Chapter 50: “Without My Protection, You Will Die.” Part 2

“This group is vast and deeply entrenched. Even after purging some last time, more lurk in the shadows, waiting for things to calm before stirring up trouble again.”

“The Tower Master doesn’t want this damage to his interests to continue, so he’s decided to eliminate these pests.”

An Luo listened as Meieruita continued: “Thus, this Apprentice Exam has changed form.”

“Hunting,” Meieruita said flatly. “Successfully hunt one of the pests on the Tower Master’s list, and you’ll get a chance to advance.”

“The list will be distributed before the exam.”

Meieruita added: “The more you kill, the greater the rewards.”

An Luo: “…”

He was utterly stunned.

Wait… wasn’t this the plot that only appeared when advancing from mid-level to high-level apprentices? Why had it come early now?

He stared at Meieruita in shock, at a loss for words.

This… the protagonist personally altering the plot…

Fine.

“Knowing the plot in advance makes pushing this forward not difficult.”

Meieruita wasn’t the type to treat the original story as sacred; he’d change it without hesitation.

After speaking, Meieruita looked at An Luo for a moment, then suddenly smiled softly. “I know what you’re thinking, An Luo. You find me dangerous and want to stay away?”

“But I think, without me by your side, you’d die even faster.”

“Not just this exam,” Meieruita drew closer, murmuring softly like a whisper in his ear. “In previous missions, without me, you’d have been torn apart by the Thorn Beast, swallowed by the Man-Eating Flower.”

A low chuckle sounded by An Luo’s ear. “You need my protection, my dear Creator… my dear… father?”

The word “father” was exceedingly soft and faint, like a thin veil draping the truth.

An Luo: “…”

I couldn’t even refute it.

An Luo wanted to struggle a bit more, but Meieruita mercilessly shattered his illusions: “Indeed, you know some witchcraft and can use powerful ancient runes when necessary. It seems you could survive well in the lower layer.”

“But do you have the reaction speed to face crises?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Meieruita suddenly made his move. Before An Luo could react, his hands were twisted behind his back, and he was pinned down onto the bed, his cheek pressed firmly against the pillow.

His hands were gripped tightly by Meieruita, making escape impossible. Meieruita also used the hold to press down on An Luo’s waist and back.

Then, Meieruita’s other hand slithered up like a snake poised to strike, slowly wrapping around An Luo’s neck.

“Look,” Meieruita said. “If that had been a real fight, I could have snapped your neck before you even cast your spell.”

“An Luo,” Meieruita called his name. “When danger strikes, do you have fast enough reactions to come up with a counter?”

His voice was soft and gentle. “Think about it. If a pack of Thorn Beasts chased you, what would you do? If you entered a cluster of Man-Eating Flowers and they suddenly lashed out, how would you respond?”

“In a critical moment, could you really use Witchcraft? In a life-or-death situation, could you keep a clear head? Wouldn’t you get scared?”

“You’re not from this world.” An Luo felt the slender, slightly cool fingers around his neck. Meieruita’s words irrefutably revealed the dangers of this world once more:

“You come from a peaceful and serene world. That world is too safe. You have no experience handling life-and-death crises. Your reactions aren’t fast enough, your mind isn’t calm enough, you’ll get startled, you’ll panic, and then you’ll make mistakes.”

Meieruita eased the pressure pinning An Luo and helped him sit up straight. Then, he stared directly into An Luo’s eyes. “Of course, experience can be accumulated. If you successfully escape danger time and again, you’ll get more proficient.”

“But An Luo,” he placed both hands on An Luo’s shoulders, “can you hold out that long?”

His tone rose at the end, carrying a questioning lilt.

An Luo was left speechless.

“Let’s make the most optimistic assumption.” Facing An Luo’s silence, Meieruita didn’t press further. Instead, he took a step back. “Let’s assume your luck is good enough that you escape crises one after another, gradually accumulating experience until you can live freely in this world.”

The assumption sounded pretty good, and An Luo’s thoughts subconsciously followed Meieruita’s words.

But the next second, Meieruita said, “But what if one day, you Return Home?”

“This world will have left a deep mark on you. Carrying that mark back to your safe and serene original world—what will happen? Can you still adapt to it?”

“You once told me about some annoying little things at work. Back then, you could handle them appropriately, swallow your anger, and maintain your composure. But after everything you’ve been through, could you still handle it so well?”

Meieruita’s voice carried a clever guidance: “An Luo, would you end up killing him on instinct?”

The words hit An Luo like a bucket of cold water.

“But that’s just the most optimistic assumption.” Meieruita smoothly controlled the rhythm of the conversation. “Now, let’s be realistic, An Luo. You don’t have the reaction speed, nor the experience to handle life-and-death crises.”

“You’ve mastered Witchcraft and Runes, but An Luo, this isn’t a game.”

He draped an arm around An Luo’s shoulders, pulling their distance close once more.

His aura enveloped An Luo like mist, leaving him somewhat disoriented.

Meieruita whispered in An Luo’s ear, “Without my protection, you will die.”

The short ten words weren’t harsh in tone; they even carried a gentle persuasion. Yet An Luo felt as if he’d heard the resounding gavel in a courtroom, followed by the judge’s verdict.

His breathing quickened.

An Luo had to admit one thing:

Damn it, Meieruita was absolutely right!

But as the author who had personally created Meieruita as the protagonist and written the entire novel, An Luo’s wariness toward him was deeply ingrained.

Meieruita was right, but why was he saying this?

Did he really want to take An Luo to become a Mid-Level Apprentice?

What benefit did he get from it?

Indeed, a weak Earthling would struggle to survive in the wizard world, but a protagonist’s “kindness” was even more terrifying than a bleak future!

An Luo knew exactly what kind of personality he’d given his protagonist.

Could it be… An Luo’s heart skipped a beat. Had Meieruita discovered his escape plan and decided to keep him under watch, squeezing out all his value before killing him on the spot to eliminate any future threats from his flight?

Damn it, that had to be it!

No way…

Was that necessary…?

An Luo was at a loss for words.

Wolves ahead, tigers behind—no matter which way he turned, it seemed like death.

Looking at Meieruita’s face with its faint smile, An Luo nearly had a panic attack.

He desperately tried to think of a way out of the current situation.

Come on, brain, think fast!

If he didn’t come up with something soon, he was done for!

Seeing An Luo’s tension, the curve of Meieruita’s lips deepened.

He leaned in closer, his lips nearly brushing An Luo’s ear. His warm breath washed over him in waves as he spoke. “You are the Creator of this world, and my… father.”

Meieruita said softly, “But I don’t need a father representing authority, pointing fingers at me.”

“This time, I’ve been thinking about how to handle our relationship.”

“Sons are destined from birth to challenge their fathers. Creations always overthrow their Creators. The thirst for power is innate in every being.”

“I cannot tolerate being controlled.”

An Luo: …Do you even hear yourself?

Control you?

How novel!

I’m barely keeping myself alive—controlling you? I’m not tired of living…

And do I even have that ability?

He opened his mouth to explain, but Meieruita’s index finger gently pressed against his lips.

“Shh.”

“I know what you want to say,” Meieruita said. “But you should know how I’ll think about it.”

An Luo: “…”

Yeah, of course I do.

An Luo had set it himself: Meieruita was suspicious, distrustful of others. Even if An Luo had zero intention of controlling him, Meieruita wouldn’t let it go.

But the problem was: “I don’t have the ability to control you either!”

“Really?”

Meieruita took An Luo’s right hand and pressed it firmly against his own chest.

Beneath An Luo’s palm, Meieruita’s heart beat powerfully and steadily. The subtle vibrations should have been imperceptible, but for some reason—perhaps the surrounding silence—An Luo could clearly feel the heartbeat through his palm.

“I believe you’ve noticed it too,” Meieruita said calmly. “An Luo, as your identity recovers, the others in the Wizard Tower have changed their attitudes toward you.”

His gray-green eyes fixed on An Luo. “They’re willing to open doors for you, show you goodwill, and avoid harming you.”

“Have you noticed this?”

An Luo: “…Yeah.”

He’d noticed it before and guessed it was the effect of the Rune [Gradual Change].

He’d even marveled at how overpowered the rune was, despite its annoying side effect. It was worth it overall.

He hadn’t expected Meieruita to notice too.

“No, it’s not the rune.” Meieruita lowered his gaze. “I felt it even before you used that rune.”

“An Luo.”

Meieruita stated calmly, without a doubt: “This is the Authority of the Creator.”

“You have already controlled me to a certain extent.”

He raised his head and gazed at An Luo.

“And I… cannot break free.”