Arcane Apprentice

"Dead?"

A soft, alluring voice rang in his ear, carrying a hint of shock and doubt.

Reaching Su Chen's ears, the words sounded jumbled together, and whatever she said next was completely unclear.

He felt as though he were in a dream, his eyes opening slightly, yet he could not clearly see the scene before him.

Until a certain moment, like breaking through the surface of water, everything he heard and saw grew clear.

"...You're acting pretty well..."

The voice came again, leaving Su Chen somewhat dazed. Within his field of vision, he could only see a pair of fair thighs, crystal-clear toes stepping on a red carpet.

A faint fragrance drifted into his nose, and Su Chen could not help frowning. The scent of the mixed perfume was too obvious; he did not like that smell.

He instinctively wanted to reach out and rub the bridge of his nose, only to notice that his hands seemed to be restrained by something. When he turned his head to look, they were actually black shackles.

I... am not at home...

He instinctively tried to recall, only to feel a sharp pain in his head as a vast amount of memories that did not belong to him rushed in, scrambling to be first.

After a few breaths, he had already figured out his situation, and his expression turned somewhat complicated.

"Little brother..." The soft, alluring voice came once more, this time carrying dissatisfaction, "If you can't take it, just say so. You've completely ruined a perfectly good mood."

Su Chen's expression was peculiar. The moment he raised his head, the other person had already turned around, a black and red silk-textured nightgown outlining her slender figure.

Though he did not see her face, a cold and stunning visage inevitably surfaced in his mind.

Jiang He, a mysticism tutor at Southwind Academy in the central district.

As for himself—he could not help lowering his head again, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, feeling a chill between his legs.

He had actually been targeted in an unspoken rule?

The original owner was not a student of the academy, but merely a substandard wanderer in Southwind City. Because Southwind City had regulations requiring him to go outside the city soon as cannon fodder, he wanted to enter Southwind Academy.

Logically speaking, it was almost impossible for him to enroll.

Fortunately, he was born with a handsome face. After twists and turns, he finally managed to carve out a thread of opportunity, which fell upon the woman before him.

Amidst the surging memories, a blur appeared before his eyes once more. Several mosquito-like, distorted characters gradually took shape, neatly arranged.

[Host: Su Chen]

[Basic Combat (Mastery--Unequipped)]

What is this... Su Chen was stunned, his heart leaping violently as his face tightened, doing his best to restrain his emotional fluctuations.

His throat bobbed, and his focus instinctively concentrated on the [Basic Combat] skill.

[Basic Combat (Mastery--Unequipped): 64%]

(Note: Acquired through years of exercise in past life. Once equipped, it will enhance the host's physical fitness.)

A gift from his past life? Su Chen recovered his wits. Although he could not be considered emaciated right now, his body was clearly much worse than the one in his past life.

Yet right now, this did not seem to be the time to equip it...

"This weak and helpless, clueless look of yours... is really quite interesting."

Jiang He spoke again. When Su Chen raised his head once more, he found that she was already lying sideways on the sofa, supporting her cheek with one hand and holding a goblet in the other. The Crimson wine swirled endlessly, and her legs rubbed gently against each other.

Snap—

He saw her flick her hand gently, and the shackles binding his hands were already unlocked. Su Chen's arms relaxed, and he stumbled across the carpet, yet he could not help looking back at those black shackles.

It was said... that this mysticism tutor had already stepped into the professional sequence.

"Come..." Jiang He beckoned, her red lips parting slightly. The wine entered her throat, yet a wisp followed the corner of her mouth, tracing past her slender neck, along her collarbone, and sliding all the way down...

Su Chen hesitated somewhat. He had replaced the original soul, and although he knew the personality of that fellow, pretending to be him was not so simple.

That kind of innate weakness, inferiority, and fear were very difficult to act out.

If the distance was too close, it would inevitably be easy for this person to discover some clues.

Seeing that he did not move, the corners of Jiang He's mouth split into a slight smile, her slender fingers tapping against the side table of the sofa. On it lay a gold-stamped letter, the corners outlined with black geometric lines.

An admission recommendation letter!

A few words popped into Su Chen's mind, and he actually felt a trace of inexplicable desire—this was also the purpose of the original owner coming here.

Once he got this thing, he could enter Southwind Academy and shake off his fate as cannon fodder.

Things having reached this point, refusal was no longer possible. Su Chen could only lower his head, his messy strands of hair shielding his face, and walk forward hesitantly.

"This is brewed from grapes cultivated with 'Sunlit Radiance'; it can restore a bit of physical strength... Want to taste it?"

Even as she said this, Jiang He drained the wine in one gulp, pressing the wine glass down upon that recommendation letter, and then straightened her upper body, the pale red wine stain upon her chest vividly clear.

The wine in the cup was gone, so...

Su Chen paused in his footsteps, not because he was too shocked, but because, according to the original owner's reaction, he had to stop.

"Don't be shy... Come... taste it..." Jiang He could not help revealing a smile, her voice reaching the ultimate in enticement.

She simply loved seeing this shy, hesitant, and even somewhat indignant, callow appearance of Su Chen.

After interacting with him a few times, she had grown extremely curious about how Su Chen managed to possess a self-respect rarely seen in inferior citizens, and why it was so... stubborn.

That was precisely why this scene played out today.

If Su Chen had rushed over eagerly, she would have lost interest instead.

"What's wrong? You don't even dare to raise your head?"

Jiang He got up, walked over to Su Chen step by step, and reached out her slender hand to lift his chin.

Su Chen's brain spun at high speed, pondering how to properly express the original owner's naivety.

Yet at that very moment, his body instinctively leaned backward.

The woman actually changed direction halfway, her palm missing his chin and heading further down instead.

The subconscious reaction carved into his soul was faster than his thought process.

Jiang He's movement paused slightly. She waited for a moment, but did not receive Su Chen's reluctant straightening motion, and a trace of dissatisfaction immediately surfaced in her eyes.

She had the rejection part, but where was the compliance?

Her voice instantly turned cold, "Since you still aren't willing, then get lost."

Su Chen hesitated for a moment. Although his memories suggested that failing to enter the academy would bring certain troubles, right now he needed time to familiarize himself with everything around him.

Besides, if it were merely sleeping with someone, he wouldn't mind.

Yet this woman was no pushover. Since the original owner was fine just moments ago, how did he end up suddenly usurping the body?

In case she discovered his abnormality, he might end up getting dissected.

Remaining silent, his gaze drifted toward a chair nearby, which held a somewhat worn set of clothes.

Seeing that he truly seemed intent on leaving, Jiang He raised an eyebrow, her tone growing increasingly aloof, "In a few months, you're bound to enter the exploration team. Once you step outside the city, you're essentially a corpse."

She sounded as though she were warning him, yet it also felt like a threat. Su Chen, however, felt she was merely angry out of embarrassment, and he continued to ignore her.

Just as she had said, an inferior vagrant like him still retained some human rights within the city.

Even though Jiang He's background was extraordinary and she wouldn't treat him too casually, stepping outside Southwind City meant becoming pure cannon fodder.

Amidst a rustling sound, he finished dressing, maintaining the original owner's persona of being taciturn as he pushed the door open to leave.

Upon seeing his actions, Jiang He merely sneered. An inferior vagrant's pride was utterly meaningless, much like a fat woman's breasts.

Still, she felt a lingering annoyance. She had expected to have some fun tonight and pick up a decent little plaything, but instead...

As she was thinking this, her vision suddenly went pitch black.

Snap!

A wine glass shattered behind him. Su Chen, whose heart was already in his throat, instantly whipped his head around.

The solemnity in his gaze flashed and vanished. He readied himself to deploy the gift from his past life; even if it could only grant him a sliver of resistance, it was far better than being captured without a fight.

Yet the next second, the solemnity in his eyes was replaced by sheer bewilderment. He saw Jiang He painfully curled up on the carpet, low moans spilling from her lips.

Fragments of the glass were scattered all around, some having already pierced her delicate skin.

This...

Su Chen's brows furrowed deeply.

"Hah... hah..." Jiang He let out ragged gasps, her entire body convulsing uncontrollably as her voice came in broken fragments.

"...Find... the... Emergency Response..."

The Emergency Response Department was the agency in Southwind City dedicated to handling internal city emergencies, and every dispatch came with a hefty price tag.

Su Chen hesitated slightly, his gaze sweeping past the sofa behind her to land on a brown desk in the distance, upon which sat a small, exquisitely crafted silver metal bracelet.

He had no idea what was happening, suspecting Jiang He might have suffered some sort of acute illness. Should he help or not?

Before his thoughts could settle, a faint clicking sound came from behind, followed by a shrill voice.

"If I were you, I'd stay right where I am."

Vigilantly turning around, he saw two blurry figures—one tall, one short—come into view. Their surfaces seemed draped in a layer of shadow, making them look like moving mosaics under the light.

An arm reached out from the tall mosaic, and Su Chen realized then that the mosaic was actually a piece of clothing.

The garment had been taken off, and its extremely bulky and fierce wearer stared right at him.

The shorter one was slowly closing the door, his gaze gloomy, nose sharp and cheeks sunken, with an unreadable, sinister smile lingering at the corners of his mouth.

"Jiang He..."

The intruders' gazes merely swept past him before landing on the woman curled up and moaning on the floor, roaming uninhibitedly over her exposed skin which she was too pained to cover up.

"Tsk tsk..." The short one made a meaningful sound. Jiang He managed to lift her head, her face pale and forehead beaded with dense sweat. Struggling to suppress the agony in her body, she squeezed a few words out between her teeth:

"This is... a private residence. Who... are you? What... are you trying to do?"

"As expected of an Arcane Apprentice who has undergone the Whispering Trial, your endurance is truly strong. You can still speak after drinking the Withered-Grass Potion..."

The short man spoke leisurely, walking straight ahead. Glancing briefly at Su Chen—who kept his head down, appearing utterly terrified with vacant eyes and no reaction at all—he dismissed him.

He didn't care; he knew the target's background very well, and this was simply how an inferior citizen ought to react.

Meanwhile, Su Chen felt a wave of profound shock as he stared at the translucent screen visible only to him—

[First-order superior class detected—Arcane Apprentice. Class can be assumed after fulfilling the advancement requirements.]

[Arcane Apprentice class condition one: Whispering Trial. In complete darkness, use your own blood to draw an inverted cross symbol on your chest, listen to the unknown voice, and persist for thirty seconds.]

[Class condition two: ???]