CHAPTER 138

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“Sigh... ”

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“Groan... ”

......

“Ugh... ”

As if he were sitting on thorns, Do-Jin constantly shifted in his seat.

Maybe I should just get up now...No, I can’t give up already.I came here to study, so I should hold on a bit longer.

But... is there any point in holding on when I can’t concentrate in the first place... No, if I keep sitting, I might eventually be able to concentrate.

But the longer I sit, the more I want to leave...

As Do-Jin grabbed his hair and hesitated, the other students glared at him.

That red hair already makes him stand out.

I’m distracted sitting next to him.

Some students belonged to certain factions, such as clans and guilds, and were indifferent to their exam grades, but many more students cared, and Do-Jin was an unwelcome distraction from their studies.

Finally, several students couldn’t stand it. They tore paper from their binders, scribbled notes, and threw them in crumpled balls at the back of Do-Jin’s head.

-Get lost right now.Why are you suddenly pretending to study?

-If you are disturbing us with the idea of dragging us all down with you, you should be ready to pay for it later.

-Get out of our sight!

A person’s intentions were inferred from character. And character, from daily behaviour. Since when did Do-Jin read? Naturally, no one believed Do-Jin had come to the library with pure intentions.

No one welcomed him, and many students were anxious to get rid of him.

“Shit.” After picking up and reading several of the crumpled notes, Do-Jin couldn’t stand the injustice. He jumped out of his seat and glared at the other students with fierce eyes.

“Which bastards are looking for a fight?”

“Hey, it’s Baek Do-Jin.”

“The heck? Why is he here, causing a scene?”

Do-Jin’s actions garnered the attention of more students, which only increased the commotion.

“Hey, when did we look for a fight? We just told you to get lost in advance since we knew you would blow up like this.”

“If you are going to throw a tantrum in the library, please leave!”

“That’s right!”

Boo!Boooo!

Hundreds of students booed in unison. Do-Jin was used to being cursed at, but even he couldn’t help being taken aback.

What did I do wrong?

Was it such a big sin to pull his hair and move his butt a few times?

Impossible. .

Clearly, these people didn’t like him. They would’ve found him annoying even if he had only been breathing.

“Hah... ”

Do-Jin let out a deep sigh.

His past school life flashed before his eyes.

Back then, he had been despised endlessly. If it wasn’t despised for being short or having red hair, then it was for being weak or having bad grades. He had lashed out against the bullies, hoping it would stop, but that had only earned him the stigma of being a mad dog.

Do-Jin had always been alone, or at least until he’d met Kang Jae-Hyeok.

Thinking of his friend, Do-Jin felt fearless. Who cared what these people thought? Later, Jae-Hyeok would definitely curse these people harshly.

Do-Jin’s eyes blazed fiercely as he roared, “Do you think I want to be short?”

The booing students faltered.

“Wha... Why are you talking about height all of a sudden?”

“Ugh, this bastard really is mad.”

“If we want to concentrate on studying, we need to get rid of this bastard first.”

“Okay.”

Some students rushed at Do-Jin amid others’ cheers.

To the other students, those brave students were heroes who had taken action to restore peace to the library.

Do-Jin gritted his teeth. How am I the villain? I just want to study!

Before he could properly resist, his limbs were grabbed and he was thrown backward.

“You are cowardly ganging up on me and playing tricks!” Do-Jin raged, but suddenly he felt a chill down his spine.

Che-chung.

The lights along the ceiling and walls died, followed by the sound of books falling and screeching wood. The students watched wide-eyed as bookshelves moved around like a living maze, quickly blocking one window after another until everything went black.

“Baek Do-Jin, you’re really going all-out!”

“It wasn’t me! Do you think I’m crazy enough to do something like this?”

“You bet I do!”

In the midst of the chaos, a bloody light lit up the room. The students narrowed their eyes against the brightness. When their vision adjusted, they quickly found the source.

Everyone’s eyes widened.

There was a huge magic circle on the ceiling.

“A barrier formation?”

The students of the Department of Barriers were frightened when they realized the function of the magic circle.

“Someone... is deliberately locking us up here!”

Everyone’s eyes fell on Do-Jin again.

In the first place, it was suspicious that someone who’d never studied a day in their life had come to the library. Moreover, although Do-Jin hadn’t thought that constantly moving around in his seat was a big deal, to everyone else, it was distracting to the point of seeming intentional.

Naturally, everyone suspected Do-Jin was involved in this incident.

Seeing their suspicion, Do-Jin was going crazy with frustration.

“It isn’t me! I don’t know anything about barriers!”

“That’s... a good point.”

“Hmm. Indeed, he’s not capable.”

Many students were convinced by Do-Jin’s words. But rather than relief, Do-Jin wanted to cry. “Do you all think I’m stupid!?”

“Why are you mad? We just said we believe you.”

One of the boys subduing Do-Jin was fed up and waved his hand. He felt like he wouldn’t be satisfied until he hit the back of Do-Jin’s head at least once.

“Kuaaack!”

However, it was the student who screamed, not Do-Jin.

A pure white hand was gripping the boy’s wrist. The student’s screams and the crackles of splintering bone filled the air.

The students who witnessed the scene slowly looked over, following the arm back to its owner, a pale-faced youth with slicked-back green hair.

“Loren!”

He was the National Treasure candidate of Austria, the boy who’d caused a nationwide stir by coming to study at Lion’s Castle. There was no way the students couldn’t recognize Loren’s face.

The second-year student with a broken wrist glared at Loren. “There’s no way you’re here to study. Did you cause this commotion? Unbelievable. Just how much do you look down on South Korea to do something like this?”

At the student's words, everyone began to glare at Loren.

They weren’t interested in his purpose. It didn’t matter. The fact that the successor of the Baus family was doing such things in Lion’s Castle showed that Austria didn’t respect South Korea.

Loren ignored the hundreds of students, his attention fixed on his friend. “Do-Jin, this isn’t your place.” His golden eyes, which had always shone with dignity, were filled with sadness. “Just look at what those bugs were doing to you just now. Is there any reason to suffer humiliation in a country like this?”

With a trembling hand, Loren reached out to Do-Jin. His expression and movements were hesitant, almost fearful, and entirely unlike his earlier behaviour when breaking that student’s wrist.

“Let’s go to my country. The two of them wish for it as well.”

“...The two of them?”

Loren’s words seemed to have woken Do-Jin from a daze—his confused expression twisted, and his eyes turned bloodshot.

Loren smiled widely. “Yes, your parents.”

“You fucking bastard!”’

Do-Jin threw a punch—so enraged that he hadn’t even thought to draw his sword.

Bam!

His fist crashed into Loren’s nose.

However, Loren didn’t move. There was no blood, no bones breaking—Loren appeared completely unscathed. No, he was completely unscathed.

Tilting his head, Loren asked, “Why are you angry again? Aren’t my words correct?”

“Shut up! I will kill you! I will kill you today!”

Do-Jin howled like an animal and continued punching.

Loren accepted it silently. He would gladly wait if this pointless act could help Do-Jin vent his feelings. However—

“Don't go overboard." A middle-aged man with a soldier’s buzz cut stepped forward and restrained Do-Jin’s hands. As a vassal of the Baus family, he couldn’t tolerate Do-Jin’s actions.

“I’m sorry, but my role is to protect your safety and honor, Young Master.”

The middle-aged man’s name was Wolfgang. Having served the Baus family for over thirty years, he recognized Do-Jin’s identity and fully understood the boy’s sadness and anger. However, everyone had a role to play, and his was to protect the young master.

“Let him be a bit longer. He will calm down soon.”

Loren ordered, but Wolfgang disobeyed. Conscious of the watching students, he ultimately pulled Do-Jin into his arms.

“Let’s get out of here first.”

“Hmm... Very well.”

Loren glared at Wolfgang in a disapproving manner, but still turned around.

Unlike the average student who wore sneakers, Loren wore dress shoes. The sharp sound of his heels echoed through the quiet library as he made his way to the entrance. To the other students, that sound was a reminder of Lorens's towering status.

The intimidated students gulped nervously.

“Let go! Let me go!” Do-Jin thrashed helplessly in the middle-aged man’s embrace.

Things are progressing naturally. Loren had known the students wouldn’t hinder him when planning this operation. After all, how many fools in the world would dare to interfere with the Baus family?

Not to mention, most students couldn’t stop him even if they dared to try.

A certain pair of abyss-like eyes popped into his mind, and Loren’s expression turned colder. The outcome wouldn’t be different even if that guy were here.

He was serious this time.

The other students could only interfere with his plans if they quickly reported the incident to the faculty. However, the barriers installed in each sector restricted student movement and blocked communication.

Therefore, there were no variables.

Lion’s Castle had fallen into a deathly silence.

Loren walked alongside Do-Jin toward the library entrance, a deep smile on his face. Thinking of the happy days he would spend with Do-Jin after leaving South Korea, he could hardly control his joy.

Loren was a National Treasure candidate, but he was also a teenager. His dreams carried the naivety of youth. He had yet to realize that things didn’t always go according to plan.

“Stop,” one student said.

“A foreigner intends to kidnap a student of our school? This is going too far,” said another.

At some point, all the students had put down their books and pens and armed themselves with weapons. Although they had been trying to kick out Do-Jin not long ago... this was different.

“Know who you are up against.”

Loren frowned at having his happy thoughts interrupted and waved his hand like a conductor before a symphony.

“Rise.”

The huge library vibrated.

Hundreds of skeletons emerged from the ground.