Free Web NovelChapter 27: Chapter 27: Outsmarting the Saint
At that moment, the stable doors burst open.
Golden light spilled through the entrance, sweeping across the rows of sleeping beasts. The darkness that had filled the stable retreated before it, exposing cages, feeding troughs, and scattered straw beneath its glow.
Hidden in the shadow cast by the Gloom-Fang Panther’s enclosure, Qhuin remained perfectly still.
A familiar female voice echoed through the stable.
"I know something is hiding in here."
The former Vampire King narrowed his ruby eyes seeing the familiar figure.
Professor Elizabeth.
The academy’s history instructor stepped through the doorway with calm, measured strides. Her usual bright smile was gone.
Behind her, a creature immediately caught Qhuin’s attention.
A griffin, its massive golden wings folded against its body as it entered the stable. Every feather shimmered faintly, emitting soft streams of holy light that illuminated the surrounding darkness.
The moment Qhuin saw it, something deep inside him stirred—not fear but instinct.
The same ancient survival instincts that had carried him through centuries of war and bloodshed, with his ears flattened against his head.
In the past few weeks, he had dismissed Elizabeth as a harmless nuisance—a woman obsessed with pinching his cheeks and calling him adorable.
But now his instincts screamed, not the obvious kind he felt for the boar, but a terrifying kind, well hidden.
The sort of monster that smiles while concealing claws.
Then a translucent screen appeared before his eyes.
[Shadow Meld Remaining: 00:04]
Four seconds.
Elizabeth kept walking, her gaze moving across the stable with unsettling patience.
She wasn’t searching randomly; she was hunting.
The griffin suddenly lifted its head, its golden eyes scanning the darkness.
Briefly, Qhuin felt as though those eyes paused directly on his position.
His body remained perfectly still watching the system count down.
Three seconds.
Two seconds, his skill was running out.
The griffin took another step, holy mana rolling through the stable.
Several sleeping beasts stirred uneasily.
Even the half-drained Gloom-Fang Panther in the enclosure twitched.
Qhuin’s eyes narrowed— the panther was the problem.
A predator collapsing in the middle of the night would naturally attract attention.
If Elizabeth investigated further and found traces of blood extraction, things could get troublesome, and trouble often turned dangerous.
[Shadow Meld Remaining: 00:01]
One second.
The shadows around Qhuin dissolved as white fur reappeared—his skill ended.
Without hesitation, he moved quickly—rather than fleeing, he threw himself sideways into a pile of straw.
His body rolled twice before stopping in the middle of the aisle.
He then flopped onto his back, his tiny paws curled towards his chest, nose twitching rapidly.
A faint tremble ran through him; the image was flawless—a harmless-looking rabbit.
Nothing more.
The griffin and Elizabeth blinked in surprise, then her entire expression shifted.
The coldness vanished instantly.
"Oh my goodness!"
Her cheerful voice returned with enough force to make Qhuin question whether she had two separate personalities.
"Snowy?!"
She hurried forward.
"What are you doing out here all by yourself, little guy?"
Qhuin released a weak squeak.
The sound was so pathetic he nearly disgusted himself.
Elizabeth dropped to one knee and immediately scooped him into her arms.
"There you are!"
She hugged him against her chest.
"The whole academy is locked down and you’re wandering around the stables? Do you know how dangerous that is?"
Qhuin buried his face in her sleeve and let out another miserable squeak.
Internally, his thoughts were less adorable.
’By the Crimson night, this woman is insane’
One moment she prowls through the darkness like an executioner, the next she’s speaking to a rabbit as if it were an abandoned infant.
He had ruled continents, commanded armies, and brought nations to their knees.
Now he was being carried around like a plush toy, he felt nothing but humiliation.
Unfortunately, it was effective.
Elizabeth scratched behind his ears.
Qhuin nearly twitched.
The griffin stepped closer and examined him; its golden eyes lingered several seconds.
A faint pulse of energy swept across his body.
The Masking Sub-Routine activated automatically.
To all detection methods, he appeared exactly as intended—a harmless mutant rabbit.
Eventually, the griffin looked away. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
Elizabeth smiled triumphantly.
"See? I told you."
The griffin made a low sound.
"Oh, don’t give me that look."
She adjusted her hold on Qhuin.
"He’s just scared."
Qhuin immediately responded with another pitiful squeak.
"Squeak"
Elizabeth’s smile widened.
’The trap worked’ Qhuin thought
Several minutes later, they reached the Class A dormitory corridor.
Enchanted candles burned softly along the walls.
The luxurious hallway was almost empty due to the lockdown.
Elizabeth stopped before a familiar door and knocked lightly.
"Lina, sweetie?"
Inside the room, hurried footsteps sounded.
A moment later, the door opened, revealing Lina.
The instant her eyes landed on Elizabeth, she relaxed.
But when she saw Qhuin in Elizabeth’s arms, her face froze in pure panic.
Qhuin resisted the urge to sigh.
’ Amateur.’
His voice flowed through their mental connection.
’Calm down, girl. Take me from her arms, thank her politely, and for the love of all things sacred, stop looking at me as if you’ve just found a corpse under your bed.’
Lina visibly swallowed.
"Professor Elizabeth..."
"There you are!" Elizabeth beamed. "I found Snowy wandering around the stables. The poor thing was absolutely terrified."
Lina forced a smile.
"T-Thank you, Professor."
She carefully accepted Qhuin into her arms. freeweɓnovel.cøm
The moment he settled against her chest, his body relaxed slightly.
At least this brat belonged to him.
That made her marginally less exhausted than the history teacher.
Elizabeth kept chatting happily, and neither of them noticed the atmosphere change.
A heavy silence slowly descended upon the corridor.
The enchanted candle flames flickered as footsteps echoed from the far end of the hallway, slow and purposeful.
Elizabeth’s smile faded slightly.
Lina stiffened, and Qhuin turned his head.
At the end of the corridor, a tall figure emerged from the shadows, wearing a black cloak and with piercing golden eyes.
The cold presence of a man who looked capable of executing someone without expression.
Professor Valerius.
The executioner had arrived.
