Chapter 8: Chapter 8

"Did the other side let us go?"

Liushu stood up, panting, and wiped the sweat from his body in a disheveled manner.

No matter how you looked at it, it seemed that the other side had let them off this time.

The other side controlled the entire Time Corridor. As long as they didn't want to let them escape, there was no way they could get out.

From the situation earlier, it looked like the other side had indeed let them off.

No, Liushu thought back again to what had just happened.

The other side had kept chasing them, as if her purpose was just to force them back.

Was she herding them to return?

... It's better not to overthink it. Being able to come back alive and breathe here was already a blessing.

"Looks like you've gotten yourselves into some big trouble?"

Wei stood in front of them and said.

"Wei, good evening. I almost lost my life."

Liushu coughed a few times and stood up.

Looking at Shuang Yun again, she had already fainted. Was she unable to bear the pressure of a god?

That made sense. How many people could withstand a god's pressure?

Wei's voice carried a hint of oppression.

Liushu turned his head to look at the window.

Outside, it was already daytime.

Had an entire night already passed?

"You've been missing for four days."

Liushu exclaimed in shock.

They had only stayed in the Time Corridor for less than five minutes, but four days had passed outside?

"Let's talk when we get back."

Liushu was still a bit shaken after his brush with death.

"What you did this time was enough to get you expelled ten times over."

In the office, Wei said to Shuang Yun.

It was class time, so there weren't many people in the office, making it seem rather quiet.

"If you want to die, do it yourself. Don't drag others down with you."

Wei's tone still maintained its usual calmness, yet there was an unusual pressure in it.

Shuang Yun was so frightened that she dared not speak; the pressure Wei exerted was truly overwhelming.

"All right, enough. Shuang Yun is a first-time offender; there's no need to be so harsh."

Liushu stepped in to smooth things over.

"She nearly got you killed—don't you have any awareness?"

"I'm tough; my life isn't so easily lost."

"You see, actually, both Shuang Yun and I are fine. Let's just let this matter go."

"You make it sound so easy."

Wei countered with a smile of her own.

"Ahem, can't she have a chance, considering it's her first offense?"

"Do you know how severe her so-called 'first offense' is?"

"I also think a chance could be given."

A gray-haired woman with a blue beret quietly poked her head in from the next room.

"Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone wants to recover what they've lost. But after realizing despair, one should know how to let go." the gray-haired woman said.

"See, even Principal Alitos says so."

Liushu spread his hands.

"Principal, shouldn't you be working at this time?"

Wei looked over coldly.

The principal was scared by Wei's gaze.

She had wanted to sneak in a nap during the lunch break, but ended up falling asleep on the office sofa. She certainly couldn't say that.

"I have to take breaks too, don't I?"

"On the staff office sofa?"

"The reason is complicated!"

"You should do your proper job."

The principal could only lower her head after Wei's scolding.

"You outrank me, so however you want to deal with this, it's up to you."

Wei put on a pair of white gloves.

"Then, the story is: four nights ago, a cultist snuck into the Forbidden Book Library. Teacher Liushu and Shuang Yun happened to run into him, a fight ensued, and they were accidentally injured. After four days of recovery, that's the story. How does that sound?"

The principal smiled, weaving the tale with an outstretched index finger.

"Will I get workers' compensation for this?"

"No, and you skipped four days of work, so your pay will be docked."

"Please go easy on me, I survive on that tiny salary."

Liushu pleaded humbly.

"As for Shuang Yun, this is the first and last time. Maybe because you're new, you don't realize the gravity of your mistake. In Tianqing City, breaking into Dreamscape Academy's Forbidden Book Library is a criminal offense, enough for three years in prison."

The principal looked at Shuang Yun and said.

"You don't need to thank me. The reason I didn't expel you is, first, I pity your circumstances, and second, you used anti-magic, which is the kind of magic only cultists use. I don't want this to be known by others; even less do I want word to get out that our school harbors a student who uses anti-magic. Now, tell me, where did you get your anti-magic?"

The principal's tone became stringent.

"When my parents sent me out of the family, my father gave it to me—a one-time anti-magic. He also told me that perhaps the Forbidden Time Book here could reverse our family tragedy."

Shuang Yun confessed truthfully.

"Is your father a cultist?"

"No, but his friend is..."

"I don't intend to dig into your family ties. Since that anti-magic can only be used once, I won't pursue it further. Tomorrow, just attend your classes as normal."

"But remember, only this once. There will never be a next time. If you try anything with that book again, I'll crush your hand. Losing a hand is preferable to losing your life."

The principal gave her final warning.

"Ah, in that case, thank you, principal. I haven't recovered yet; I'll go take a nap first."

Liushu actually just wanted to go have a smoke.

"You still have class in the afternoon. Teacher Zhi Ying has already substituted for your classes for four days, so your salary for those days goes to her."

"All right, no problem."

Naturally, Liushu didn't argue.

Grabbing Shuang Yun by the collar, Liushu left the office.

"Thank you, really. I'm very sorry; I was too arrogant."

Before leaving, Shuang Yun apologized to everyone in the office. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel★fire.net

"You should thank Teacher Liushu more. We didn't do anything."

After the two left, the principal sighed.

"You spared her only out of pity and for the academy's reputation?"

Wei picked up an ume candy from the office desk and tossed one to the principal.

The principal took a bite of the candy.

"That Forbidden Time Book has been touched by many people—fifteen to twenty at least. But getting pulled into another world, that's the first time it happened. And according to what they said, Shuang Yun did nothing, which means the book drew her in automatically. Liushu just got dragged in as collateral."

"Maybe something unexpected will happen. Isn't that interesting, director?"

"I have no interest in that."

Wei still sounded indifferent as ever.

"Is there anything that could pique your interest? Don't you care about anyone, don't wish for romance? With your beauty, you'd be very popular in the Sea of Elves. When we first met, I thought you were the High Priestess of the elf tribe."

"I'm not from the Sea of Elves, principal."

This did surprise Principal Alitos, since most elves came from the Sea of Elves.

"You should read up on the staff profiles."

"Since Captain Lina recommended you, I didn't pay much extra attention."

Alitos scratched her head.

"Get back to your work. I have other things to do."

Wei hugged a stack of documents and left.

"Sometimes proper rest is necessary too."

Seeing no one else around, Alitos lay back on the office sofa.

"Long time no see, you little brats."

In the afternoon, Liushu finally returned to teaching as usual.

"Teacher Liushu! I'm so glad you're not dead!"

Mo Ying hugged Liushu.

"Is the first thing you say after not seeing me for so long really a curse for my death? That's quite the greeting, Mo Ying."

Liushu said. To him, only a few hours had passed, but to everyone else, it had been four days.

"Mo Ying heard you two were attacked by cultists. She was really worried about you."

"Yes, yes! I was so worried, I only ate three meals yesterday."

"Most people eat three meals a day."

Shuang Yun commented.

"So, what's a cultist?"

"You worry about me, but don't even know what a cultist is? I don't need such fake concern."

Liushu pushed Mo Ying away.

"There's nothing in books about cultists either."

After hearing about the incident, she had also looked for books about cultists in the library but found nothing.

"Cultists, huh, well..."

"Let's see... a long time ago, there was a god whose mind wasn't quite right—the Goddess of Calamity."

"The Goddess of Calamity, Erfinlyn Xing. She used something called anti-magic, and it brought great loss and casualties to this world."

"Anti-magic is a very special kind of magic. It's generally black and can devour all other magic. For example, water created by magic, magically conjured fire, even trees—it can consume them all. In this world of magic, anti-magic is an ultimate anomaly."

"There was a group of followers of the Goddess of Calamity, and they also used anti-magic. Thus, people called them cultists."

"So what happened to the Goddess of Calamity in the end?"

Mo Ying asked like she was listening to a story.

Xiya answered for her.

"It's written in books."

"Yes, the story is practically known in every household."

"The Goddess of Calamity was killed by someone, who became a Godslayer."

"Legend has it that this Godslayer shattered a mountain with one strike, and split the sea with another."

"And the Godslayer participated in many battles to save the world, a hero among heroes."

"In Anzelona as well, there are many legends of Godslayers. Almost every storybook tells of them."

"What's even more special is the Godslayer was a human, so the legend has been passed down for so long among humans."

"I'm right, aren't I, teacher?"

Xiya looked at Liushu.

"More or less. But a legend is a legend—believe half and doubt half."

Liushu lit a cigarette.

"Who knows if that Godslayer ever existed? Every legend has some fabrication."

Liushu said with a smile.

PS: One playful touch per chapter:

The first volume is about the world-building; the second volume starts the hunt, which is the main plot.

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

With the Godslayer talk...

It isn't impossible they hunt gods...