For a brief moment, no one spoke in the room.
The teachers exchanged glances. Their brows furrowed. This was not the answer they had expected. If Kerus had claimed that he had killed the beast, matters would have been closed, and rewards could have been given. But now everything was unclear.
The headmaster's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Then," he asked slowly, "who killed it?"
Kerus did not hesitate.
"While I was holding it back somehow," he said, "a person appeared and killed it."
A ripple passed through the room.
"A person?" one of the teachers muttered under his breath.
The headmaster stepped half a pace forward. The calm on his face remained, but the eagerness in his eyes was hard to hide.
"What did that person look like?" he asked.
Kerus lowered his gaze slightly, as if recalling the scene.
"I didn't see his face," he replied. "His face was covered with a black cloth. And it was dark. I couldn't make out any other details."
The answer did not ease the tension, but instead, it deepened it.
The Medicine Hall grew colder. The teachers behind the headmaster began whispering among themselves. Though their voices were low, Kerus could still hear fragments.
"This is troublesome…"
"We thought the disciple killed it…"
"An unknown expert appearing near the academy…"
"That man must be a martial warrior…"
The headmaster heard them as well. His expression did not change, but his fingers slowly curled behind his back. He asked again, his voice steady.
"Did that person kill the demonic beast alone?"
"Yes," Kerus answered simply.
"Then, that person must be at least a Martial Warrior," one teacher said grimly.
The words carried weight.
A Martial Warrior was not someone who moved unnoticed. Such a person could not simply appear near the outer layer of the Black Fog Forest without reason.
Kerus listened quietly. But as the conversation continued, a trace of curiosity surfaced in his mind.
"Headmaster," he asked carefully, "is there any problem?"
The room stilled.
The headmaster looked at him for a moment. Then he smiled faintly.
"No, this matter does not concern you anymore," he said grimly.
Kerus nodded, though he knew that was only half the truth.
The headmaster turned his head slightly.
"Teacher Liu Shen," he said, "give me that thing."
Teacher Liu Shen stepped forward. From within his robe, he took out a small jade box. He opened it briefly, revealing a faintly glowing object inside.
Kerus recognized it instantly. The demonic beast's core.
The headmaster took the box and approached Kerus. His expression softened.
"Rick, take this core," he said.
Kerus was surprised.
"If the person who killed the beast did not take it," the headmaster continued, "then it may have been left for you. We do not have the right to keep it."
Kerus's heart stirred. He didn't expect to get it back. This core was invaluable. With proper refinement, it could be turned into pills that would strengthen his body, nourish his meridians, and even stabilize his cultivation.
He accepted the jade box and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Headmaster."
The headmaster nodded.
"You may go to the Pill Hall to process it," he said. "Mention my name. They will not charge you."
He paused briefly.
"This is our way of thanking you. You placed yourself in danger and protected other disciples."
"Thank you again, Master," Kerus said.
The headmaster turned toward the teachers.
"We still have matters to attend to," he said calmly.
One by one, the teachers bowed and followed him out. The senior brothers outside stepped aside respectfully. Soon, the room emptied.
Only Kerus and Mei Ling remained.
Silence returned. This time, it felt different. Mei Ling turned toward him, her eyes shining.
"I'm so happy, Rick," she said softly. "You're safe now."
Kerus gave a small smile.
"I'm happy too."
A pause followed.
Then he spoke again.
"Mei Ling," he said, "could you give me some time alone? You should rest as well."
She hesitated at first, but looking at Rick, she then nodded.
"Yes. Of course."
She walked toward the door, then stopped.
"Do you want to eat something?" she asked.
Kerus shook his head gently.
"No. You don't have to worry anymore."
She frowned.
"No," she insisted. "You need to eat. Rest properly. I'll come back later with food."
Kerus smiled faintly.
"Okay."
And…Thud!
The door closed. Kerus was alone in the room at that time.
The silence pressed in from all sides.
The jade box lay in his hand. He did not open it. His mind was already elsewhere.
"Gravity…"
The word surfaced naturally.
He closed his eyes.
The moment he did, memories surged forward.
The crushing pressure. The world was slowing down. The ground was sinking. The mask.
And then...
Time itself was stopping.
Kerus inhaled deeply.
"That wasn't something I could do in my condition," he murmured.
He knew it.
And for Martial Warriors, even they were bound by natural laws.
What he had witnessed went beyond technique. Beyond cultivation, and beyond reason.
His fingers tightened slightly.
"Who… or what… are you?" he whispered.
There was no answer.
He opened his eyes and looked down at his body. Though still injured, he could feel it clearly now. His physique was stronger. Denser. His meridians felt wider, as if they had been forcibly expanded.
And deep within him…
Something had changed.
A faint sensation lingered in his dantian.
Heavy.
Unmoving.
Yet vast.
Kerus frowned.
"This isn't normal qi," he thought.
He carefully circulated his energy.
The moment he did, the pressure responded.
It did not flow.
It weighed.
As if something itself had merged into his cultivation.
Kerus stopped immediately.
Cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
"This power…" he thought, "is dangerous."
He exhaled slowly and calmed himself.
For now, no one suspected him.
But that would not last forever. The headmaster's eyes had been too sharp. The teachers' doubts were too obvious. And an unknown expert appearing near the academy would now draw attention.
Sooner or later, someone would investigate.
Kerus looked at the jade box again.
"This core will help me grow stronger," he thought. "But strength alone won't be enough."
He needed control. He needed understanding. And above all...
He needed time.
But the first thing that came to his mind was the word...
"Gravity!"
Then an idea came to Kerus's mind, "Can I....."