Lawrence looked at Victor with a strange smile and asked,
"How did you know I was here?"
Victor smiled lightly and replied,
"To be honest, I didn't know which professor would be here. But it's impossible for the academy's professors not to know that one of their top students was attacked."
Lawrence sighed calmly and said,
"You're right... I've been here since the fight started, and I'm the reason second and third-year students didn't interfere."
Victor furrowed his brows and asked quietly,
"So why didn't you step in from the beginning? One of your students was about to be assaulted."
Lawrence waved his hand, and a blue light covered Zeon, beginning to heal his wounds and restrain him.
"I would've intervened if things had gotten out of control. But I was curious... What would happen if someone, already on the verge of losing control, especially after drinking the blood of the Corrupted Blood Duke, was pushed to their limits?"
Victor asked,
"And did you find your answer?"
Lawrence looked at Zeon, now healed and bound by chains of blue light, and replied with disappointment,
"Unfortunately, he wasn't willing to risk his life in the fight, so he couldn't unleash the full power of corrupted blood."
---
*Zeon's Perspective:
Fear.
That's what I felt once the fire of lust faded within me and Professor Lawrence appeared… just pure fear.
Fear of the shame that would follow me as a rapist.
When I felt the end of my life drawing near, memories I thought I'd buried deep in my mind began to resurface…
Memories of when I used to live in that house in the central district.
It felt like I had woken up from a long dream, only to find myself back in my old bed, in a room filled with books I'd collected over the years.
I got up and left the room, wandering around our modest home. It wasn't luxurious—four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a guest hall.
But just having a house in the central district was a dream for millions of kids in the care zone and the lower city.
A dream that wouldn't have come true if not for my father, a Grade C warrior.
My father, whom I loved and always longed to be acknowledged by.
I walked slowly, observing the white marble walls of the house, decorated with family photos… most of which looked blurry.
After a while, I found my family sitting at the dinner table.
It was me, my two older brothers, and my parents.
No one noticed I entered the room, and I wasn't surprised… I was used to being ignored.
I quietly sat in a corner, began to serve myself dinner, listening to their conversation.
"How was this week's test, Tal?" my father asked.
Tal, my older brother by three years, was in his second year at the academy.
"It was really hard… We were tasked with hunting a mana beast ranked higher than us. We worked in teams and were graded based on our contributions."
Then he smiled and said,
"Still, I ranked 287."
My parents smiled proudly, and my father said,
"Well done! If you keep this up, you'll graduate among the top 300, and you'll definitely land a job with one of the noble families, just like your older brother, Masel."
Then my mother teased,
"By the way, when are you getting married, Masel? I want to be a grandma before I die!"
Masel chuckled awkwardly,
"Mom, it's still too early."
I tried to join in with a joke,
"I want to be an uncle too!"
As usual, everyone ignored me and continued talking about the academy and noble family jobs.
I tried several times to speak... but they acted like I didn't exist.
That's when I decided to leave them alone and started thinking about the games and topics I'd talk about with Anna tomorrow.
After dinner, I went back to my room to sleep… I had school tomorrow.
The next morning, I got ready and left.
The moment I entered the classroom, I couldn't hold back my smile…
There, in the corner, sat Anna with her radiant smile… the kind that could light up even the darkest days.
The other students—boys and girls—were gathered around her, chatting cheerfully.
But the moment I approached her, their looks turned to hatred.
One of them whispered,
"What's this useless loner doing here?"
I heard it, but ignored it. I looked at Anna with a smile and said,
"Hey Anna, how are you?"
She replied with that same beautiful smile,
"I'm good, and you, Zeon? Did you finish *A Knight in the Seven Kingdoms*?"
Hearing that made me smile with joy.
How I wished that moment would last forever… just a moment where we talked peacefully about our shared hobbies.
But sadly… it didn't last.
I was pulled out of my sea of memories and raised my head…
Lawrence was looking at me with interest and said,
"Seems the corrupted blood's effects are starting to show."
I looked at my body… bound in cuffs of blue light.
I didn't recognize it anymore…
My body had grown, blood thorns sprouted, and long crimson hair flowed…
But I didn't care.
Fear completely consumed me.
I couldn't think anymore…
I began screaming and crying,
"Please… don't kill me! I don't want to die!"
But Lawrence didn't care… he waved his hand, and my world was swallowed by darkness.