman across from him could hardly be called a proper woman, he still felt like he was getting the raw end of the deal.
"You don't have to be embarrassed. I've seen dozens of limbs on the Experiment Table, if not hundreds. I know the structure of your body better than you do." If she'd still had eyelids, Kongsha might have rolled her eyes.
Thor had no choice but to pretend he was facing a male nurse, relax his limbs as best he could, and keep enjoying the soothing hot water as he washed away the grime on his body.
Level 1 Apprentices weren't allowed to bathe. They could only take a quick, basic wash in the communal bathrooms.
Kongsha glanced at Thor's hands, then returned to the matter at hand.
"You said Sid threatened you?"
"Yes. From what he said, I'll soon lose my job in the Corpse Room."
Thor looked at Kongsha, his face full of alarm.
"Sid seems to have brought some new people back to the tower this time." Kongsha already understood what Thor meant, and shared what she knew.
"Could one of the newcomers have stronger Soul Talent?" Thor furrowed his brow with concern.
"If someone really catches Mentor Kazi's eye..." He gave a bitter laugh, his shoulders drooping. "Then maybe I'll really have to get lost."
If Kongsha still had eyelids, she probably would have liked to roll them again.
"You don't need to worry about that. I'll handle it. Just focus on completing the task I gave you."
"All right, Senior Sister." Thor immediately broke into a relieved smile.
But before he could finish speaking, Kongsha sauntered over, swaying her hips.
Thor knew something was wrong. He leaned back to get away from her, but soon hit the hard stone wall.
Kongsha braced both hands on the edge of the tub, leaned forward, and lowered her head until the top of her glass dome touched Thor's forehead.
"Did Sid see what you brought back?"
An unexpectedly warm sensation brushed against his forehead. It felt as though what was pressed against it wasn't a glass dome, but a woman's delicate skin.
Maybe Kongsha's head hadn't turned into a horrifying glass dome at all. Maybe it was all just an illusion?
The naive thought had barely surfaced before Thor crushed it.
In this damned Wizard Tower, even someone who looked normal had to be treated as a potential monster—let alone Kongsha, who so clearly looked abnormal.
Thor didn't dare look up.
He knew that Kongsha's eyes had probably crawled back out of the white liquid, glaring viciously at him.
Every time he met those eyes, a shudder of terror shot from his head straight down to his feet.
This wasn't the kind of horror you could get used to after seeing it a few times.
The suppression of a higher level of life couldn't be overcome with courage alone.
Not even the hottest bathwater could warm the chill that seeped out from within his soul.
"No, ma'am." He couldn't help reverting to the way he used to address her. "But he knows I work in the Corpse Room. Maybe he guessed what it was."
Kongsha still hadn't moved away from Thor's head.
The pressure kept growing.
The warmth gave way to an icy chill.
The cold seemed like a power drill, ready to bore into Thor's skull.
Between the freezing chill above his head and the steam rising from the hot water beneath him, Thor struggled to breathe. He opened his mouth and tried to gulp down air.
"Ha... ha..."
Though nothing was covering his mouth or nose, he felt as if he could suffocate to death at any moment.
Only when Kongsha had watched him suffer to her satisfaction did she slowly straighten up and let him go.
"You're trying to goad me into dealing with Sid?" Kongsha let out a soft laugh. "Do you think you're worth that much? If you try to play games with me again, I'll eat your brain!"
Kongsha swayed out of the bathroom, leaving him with one last instruction.
"From now on, you're only allowed to come see me after midnight."
Thor watched the bathroom door close, then slowly sank his head beneath the water.
She taught me a lesson. Underwater, Thor's expression was calm, his earlier fear gone entirely. But I've already achieved my first goal. Senior Sister Kongsha, once people's interests clash, conflict is inevitable. This isn't playing games. It's a foregone conclusion.
With his hair still wet and disheveled, Thor left Kongsha's room in a sorry state.
If he'd been a little older, today's experience might have become a scandalous romance.
Unfortunately, at this point, neither the boy nor the woman was the sort of person who could stir up anyone's interest in gossip.
Sixth floor of the West Tower.
There were far fewer people in the corridor now.
Some had gone back to rest, some had started studying, and others couldn't bear to miss this rare chance to socialize.
Whenever Thor passed, the chatter would quiet down, but as soon as he left, the whispers would return, buzzing like mosquitoes.
Duoze, Luoji, Jenna, and Duke were a little group.
They had all joined the Mutual Aid Society, too.
Duoze, Luoji, and Jenna had all chosen Mentor Anze, the one recommended by the enthusiastic Senior Luokai.
Only Duke, for some reason, had changed his mind at the last moment and gone back to Mentor Kazi, who specialized in the Dark Attribute.
Only after Thor disappeared behind the door of Dormitory 603 did Duke withdraw his furtive gaze.
Duoze noticed and asked with a laugh, "What's the matter, Duke? Are you still mad at Thor?"
Hearing Duoze, Jenna looked at Duke curiously.
She hadn't been there when Duke and Thor had clashed.
Besides, she wasn't one to enjoy gossip, so she didn't know what had happened between them.
Duke quickly smiled. "What's there to be mad about? I just can't stand him. We all went through countless hardships and round after round of selection to become Apprentices. He just showed up halfway through and passed the test by cheating."
Duke's words struck a chord with the others, reminding them of the strange atmosphere on the day of the test.
"Yeah, I still can't figure out how he passed the test when his Magic Power talent was so poor," Duoze said. "I think Senior Sid didn't want to let him pass, but Senior Nick gave him a pass. Senior Nick always looks so cold. I didn't expect him to be so softhearted."
"Is his Magic Power talent really that bad?" Jenna asked curiously.
She'd even invited Thor to join the Mutual Aid Society back then. After all, every additional person she invited would earn her a Magic Crystal.
But Thor had completely brushed her off. Thinking of it now, Jenna couldn't help pouting.
"Of course it's bad. Even our Mentor doesn't think much of him." Duke agreed casually, but in his heart, he remembered that after Mentor Kazi had taken Thor away, Thor hadn't gone back to the Laboratory.
Had Mentor Kazi picked him to do that job?
Remembering the terrifying, bloody work environment, Duke felt nauseous—and couldn't stop himself from feeling jealous.
Before you continue