1382 Zara Woz

As he slid down the wall, leaving scarlet imprints on the white surface, Varian put on a scared expression and looked at the woman in confusion. "M-Miss Zara?"

Zara Woz sneered. Was he really taking her for a fool? A pitiful, scared and confused expression? Did he think reacting like a normal student who'd be attacked by their professor would save his ass?

"Drop the act."

The translucent cloak tightened and turned into a black suit covering her white shirt over black trousers.

If only the meter long spear in her hand wasn't dripping with thick blood, she'd be mistaken for a normal office lady.

"You and I both know why I'm here. And what's gonna happen to you." Zara spun the spear and bent it to aim at her student.

"If you tell me how you breached the library without triggering the alarm, I'll give you an easy death."

Saying so, she glanced at the spot from which Varian stole the book. If she hadn't witnessed the whole process, she'd have never believed a mere rank 7 like Telor did something even a rank 9 couldn't.

"T-That's…" Varian clutched onto his abdomen, trying to stop the bleeding and hesitated.

A blue light flashed and a fist-sized hole drilled through his abdomen. Whatever bleeding he tried to cover up was futile as blood flowed out of this new injury.

The light then materialized back into a spear in Zara's hand. "If you think anyone is coming to your rescue, stop that afntasy. I sealed off this block. No one would be alerted. Not until you die anyway.

Spill it. You don't have a choice and you definitely don't have a way out."

Varian had already discovered the so-called barrier that's blocking off this place. It was powered by a disc at the entrance of the block, hidden to the naked eye and even perceptions of most powers.

Even with his diverse powers, he couldn't spot the treasure on the first try. Thankfully, the value of his paths wasn't just in their number but also in their intersection, where they added up to something more than the sum of their parts.

The overlapping perception of space-time paths would qualify as a good example. Individually, while both of these perceptions were good, when fused together—and they fused very well—they reached the next level in perception.

As a result, while Zara was threatening him through words and actions, not only did he find the treasure that set up this barrier, he also started sneaking the power of slivers into the treasure.

He didn't need a big crack in the barrier, not that he could do it against a treasure that equalled the strength of a rank 8 awakener. Just a little hole was enough. He'd twist that space, get away from this mad woman and leave to Hortus.

Though the aftermath—erasing the space trails and creating fake trails to confuse the pursuers who'd try to follow him to Hortus—would be exhausting, it's the only option he had.

'A few more seconds…fuck!'

"Professor, I'm sure we have no grudges. Why are you acting against me?"

Varian gritted his teeth, not caring about the blood leaking out of his mouth and asked in a seemingly desperate tone.

"Not answering my question and skipping to somthing else?" Zara's eyes grew cold but a smile was drawn on her lips.

Looking at 'Telor' who was bleeding badly and stood powerless in front of her might, the woman was struggling to climb back to her past glory felt a sense of satisfaction.

Yes, she's no longer what she once was. Her path ahead was destroyed by Isadora and even half a millenia wasn't enough for her to build a road ahead.

Yes, she had abandoned everything she stood for and sold herself to Prince Robert, all in hopes for a better future.

'I don't have a future. I don't have any honor. I sold myself for status. But so what? I am still better than you! You're still a bug under my feet! I can crush you and the likes of you anytime I want!'

The ego boost acted like a drug and infested her, ballooning the woman's fragile self-esteem to proportions even beyond superiority.

In that brief moment, Zara Woz felt that she was a god in her own right, able to control life and death.

Of course, it wasn't completely her own fault. A certain someone was using his soul power to subtly influence the surroundings to induce those type of thoughts in the mind of the broken woman.

Due to her disposition, the effect was way higher than he anticipated.

Zara Woz swung her spear again. A ray of blue streaked across the room and Varian's arm dropped to the floor before blood spurted out with force, like water from a pipe.

Watching Telor's face twist in the gruesome pain, she slammed the spear on the ground and laughed. But her eyes were mad and her voice on the verge of an implosion.

"You are the pest who ruined my plans! Because of you, I got fired and got assigned to this ridiculous post! Why the hell do you have to awaken, huh? You shouldn't known your places, worthless pest!"

Zara didn't even use the spear this time and directly kicked Varian in his chest. Due to the sheer force, his chest bones were pressed inward. Reflexively, he bent forward and vomited blood violently.

The sight gave the woman so much satisfaction that she started laughing. "Are you sorry? Are you sorry for awakening? Apologize worthless bitch!"

Varian was pretending to be more injured and helpless than he actually was. With his current strength, he might be able to tackle a few blows but that'd be it. So, he was putting all his focus onto esacping.

Yet, hearing her curse, he wondered if those words were really directed at him or herself?

He wanted to leave her to Isadora for revenge. But he was having second thoughts about that plan.

Varian's eyes began to glow with a dangerous glint and the sliver power that's infused in the barrier of the shelf began to slowly move.

"Master Robert hadn't come out of his room after the fight with you! He didn't even want to see me! Me! I tried to barge in but he kicked me out and called me…called a whore!" Zara's voice began to break.

"Whore, haha, a fucking whore!" She began to laugh.

Anger, disappointment, sadness and helplesness.

Even though she acted like a gold digger and wanted to climb up using Prince Robert's status, she could not accept when he called her for what she was.

It felt like she was left naked on the street. The dirtiest secrets on her were no longer covered. And people were pointing out her vile deeds, cursing her, mocking her and laughing at her.

"I-I…I hate you! It's all because of you! Fuck with your secrets, I don't care! I'll torture you to the point I'll break your mind!"

Zara took a step forward and raised her spear, aiming straight at Varian's waist. With her posture, it seemed she wanted to slice his waist and cut his legs off. Then, she'd be able to torture him without any worry of him being able to escape.

'This is why you don't love crazy women!'

Varian thanked the idiots who went ahead and died, becoming great examples for the future generation.

[A girl who's so obsessed that she stole your ahem ahem when you were living together.

A girl who will join you on a suicide mission if she can't convince you out of it.

A girl who started falling in love with even though she couldn't meet you face to face for nearly a decade.

A girl…now this one is a bit tricky. But yeah, she's definitely not normal.

Host, you of all people, have no right to say those words. Take them back and apologize!]

Out of nowhere, the System popped up and began to preach.

'Fuck off and Thank You!'

[W-What?] The System was confused by that weird choice of words.

Varian waited as Zara scanned him from head to toe, apparently thinking how to exactly slice his waist to inflict maximum pain on him. He could only move when she starts.

'Fuck off for calling my girls crazy. Oh and including Isadora in it. But thank you for talking to me earlier. Or I wouldn't even have noticed her attack. Good case, serious injury. Bad case, incapication.'

[So you are not a heartless beast, huh.]

'I'm not a beast.'

[You are. On bed.]

Varian's lips twitched in half-pride and half-anger at that remark. But he had to make a perfect come back at this annoying system.

'Don't be too envious. Maybe you'll get the chance one day, if you beg me.'

[Y-You! Even me?!] The System screamd and then fell silent.

Varian sighed in relief. Logos wasn't very 'obedient' sometimes and needed to be 'refuted' properly. Else, it'd start preaching like that one relative who gives endless advice without being asked.

"Is that sigh an acceptance of your future? Then, please, continue, by all means."