The Devil's Cage

When the alarm on the instrument went on, the group of security guards were startled. Their faces changed for the worse.

The red light from the indicator shined on their faces, it was rather blinding.

Kieran saw the group of security guards go over to Professor Tyrese quickly and then…

Evacuation! Everyone started to evacuate, including the group of security guards with outstanding presence.

Kieran frowned and walked over to Professor Tyrese.

"I'm sorry, 2567. I can't tell you what just happened. If you may, please bring the students back to their dorm safely, I have my hands tied at the moment!"

Professor Tyrese stopped Kieran before he even asked, the professor also asked Kieran to leave nicely.

Kieran nodded and didn't press on the topic anymore.

He knew a good person like Tyrese would never change his mind once the decision was made. Kieran turned around to Standler and the others who were looking at the scene.

"What happened?"

"What is that alarm for?"

Standler asked the burning question on the way back to the dorm but no one was able to provide an answer.

Maica was similar, as a freshman, he didn't know more thanStandler, neither did the Student Council members.

Only Gutti was in deep thought, Kieran saw her look but did not ask anything. It wasn't an appropriate time.

After sending his aides and the Student Council members back to their respective dorms, Kieran finally turned to Gutti.

As the Branch Leader assistant, Gutti was the last to leave, hence she was left alone with Kieran after sending the others back.

"What's wrong?" Gutti looked slightly nervous when she caught Kieran's gaze.

"The instrument in the security guard's hand, what is that?" Kieran went straight to the point without too much idle chatter.

"I'm not too sure. I once heard from a senior that a group special security guards exist in E Block and they were the ones who were truly protecting E Block and solving the unusual incidents. The senior also mentioned that the group of guards answered directly to Principal Romuse."

Gutti shook her head at first before telling Kieran what she knew, she didn't think she should hide it from Kieran.

First, such things weren't secrets for the elites in the upper years.

Second, if Kieran wanted to verify them, with his position and reputation, he would easily find out about the special group of guards.

Rather than wasting Kieran's time, might as well push him to settle the documents in the Branch Office.

The naive Gutti was looking forward to the day Kieran would appear in the office again.

"Other than that?" Kieran asked.

"That's what I know. We aren't allowed to know anything else about that special group of guards without permission from Principal Romuse." Gutti said.

"Thanks. I'll send you back," Kieran thanked her politely.

Although it wasn't the whole picture, Gutti still provided Kieran with vital information, a thank you would be necessary.

But when Gutti heard Kieran wanted to send her back, she got more nervous.

"N-No need, I can…"

"This is Professor Tyrese's request. I've given my word to him."

Kieran interrupted her and walked towards the 3rd year dorm, he didn't have time to discuss matters with Gutti.

Gutti was rather blank as she stared at Kieran's back.

Things unfolded slightly out of expectations.

Shouldn't Kieran express more of his thoughts on the matter at such a time rather than leaving abruptly?

How could he be so direct?

"Hurry up," Kieran frowned and groaned when he realized Gutti wasn't following him.

"Oh-Okay!" Gutti nodded repeatedly and sprinted forward.

Gutti subtly sized up Kieran as she walked back with Kieran.

All she could see was coldness and it was the first impression that Kieran gave people.

But how could a cold person like him persuade a Dark Eater to embrace the light again?

Therefore, Gutti assumed it was a disguise put up by Kieran.

Under the disguise, Kieran should be a straight, passionate person who wasn't good at expressing his thoughts. He was also powerful!

Based on the information Gutti collected by herself, the First Seat before her eyes was absurdly strong and should be a genius who had transcended over his age.

Such a genius was rare to come by and… she needed such genius, especially when she didn't hate him as much.

"2567, you-you…"

Gutti took a deep breath and mustered up enough courage to ask but when the question was on the tip of her tongue, it was reluctant to come out, leaving her flushed.

Kieran glanced over her red face, he wasn't moved at all.

"We are here," He pointed at the third-year dorm ahead of him.

"O-Okay. I'll take my leave now, g-goodnight."

Gutti stuttered seriously before he dashed towards the third-year dorm. She even almost fell down when she went through the door due to panic.

Kieran frowned and saw her off, he eventually shook his head.

"Possesses a certain level of strength, has a rather bad mental state and barely any actual combat experience. If a fight broke out, it's best to take her down head on, break her defense and she will lose herself, at least 30% weakened after that…"

Kieran returned to the freshman dorm as he talked to himself.

"My lord. Since you've been gone, everything is normal at the dorm."

Lester was waiting for Kieran at the door since he saw Kieran come back through the cameras.

"Mm. Lester, do you know something like this?"

Kieran nodded and started to describe the instrument he saw from the guards.

He got nothing from Gutti earlier, so he'd try to find out more from Lester the tech wonder.

Lester was unusually skilled in mechanical engineering though, but after he heard Kieran's description, he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, my lord. I can't really tell what instrument is that based on your description."

"Is that so."

Despite being prepared for negative result, when he really got nothing, Kieran still couldn't hold back his sighs.

Dak, Dak Dak.

Kieran sat down in his chair, his left index finger was tapping the arm of the chair. Frost Wolf curled up beside his feet and Fire Raven cawed at Kieran before flying up to the window again; the night was nothing for the Fire Raven.

Together with Lester's surveillance system, every movement in the surroundings were within Kieran's 'eyes'.

Under a secure environment, Kieran could think better.

"It seems like there is something in the gymnasium but I didn't find anything earlier… is it in some hidden spot?"

"Since Tyrese didn't tell me anything, I would probably get the same result from Romuse as well."

"Then other than these two… Smith!"

Whenever he thought about the bald, one-eyed, crippled professor, his brows furrowed.

Smith was a pile of trouble. He'd never abide by the rules of Theorate like Tyrese or Romuse, or uphold the duty of a professor.

In order to get some mystical intel from him, Kieran would have to pay a certain price and he was sure Smith would be over demanding.

Just like what Smith said before, both of them shared a similar personality and way of doing things.

If Kieran could demand more, he would never hold back, the same went for Smith.

Kieran was reluctant to suffer a big bite from Smith, it wouldn't just hurt his flesh, his heart would bleed out eventually.

"I must change my approach. Maybe…"

"The chance will come in the morning."

"I've wiped out the hired watchers, so the employer would not just sit back and do nothing."

Kieran squinted his eyes and leaned back on the chair before falling asleep.

He had to take a good rest to handle the upcoming situations.

…

The sun rose up as usual.

The sunlight shone over the land and brought light and warmth.

Despite being the weekend, the students of Theorate didn't oversleep either. They woke up rather early and gathered in public places for discussions.

The incident at the gymnasium last night spread like wildfire throughout the freshman dorm with Marv's death and with Standler's big mouth, the situation in the gymnasium had become the topic of discussion during breakfast.

"There is really something there?"

"The crying gymnasium… scary!"

"God knows what really happened inside!"

Guessing and deducing were what the freshmen were doing.

Their discussion heated up to boiling point when they heard the gymnasium was sealed off completely.

"Aide Standler, is the gymnasium really that scary?"

One of the freshman asked Standler.

"Yes, it is. I feel numb whenever I recall that scary scene."

"Have you ever seen people hung up at the ceiling like sausages? They'd move along with the breeze and produce eerie screeches, have you?" Standler nodded, he even shrunk his neck.

Standler's eye circles were exceptionally dark since he barely had any sleep last night.

Last night was really a new experience for Standler, if the aide's work wasn't due, he wouldn't have woken up this early.

"I'm so grateful that I dragged the First Seat there with me. Otherwise, Maica and I would have ended up as human sausages," Standler said with a nervous face.

Maica glared at Standler but he didn't say anything, he knew Kieran had stopped whatever happened there, hence both of them could enter and get out in one piece.

In fact, everyone of the freshmen shared the same thought. They were once again overwhelmed by Kieran's power and Standler and Maica's luck.

As for Marv?

No one thought about him and not a single question was asked.

No one could guarantee one's safety in that kind of situation.

Marv was considered unlucky to die like that, similar to how lucky Standler and Maica were, everything was connected somehow, wasn't it?

"Eh? Where's the First Seat?"

When Kieran became the topic of discussion, the freshmen noticed Kieran wasn't at the public hall.

"He should be at the cafeteria right? The First Seat takes his three meals very seriously."

"Speaking of meals, I'm famished."

Standler touched his stomach and stood up.

"Me too. Let's have breakfast."

"Yeah, let's go."

The young men headed towards the cafeteria after their burning curiosity was watered down.

Being carefree was one of the rights of being a student.

Perhaps they might be frightened or fall into states of fear at times, their nature at their age provided them the ability to adapt better than adults, they were more flexible too, hence the so-called golden age to study.

It would be harder to study new knowledge once the golden age was over, therefore everyone tended to cherish their time a lot, so did Kieran.

Having Skills Books and Skill Points to aid him, he was able to achieve mastery with simple learning or even excelled in what he learned, but most of the time, he would spend his effort to read and gather more knowledge by his own.

Set A, B, C, were served on his table, Kieran was sitting down and flipping through the last few pages of the book.

He didn't notice the person who walked into the First Seat Lounge.

The person had to wait for a whole 30 seconds before his patience was lost, he tapped on the table to notify Kieran.

Dak Dak Dak.

The taps were heavy, the iron table slightly shook.

"Hi, I'm Leo Ryde, the cousin of the late Oliford Ryde."

"Do you know why I am here?"

The man was dressed in a red suit and shared resemblance to Oliford Ryde but he was much more arrogant in his question.

"I don't know," Kieran said without looking up.

"I think you should." the arrogant young man chuckled.

"Oh?" Kieran lowered his book and looked at the man.

…

"Mr. Ryde, isn't it a little rash sending young master Leo like this?"

"His personality isn't suitable."

Near by E Block cafeteria, there was a car parked there. Inside was a scrawny old man with a withered face and furrowed brows.

Opposite the old man was a well-dressed middle-aged man.

"Don't worry. Leo might be rash but he is still a graduate of Theorate and he trained in the Mystic State for over two years, he isn't someone these undergraduates can oppose."

The middle-aged man waved his hand with a smile.

"But the school…"

"Master Ude, I think you should pay more attention to Sil Inner Sect. It's the foundation of our collaboration after all and also something you should be very concerned with, the overseer of Sil Sect."

The old man wanted to say something else but was interrupted by the middle-aged man.

He frowned and decided to be quiet.

Just like what the middle-aged man said, he knew what was his purpose for being at Theorate: Sil Inner Sect!

Being the overseer of Sil Sect for over 30 years and he didn't know the existence of an Inner Sect or Dark Sect within his organization?

He was doubtful and shocked by the revelation, hence he approached the middle-aged man and borrowed his channels to enter Theorate.

He had to find out the truth.

As for the middle-aged man, or the so-called family goal?

It wasn't something the old man should care about.

The car fell into silence, until it was broken by the glass shattering noise further away.

"Someone was thrown out the window!"

When the cries entered the car, the middle-aged man curled his lips.

"Leo is still being direct as ever… Huh?!"

Before the middle-aged man finished, he was stopped because the red suit in the puddle of blood was very blinding under the sun.