I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 485

Chapter 32: The Debt Collector

The bar was sleek yet dim, the air cold and damp, filled with a stale, musty odor.

Unlike most bustling bars in Viszeta, this one was frequented by lifeless souls, dressed in ragged clothes, spending their last coins on cheap booze, seeking a fleeting moment of joy in low-quality alcohol.

“Pff!”

By the bar, a middle-aged man in a robe spat out his drink, shattering his glass in a fit of rage.

“What the hell, is this the best you have? Even goblin urine is better!”

“Damn miserable luck!”

Enwei shook his head, glancing around at the shivering bar, losing even the urge to curse.

Because Xue Nuo had reported today’s incident to the academic office, and now he had received yet another reprimand for “slandering a student” and “uncivil teaching.”

His already meager salary had dropped even lower, to the point where Enwei could no longer afford the Mage’s residence!

All thanks to Roy Ainbrad! All thanks to Xue Nuo Andevish! All thanks to the damned academy rules that only coddle the students!

That said, he really shouldn’t have come to this shabby hole he hadn’t even heard of!

Enwei spat again, impatiently getting up, planning to find somewhere else to drink.

But suddenly, a ghostly chuckle floated to his ears, as if carried by an eerie wind.

“Mr. Enwei, don’t be in such a hurry to leave.”

“Who the hell are you?”

Drunk and irritable, Enwei cursed in annoyance, glaring at the man in gray robes in front of him.

“I’m a friend, a friendly friend.”

“Heh, stop with the theatrics.”

Enwei waved his hand, using the pressure of Sequence 6 to blow the hood off the man’s head.

However, it was worse than he expected; it revealed a terrifying face that shocked him half sober.

The young man was bald, emaciated, with pale skin devoid of color. Most importantly, his eyes were hollow and bloodless, yet burned with a strange pale flame.

A chilling aura surrounded him, as if it came from the depths of the underworld.

Enwei nearly plopped down in fear.

“C-cultist?!”

“Damn it! How dare you show your face? Do you know who I am? If I report you to the academy and the society, you won’t leave alive!” Enwei stammered, cold sweat dripping down his face.

But he quickly noticed the eerie silence in the bar; the bartender and customers were staring at him with lifeless eyes and pale faces, making him too scared to even yell.

Cultists, especially necromancers practicing death magic, were known for their brutal methods, causing countless deaths whenever they appeared.

Enwei felt like crying.

This is just insane! I’m neither a noble nor of a special bloodline, so why am I targeted by these damned monsters?!

However, the bald young man squeezed out what seemed to be a gentle, yet somewhat unsettling smile.

“No need to panic, Mr. Enwei.”

“I am ‘The Withered Hand’ Barnes. As I said, I’m here to make friends.”

“Friends?” Enwei’s face twitched a bit.

“Exactly. Earlier, you asked if I knew who you are?” Barnes poured himself a glass of wine, looking at Enwei, and nodded slightly. “Of course, I know.”

“You’re just a talented person who’s been overlooked, suffering from unfair treatment, oppressed by the powerful, aren’t you?”

“Teaching and educating should earn respect. Yet noble students use their power to oppress you, and the magic academy doesn’t care about your pain, failing to give you the respect you deserve.”

“All of this is only because you lack power. Don’t you think the world is unfair?”

Enwei’s expression twisted at these painful truths.

But he completely forgot that, despite not being a noble, he had the chance to join the society when he was young, only to choose the comfort of the academy instead.

And he wouldn’t remember that he had been lazy in his duties as a teacher, which led to repeated punishments.

“You’re not satisfied, right? Well, this unfair life will soon end. My deity will grant you supreme power, and all those who have looked down on you will pay the price!”

Barnes took out a bottle of cloudy, pale magic potion.

Enwei instantly recognized the ominous aura and immense power contained within that potion.

Extraordinary beings could only advance through the paths of nobility or wizardry, both of which required years of hardship.

But the power of a dark god could make him strong instantly, granting him real power far beyond anything the noble families and wizards could achieve!

But, isn’t there a catch to this free offer?

Enwei asked in a low voice, “What do you need me to do?”

Barnes smiled with satisfaction, “Well…”

“Make those who have looked down on you bow down in eternal death before my master and us—let’s start with Roy Ainbrad.”

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After the final written exam concluded, even though there was still one last practical part left in the finals, students were flocking outside in groups to indulge and enjoy the rare free time.

But the teachers’ work was just beginning.

In the academy’s conference room, a group of teachers gathered to discuss matters related to the practical exams.

“Ah, it’s that time of the year again, time to collect apprentices.”

“Sigh, last year’s apprentice was such a handful; this year, I need to find a well-behaved one!”

“Hehe, there are a lot of pretty girls in this batch; I wonder if I can take in a few good-looking ones… Xue Nuo! I’m just kidding!”

The first-year finals weren’t just an exam; they were also a selection process for the teachers’ beloved apprentices.

所谓亲传师徒 means a type of teaching where the mentor guides multiple students in completing a project.

The relationship between master and apprentice was much closer than that of regular teacher-student relationships. It was essentially a master-apprentice inheritance within the mage society.

Both would share glory and face danger together, making them a community of interests. Only with their beloved apprentices would teachers be willing to impart their best skills.

Thus, the final semester’s practical exam for first-year students was always a serious topic for the teachers.

If they could select an extraordinarily talented apprentice and raise someone remarkable, it would be tantamount to achieving success—after all, most teachers had limited extraordinary powers, and the only way to pursue fame was through discipleship.

However, compared to the enthusiastic crowd, the silver-haired girl sitting quietly in the corner seemed uninterested, buried in correcting lesson plans, unable to muster much enthusiasm.

After years of teaching, Xue Nuo stood out as one who had never taken an apprentice.

To the older generation of teachers, someone who hadn’t taken a beloved apprentice was tantamount to never having been a teacher.

Just like how relatives always urged you to get married during festivals, there were always seniors poking their noses into your business.

More than once, a senior had come to complain, “Xue Nuo, it’s time for you to take a beloved apprentice too.”

If it were normal times, Xue Nuo would always coldly retort, “Thanks for your concern, but I’m not interested.”

But this time, the one inquiring was a heavyweight who was hard to brush off.

The old man in gray, stroking his beard, ambled over, squinting kindly, “Teacher Xue Nuo, I wonder if you have any students you’re fond of this year?”

Faced with the inquiry from the “Sage,” even Xue Nuo couldn’t help but feel troubled.