Chapter 59 - Dekan Doesn't Hold Back

By this time, a considerable number of students had gathered at the classroom door. Much of it was due to Dekan and Cornelia's sudden appearance. When these two who shall not encounter each other were together, it meant that something big was about to happen.

Dekan didn't approach the door; instead, he stood to the side, listening to the situation inside the classroom.

Inside the classroom, Flatta's voice carried a mocking tone as he said, "You're quick to run off and interact with the new students, aren't you, Croix?"

He, along with his two followers, surrounded Croix's desk, blocking any escape route.

Croix could only sigh and say, "I already told you, he came to find me."

"Heh, that's quite the joke. If it weren't for you shamelessly going to find Dekan, how could he possibly come to seek trouble from a disaster like you?"

Croix lowered his head, seemingly unwilling to explain any further. It must have been when Dekan came to see him a couple of days ago. They had a lengthy conversation near the door and were witnessed by passing students. That's likely how Flatta got wind of it.

"Do you want to kill him, Croix?" Flatta lightly tapped Croix's desk, trying to get him to look up.

"No, I won't team up with him."

Croix clenched his fists and placed them on the desk, gritting his teeth.

"There are no suitable teammates among the senior students for you and the strongest new students are out of your league. Then why are you still hanging around in the Mage College? Are you waiting for a few more suckers before causing another disaster?"

"I... I'll honestly complete my credits. I won't go to any Shadow World again..."

"Good, that's what you said. Swear on it, swear on it in front of all of us."

Flatta laughed heartily, as if he had finally achieved a good result. He glanced at Claire, who was still sitting in the back row of the classroom, seemingly proud of his accomplishment.

Claire shifted her glance away in disgust. Her expression was cold with a hint of hidden anger hidden in her eyebrows.

But, she quickly shifted her gaze to Croix, who was bowing his head, with an expression of anger and disappointment.

"..."

"Alright, I understand."

After a long while, Croix seemed to have finally figured something out. At this moment, his expression was no longer bitter; instead, a hint of relief appeared on his face.

Indeed, it was time to let go. If he continued to hesitate like this, he might eventually accept Dekan’s proposal and the tragedy would repeat itself. He would harm that younger student who had shown him so much kindness.

Or so he thought.

So, he slowly raised his hand.

"I, Croix Kuran, swear that I will not..."

Just as Croix was making his oath, Dekan finally walked into the classroom and caused a commotion.

"My god, is it really Dekan who found Croix?"

"It seems so, after all, Dekan came to the classroom. He seems quite concerned about Croix."

"Now Flatta must be feeling a bit embarrassed..."

Amidst the discussions of the students in the classroom, Dekan walked directly to Croix. He grabbed Croix's forearm and pressed it onto the desk.

"Dek..."

In Croix's bewildered expression, Dekan grinned mischievously and said to Flatta, "He's right; I went to find him. Besides, he's already agreed to join our team. You can't let him make this oath."

Upon hearing this, both the students inside the classroom, who were watching the spectacle, and the large group of Mage College students gathered burst into an uproar.

"Heh."

After a brief surprise, Flatta shook his head with a mocking smile. His expression seemed to suggest that he found something ludicrous.

He didn't pay much attention to Dekan; instead, he turned to Croix and asked, "Croix, you're truly despicable. You concealed the curse on yourself and want to join their team? What do you think Dekan's expression will be if I reveal the curse you have right now?"

"..."

Croix bit his lip.

Indeed, he hadn't told Dekan about the curse on him. But he also hadn't agreed to join Dekan's team. "Joining the team" was Dekan's unilateral decision. If Flatta revealed the truth, both he and Dekan would be embarrassed.

Just as Croix was about to explain, Dekan pretended to look puzzled, scratching his head, and asked, "Oh? Is it just a curse that makes the Shadow Worlds tougher?"

Flatta: "..."

Croix: "..."

Flatta seemed somewhat embarrassed. He cleared his throat and said, "You probably don't know how powerful the curse on him is. It's a terrifying calamity that can almost directly increase the difficulty of the Shadow World by one tier."

"Just one tier?"

Dekan looked at Flatta with disdain. It was as if he were looking at a fool. "I go on vacation when it's two tiers higher; what kind of luxurious trip would it be when it's just one tier higher?"

"You..."

Flatta's proud expression seemed to freeze for a moment. He had initially wanted to confront Dekan, but when he thought about it, this guy had indeed faced challenges two tiers higher.

Unable to refute him, Flatta could only say, "You probably don't know how terrible the gap is when you reach high-tier Shadow Worlds. You also haven't considered that, combined with his nature, he would subject his teammates to inhuman torment."

"Of course, I've considered it. Isn't Croix known for having the most compassionate and benevolent nature in the world?"

Dekan's words made Flatta fall silent again. Even Croix felt embarrassed and didn't know what to say.

Many students who were watching couldn't help but twitch at the mention of "compassionate and benevolent." Those words sounded strange coming from Dekan's mouth.

Some people probably figured out why Dekan was so interested in Croix. It wasn't Croix's healing abilities he was after; it was the poisonous healing that wouldn't kill enemies!

"You!"

Flatta was finally angered by Dekan. He suppressed his anger and took a deep breath before asking, "So, are you going to stand up for him, Mr. Dekan?"

Dekan, still wearing a calm and composed smile, responded in a gentle and soothing tone, "I've always loved peace and have a kind heart. But, it hurts me deeply when someone bullies my friends."

When he mentioned "hurts me deeply," Dekan's tone seemed to become slightly more intense.

This caused many people to instinctively clutch their chests.

Dekan's "heartache" was quite deadly.

Even Flatta, who had always been arrogant, couldn't hide the strong sense of dread on his face.

Flatta sternly said, "It's not allowed for students to have private disputes in school!"

Dekan replied, "Of course, I just meant that it would hurt me, nothing more."

"You liar! Put away that devilish smile of yours!!"

Flatta couldn't help but roar in his mind.