Chapter 237

Chapter 228 – Identity

In the northern outskirts of Tivyán, at the King Campus of the Royal Sacred Crown University.

During the morning hours, within the King Campus, two middle-aged men dressed in suits and wearing low-crowned hats were swiftly walking down a long corridor inside a tall administrative office building. The teachers passing by cast curious glances at these two men, clearly indicating that they were not part of the school staff.

The two men hurried to the end of the long corridor and stood by a door with a large flower pot beside it. One of them politely knocked on the door, and an elderly voice could be heard from behind it.

“Come in.”

Upon hearing this voice, the two men opened the door and entered the room. Before them was a spacious office, and behind the desk sat a man in his forties or fifties.

“Good morning, Director Andrew,” one of the two men who had entered the office called out to the man behind the desk, to which the other replied with a smile.

“Haha, it’s good to see you again, Mr. Buzz, Mr. Martin. Please have a seat.”

Listening to Andrew’s words, Buzz and Martin closed the door and approached the desk, sitting down in front of it. Andrew then poured two cups of black tea and handed them to Buzz and Martin.

“Thank you,” Buzz and Martin said in gratitude as they sipped their tea. Andrew continued speaking while observing them.

“To be honest, I’ve been quite idle lately, and I’ve been looking forward to someone coming here to chat. Gentlemen, what brings you here today?”

Listening to Andrew’s words, Buzz and Martin put down their teacups and looked at Andrew. Martin spoke with a serious tone.

“Director Andrew, we are here to confirm some matters with you, as the observer of King Campus.”

“Confirm some matters? Has something happened recently?” Andrew asked, furrowing his brows, while Buzz responded affirmatively.

“Yes, last night, something did happen around here. Briefly, yesterday afternoon, someone sent a letter through the White Stone Craftsmen Guild’s messaging service to the bureau…”

Buzz and Martin then recounted to Andrew the encounter of the search team from the Anonymity Headquarters in the North Pine Forest near King Campus the previous night. This included how the search team successfully ambushed an evil cult group based on secret information and encountered a White Chalk Tier Extraordinary Being during the conflict. Andrew listened silently.

Martin, Buzz, and Andrew, the three individuals in the room, were all members of the Anonymity Headquarters in Tivyán, though their positions varied. Martin and Buzz were employees at the headquarters, while Andrew was a dispatched observer for the headquarters stationed at King Campus.

Historically, due to traditional issues, students at King Campus frequently explored hidden knowledge recklessly, often causing various incidents. These incidents were usually handled by the Anonymity Headquarters.

After experiencing such events numerous times, the Anonymity Headquarters directly set up an office at King Campus, dispatching observers to monitor students’ studies of secret knowledge continuously.

Typically, these observers would serve as mentors for the secret societies formed by students, ensuring their studies of mysticism remained within safe boundaries. Currently, Andrew was the observer dispatched to the school.

In the office, Andrew listened intently to Buzz and Martin’s account, drinking a cup of tea before responding.

“You mean… there might be a secret society with cult-like activities near King Campus? And they even managed to mobilize a White Chalk Tier Extraordinary Being?”

“Yes, and early this morning, the police reported finding several injured homeless people fleeing southward in the northern suburbs. They captured some of them and interrogated them. Many seemed disoriented due to shock, and a few who could speak mentioned they seemed to have escaped from the school.”

Buzz added, while Martin turned to Andrew with a serious tone.

“Therefore, the bureau now believes something unusual may have occurred at King Campus. They’ve sent us to consult you, Director Andrew. Have you noticed any unusual situations, especially concerning the student societies?”

“No, I haven’t seen anything unusual. Besides a suspected g*n incident in the neighboring town a few days ago, nothing stands out.”

Andrew stated plainly, which surprised Buzz and Martin. They exchanged a glance before looking back at Andrew.

“Are you sure about that, Director Andrew?”

“Of course, I’ve worked at the bureau for over twenty years. Do you doubt me? I can assure you that there’s nothing particularly unusual happening in the school. Perhaps there are indeed some secret societies active nearby, but I can guarantee they’re not inside the school. As for those homeless people who appear disoriented, it’s possible they’re simply confused and may have meant somewhere near the school.”

Andrew confidently stated, his eyes gleaming slightly. Buzz and Martin frowned upon hearing this. Martin then added,

“Director Andrew, you are a veteran, and we naturally trust your experience and loyalty… However, could you take us to see the student societies in the school?”

“Of course, there should be someone there right now. We can go check.”

As he spoke, Andrew stood up, walked out from behind his desk, and pushed open the office door. Buzz and Martin followed him.

Following Andrew, Buzz and Martin navigated through the campus. After a short walk, they arrived at the gathering point of the Secret Knowledge Society. Here, they saw a group of students quietly reading books, much like a small library.

“Good morning, Mr. Andrew.”

“Ah, good morning.”

Some students greeted Andrew, who nodded in response. Then he turned to look at the following Buzz and Martin.

“Just look around as you please.”

Seeing this, Buzz and Martin began observing the gathering point, occasionally asking students questions and glancing at the books they were reading, finding no issues.

“Director Andrew, I heard there is an empty ruin beneath this school. Could we go there to take a look?”

“Ruin? It might not be easy to access.”

As Andrew spoke, he headed deeper into the gathering point. Buzz and Martin immediately followed. After crossing a long, clean corridor, they reached the end of another corridor where a statue stood.

“The entrance to the ruin has long been sealed off; it would require some effort to enter. Moreover, it’s an empty ruin with nothing valuable inside. Most people in the bureau should know this.”

Andrew said with a gleam in his eyes as he spoke to the two beside him. They nodded, agreeing with Andrew, and did not request to unseal the entrance.

Later, Andrew returned to his office in the administrative building. Across the desk, Andrew directly addressed the two in front of him, his eyes still gleaming.

“Well, gentlemen, you’ve seen everything you needed to. As you can see, there is nothing amiss in the campus. Could you report this back to the bureau?”

“Indeed, as Director Andrew said, there’s nothing wrong here. We’ll report back to the bureau. Thank you for your help.”

Martin responded, and both he and Buzz looked at Andrew with a hint of bewilderment.

“Hehe, it’s no trouble. It’s my duty.”

Afterwards, Buzz and Martin left the office. Once they closed the door and were out of sight, Andrew sitting behind his desk took a deep breath.

Then, Andrew’s body began to change. His form subtly contracted, his face contorted like clay, his skin paled, and his hair retracted into his follicles.

Soon after, the figure sitting behind the desk bore no resemblance to Andrew. Whether it was the face, physique, or skin tone, the person seated there was clearly someone else.

Bald, pointed ears, pale skin, dark circles under the eyes, prominent cheekbones… This was none other than Claudius, the vampire from the Eight Pinnacle Nest.

Claudius sat in the office chair, looking at the photo of Andrew on the desk, and couldn’t help but snort.

“Hmph… Andrew Wayne, a dead man’s identity is still quite useful.”