Scam! A total scam!

He had to pay for the materials himself—even though he was fixing Kamila Noble Academy’s property. How outrageous.

Leyang returned to the prearranged spot. The Lindbergh twins had already chosen their rooms and filled out their registration forms. Their rooms were adjacent, allowing them to look out for each other.

"Arne, Gina, have you picked your rooms?" Leyang waved casually at the Lindbergh twins and their two attendants, his tone indifferent.

"Mhm! I’m in Room 16, Block C. Sister’s right next door in Room 18. What about you, Uncle?"

"Room 33. Swing by sometime. I won’t keep you—I need to clean my place."

With that, Leyang turned and left. He’d only come back to note their room numbers for future coordination.

Back at the forest cottage, he found the requested materials piled neatly at the tree line—delivered by the Academy, but the staff had already vanished without waiting. *Terrible professionalism*, he thought.

The three wooden planks were sizable enough to patch the cottage’s worst gaps. Leyang carried them one by one outside, then leaped effortlessly onto the roof—clearing four meters in a single bound. He carefully inspected the damaged sections, taking measurements.

"Huh? That strange aura again…"

Leyang’s brow furrowed slightly. He felt watched from the shadows, a prickling unease crawling under his skin.

Unbidden, Instructor Ivan’s warning echoed in his mind: *This place isn’t clean.* Could something truly be lurking here?

Just then—

*Crack.*

A hairline fracture split the board beneath his feet. The wood groaned under his weight, then gave way with a sharp *snap*.

Instinctively, Leyang flipped backward, landing smoothly on the ground.

**CRASH!**

A chunk of rotten timber plummeted where he’d stood. Had he remained, he’d have fallen three meters—a nasty injury for any ordinary person.

"Coincidence? My footing was solid just seconds ago…" Leyang muttered, suspicion glinting in his eyes. But he quickly resumed work. With classes starting tomorrow, he needed this done today.

He sawed planks to size and patched the leaks. Unseen, a shadowy figure drifted in the darkness, observing him—undetectable even to Leyang’s sharp senses.

Two hours later, the roof was sealed. "Rain won’t trouble me now," he sighed, exhausted. He strung vines between trees into a makeshift hammock, flopped onto it, and closed his eyes. Sunlight dappled his face as his breathing slowed to a steady rhythm. Nebis Leyang appeared fast asleep.

A pitch-black mass oozed from the shadows, drifting toward him like a wisp of smoke. It hovered over his tranquil face, forming a grotesque, almost human expression as it reached out.

"**What cursed spirit dares harm me?!**"

Leyang’s eyes snapped open. His roar shattered the calm.

The shadow recoiled—but Leyang’s magic flared. A specialized grappling technique, the *Zhuoling Hand*, clamped down, trapping the entity.

"What *are* you?" Leyang muttered, bewildered.

The shadow thrashed wildly in his grip, unable to break free. Terror radiated from its form.

"No physical body… No wonder you hid so well." Leyang’s voice turned icy. "This technique was made to bind spirits like you. You caused that collapse earlier, didn’t you? Such an ugly little thing… better erased."

At his words, the shadow shuddered, its inky form turning translucent with fear. A pleading face surfaced on its surface.

Leyang paused, intrigued. "You understand me?"

The shadow bobbed up and down like a nod.

"You sabotaged me?"

It shook violently—*no*.

"Hmph. Denial’s useless. I’d have been injured if not for my skills." Leyang’s glare hardened. "I’ll spare you—for now. Heed this warning: interfere again, and I’ll annihilate you. Understood?"

The shadow nodded frantically.

Leyang released his hold. The shadow shot into the undergrowth like a startled bat. Ignoring it, he tied a cloth over his nose and mouth, then began scrubbing the cottage. Dust choked the air as he swept debris, hauled water from a nearby stream, and mopped floors. Wiping walls and windows left his eight-year-old body aching. *Such suffering…* Yet pride swelled as sunlight streamed through clean windows, carrying crisp, cool air.

"Right—the dorm supplies!" Leyang bolted outside.

High above, the shadow silently watched him go.