Chapter 49: Vengeance and Confinement

As dusk settled, the academy swiftly addressed the Heretic God Cult incident. Within half a day, the majority of the cultists had been apprehended, all without disrupting the ongoing assessments. They intended to capture the remaining Heretic God Cult members overnight, as this matter could not be delayed. Prolonged exposure to corruption, even if one were rescued, would inevitably leave them crippled.

Take Anthony, for instance; he was now a drooling imbecile, capable only of chewing on his fingers. This, in a way, was a blessing, saving him from further abusing his status.

In his current state, Anthony could no longer participate in the assessment, so he was escorted back by an examiner.

Accompanying him were Gern and the captured Heretic God Cult members. The moment Gern returned, he was immediately taken away by Miss Snow.

He felt a knot of anxiety in his chest, fearing that Snow would reprimand him for acting on his own initiative.

Snow, having lived for over a thousand years, could easily discern most of Gern’s thoughts. Even with his experiences from two lifetimes, in her eyes, he was still but a child.

“Speak, what was your reason for venturing out this time?”

Gern observed Snow’s expression, exhaling a soft breath. With that breath, the apprehension in his heart completely vanished.

He then recalled the findings from his previous life’s investigations, as if reliving the grim scene of his parents being slowly consumed by corruption.

Gern’s jaw tightened, and he squeezed out a few words, one by one, through gritted teeth.

“To… avenge… my… parents!”

Gern watched Snow’s face, noticing she showed no signs of holding him accountable.

“Miss Snow, aren’t you angry?”

“Hm? What would I be angry about? Vengeance is only natural.”

Hearing Snow’s words, Gern finally breathed a complete sigh of relief. He had worried that his unauthorized actions would incur her displeasure.

However, just as Gern believed everything was settled, Snow’s tone abruptly shifted.

“Gern, while your vengeance is indeed natural, there is one thing…”

“You defied my orders. That, I cannot tolerate.”

“But…”

Gern paused, slightly stunned. He wanted to retort, but Snow cut him off.

“You are a unique individual, bearing the Kindling. Anyone else can falter, but you cannot. Did you consider during this operation what would happen if you failed? This world can afford to lose everyone, but it cannot afford to lose you.”

“Huh?”

Gern was utterly bewildered by Snow’s words, having no idea what she was talking about.

She had no intention of explaining further to Gern, merely dropping a fleeting remark.

“Once you arrive at the academy and observe the contents of the memory stones from that year, you will naturally understand.”

“Now, come with me!”

Snow feigned anger on the surface, but beneath it, she felt mostly relief and a lingering fear. As she had said, this world could no longer withstand any further losses. If they were to overcome the crisis, Gern, this variable, was paramount, and not a single misstep could be afforded.

After admonishing Gern, she led him to an underground space. This was the basement of the student休息區 (rest area), specifically designed to accommodate certain special students. For instance, the Heretic God Cult members who had infiltrated, along with Anthony, whose sanity had been destroyed, were temporarily housed here.

‘Am I… to be placed under house arrest?’

Gern shook his head helplessly. In the end, he was to receive the same treatment as the Heretic God Cult members.

He consciously walked into the room. This wasn’t something he hadn’t experienced in his previous life. He had quite a bit of experience with escaping confinement. At worst, once Snow left, he would secretly slip out and cause some trouble.

But as he stepped into the room, he was immediately stunned by the sight before him.

The decor was impeccably neat, the interior of the room featuring a minimalist style that looked incredibly luxurious.

He scratched his head. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t quite like being imprisoned.

“Not bad, is it? I specially picked this out for you; it should suit your tastes and hobbies.”

“Is that right?”

“Alright, alright. This is the best room in the basement. If you don’t want to stay here, you can go stay in theirs.”

With that, Snow pointed to an open door of an adjacent room. Inside, the furniture was dilapidated and covered in dust. His own room, however, had clearly been specially maintained, with all sorts of furnishings, and even a fruit platter on the coffee table.

Gern hadn’t expected Snow to value him to such an extent, and he was genuinely moved. Seeing Gern’s expression, Snow rolled her eyes, annoyed.

“Alright, to prevent you from running off again, you’ll have to endure staying here for a while. Don’t keep thinking about going out, okay?”

Having said that, Snow departed in a hurry. She still had to oversee the next phase of the assessment, so she was naturally pressed for time.

Gern walked around the room. This small space was divided into two areas: a main hall visible upon entry, and a separate sleeping area. However, while inspecting the sleeping area, Gern discovered several pink women’s pajamas.

Gern’s mouth twitched. Why would there be women’s pajamas in the room prepared for him? Could it be that Snow had slept here before?

Gern shook his head, quickly dismissing the thought. The clothes weren’t the right size; they looked like they were for a small girl.

‘Wait…’

‘Could these be for *me*?’

A flush quickly spread across Gern’s cheeks. He instinctively tossed the pink nightgown away, pretending he had never seen it.

A moment later, Gern glanced around, finding no memory stones or similar devices. So, he picked up the gown again. It wasn’t that he wanted to wear it, but the fabric was excellent, and the style was very appealing. This garment clearly wasn’t cheap. Since it was given to him, he might as well keep it; he could probably sell it for a good price later.

“Hey? Brother next door, were you caught too?”

Suddenly, a voice echoed from the adjacent wall. Gern, like a mouse seeing a cat, instantly dropped the nightgown and darted out into the main hall.

“I’m not, I didn’t, don’t misunderstand, I’m not a pervert who likes to steal little girls’ clothes.”

No response came from the other side of the wall; it seemed Gern’s shout hadn’t been heard.

At this moment, Gern finally realized, and couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

‘I’m such an idiot; who else could even get in here?’

He shook his head with a chuckle, and the voice from the other side of the wall came again.

“Brother, are you there? Can you hear me?”

“Yes, I can hear you.”

The voice from the wall, hearing Gern’s response, seemed to let out a sigh of relief. Then, he slowly spoke.

“Brother, how far along is the Cult’s plan? I really don’t know which bastard leaked the Cult’s plan, leading to our current predicament.”

Gern’s mouth twitched at the words. He truly wanted to reply,

‘The bastard you’re talking about is right here, hey. Want me to send you to meet the Heretic God ahead of schedule?’

…