Locked Up

Order Era, Year 1136.

Kahn shook his head groggily as his eyes fluttered open.

What had happened?

Right… that bastard—that bastard named Xia Lun…

What had he done? Why had Kahn suddenly blacked out? Some kind of hypnosis?

His vision cleared to reveal a stark white ceiling—the academy’s infirmary.

Kahn turned his head and saw his lackeys lying in neat rows beside him.

“Ah, you’re awake,” a portly, bald middle-aged doctor walked in and remarked upon seeing Kahn. “A student found you all passed out on the roadside and brought you here… I checked you over—nothing serious. If you can walk, you’re free to go… Oh, and the consultation fee is twenty gold coins. Pay up…”

Kahn: “…”

One by one, the others began to stir.

“What happened?”

“It was that guy, Xia Lun… What did he do to us?”

“Why did I just collapse like that?”

Kahn’s gaze flicked to the infirmary window, then back to his lackeys.

He couldn’t swallow this humiliation.

He was one of the heirs of the Stark Family—how could he tolerate such disgrace?

Rage piled up in his chest like gunpowder, ready to explode at any moment.

“All of you… stay here and wait for me,” Kahn said, his eyes glinting dangerously. “No matter who asks later… you’ll say I was with you the whole time.”

The lackeys exchanged glances before nodding in unison.

Without another word, Kahn leaped through the open window, landing as lightly as a cat.

An ordinary freshman who hadn’t studied wind magic wouldn’t have been able to pull this off—but Kahn was different. He had trained rigorously in his family since childhood. A jump from this height was nothing to him.

Once he was done, he’d slip back through the window, make a quick appearance in front of that bald doctor, and his alibi would be airtight…

Kahn was out for revenge.

In his possession was the core of a Lava Titan.

Lava Titans were terrifying high-tier magical beasts, and the mana within their cores was wildly unstable. If disturbed by external magic, it would trigger a catastrophic explosion, reducing everything nearby to rubble.

This core was Kahn’s last resort, something he had saved up for ages to acquire.

Normally, he would never waste such a precious item on something like this… but right now, his fury had clouded his judgment. He needed an outlet.

That bastard lived in a secluded manor, and the path there was rarely traveled—no witnesses.

Even if things went south, the worst that could happen was expulsion. With the Stark Family’s influence, Kahn doubted he’d face any real consequences.

The night was pitch-black, devoid of even a sliver of light.

By the time Kahn had woken up, darkness had already fallen.

To avoid detection, he didn’t bother lighting a lantern.

Soon, the glow from the manor came into view.

As he drew closer, Kahn’s expression darkened at the sight of the opulent estate.

While he and everyone else crammed into student dorms, this Xia Lun guy lived in a place like this?

Was he the headmaster’s secret lovechild or something?

But Kahn’s resolve didn’t waver. All he had to do was toss the core inside, and everything would be reduced to ashes in the ensuing inferno.

…

Hidden within the folds of space, Yisi nibbled idly at the surrounding void.

Of course, she was still keeping watch.

It was nighttime, and Xia Lun and Aina had sealed themselves in their room to study forbidden arts—no disturbances allowed, or so they claimed.

In any case, Yisi’s job was to monitor the surroundings and prevent any mishaps.

After the incident with the Twilight Apostles, Yisi had sworn to herself that she would crush any potential threats before they could take root. No surprises this time.

Then, someone approached the manor.

Yisi noticed the figure the moment he started skulking closer.

An enemy?

She perked up immediately.

But the guy looked young—probably a student from the academy.

Yisi’s enthusiasm waned. Xia Lun had warned her not to attack students indiscriminately.

Plus, this one seemed pathetically weak.

Still… what was he doing here so late?

Yisi narrowed her eyes, her not-so-bright brain whirring into action.

Disturbing Aina now would be a death sentence… Mo Lini was asleep, and Liyana seemed too unreliable…

Guess it was up to her!

Suddenly, the intruder hurled a red object toward the manor before bolting.

Yisi acted instantly, snatching the object out of the air and tucking it into her spatial pocket.

She couldn’t just let him escape without answers. With a snap of her fingers, she froze the surrounding space, trapping the boy like an insect in amber.

“What’s this?”

Curious, Yisi held up the object Kahn had thrown, examining it closely. Violent mana churned within the core, and then—

BOOM.

It detonated.

Fortunately, Yisi’s spatial concealment contained the blast. Not a single sound escaped, and the manor remained untouched.

“Cough! Cough!”

Yisi hacked out a puff of white smoke, her entire body now covered in soot. She looked thoroughly disheveled but unharmed.

“A bomb?!” Only then did it dawn on her.

Which meant… that guy was an enemy!

If he was an enemy, she could deal with him!

But… wasn’t he also a student?

An enemy student—what was the protocol here? Xia Lun hadn’t covered this scenario.

Should she kill him?

Yisi’s tiny brain short-circuited. If she messed this up, she’d get scolded again.

Wait! Why not lock him up first and ask Xia Lun what to do in the morning?

Her eyes sparkled with realization. She was an absolute genius.

…

Kahn’s blood ran cold when he realized his body had locked in place the moment he threw the core.

And there was no explosion.

What was going on? What had just happened?

He couldn’t comprehend the situation. Now, he couldn’t even scream for help—couldn’t blink, couldn’t twitch a finger.

Then, a petite white figure materialized before him.

To Kahn’s horror, the girl casually tore open a rift in space.

He struggled desperately, but the spatial confinement held him immobile. Helpless, he could only watch as Yisi nonchalantly tossed him into the void.

The chaotic spatial currents shredded his body into mincemeat, leaving no trace behind.