Who exactly was Corin?

He wasn't just anyone. Corin was the only son of Duke Reynold, a man with power and influence that far surpassed that of others. If something happened to Corin, it wouldn't be a simple matter. The Duke would move heaven and earth, calling upon all his resources to track down whoever dared lay a hand on his precious son.

This wasn't like the case with Eldon, where only a basic investigation took place. If Corin were harmed, it would be a whole different story. Investigators—those who had awakened with the gift to uncover truths—would be summoned. They would use their unique essence stones and magic, leaving no stone unturned to find the culprit. In short, getting away with killing Corin was as good as impossible.

Esdeath knew this all too well. Despite the burning desire inside her to kill him right there and then, her every muscle tensing with the urge, she couldn't. Not now. Not yet. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, her fists clenched tightly by her sides.

To take out her frustration, she slammed her fist into the wall, shattering it with a deafening crack. The sharp pain in her hand did little to ease her anger. She threw herself onto her bed, pounding her fists into the soft mattress until her rage finally started to cool. The room around her was a mess—broken pieces of the wall scattered everywhere, her bed now crumpled from her blows.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. As much as she hated it, Corin would have to live a little longer. There was something more important on her mind now.

Today wasn't about him. No… today was about something else—a different hunt.

The hunt for Luna Cassia.

Before Luna returned to the dorm room, Esdeath took a deep breath and got to work cleaning up the aftermath of her earlier outburst. The cracks in the wall from her punches were the only real damage left, and she quickly covered them up. The room was almost back to normal, looking as if nothing had happened.

Minutes later, Luna walked into the room. The moment she entered, Esdeath forced a friendly smile. "Hey, Luna! Did you hear? There's another sale at the market tonight. Wanna come with me?" she asked, her voice sounding unusually cheerful.

Unlike the last time when Luna was full of worry, this time she didn't hesitate. "Sure!" she answered with a quick nod, surprising Esdeath.

"Great! I'll meet you tonight then. Be ready!" Esdeath said, giving Luna a casual wave as she left the room. Her smile lingered even as the door closed behind her, but there was something unsettling behind it.

As soon as Esdeath left, she met up with Maruti. "Did you set all the traps?" Esdeath asked, her voice low and serious now.

Maruti flashed a confident smile, giving her a thumbs up. "Of course! Everything's ready. Just like you wanted," she said brightly.

---

The afternoon faded, and soon the evening came and went. By 9 PM, the dark of the night had settled in. The streets around the academy were still bustling with people, enjoying the lively market. But Esdeath and Luna were not at the market. Instead, they were walking through a place on the opposite side of town—a quiet, shadowy area.

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The further they walked, the more Luna's body started to tremble. Her eyes darted around nervously. The roads here were empty, and even though there were houses, they looked abandoned. The area felt like a slum, forgotten by the rest of the city.

"Umm… Esdeath?" Luna's voice shook as she spoke. "Aren't we in the wrong place? I mean… forget about a sale, there's not even a single person here."

Esdeath, walking behind her, suddenly stopped. Luna turned to look, but before she could ask anything else, Esdeath smiled—a twisted, dangerous smile. In her hand, a sharp blade started to form, glowing faintly as her moonblade essence stone activated. The blade wasn't big, about the size of a knife, but it looked ancient, as if carved from stone, A stone age blade.

"No," Esdeath said softly, her eyes gleaming in the dim light. "We're exactly where we need to be." She took a step closer, her smile widening.

Luna turned back in confusion, "What to do you mean? " She was going to question this but for some reason her voice didn't came out.

She touched herself at neck trying to cough.."What happened? Why can't I speak?" She thought in confusion and fear but just as she looked at esdeath who was holding blade of moonblade essence stone, Her eyes widened in realsation, Her instinct were screaming,She had to run from here, As fast as possible.

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Meanwhile, in the basement of the academy, Ethan stood quietly behind a large stone pillar, his eyes fixed on the small library in front of him. The dim light barely reached the place, but it was enough for him to see what he needed. A smile of satisfaction spread across his face as he peeked into the library again.

"As I thought," he murmured to himself, "everyone's too busy preparing for tomorrow. No one's here. I couldn't have picked a better time."

After checking his surroundings one last time, he took a deep breath and made his move. With quick, quiet steps, he slipped inside the library. "Wolf Stealth," he whispered under his breath, and immediately felt his skill activate. His presence became harder to detect, like a shadow blending into the surroundings.

"This skill… I got it just a few days ago, and it's already so useful," he thought, feeling the tension in his muscles ease a bit. "I can't afford to get caught."

The library wasn't huge, but compared to the academy's grand, towering main library, this one felt much smaller—cozy, almost. It was about the size of a typical apartment floor, filled with rows of bookshelves. The faint smell of old paper lingered in the air.

"I still have a lot of stat points saved up," Ethan reminded himself as he scanned the room. "I could use them to boost any of my stats later. I'll hold onto them for now."

This was one of the things that made Ethan's abilities so useful. He had universal stat points that could be used to increase any stat he wanted, whenever he needed it—except for intelligence and endurance. Unlike Esdeath, who had to spend Skill Points (SP) to create new skills, Ethan could unlock skills by battling stronger opponents.

He moved deeper into the library, walking silently between the shelves. His eyes darted from book to book, but he couldn't find what he was looking for. He pulled out one book, opened it briefly, then shut it and shoved it back.

"Not this one… not this either!" he muttered in frustration. He was looking for a specific item—a golden key ring. But after nearly thirty minutes of searching, he had come up with nothing. His frustration was starting to show as he checked every corner of the room, opening and closing books rapidly.

The more time passed, the heavier the doubt in his mind grew. "Was I wrong? What if the golden key ring doesn't even exist?" he thought, his mind swirling with uncertainty.

Ethan let out a long sigh, feeling the weight of disappointment settle in his chest. "It's already late... I guess I should come back some other day," he thought, giving up on the search for the golden key ring. His body felt heavy from the wasted effort as he turned towards the door, ready to leave the library.

But when his eyes fell upon where the door should have been, confusion struck him like a cold wave. His brow furrowed in puzzlement, and his heart gave a small, startled leap. "Where's the door?" he muttered under his breath. He stared at the wall in front of him—there was nothing. No exit, no sign of the door he had just entered through.

Panic began to creep into his thoughts as he started walking quickly, his eyes darting around, searching for any sign of an exit. But the more he walked, the stranger it all became. It felt like he was going in circles. Each bookshelf, each row of dusty old books—it was as if he was passing the same spot over and over again. The library, which had seemed small before, now felt endless, as though it was growing around him.

A cold realization hit him, and his throat tightened. "Did I just get trapped in an infinite loop?" His voice was shaky, the words barely louder than a whisper.

Ethan's mind raced. This wasn't something that could happen on its own. Someone had done this—someone skilled enough to trap him without him even noticing. Whoever it was, they were no amateur. Whoever it was, they were watching him.

His eyes narrowed, his frustration turning into anger. He clenched his fists, trying to control the rising panic. Lifting his head, Ethan shouted into the emptiness, his voice echoing through the quiet, eerie library, "Who are you?! Come out!"

The room fell silent again, his words fading into the darkness. For a moment, all he could hear was his own breathing, quick and unsteady.

Then, from the shadows, a voice broke the silence—a low, gravelly sound, filled with amusement. "Ho... Ho... Ho... To think a young lad like you is this skilled. I'm quite impressed!" The voice was unmistakably that of an old man, Around in his 80s Or 90s.