As Alexander was about to head home, something outside caught his eye, making him freeze in shock. Without wasting a second, he dashed back into the shop.

“Mr., you need to come out now!” Alexander called to the shopkeeper, who was engrossed in counting money. Annoyance flickered across the shopkeeper's face, but hearing the commotion outside, as if something clicked in his mind, he bolted toward the front where a line of cows stood, each cluster of cows with a different owner.

Finishing up with the haughty princess’s group, the assistant joined him.

“I almost forgot, tomorrow is Astronova day.”

Alexander looked at the assistant in a way that said in no uncertain terms that he did not understand at all what he was implying.

Then it hit him, “Oh, I get it.”

Tomorrow was the Astronova day. The day when the city of Astronova was formally opened to the citizens. At that time, filled with numerous beasts, the city was another stronghold for humans, a beacon of hope. Which was most likely achieved with desperation and blood. So naturally, after the city's establishment, the day was later declared a holiday.

Although at first, it was almost exclusively for patriotic reasons, celebrated with friends and families and showing respect to the men who laid down their lives to make this city a reality, over the centuries it turned into a holiday like any other.

As with holidays, the restaurants would be busy. Naturally, all the high-end restaurants and especially the hotels had booked all the well-mechanically superior butcher shops in the area. This left the others with two choices: either get their supplies from somewhere else, which would undoubtedly be costly due to carrying fees, or use the local providers to save money. It was clear which option most businesses would choose.

Alexander glanced at the clock—he was past the time he’d promised his parents he’d be home. The night had deepened after a day of cutting and helping at the shop. Reflecting on it now, it was one reason he could even attend the event. After all, this was like the 2nd hand market, no owner came here without exploring every option first.

In this cutthroat environment, speed was essential, these businessmen were on tight schedules. The quicker they got their meat, the sooner they could prep for the next day's celebration. Thanks to his boosts, the shop now had a significant edge over the days when only two staff managed operations. This enhanced efficiency not only streamlined their workflow but also racked up his experience points by securing more cows.

Without hesitation, Alexander resolved to stay put, fully aware that this could drag on—possibly through the entire night. He couldn’t just chase after the cow’s decapitated head; the owner was counting on having three men at the helm, not two.

Skipping university tomorrow was out of the question. Missing it meant enduring his punishment all over again, in which case his level up trip in the forts will go up in flames. Can’t have that, now can he? To make matters worse, he was likely to be thrust into a fight the next day, one he’d have to face on barely any sleep. Still, the chance to grab extra experience points and possibly hit another level was too good to let slip away.

.........

“A few days earlier.”

An apartment, well it would be more apt to say an apartment encompassing an entire floor almost one third of a football field. At its center lay a recessed octagonal platform, surrounded by three tiers of steps on each side. This platform was a chaotic jumble of books, papers, compasses, pens, and pencils, creating a cluttered yet vibrant workspace. In stark contrast, the rest of the apartment was meticulously organized, each area carefully arranged and efficiently utilized.

But once inside, no one would notice the enticing woodwork, the immaculate ceiling, the soft, ethereal lighting, or the elegant furniture and arrangement, nor would they focus on the mess in the middle of the room.

Their attention would undoubtedly be drawn to the young man, dressed in black pants and a white half-buttoned shirt, staring down at the sprawling city below from his glass wall. Even the magnificent capital beneath him, with its lights, grandeur, projections, wonders, and countless skyscrapers, would pale in comparison to the young man’s back view.

The young man gazed at the sky overhead. What he was thinking no one had the audacity to guess.

Some time passed as the door opened and then closed. The person that entered was a woman. Although if the voice of Alexander’s ancestor was present, he would describe her in another phrase entirely, the personification of the word, “sexy teacher.” There was no two ways about it.

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With her high heels, black stockings, low-cut skirt, almost see-through white shirt with a deep, oh so deep cleavage that could partly be seen with a tinge of indigo and the most important thing was a pair of butterfly glasses. She wasn't just the personification but also the definition of the word "sexy teacher archetype." Undoubtedly, she could turn anyone's kink meter to eleven.

Her usual, confident demeanor was nowhere to be seen today. Instead, she appeared a bit flustered—a rare sight that anyone who knew her, would just say absurd. As she stepped out of her heels and glanced up, a faint blush crept across her cheeks. She understood why; this nervousness was something new, almost alien to her. For as long as she could remember, there had always been many in her life, heck, some she even liked. But one thing was always constant, they wanted her, not, no, never the other way around.

But now, looking at the reflection of the boy, that was at least 10 years younger than her, she was mesmerized. His deep piercing blue eyes, tall stature, imposing yet stable shoulders, not to mention his impeccable way of clothing, his chiseled and sharp appearance, that was further amplified by the pair of glasses he wore. He, he, didn’t just capture her heart; he seared right through it.

Though the boy's face looked cute, he gave off what can only be perceived by a woman as “daddy energy.” Her mind started going to weird places. But she quickly shook her head and connected with reality. A task she found daunting, seeing even now her student did not even look at her once. His piercing, focused, unwavering—she quickly stopped herself from going completely out of control, like something else in her body. As for him not knowing she was here, that was impossible for the best scorer in the capital university. The pride of Lestion.

She stepped forward just about to call him, but—

Zzzzzzzzz

In an instant, a crushing weight enveloped her, as if an enormous force—a weight so immense it felt like an entire mountain range—had descended upon her with an undeniable presence. It was as though she stood in the presence of something so overpowering that it naturally commanded absolute subjugation. This force wasn’t exerted with intent; it was simply a manifestation of its raw, primal power. Despite her desperate efforts to maintain her composure, the pressure proved too great. Her body could no longer endure the onslaught, and she was forced to double over, violently expelling a mouthful of blood.

Things took a while to settle down, and even longer for everything to make any kind of sense. But was it ever going to make sense? What was going on? She was no normal lady. She was in front of a Baron once, and even his aura was not even close to this. Yes, she understood this was aura. And so pure, well, now that she thinks about it,—

But she didn’t have time to ponder it now. There was some blood—yes, she’d vomited a bit—but that wasn’t going to stop her. She was here to do something, and she was determined to see it through. Even if it seemed a bit absurd. Confidence in her body and appearance was her strength, and even a little blood couldn’t change that. To make sure she was on point, she added a touch of makeup before coming here, though she always believed she didn’t really need it—it was just a trend, after all.

Looking up, she still saw her student fixated on the sky, his hands pressed firmly against the glass. The blood smeared across the glass and pooled ominously in front of his shoes, painting a disturbing picture.

She wanted to call him out but paused a little as he unbuttoned two upper buttons of her shirt and used the blood around her mouth to make her lips even redder.

With a newfound confidence, she attempted to speak with the most seductive tone she could muster, “Heyyy... ghhh, ghhhhhh.”

Before she could complete her sentence, her voice faltered. She clutched her throat, a desperate gurgling sound escaping her lips. Warm, thick liquid oozed through her fingers. Though she didn’t need to see it, the metallic taste in her mouth and the warmth confirmed her fear—it was blood.

For the first time, the boy's gaze locked onto hers. But it wasn't the joy one might expect; instead, her eyes were wide with panic, quickly spiraling into sheer terror. Did he know? Had he known all along? How was that even possible?

Unlike the bleeding woman sprawled on the floor, the young man’s expression was disturbingly straightforward. Annoyance. Nothing more.

This wasn’t uncharted territory for Lordric. From his teenage years onward, he'd faced similar scenarios. Usually, it was influential mothers or high-ranking figures trying to pair their little princesses with him. Initially, it was almost amusing, even flattering. After all, despite his talents, he was still a young man stepping into adolescence, and it came with its own set of, lets just say perks.

But no matter how good a thing is, it would run out its welcome eventually. Not to mention his abundance was simply on another level. Soon he started to see past the veil everyone wore. He saw how they used their own daughters as bargaining chips. How they see it all as a process, a process to get to him. Just to make acquaintance with him.

He chuckled. Thoughts like this bring back memories. Memories of her. And that day, the talk he had with her.

He shook his head. She was something. Lordric dialed someone as he stood one meter apart from his teacher, well, former teacher.

“My room, there was another one,” Lordric said as he pulled out the small pen that was now embedded in the floor. The pen was lightly damaged. Seeing this, he frowned. “Well, make it quick if you want to interrogate her.” Saying this he cut the phone.

And then there were these ones, who came with a sole mission to either seduce him or, if failed, eliminate him. As for where she was from, he had a guess, but did not bother to think about it. That was why the interrogation existed.

His coding was not as good as it should be; the pen got damaged, even though by a bit. Now he had work on it. In truth it was just a attempt at distracting himself. That presence, that aura it was driving him crazy. That array was beautiful but the intent and raw power of that intent, he actually could not describe it. it was as if using word to describe it was blasphemy. The pure fear was treating to consume him whole.