Bang—
A sharp, loud crack filled the air as Cyb Louis crushed the crystal into dust, his expression twisted, as fierce as a demon's.
"Elvis Donimo!" Cyb Louis ground out through gritted teeth. "No wonder I've always felt a deep disgust every ti I t him. So he's the one who hurt my sister!"
Striding forward, Cyb Louis faced Dean Bruce. "Tell , what do you want?"
"And… you just believe it so easily?" Dean Bruce raised an eyebrow, questioning him.
Cyb Louis replied coolly, "Whether I believe it or not, I need to know the reason."
"Well, well, I have to say, you really fooled before," Cyb Louis sneered. "I thought you were just so well-aning person who was recomnded here. Now I see you had your own motives for approaching ."
With a bitter laugh, he added, "Guess if you walk by the river often enough, you're bound to get wet eventually. But if it ans I can avenge my sister, it's a price worth paying."
"You're wrong," Dean Bruce shook his head. "Before today, I didn't know anything about this, and I certainly wasn't trying to use you."
Dean Bruce didn't want to take the bla for Alita Miller and her allies, so he explained, "Soone reached out to , told Elvis had targeted , even put a hit out on ."
"To protect myself, I couldn't just sit and wait, so I decided to cooperate with this person. But since Elvis is strong, taking him down requires a team effort."
In a low voice, Dean Bruce continued, "That's when this person gave the crystal and sent to you. Now it seems we both have reasons we can't ignore to go after Elvis."
Hearing this, Cyb Louis's brow furrowed, and he replied in a grave tone, "Elvis put a hit out on you? Is he insane?! The organization strictly prohibits mbers from turning on each other!"
When Dean Bruce didn't respond, Cyb Louis sighed, "Who was it that approached you to collaborate?"
"I don't know," Dean Bruce replied indifferently. "My only goal is to eliminate anyone plotting against . As for who collaborates with , their identity is none of my concern."
He looked directly at Cyb Louis and asked, "So, are you going to give an answer?"
A cold gleam flashed in Cyb Louis's eyes as he replied icily, "The answer is simple: whoever killed my sister, I will make them pay in blood. But I'll judge the truth of this matter for myself."
"After all, I'm not about to be anyone's pawn, taking everything at face value just because of one recording crystal."
Dean Bruce's expression turned curious as he asked, "How exactly do you plan to determine the truth?"
Cyb Louis cast a scrutinizing glance at Dean Bruce and replied in a low voice, "Since soone approached you to target Elvis, you should know where he originally ca from, right?"
Dean Bruce shook his head. Though he had collaborated with Alita Miller, his approach was always strictly businesslike, and he genuinely didn't know the na of the organization backing her.
Cyb Louis pondered for a mont before saying, "That faction is quite peculiar and extrely secretive. Every few years, they change their identity completely, making them difficult to track."
"Even though Elvis was once one of their top leaders, after he defected to our side, he only managed to take over a few of their outposts. He couldn't inflict any lasting damage on their main headquarters."
Cyb Louis continued thoughtfully, "So, hearing that soone approached you and handed over a recording crystal doesn't surprise . This is exactly the kind of thing they would do!"
Dean Bruce asked with curiosity, "What is this faction, exactly?"
"They've gone by various nas—sotis Heaven, sotis Hell, and sotis the Abyss… The one constant is that their leaders all use demon nas as code."
Cyb Louis spoke in a low tone, "Their supre leader is code-nad Satan."
At this, Dean Bruce felt a spark of realization.
Alita Miller's magic was connected to the moon, so if she were one of their leaders, she would likely have a codena related to the moon.
However, he wasn't entirely ready to trust Cyb Louis. Suppressing the urge to ask further, he simply said, "That certainly sounds like a mysterious organization. But how exactly do you plan to verify the crystal's authenticity?"
Cyb Louis gave Dean Bruce a sidelong glance and replied, "A recording crystal can be faked, but mories cannot."
"When Elvis joined the Nine Provinces Alliance, he brought along a few people. As long as we capture them and use soul magic to extract their mories, I'll know the truth of this matter."
He paused, then looked back at Dean Bruce, adding, "Would you care to join , Dean?"
"Those who have stayed with Elvis all this ti know many things. They may even know the reasons behind their targeting of you."
Dean Bruce already knew why he was being targeted, but the chance to witness soul-separation magic in action was too intriguing to pass up, so he smiled and nodded in agreent.
Of course, Cyb Louis wasn't doing this out of pure goodwill. His invitation was primarily a way to bring Dean Bruce along.
This way, if he'd been deceived, he could use Dean Bruce as a scapegoat.
Despite how generously Cyb Louis had treated him before—gifting items and supporting him—it was all for his own benefit.
When the ti cos to sever ties, Cyb Louis won't hesitate.
Dean Bruce, of course, wouldn't hesitate either. His past life had given him too much experience, and Cyb Louis's intentions were as clear as glass before him—completely transparent.
As the saying goes, "If you see through soone's intentions but don't call them out, you remain friends."
Dean Bruce and Cyb Louis exchanged a knowing smile. Instead of leaving imdiately, they dispelled their magic shield and headed to the dining hall.
Without the shield, their conversation shifted to Saint Laurent Advanced Magic Academy, and Dean Bruce used the opportunity to catch up on recent events.
Since he, the primary instructor, had been away, and Lucy Michelle had accompanied him to the Quicksand Secret Realm, their class ended up placing last in the new student training.
Though it didn't impact Dean Bruce personally, it did an that their class's resource allocation would be at the lowest level for the next two months.
At least until the next evaluation.
As they chatted, Dean Bruce and Cyb Louis finished their al and left the Nine Provinces Alliance together, drawing envious glances from those around them.
There was a reason for this discretion; even within the Nine Provinces Alliance, factions were divided and relations tense. Cyb Louis feared that if anyone overheard his plans, word might spread, jeopardizing his success.
Once outside the Nine Provinces Alliance, Dean Bruce and Cyb Louis continued toward the outskirts of the city. Upon leaving, they used magic to lift into the air.
Luckily, Dean Bruce had mastered Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain magic, allowing him to use wind to maintain his flight and avoid exposing himself.
As they ventured farther and farther from Saint Laurent City, Dean Bruce grew curious and asked, "Where exactly are we going?"
"The Law Enforcent Departnt's secret base," Cyb Louis replied in a low voice. "Although they're called the Law Enforcent Departnt, they also handle punishnts. Their interrogation thods can get pretty… bloody."
"Since Saint Laurent City belongs to another faction, it's not wise for them to go overboard within the city limits, so the Law Enforcent Departnt set up a secret base just outside the city."
Hearing this, Dean Bruce cast a strange look at Cyb Louis.
If it's supposed to be a secret base, then how do you know about it?
Noticing Dean Bruce's suspicion, Cyb Louis calmly replied, "Strike first to gain the advantage, or suffer the consequences. Elvis and I have been at odds for a long ti—how could I afford to be careless?"
"When we arrive, I'll need your help to seal off the area and secure everyone in the secret base," Cyb Louis requested.
Dean Bruce raised an eyebrow. "You want to act directly? Aren't you worried Elvis might be there? Even though you're both departnt heads, the Law Enforcent Departnt is likely stronger than you in combat, right?"
Cyb Louis didn't deny it. "He left on a mission two days ago and won't be back anyti soon. The others won't be a match for . All I need is for you to block the area and prevent anyone from getting a ssage out."
With things laid out so clearly, Dean Bruce had no reason to refuse.
He was also curious to see the soul-extraction thod and to understand why Elvis Donimo was targeting him.
After all, he'd never even t Elvis Donimo—there shouldn't be any reason for him to go after him so ruthlessly.
In a short while, a structure built of red bricks ca into view. Its thick magical energy radiated outward like a beast crouched within the forest.
Looking down, Dean Bruce saw three squads of soldiers crisscrossing in patrol around the building.
They were all dressed in leather armor, a mix of mages and warriors, exuding an imposing aura.
As Dean Bruce observed, Cyb Louis didn't hesitate.
With a single wave of his hand, dozens of shadowy figures appeared, striking each patrolling guard precisely from behind.
In the next instant, the guards wavered, then collapsed one after another, falling face-first to the ground.
Dean Bruce's eyes sharpened as he suddenly sensed a familiar aura within the building.
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