Chapter 60: With You

“Damn… it’s you?” Xia Yin groaned, rubbing his forehead.

He’d hoped to find security or weapons control staff to escort Xueqiu and Chang Mu to the dorms.

At least they were close to the dorm area.

Right beside them was the metal gate to the dorms.

Normally, it was open 24/7—not a flimsy iron grille but a thick metal door, enchanted with a secret technique Shadow Ghosts couldn’t breach.

It was closed now, meaning the Academy knew of the Shadow Ghost invasion and had likely activated defenses.

But even for Xia Yin, this was his first time facing a Shadow Ghost breach at the Academy.

The biggest prior incident was his freshman year, when the principal, for some reason, turned clear skies into three days of rain, flooding the campus into a “water city.”

“Right, right, Boss is asking you! It’s all Shadow Ghosts out here—dangerous to wander!” Chang Mu said, though he was the one panicking, unable to return, with a Shadow Ghost corpse nearby leaving no room to fidget.

“Ehh…” Chisaki’s tone was odd, her face flushed, like a kid caught sneaking out, dragged back by a parent.

“I… just got back today. So many Shadow Ghosts out there… Little Rain, you stink!” Chisaki ducked behind Xia Yin, peeking out.

Compared to the timid, unlucky Chang Mu, she trusted her senior more, though he was eyeing the seemingly long-dead Shadow Ghost she’d kicked aside.

“You… killed it?” Xueqiu asked softly.

“Yup, Little Snow! Didn’t we say we’d take out Shadow Ghosts together?” Chisaki’s eyes held no fear—she seemed thrilled by the “exterminate Shadow Ghosts” game.

“Worthy of S-rank…” Xia Yin muttered.

He didn’t linger, heading to the gate and shouting into a comms slot: “Anyone there?! Hurry! Open the side door! Three freshmen need in!”

Xueqiu watched as Xia Yin paced, stared at a hidden door by the gate, and banged on it, yelling.

He didn’t seem afraid of Shadow Ghosts.

But me… I shouldn’t be afraid either.

With Xia Yin here, I’m not.

In the third minute of waiting, a speaker—hidden somewhere—crackled with two words: “Hold on.”

The voice was calm, familiar to Xueqiu, but she couldn’t place it.

When a side door by the gate slid open, she matched the voice to the blonde young man before them.

It was Carlos, last seen before they joined Ou Ziyun’s Investigation Team trip.

Back then, he’d looked ready for a journey, stopping by the dorm to chat with Xia Yin.

Xueqiu hadn’t eavesdropped on their talk.

“Carlos, knew you’d be here! Take these guys in—I’m beat from dragging them. You won’t believe the crap we ran into,” Xia Yin said.

He wanted Chang Mu to stow the sword in his rod bag, but it was lost somewhere along the way.

So Xia Yin took the sword and mask, waving the mask at Carlos, putting it on, taking it off, on, off.

“Per Chang Yi and the professors, this Shadow Ghost invasion is tied to Antidote. This is the mask of their leader, ‘King,’ you reported,” Carlos said flatly.

“I knew it… Okay, the mask matches, but… that guy wasn’t him.”

“Doesn’t matter if it was. What’s your Contract, Carlos?”

“‘Lizhu.’”

“Right, that’s it! The guy I fought wasn’t ‘King’—his ability was like yours.”

“But I know it wasn’t you—you’re taller. Can you use your Contract now?” Xia Yin rambled.

“No,” Carlos said. “Under the principal’s Contract, none of us can.”

“Exactly. You can’t, but that guy could. This mask was on a puppet he summoned with his Contract.”

Xueqiu couldn’t parse their riddle-like talk.

She only caught two things: Carlos’s Contract was ‘Lizhu,’ and Xia Yin didn’t mention her ability to use a Contract.

“What’re you standing there for? Get in! Lingering out here, who knows what else we’ll run into—ghosts or otherwise,” Xia Yin said, herding them toward the door but not entering.

“Where are you going?” Xueqiu wanted to ask, but Carlos beat her to it.

“To… find Professor Chen, get the situation. You know my skills, Carlos. If I die here like some TV character, the writer deserves to be fed to dogs,” Xia Yin said.

Carlos didn’t stop him.

But Xueqiu paused.

“I’ll go with you,” she said softly, her voice trembling.

—

7:00 p.m., Bombavik University, Hoover Tower

Ling Jiming leaned forward, his aged knuckles tapping a rusty iron railing. Below, dark red clay tiles wound like scales into the distance.

Unlike the Academy, Bombavik University, in Ca[REDACTED] State, wasn’t in Youdu but nestled openly in deep mountains.

This was his seventh day here. He was set to meet Leopold von Bombavik, the university’s true power, one-on-one.

Light, rhythmic footsteps approached—likely his assistant, Zena.

But Ling Jiming knew it wasn’t her; Zena was back at the Academy.

“Hello, Mr. Ling. I’m Mavis, Mr. Bombavik’s secretary. We’ve received an urgent email from Ting’an University’s Academy. Your meeting with Mr. Bombavik may need to be postponed,” the voice said in flawless Mandarin.

Turning, Ling saw a tall, slender girl with short, pale blonde hair, exuding British elegance.

“What’s more important than meeting that old coot?” Ling Jiming asked with an aged smile, his tone lively.

The blonde girl maintained her polite demeanor, handing him a printed report from the email.

“Barrier damage…”

A wrinkle creased his face, then faded.

“No need to delay my meeting with Bombavik. Reply that the Academy’s barrier will self-repair in five minutes. I’ll lift the Contract restriction in ten.”

“Also, ask Mr. Bombavik to use less German in our meeting an hour from now.”

Ling’s voice was sharp, like a knife slicing dry leaves. He touched the pistol at his waist and gazed into the distance.

Dark clouds rolled from the horizon, lead-gray masses churned by an invisible hand, the skyline pressed low.