Chapter 127: Hidden Moves

No two leaves in the world are exactly alike! Even if they appear identical, profound differences remain, such as the veins on the surface or the serrations along the edges. If this holds true for leaves, it is even more so for humans; even twins grow increasingly distinct as they develop.

Moreover, he had sensed a spiritual fluctuation in that person almost identical to his own. No wonder the Spirit Masters kept mistaking the other for him. After all, every person’s spiritual signature is unique—much like the DNA studied back on Water Blue Star. From this alone, he could conclude that the person was undoubtedly his clone!

He had to catch him and determine who was using him!

"What’s wrong?" the girl asked, tilting her head in confusion and waving her small hand in front of his face.

Leslie snapped back to reality, his expression stern. "Bella, I have something urgent to attend to and cannot stay with you. I must leave at once. Please, look after yourself."

"What is it?"

"An emergency mission at the academy. I have to go..."

Without waiting for her to press further, Leslie bolted, his full speed blurring his form. In the blink of an eye, he vanished at the end of the street, leaving passersby stumbling in shock and bewilderment. With his monstrous strength, his running speed far surpassed that of the swiftest beast, rendering him nothing more than a blurred phantom to the eyes of ordinary people.

"Les—"

Bella barely managed to open her mouth before he was gone. The gust of wind created by his speed nearly knocked her over, forcing her to grab a nearby lamppost to steady herself.

Many passersby cast curious glances, but they said nothing and continued on their way. In Morent, Spirit Masters were far too common; if a snack stall collapsed, one or two out of every ten people under the rubble would likely be a Spirit Master.

"Hi, excuse me, are you Miss Bella?"

A gentle, magnetic voice sounded behind her. She turned, puzzled, to look at the man standing before her. He looked somewhat youthful, yet his demeanor was mature and elegant. Framed by sapphire eyes and long, snow-white hair, he possessed the unreachable aura of a prince, drawing lingering gazes from countless pedestrians. Many young women were particularly struck by his charisma, their faces filled with infatuation.

"Hello, I am. May I ask what you need?" Bella replied with some restraint. Coming from a commoner background and lacking the talent of a Spirit Master, she felt an innate sense of awe toward such nobles and powerful figures.

"Please, no need to be so formal. I am a friend of Mr. Leslie; we are comrades who have braved life and death together," Charles said gently, introducing himself with easy familiarity. "We met on the other side of the ocean and later arrived in Morent together. You can call me Charles."

The girl looked quite ordinary, with wine-red eyes and plain, delicate features. Her long, brown hair was tied into two bundles that rested in front of her shoulders, reminiscent of the style worn by girls in the late 20th century back in his previous life.

She lowered her head slightly, staring at her small brown leather boots, and whispered, "Mr. Charles, is there something you wanted?"

"Nothing, really. I just happened to pass by and thought I’d say hello," Charles smiled, as casually as if they were old acquaintances crossing paths, and continued walking.

After taking two steps, he paused as if suddenly remembering something. He turned back, his expression serious. "Miss Bella, Leslie might be involved in some very dangerous matters these days, things that could threaten his life. If you have the chance, please try to dissuade him."

"After all, he is my friend, and I don't want to see him in such danger."

"What kind of danger?" Bella’s eyes widened instantly, and she looked at him in a panic.

"I’m sorry, I don’t know the specifics; he didn't tell me. Of course, this is just a friendly warning—perhaps nothing will happen at all?" Charles shrugged and smiled. "Well, goodbye, Miss Bella. I wish you luck."

Watching his figure vanish around the corner, Bella bit her lip and walked away in silence. However, she was unaware that a hair-thin insect had landed on her and quietly burrowed into her skin. The insect’s saliva contained a mild anesthetic, causing no pain, and feeling no different than the light friction of clothing against her skin.

After planting his hidden trap, Charles walked through a secluded alley and suddenly stopped. He summoned his firefly, which settled steadily on his shoulder, its violet eyes glowing with a faint, piercing light.

Threads of purple energy seemed to stretch between the two, causing Charles’s spiritual power to surge violently, his own eyes shifting to a deep, ghostly violet. On his retinas, countless images flowed like a waterfall; upon closer inspection, one could see they were scenes from various locations on the island.

Regrettably, most were blurry, as if captured by a low-resolution budget camera.

After the cascade of images flowed for a while, the view he sought finally appeared: the intersection 1,000 meters northwest of the academy’s south gate!

...

*Damn it, where on earth did he go?*

Leslie stopped his frantic sprint and stood at the intersection, looking back and forth. His blood-red hair danced behind him, and the sharp spiritual pressure he exuded made some passersby tremble, their faces filled with dread as they stared at him.

He had caught up to that magical creature carriage, but the person who looked exactly like him was already gone. He had tried to track the scent, but as he pursued, the trail dissipated, swallowed by the thousands of people in the crowd, becoming impossible to identify.

After a moment, he closed his eyes, forcing himself to regain his composure and reach for that faint, intangible intuition he had felt earlier.

"Oh? Leslie, why are you here?"

A sudden, extremely dangerous aura arrived, instantly disrupting all his senses. He opened his eyes in high alert, only to see Bean and Lail walking toward him. Both were dressed in casual attire, seemingly out for a stroll, looking like an ordinary brother and sister. However, both were strikingly attractive, drawing countless eyes as they walked.

"Senior Leslie," Lail greeted him with a smile, a slight blush on her cheeks as she nervously toyed with her hem.

Bean keenly sensed the intense fury radiating from him and asked with surprise, "What’s wrong? Did someone make you angry?"

"You... it’s nothing. I have business to attend to, I’m leaving." Leslie stopped mid-sentence, turned abruptly, and walked away without asking the question that weighed on his mind. Lail watched his retreating back, her expression filled with confusion.

Afterward, Bean reached out and playfully tapped the girl's nose, saying with a touch of apology, "Little sister, the academy has summoned me via my badge, so I can't accompany you through the night market today. Go have fun on your own, buy whatever you want—it’s on me this time."

"Hey, you promised to keep me company! How can you go back on your word?" Lail pouted, glaring at him.

"I can't help it. I don't want to deal with that toad either, but I have no choice," he said, spreading his hands with a helpless expression.

*Pfft!*

The girl burst into laughter upon hearing this. "Toad... Professor Garfield is actually quite cute. Fine, go ahead. I’m definitely going to buy all those gems this time and make your wallet weep!"

"Yes, yes, thank you, my lady sister." Bean ruffled her hair with affection, then shoved his hands into his pockets and boarded a magical creature carriage that had just arrived. The smile on his face vanished instantly.