Chapter 7: Chapter 7

"Every time I'm on night patrol, I can't help but sigh—this school is just way too big. It's been two hours and I still haven't finished walking the rounds. Ah, I feel like slacking off; maybe I should just head back and sleep."

Liushu continued down the campus streets with his flashlight in hand.

It was already 11 PM, deep into the night, and there were hardly any students to be seen on campus.

Meanwhile, he still had to suffer through his job patrolling.

After all, it was only once a week; he figured he shouldn't complain too much.

Dreamscape Academy's pay was pretty nice.

So many people would do whatever it takes to get into this school—he really should appreciate it more.

"Which places haven't I checked yet?"

Liushu took out the campus map and shone his flashlight over it.

In an era this technologically advanced, it was bizarre that Liushu was still using a traditional map.

"The banned book library is left. Would anyone even go to that lousy place?"

Liushu lifted his light and set off toward the banned book library.

Although no one guarded the banned book library, formidable defensive magic had been placed there.

At this school, which had only first-year students, it was supposedly impossible for anyone to enter.

You could only access the banned book library with special permission from the school, or under the supervision of a teacher or the principal, because the books housed there were truly dangerous.

Legend had it that a student once wandered into the banned book library and was ultimately sucked into a book.

Of course, Liushu had no idea if the story was true or not.

A legend is just a legend. After all, Liushu had never seen a book that could absorb a person before.

Half-asleep and half-awake along the way, Liushu reached the banned book library.

"Once I finish this round I can go back and sleep," he said with a sleepy look.

"That's what I say..."

But reality wasn't quite as he wished.

Liushu shone his flashlight at the main entrance of the banned book library—and noticed faint footprints by the glass doors.

Ordinary people would have overlooked them, but not Liushu.

"Whoever you are, if you make more work for me, I'm going to be mad,"

Liushu muttered, putting away the flashlight and walking up to the door.

The defensive magic hadn't been triggered, but he definitely sensed someone inside.

Did they use some trick to bypass the defenses?

Someone actually dared to mess with Dreamscape Academy's banned book library—this was a serious crime.

Liushu took out his teacher ID card and placed it on the door.

The glass door emitted a mechanical chime and slid open automatically.

Liushu stepped inside, not triggering any defensive magic.

That was the teacher's pass.

So, was the intruder also a teacher?

Liushu walked among the bookshelves.

Not only the main entrance, but inside the library, many trap magics had been set up—none of them had been activated.

Only a teacher's pass would prevent the traps from triggering. Judging by this, the other party must also be a teacher.

Liushu didn't find anyone on the first floor and headed straight for the second.

The banned book library had five floors—the higher you went, the fewer books there were.

But the higher up, the more dangerous the books.

On the fifth floor there was an absolute forbidden book—the Book of Life.

It was a book that recorded time magic. That realm was managed by deities—no one in this world could wield those magics.

Not long ago, Liushu had told Lina that no one who touched that book ever came to a good end.

Anyone who tried to manipulate time had to pay an agonizing price.

No one was on the second floor, either.

Liushu frowned, getting a bad feeling.

He ignored the third and fourth floors and headed directly to the fifth.

Even with his teacher's pass, he couldn't reach the fifth floor—the defensive magic blocked his way.

But Liushu could sense that someone was up there.

That person really was after the time-forbidden book.

"Courageous, aren't you?"

Liushu showed a strange, unreadable smile, then stepped directly into the defensive magic.

The alarm blared through the entire academy.

Even Mo Ying, far away in the student dorms, heard the siren.

"The student handbook says that's a top-level alert,"

"Let's go see; I bet something exciting's happening," said Mo Ying, who loved a spectacle, immediately rushing to the door.

She ran straight into the dorm door.

"When a top-level alarm sounds, the dorm's defense barrier is also activated. We can't get out—that's for our own safety,"

"Oh come on! Now I can't get to the excitement!"

Mo Ying pounded on the barrier, deeply disappointed.

But the barrier paid her complaints no mind.

As head teacher and nearly the most powerful authority at the school, Wei frowned in displeasure.

"Where's the alarm coming from?"

Wei asked a passing teacher.

"The banned book library," the teacher replied.

"Check on the students with the other teachers—I'll handle things there,"

Wei said, heading toward the library.

The teacher hurried away.

Someone had entered the top floor of the banned book library—that was why this alarm had sounded.

How dare they ignore her authority.

"Alright, let's see which little mouse has snuck into the cat's den."

Liushu dodged all the defensive magic's attacks and came face-to-face with a shadowy figure.

"Anti-magic, huh? So, you're a heretic—using anti-magic to evade all the defenses."

"But I'm so bored of this trick. You'd better raise your hands and stay absolutely still. During a fight, if you move and I hit the wrong place, joint dislocation isn't pleasant, you know."

As Liushu drew closer, he lifted his flashlight.

"Are you a pursuer? Or a teacher? Or just a thief?"

Under his light, Liushu recognized a familiar silhouette.

He hadn't expected the intruder to be Shuang Yun, who had entered the academy less than two days ago.

Her hand was pressed on the time-forbidden book.

"So, you want to use time reversal to change your family's tragedy?"

Liushu surmised her intent.

Shuang Yun clutched the book, nervously retreating a few steps.

"Let me tell you, time is not something you can control. As I suspect, everyone in your family was destroyed by time. Now you want to repeat that?"

Liushu admonished her.

Shuang Yun's student file documented her history—her clan had been wiped out by a curse of time, and she was the last and only survivor.

"Countless people have tried to roll back time to undo tragedies in their lives, but not one has ever succeeded. That's the domain of the gods. You shouldn't touch that book. This is my last warning—put it down, Shuang Yun."

Liushu's tone grew stern.

No one would've expected the always-lazy Liushu teacher had such a serious side.

"Sorry, teacher Liushu—I can't. This is my only chance to fix everything,"

Shuang Yun gripped the time-magic book tightly.

It was because of this book that her family was destroyed.

And now, she was going to use this book to reclaim everything.

"That's not your chance at fixing everything, it's your doom."

Liushu took a step forward, clearly about to act.

He knew all too well what happened when humans tried to use time magic.

Being able to die peacefully would become a luxury.

"Death can't be reversed, Shuang Yun. You should learn to accept reality."

Liushu pressed her again.

But Shuang Yun still refused to put the book down.

Just then, as they faced off, the time-forbidden book in Shuang Yun's hand began to glow.

Liushu lunged forward to wrest the book away from her.

At that exact moment, Wei stepped onto the fifth floor.

On the fifth floor, Wei saw nothing but the time-forbidden book lying intact on the ground—no sign of anyone around.

"We're in big trouble—damn,"

Liushu cursed. They had been transported into a pale, empty space.

They stood on a corridor with nothing but stretches of whiteness all around.

Unlike Liushu, Shuang Yun seemed thrilled.

"Do you even know where we are?"

"This is the Time Corridor! Here, I can change the temporal flow of the real world!"

"I remember—every step we take here rewinds time a little,"

Shuang Yun eagerly tried to backtrack through time to save her family.

Liushu grabbed her by the collar, yanking her back and roughly tossing her behind him.

"You've made a mess, Shuang Yun."

He lit a cigarette. At his waist appeared a rusty sword's scabbard.

"There's no free lunch in this world. Do you really think you can change time so easily?"

Liushu drew the blade from its sheath.

The blade, too, was stained with blood and rust.

Before them, a silver-haired girl slowly appeared.

The girl had silver hair and blue eyes, and held a misty scythe in her hand.

The scythe seemed almost unreal—a weapon that didn't belong in this world, impossible to see clearly.

"What you're about to do has angered the Goddess of Time,"

Shuang Yun stared at the silver-haired girl in terror.

Had her actions actually provoked a deity?

"This doesn't seem to be her," came a voice from Liushu's blade—only he could hear it.

"Yeah, it doesn't feel right. This is someone else," he replied.

"If something goes wrong here, it'll be really bad, Liushu."

The old sword in Liushu's hand was called Qili—an artifact with a will of its own.

Their adversary was incredibly strong—far beyond what Liushu could handle.

Fighting here would mean certain death. He needed to find a way to escape.

"! " ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel fire.net

While Liushu was thinking, the deity charged at them, brandishing her scythe.

The clash of the scythe and the rusty sword demolished the Time Corridor.

"Hold on to me—and don't get swept up in the time stream!"

Amid the chaos, Liushu clutched Shuang Yun and ran desperately, the Goddess of death relentlessly on their heels.

"If we get caught, we're done for!"

"I know!" yelled Liushu—he could never fight the time current.

At that moment, a strange, ominous-looking door appeared in front of Liushu.

There was clearly no other way. He had no choice but to drag Shuang Yun through the door.

Both Liushu and Shuang Yun crashed onto the fifth-floor banned book library floor.

At the last possible second, they made it out alive.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

This is getting interesting...

Liushu has an ego sword. I wonder how strong he is...

Considering he taught the Knight Commander, he should be pretty strong...

I really like the laid-back character trying to get his peas but getting festered by other people...

Yes, I made 3 spelling mistakes in the sentences above...