Arcane Apprentice

"Dead?"

A soft, seductive voice sounded by his ear, tinged with surprise.

To Su Chen's ears, it came layered and overlapping; he could not make out the words that followed.

It felt like he was dreaming. His eyes cracked open slightly, yet he could not see the scene before him clearly.

Until, at some point, it felt as though he had leapt out from beneath the water. Everything he heard and saw suddenly became clear.

"...You're putting on quite an act..."

The voice came again. Su Chen was somewhat dazed. All he could see was a pair of pale thighs, with crystalline toes stepping on a red carpet.

A faint fragrance rushed into his nose, and Su Chen could not help frowning. The scent of artificial perfume was far too obvious. He did not like that smell.

He instinctively wanted to rub his nose, only to realize that his hands seemed to be restrained by something. Turning his head, he found black shackles around them.

I... wasn't at home...

He instinctively tried to recall what had happened, but a stabbing pain shot through his head. A flood of memories that did not belong to him surged in, scrambling over one another.

A few breaths later, he had already figured out his situation, and his expression became complicated.

"Little brother..." The seductive voice came again, this time carrying a note of dissatisfaction. "If you can't take it, say so. You've ruined my mood."

Su Chen's expression turned strange. As he looked up, she had already turned away. A black-and-red silk nightgown outlined her graceful figure.

Though he had not seen her face, a cold and beautiful visage inevitably surfaced in his mind.

Jiang He, one of the occult instructors at Southwind Academy in the Central District.

And as for himself... He could not help lowering his head again, the corner of his mouth twitching as a chill ran through his crotch.

He had actually been subjected to the casting couch?

The original owner of this body had not been a student of the academy, merely a low-class drifter in Southwind City. According to Southwind City's regulations, he was about to be sent outside the city as cannon fodder, which was why he had wanted to enter Southwind Academy.

Ordinarily, it would have been nearly impossible for him to enroll.

Fortunately, he had been born with a handsome face. After much maneuvering, he had finally secured a slim chance, and it rested with the woman before him.

As memories churned within him, his vision blurred again. Several distorted words, as tiny as flying mosquitoes, gradually took shape and arranged themselves neatly.

[Host: Su Chen]

[Basic Combat (Mastery—Unequipped)]

What was this... Su Chen froze. His heart thudded violently, and his expression tightened as he did his best to suppress the fluctuations in his emotions.

His throat bobbed as his mind instinctively focused on the [Basic Combat] skill.

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

(Note: Gained through years of training in a previous life. Once equipped, it will improve the host's physical attributes.)

A gift from his previous life? Su Chen came back to himself. Though his current body was not exactly emaciated, it was clearly much weaker than his body in his previous life.

But now did not seem to be the time to equip it...

"You look so delicate and helpless... It's rather interesting."

Jiang He spoke again. When Su Chen looked up once more, he found that she was already reclining on the sofa. One hand supported her cheek while the other held a wineglass. Scarlet wine swayed within it as her legs lightly brushed together.

Snap—

With a light flick of her finger, the shackles binding his hands came undone. Su Chen's arms relaxed, and he staggered across the carpet, but he could not help looking at those black shackles.

It was said... that this occult instructor had already entered the ranks of the awakened.

"Come..." Jiang He beckoned. Her red lips parted slightly as the wine slid down her throat, but a streak followed the corner of her mouth, tracing her slender neck, passing over her collarbone, and slipping all the way down...

Su Chen hesitated. He had replaced the original soul. Though he knew the original owner's personality, pretending to be him was not so simple.

That weakness, inferiority, and fear that came from the depths of one's heart would be difficult to act out.

If he got too close, this woman might notice something amiss.

Seeing that he did not move, Jiang He's lips curled faintly. Her slender fingers tapped the side table beside the sofa, where an envelope of gilded paper lay, black geometric lines traced along its edges.

An admission recommendation letter!

Those words surfaced in Su Chen's mind, accompanied by a yearning that seemed to come from nowhere. This had also been the original owner's purpose in coming here.

With that thing, he could enter Southwind Academy and escape his fate as cannon fodder.

At this point, refusing was no longer an option. Su Chen could only lower his head, his messy hair covering his face as he hesitantly walked forward.

"This was brewed from grapes cultivated with Sunlit Radiance. It can restore a little stamina... Would you like a taste?"

Though Jiang He said this, she drained the wine in one gulp. She pressed the glass onto the recommendation letter, then lifted her upper body slightly, leaving a pale red wine stain in stark view.

There was no wine left in the glass, so...

Su Chen halted. It was not that he was too shocked; according to the original owner's reaction, he needed to stop here.

"Don't be shy... Come... Have a taste..." Jiang He could not help smiling, her voice utterly beguiling.

She liked seeing Su Chen's youthful look—shy, hesitant, and even a little indignant.

After meeting him several times, she had become extremely curious. How could Su Chen possess a sense of dignity so rarely seen in low-class citizens, and one that was so... unyielding?

That was why today had happened.

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

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

Jiang He rose and walked step by step toward Su Chen, extending a slender hand toward his chin.

Su Chen's thoughts raced as he considered how exactly to show the original owner's youthful innocence.

However, at that moment, his body instinctively arched backward.

This woman had actually changed direction midway. Instead of lifting his chin, her hand moved lower.

The subconscious reaction carved into his soul was faster than his thoughts.

Jiang He paused slightly. She waited for a moment, but Su Chen did not make the reluctant movement of thrusting himself forward. Dissatisfaction immediately appeared in her eyes.

He had the refusal. Where was the invitation?

Her voice instantly turned cold. "Since you're still unwilling, then get out."

Su Chen hesitated. According to his memories, failing to enter the academy would bring him certain trouble, but what he needed more right now was time to familiarize himself with everything before him.

And if it was merely sleeping with her, he would not have minded.

But this woman was no simple character. The original owner had been perfectly fine, so how had Su Chen suddenly taken over his body?

If she discovered something unusual about him, he might end up dissected.

He said nothing, his gaze shifting toward a chair beside him, where a set of somewhat worn clothes lay.

Seeing that he truly seemed ready to leave, Jiang He raised a brow, her words growing colder. "In a few months, you'll be joining an exploration team. Once you leave the city, you're as good as a corpse."

She seemed to be reminding him, but also threatening him. Yet Su Chen felt that she was simply lashing out in embarrassment, and he continued to ignore her.

As she had said, a low-class drifter like him still had a few basic rights within the city.

Even if Jiang He's status was extraordinary, she could not simply do whatever she wanted to him. But outside Southwind City, he would be nothing more than cannon fodder.

Amid soft rustling, he put on his clothes. Still maintaining the original owner's persona—quiet and withdrawn—he pushed open the door and prepared to leave.

Seeing his actions, Jiang He merely sneered. The pride of low-class drifters was like the breasts of fat women: utterly meaningless.

Still, she was somewhat annoyed. Tonight, she had thought she could have some fun and acquire a decent little toy, yet instead...

Just as she was thinking this, her vision suddenly went black.

Crash!

The sound of a wineglass shattering came from behind him. Su Chen, whose nerves had already been stretched taut, instantly turned around.

The gravity in his eyes flashed away as he prepared at any moment to equip the gift from his previous life. Even if it could only give him a slight ability to resist, that was better than being captured without a fight.

But the next second, the gravity in his eyes was replaced by astonishment. Jiang He was already curled up on the carpet in agony, low groans escaping her mouth.

Shards of the wineglass lay scattered around her, some having already cut through her delicate skin.

This...

Su Chen frowned tightly.

"Hah... hah..." Jiang He let out low, ragged breaths. Her entire body convulsed without cease, and her voice came in broken fragments.

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

The Emergency Response Department was Southwind City's organization dedicated to handling urgent rescues within the city. Every dispatch came at a steep price.

Su Chen hesitated slightly. His gaze passed over the sofa behind her and landed on a brown long table in the distance, where a small, exquisite silver metal bracelet rested.

He did not know what had happened. He suspected that Jiang He might be suffering from some acute illness. Should he help her or not?

Before he could settle his thoughts, a faint click sounded behind him, followed by a shrill voice.

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

He turned around warily, only to see two blurry figures, one tall and one short. Their surfaces seemed covered by a layer of shadow, making them look like moving mosaics beneath the lights.

An arm extended from the tall mosaic. Only then did Su Chen realize that the mosaic was actually a piece of clothing.

After taking off the garment, the man revealed himself to be extremely burly, glaring at him with a fierce expression.

The shorter man was slowly closing the door. His eyes were gloomy, his nose pointed, his cheeks sunken, and an ominous smile lingered faintly at the corner of his mouth.

"Jiang He..."

The man's gaze merely swept over Su Chen before turning to the woman curled up on the floor and groaning in pain. His eyes roamed without restraint over the exposed skin she had been too pained to cover.

"Tsk, tsk..." He clicked his tongue twice, his meaning unclear. Jiang He barely raised her head. Her face was pale, dense beads of sweat covered her forehead, and she struggled to suppress the pain wracking her body as she forced out several words through clenched teeth.

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

"Worthy of an Arcane Apprentice who has undergone the Whispering Trial. Your endurance is indeed impressive. You can still speak after drinking a Withered-Grass Potion..."

The short man spoke unhurriedly as he walked straight over. His gaze swept across Su Chen. Su Chen had his head lowered and seemed frightened senseless, his eyes unfocused and devoid of any reaction.

The man paid him no mind. He knew Su Chen's background well. This was the reaction expected of a low-class citizen.

Yet Su Chen was inwardly alarmed as he looked at the translucent screen no one else could see—

[First-rank upper-class profession discovered—Arcane Apprentice. May take the profession after advancement requirements are fulfilled.]

[Arcane Apprentice profession requirement one discovered: Whispering Trial. In complete darkness, use one's own blood to draw an inverted cross upon one's chest, listen to an unknown voice, and endure for thirty seconds.]

[Profession requirement two: ???]