Despicable

After leaving the Auditorium, Mo Bai went back to his life at the Academy.

Honestly, forget studying those courses. Just seeing their names gave Mo Bai a headache.

He could at least understand courses like [Tunneler Leap Dynamics] and [Tunneler Material Bionics], and he was willing to put in the work.

After all, his department existed to train Tunneler Candidates.

But could someone tell him what the point of a course like [Microgravity Agricultural Engineering] was?

"So this is... a throwaway class..."

Mo Bai sat at his desk and looked around at his classmates, most of whom were nearly asleep over their desks, then at the teacher, who paid no attention to classroom discipline.

Yes, this was familiar. This was what he had always imagined college life would be like.

It would be a shame not to sneak in a little nap...

Thud.

But just then, Mo Bai felt something hard strike his head.

It was a small ball of paper.

When he unfolded it, he recognized the handwriting.

[Bzz bzz, Mole calling Big Dog. Let's go racing (#^.^#).]

Yes, of all his friends, only one would draw an emoticon on a handwritten note.

Mo Bai glanced at the teacher, who was completely absorbed in her lecture.

Right. He had promised her they would go riding, and a promise was a promise.

It definitely wasn't because he couldn't stand this throwaway class.

With that thought, Mo Bai quietly sank into the shadows.

Plop.

"No matter how many times I see it, I'm so jealous of that ability!"

Lynae gazed enviously at Mo Bai as he emerged from the shadows.

"What, you're jealous of the Shikigami that comes with me?"

"No, that ability makes you unbeatable at skipping class!"

Mo Bai stared at her, speechless. He had never imagined someone would envy his Cursed Technique because it made skipping class easier...

Still, he wasn't about to start a loud argument with Lynae in the hallway, however brazen he felt. The two of them quickly made their way out of the Academy.

Vroom—!

The Motorcycle started, and they sped away from the Academy.

"By the way, how come you can come and go from the Academy whenever you want now? It took me ages to get permission to leave."

Lynae complained from her seat on the Motorcycle.

"Well, they found out your enrollment paperwork was fake, so of course the Academy had to take a hard line with you," Mo Bai said, keeping his eyes on the road.

He wasn't nearly as comfortable racing as Lynae was, especially now that they were on an unpaved road.

"In my case, they only had suspicions. Once they couldn't find a shred of evidence that I was a spy, they naturally declared me innocent."

Lynae rolled her eyes at his answer.

Mo Bai sounded matter-of-fact, but to Lynae, it sounded an awful lot like bragging.

"Wait!"

Screech—!

At Lynae's warning, Mo Bai slammed on the brakes with her.

A group of Tunneler Swarm Creatures stood ahead of them.

Unlike their usual docile selves, their red-tinged pupils were obvious even from a distance.

It was proof they had been contaminated by a Voidmatter Magnetic Storm. Stranger still...

A vast Voidmatter Magnetic Storm zone lay not far from Mo Bai and Lynae.

It covered a large area, though its concentration didn't seem very high.

Mo Bai could clearly see the worry on Lynae's face.

"Professor Mornye said that the first thing to do when you encounter a Voidmatter Magnetic Storm is report it to the Acad—"

"There's someone inside!"

Lynae cut Mo Bai off before he could finish.

The moment she said there was someone inside, he knew there was no point finishing his sentence.

She would put rescuing them first and charge straight in.

If only Rover were here right now. That would be a relief.

At least Rover could keep Lynae in check.

Then again, maybe not. Rover would probably charge in to save them too.

Mo Bai caught Lynae looking at him.

Her gaze was resolute.

"Let's go."

With a sigh, Mo Bai rode into the Voidmatter Magnetic Storm with her.

They both had Tacet Discs to protect them from the Voidmatter Magnetic Storm.

And with Lynae's Resonance and Mo Bai's Cursed Energy, a storm this thin would have little effect on them.

Vroom—

Lynae took Mo Bai into the Voidmatter Magnetic Storm.

The Tunneler Swarm Creatures inside were easy enough to handle. A few blows to the head short-circuited them and knocked them unconscious.

"Ugh... I feel awful..."

After clearing out the Tunneler Swarm Creatures, Lynae and Mo Bai spotted a student slumped in the middle of the Voidmatter Magnetic Storm.

The student wore the red uniform of Star Torch Academy and was mumbling something.

"Hey, are you all right?"

Lynae approached the student, concern in her voice.

Meanwhile, Mo Bai wandered around behind the student.

He had never been inside a Voidmatter Magnetic Storm before. Until now, he had only read about them in textbooks.

For a Lament unique to the Lahai Luo region, the Voidmatter Magnetic Storm here seemed awfully thin.

"Hang in there. We'll get you back to the Academy right away."

Lynae moved to hoist the student onto her shoulder.

But as she drew close, she exchanged a glance with Mo Bai some distance away.

"Let me do it."

Mo Bai suddenly stepped up to the student, offering to carry them instead.

"Thank you. Thank you both."

The student managed a smile. Both their voice and expression seemed terribly weak.

Whoosh!

But just as Mo Bai came within reach, the student sprang up and lunged at him.

Thud!

Mo Bai promptly threw the student over his shoulder and slammed them to the ground.

Click!

Lynae then drew her gun and pressed it against the student's forehead.

"When did you figure it out?!"

The student no longer looked weak or pitiful. Instead, they glared furiously at Lynae and Mo Bai.

"You're not the first Remnant Star Society spy I've caught hiding in the Academy. I could tell when I got close."

"No special reason. Your acting was a bit too fake, so I kept my guard up."

After explaining, Lynae and Mo Bai tied the student up on the ground.

Bzz—

At that moment, the Voidmatter Magnetic Storm vanished.

Clack.

At the same time, Mo Bai heard something fall to the ground nearby.

Looking closer, he found an empty, jar-shaped container.

Since it had appeared at the very moment the Voidmatter Magnetic Storm disappeared, it had to be connected to the Remnant Star Society spy in front of them.