The faint light of dawn broke through the heavy haze, tearing a pale silhouette out of the massive Gothic buildings of St. Blaise Academy.
The snowstorm had gradually stopped in the latter half of the night, leaving a thick layer of snow over the old stone pavement. This massive institution, situated in the West End of London, carried a unique, harsh scent of the old industrial era, blending the snow with the coal fumes drifting from the distant industrial zone's chimneys.
Inside Dormitory 304, Ryan was already fully dressed.
His high-collared black academy robe was neatly arranged, buttoned tightly to the top, completely hiding the spot on his chest where he had been severely injured. After a night of nourishment from the pure Glory and the complete consolidation of the Second Stage of the 【Lantern】 Principle, the blood and energy within his body circulated steadily. His once-feeble steps had become incredibly solid, each stride carrying a calm, cold rhythm.
Deep within his dark brown eyes, a faint golden halo occasionally flashed—the composure and confidence of someone who now possessed high-dimensional knowledge and absolute power.
He walked to the door and reached out to grasp the cold iron handle.
Almost the exact moment his fingertips brushed the handle, an incredibly light, perfectly rhythmic knocking sound came from outside.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
Three knocks, the timing and pressure measured to absolute perfection.
A playful, cold smile tugged at the corner of Ryan's mouth. He smoothly slipped the silver letter opener into his sleeve and pulled open the wooden door with a creak.
Outside, a slender and elegant figure stood quietly in the dim corridor.
Violet wore a deep blue woolen cloak lined with white mink fur. Underneath was a perfectly tailored academy uniform, pressed so neatly that not a single wrinkle could be seen. Her golden curls were meticulously styled, a few strands draping elegantly beside her pale, oval face.
Behind her, a maid held an exquisite silver-plated tray carrying freshly baked, buttery croissants, thick-cut smoked bacon, two pats of butter, and a steaming pot of rich black tea.
In this freezing winter dawn, where resources were scarce and ordinary students could only gnaw on hard bread and sour oatmeal porridge, such a breakfast was nothing short of luxurious.
“Good morning, Mr. Ryan.”
Violet bowed slightly with flawless etiquette. Her clear, lake-blue eyes flickered slightly, carrying her habitual, high-and-mighty gentle comfort alongside a hidden, searching gaze. “I heard you were unwell last night and even visited the basement infirmary? As the leader of the Secret Histories Study Group, I was deeply concerned, so I had the kitchen prepare some high-calorie food to bring over.”
According to her anticipated script, the poor, lowly, tormented, and severely injured young man before her should have been overwhelmed by her favor. He should have stepped aside in a flustered rush or invited her inside with a mixture of self-deprecation and gratitude.
However, Ryan merely stood quietly in the center of the doorway.
His spine was straight as a spear standing in the wind and snow. He did not lower his head, nor did he show the slightest restraint. His dark eyes stared straight into Violet's, a cold, almost patronizing condescension flowing deep within his pupils.
That look...
Violet's heart twitched inexplicably, and her slender fingers gripping the edge of her cloak tightened slightly.
“Miss Violet,” Ryan said, getting straight to the point. His voice was raspy but calm and powerful, carrying an undeniable penetration. “Put away your hypocritical testing. These expensive pastries are better left for those noble fools whose brains are filled with mush.”
The maid behind Violet went pale with anger and was about to snap, but Violet sharply raised her hand to stop her.
Her blue eyes narrowed, a dangerous cold light flashing in their depths. “Mr. Ryan, I don't understand what you mean. I am merely showing classmate concern...”
“You don't understand?”
Ryan took half a step forward.
Boom!
An incredibly pure, grand surge of the 【Lantern】 Principle, carrying a noble golden halo, erupted from his body without any warning!
The violent mental pressure slammed into Violet's sensory field like a heavy sledgehammer!
Violet's pupils contracted sharply to the size of pinpricks. The leather boots beneath her feet were actually forced back half an inch by the invisible mental shockwave! Her face turned deathly pale in an instant, and an unbelievable storm raged in her mind!
“Testing my background? Measuring my stage? Or did you want to trap me under your wing so I could brave the risks of the deep ruins for you?”
Ryan leaned close to Violet's exquisite, shocked face, his voice dropping to a low whisper as a cruel arc curled on his lips. “We are both smart people, so let's stop acting on this stage. I have cards to play now, and I have the strength. You want the academy's secret volumes, and I need sufficient resources and clean hands.”
Violet desperately suppressed the shock in her heart, trying her best to maintain her composure, but her rapidly rising and falling chest betrayed the violent turmoil within.
“You... you know about the secret volumes?” Violet's voice trembled slightly.
“I know far more than you think.”
Ryan reached out and naturally, yet dominantly, took a buttery croissant from the silver-plated tray. He took a large bite, chewing and swallowing it elegantly as his eyes remained cold as knives. “We will cooperate directly. Don't play those winding, useless tricks with me. I want the backing behind you to provide high-level extraordinary materials.”
Violet drew in a sharp breath. She stared fixedly at the man before her. The Ryan standing here was a completely different person from the submissive youth of yesterday! This absolute confidence and desire for control could never be faked; it was the condescension of someone who held absolute, lethal power!
However, Violet quickly suppressed her shock, a calculating and fanatical light unique to politicians and nobles emerging in her eyes.
“Cooperation is fine, but I have one condition,” Violet whispered, her tone laced with cold hatred and trial. “If you want these resources, you must help me get rid of someone—Charles von Trier.”
Hearing this name, Ryan raised an eyebrow. He had heard of him.
Charles was another noble student currently in high favor at the academy, the darling of the Trier family. His family controlled the steel mills and black market arms smuggling in the Lower End of London.
“Using a borrowed knife to kill?” Ryan laughed.
Violet did not deny it, a shocking ruthlessness flashing in her blue eyes. “Charles has been pressing me hard lately. He even bribed the academy guards to impound a batch of instruments I smuggled into the school. He's like a mad dog that won't let go. Once he's dead, not only will the Trier family's influence in the academy collapse instantly, but I can also take this opportunity to seize his business lines in the Lower End's black market!”
Violet paused, throwing out her bait with a smile. “Once it's done, all the 【Lantern】 Principle materials Charles has privately hoarded will be yours.”
Ryan stared at Violet, a cold, rational light shining in his eyes.
This woman wanted to use him as a weapon, but wasn't he also using her cover?
“Pleasure doing business with you.”
A cruel arc curled on Ryan's lips. “Give me Charles's itinerary and the warding seal I need.”
A flash of surprise crossed Violet's eyes. She had not expected Ryan to agree so cleanly and decisively, without a single shred of hesitation or fear!
“Tonight at nine, in the prayer room beneath the academy clock tower,” Violet said hurriedly, suppressing the thumping of her heart. “Charles is meeting two black market merchants from the Lower End there tonight to privately hand over a batch of illegal antiquities dug up from the underground ruins. That will be when his guard is at its lowest! I will use my family's authority to draw away the academy guards near the clock tower at exactly eight-thirty, and use a jammer to forcefully block all mental perception in the underground corridor!”
“Good.”
Ryan tapped his index finger against the edge of the silver tray, letting out a crisp click. “Before two o'clock this afternoon, deliver the extraordinary materials and the warding seal to my desk. After nine o'clock tonight, Charles will no longer exist in this academy.”
Violet stared intently at Ryan and took a deep breath, finally dropping her high-and-mighty posture. “I wish you success, Mr. Ryan.”
With that, she stayed no longer, quickly leading her maid away down the corridor, as if staying a second longer would cause her to be swallowed by the dangerous aura radiating from him.
Watching Violet's departing back, Ryan smoothly took the rich black tea from the tray, threw his head back to take a large gulp, and then slammed the dormitory door shut with a loud bang, facing the empty corridor.
...
Having smoothly secured the resources for cooperation, Ryan appeared extraordinarily calm throughout the day.
He attended classes and browsed books in the archive as usual. He even deliberately put on a weak, unhealed appearance, lowering his head to avoid them when he 'coincidentally' met Charles von Trier and his group of noble students in the central courtyard.
Draped in a luxurious mink coat and surrounded by a crowd of followers, Charles swept a highly contemptuous gaze over Ryan. He even deliberately splashed a mouthful of hot tea into the snowdrift near Ryan's feet, prompting a burst of unscrupulous laughter from those around him.
Ryan merely kept his head lowered, letting the wind and snow blow against the hem of his robe, his eyes completely dead.
Go ahead, laugh all you want.
Dead men have no need for manners.
...
Late at night, eight-forty-five.
The cold wind of London's West End howled as heavy snow raged.
Deep inside the prayer room beneath the clock tower of St. Blaise Academy, a dim whale-oil lamp cast a flickering amber light.
Charles von Trier sat on a broken wooden chair, idly playing with a solid silver pocket watch. By his feet sat two heavy wooden crates filled with antiquities from the underground ruins that radiated a strange, eerie glow.
Opposite him stood two black market merchants from the Lower End, smelling strongly of tobacco and blood. Both looked highly alert, their hands tucked inside their coat pockets, resting on concealed firearms.
“Dammit, are the procedures done yet?” Charles glanced at his pocket watch, frowning with some impatience. “The snow is getting heavier. Once the hand-off is complete, I still have to rush back for tonight's salon.”
“Rest assured, Young Master,” a black market merchant said in a low voice. “That woman Violet seems to be causing trouble for someone else tonight. The patrol lines have been completely drained. It's absolutely safe here.”
“Safe?”
A voice carrying a hint of playfulness and cruelty suddenly drifted in from the shadows outside the broken archway of the prayer room.
“Who's there?!”
The two black market merchants reacted incredibly fast, pulling large-caliber pistols from their waists and aiming them instantly toward the shadows! Charles was so startled that he leapt up from his seat, his hand quickly pressing against the high-grade protective gear inside his coat!
Step. Step. Step.
Calm, cold footsteps echoed on the stone pavement.
A dark figure slowly stepped out from the shadows. He wore a high-collared black robe, his face devoid of expression, and an incredibly dazzling golden glow rotated deep within his eyes—it was Ryan!
Charles's eyes turned cold, and he waved his hand to bark at the two merchants, “Kill him! Don't let him ruin our business!”
The two black market merchants bared their teeth in a fierce snarl. Without any hesitation, they pulled their triggers!
“Bang! Bang!”
Two loud blasts echoed within the narrow prayer room, lead bullets tearing through the gunsmoke and flying straight toward Ryan's chest and head!
However, what happened in the next second caused Charles's laughter to screech to a halt!
Faced with the incoming bullets, Ryan did not even blink.
Buzz—!
The moment the two lead bullets hit the golden light barrier, they seemed to sink into a thick swamp. Their trajectories were forcefully deflected, and with two sharp clinks, they flew off to the sides and embedded themselves deep into the stone walls!
“This is impossible!” The two merchants' faces twisted in shock!
But before they could make their next move, Ryan struck!
His speed was absolute. His feet shattered the floor tiles as he transformed into a residual shadow of interwoven blue and gold, closing the distance to the merchant on the left in an instant!
“Die!”
The merchant on the left roared, drawing a short knife and thrusting it toward Ryan's face!
Ryan tilted his head, dodging the lethal strike by a mere fraction of an inch, as the silver letter opener in his sleeve slid into his palm.
Pfft!
Blood sprayed wildly!
Ryan seized the opportunity to grab the opponent's wrist, using his hips to violently twist!
Crack!
The sickening sound of breaking bone echoed through the prayer room. The merchant let out a bloodcurdling shriek as his entire arm was brutally snapped!
The other merchant's eyes nearly split from rage. He turned his gun, wanting to shoot at point-blank range!
Without even looking behind him, Ryan used the blind spot created by the falling merchant's body. He whipped his left hand back, fiercely clamping his fingers around the throat of the merchant behind him!
The glow of the 【Lantern】 exploded violently in his palm!
Boom!
Searing high-dimensional energy flooded directly into the merchant's body through his throat, instantly burning his mental sea into a charred ruin! The merchant's eyes rolled back, his body convulsing as he went limp, foaming at the mouth and dying on the spot!
From the moment Ryan moved to the death and incapacitation of the two vicious merchants, the entire process took less than ten seconds!
Clean, decisive, cruel, and efficient!
Deep within the underground prayer room, a dead silence fell instantly.
The air was thick with the heavy stench of blood and the charred smell of burnt flesh.
Charles von Trier's face was as white as paper, his hand holding his protective gear trembling as if he were having a stroke. Staring at Ryan, who stood over the corpses bathed in blood mist and a golden glow, his soul nearly departed his body. He retreated in terror, stumbling and collapsing onto the ground.
“Don't... don't come near me!”
Charles shrieked, frantically activating the life-saving talismans on his body. “I am from the Trier family! If you dare kill me, the Trier family will grind your bones to dust! The Suppression Bureau will never let you go!”
Boom!
The talismans transformed into three freezing frost storms, howling toward Ryan!
Ryan's eyes were indifferent, not even bothering to dodge.
He raised his right hand, and the frost shattered into a shower of ice crystals in mid-air.
Ryan stepped over the corpses, walking forward step by step until he stood before the collapsed Charles.
He looked down from above at this noble young master who had been so arrogant in front of him during the day, his expression as calm as if he were looking at a dead dog about to be slaughtered.
“Brother! No, My Lord! Father! Dear father!!”
Charles completely broke down. A foul stench wafted from his crotch as absolute terror stripped him of all dignity. He threw himself to the ground, kowtowing frantically. “Don't kill me! The antiquities in the crates are all yours! I'll give you half of the Trier family's shares in the black market! Whatever Violet promised you, I'll give you ten times more! Don't kill me!”
Ryan slowly knelt down, reached out, and grabbed Charles's meticulously styled golden hair, forcing his head up.
“Charles,” Ryan whispered softly near his ear. “Earlier today, the tea you splashed near my feet... was a bit too hot.”
Charles's pupils dilated violently, and he was just about to let out a shriek for help—
Pfft!
The letter opener in Ryan's sleeve smoothly pierced Charles's throat, then violently ripped sideways!
Cold blood sprayed like a geyser, splattering onto the dark stone floor tiles around them, blooming into striking crimson flowers.
Clutching his spraying neck, Charles's eyes stared wide open. Gurgling blood bubbles rose from his throat, and after a few convulsions, he went completely still.
Ryan stood up, expressionless as he pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped the blood from his letter opener.
Without sparing a single glance at Charles's corpse, he walked to the two small wooden crates and kicked open the locks.
Inside the crates lay several black stone tablets radiating an ancient aura, along with several large bags of highly precious extraordinary materials—and even a leather manuscript emitting a thick, ancient vibration!
Ryan carefully tucked the materials and the manuscript into his coat.
Tonight's cleanup was clean and decisive.
Rate on N.U.
