Haywoodâs expression shifted slightly. âLetâs talk about this back in the storeroom.â
Saul was indeed eager to returnâtonightâs painful experience made him long for the safety of having his soul firmly inside his body.
Just as the Tower Master had said, it was not a good thing for him to have his soul out of the body.
But⊠would following Haywood back lead to another unexpected danger?
The diary didnât appear.
âHey, diary bro, you didnât break, did you?â Saul asked mentally.
The diary flipped a page, facing its cover toward him.
âGood, not broken. That means Haywood doesnât plan on doing anything to meâfor now.â The candlelight illuminated the road ahead, and Saul felt more confident. âIf Haywood really tries anything, maybe I can escape through the candle duct.â
Perhaps sensing Saulâs burning gaze, the steadily flickering flame suddenly trembled.
That flicker caught Haywoodâs attention.
âHow much did you see just now?â Saul suddenly asked, diverting Haywoodâs focus.
Haywood smiled. âSince you left Mentor Kazâs lab.â
He knew there was no point lying to Saul, so he simply spoke the truth. âThat servant named Georgeâhis soul has already mutated. If you werenât protecting him, I believe by tomorrow, heâd end up on some apprenticeâs lab table.â
Saul frowned. He knew he could protect George for now, but not forever.
And honestly, he had no intention of doing so forever.
He had helped this time because George had once helped him, and seeing George had brought back memoriesâthose old memories had conveniently helped Saul stabilize his consciousness.
So, he gave George a chanceâto become a wizard apprentice.
In fact, that was the only way George could survive for the time being.
If he gave up the path to becoming an apprentice, his fragile human mental resistance would break down within a year due to the extra head in his mind. Heâd go insane.
Watching Saul deep in thought, Haywood added, âOf course, since youâve asked, Iâll arrange it. Let him consider at his own paceâuntil he either becomes an apprentice, or dies.â
He stepped in closer. âFor people like us, bringing a lowly servant into the wizarding world is nothing more than a word.â
Saulâs face broke into a bright grin. âThen I must thank you! Youâre really kind, Senior!â
Haywood froze. For some reason, Saulâs beaming smile gave him more unease than his earlier gloomy expression.
Under Haywoodâs escort, Saul returned to the first floor of the East Tower.
Standing before the bronze gate, Haywood stepped forward to push it open without needing Saul to explain.
The terrifyingly thin arms were no longer visible outside the gate, but Saul still kept on high alert as he passed through the door Haywood had opened.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly. He returned to the second storeroom and re-entered his body.
However, when passing through the corpse-filled room, his soul kept getting stuck to corpseâit took considerable force to peel himself free each time.
Luckily, his body still lay motionless on the single bed, unchanged.
That eased Saulâs lingering worries.
When he opened the door and stepped out of the second storeroom, he found Haywood still waiting outside.
âNow then, Senior,â Saul said with a steadier tone, now back in his body, âCan you tell me how you found out that my soul was out of my body? After all, I have to report the bizarre experience last night.â
Haywood let out a long sigh. âThis⊠does have something to do with me.â
He suddenly pulled down his hood and turned his head, showing Saul the back of it.
Where a grotesque witchâs face had once been, there was now only bald, scar-riddled skin.
âI havenât had a chance to introduce her,â Haywood turned back and casually put his hood back on. âThat womanâs name was Heidiâshe was a curse I crafted from my twin sister.â
Saul blinked.
Twin sister?
âMy parents were both Third Rank wizard apprentices,â Haywood explained. âThey made several modifications to their bodies that had major effects, but werenât suitable for them. After reaching Third Rank, they had no chance of becoming True Wizards.â
He then offered Saul a word of advice. âBefore you become a True Wizard, I wouldnât recommend modifying any vital organs.â
Hearing that, Saul suddenly thought of Kongsha.
The organs that the senior sister transformed are no longer called important organs, they are fatal organs.
Haywood continued, âThey tried every method to have children. But when my sister and I were born, something went wrong.â
âOur mother mutated during childbirth. My father had no choice but to kill her in order to save us. Even so, my sister was affectedâher head was normal, but the rest of her body was the size of a pinky finger.â
Haywood remained calm even as he spoke of his motherâs death and his sisterâs deformity.
âMy sister was kept in a jar, and I carried her everywhereâstudying, living, playing⊠Until I was six, and my father decided to turn us into a Twin Curse to extend his life.â
Saul kept a blank expression. He wasnât the least surprised by how this turned out. Wizards simply werenât normal people.
In fact, he suspected Haywood and his sister had been born solely for the sake of prolonging their parentsâ lives. There had probably never been any âfruit of loveâ to begin with.
What did pique Saulâs curiosity wasâhow did a six-year-old Haywood survive an assassination attempt by a Third Rank wizard apprentice?
Haywood seemed to read his look and smiled slightly as he continued. âFortunately, my father had never stopped me and my sister from going out. So quite a few people knew about us. That year, the Tower Master personally came and wanted to take me in.â
âMy father disagreed at first, but later⊠he gave his silent approval.â
Saul sneered. Probably the kind of âapprovalâ that comes from being dead.
At this point, Haywoodâs expression shifted subtly, tinged with guilt and sorrow.
âUnfortunately, I disappointed the Tower Master.â
He abruptly cut off the unpleasant topic and replaced his expression with a smile.
âAfter entering the Wizard Tower, I transferred my sister from the jar to the skin on the back of my head. I had cared for her for yearsâso she was a bit spoiled,â Haywood finally circled back to last night. âBut I didnât expect her to foolishly believe that if you died, the silver eye would become hers.â
âSo⊠my soul ended up out of my body and accidentally entered the lower floor because of her?â Saul asked in a low voice.
The second storeroom wasnât a place just anyone could enterâit housed important materials for the Wizard Tower!l
âThere are twenty-two floors in the Gorsa Wizard Tower, including the basement, but thatâs the structure for ordinary people, or ordinary apprentices. In reality, the Tower also has interlayers.â
Interlayers?
Saul immediately recalled those countless staring eyes, the noodle-like thin arms, and the mouths that could only scream about being hungry.
Those monsters must live in the interlayers.
âThereâs an interlayer between the first and second storerooms. The corridor weâre standing in now is the only passage through.â
He paused for a moment.
âShe knew your soul was unstable, so she risked crossing the interlayer to get to you. I think she wanted to drag your soul into the interlayerâthen youâd die without anyone knowing why. But the outcome⊠is that you ran out from the basement tunnel, and Heidi didnât come back.â
Saul: In that case, allow me three hearty laughs.
(End of Chapter)
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