Shen Xuan glanced at the mechanical clock on the wall, then looked at Luo Xiaoxue, who was fast asleep leaning against her chair, momentarily at a loss for how to complain.
Ever since she inexplicably passed out, a good half-day had already passed. Fortunately, all her vital signs were normal; the girl was simply sleeping very deeply.
"It's time to get off work. I wonder how long she plans to sleep?" Shen Xuan muttered to himself.
Although he was a clock-watching corporate drone without a shred of ambition, leaving a dazed little girl all alone here didn't seem quite right either.
"What a headache..." Shen Xuan closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, a look of helplessness showing on his handsome face.
After a moment of hesitation, he walked over to Luo Xiaoxue on tiptoe, lowered his head, and his pupils naturally reflected the girl's exquisite and sweet face.
Whether it was her rosy skin, soft and slightly thin cherry lips, or cute upturned nose, everything was just right, without a single flaw.
The girl, who was usually as joyful and lively as a little elf, gave off a completely opposite vibe when fast asleep—quiet and fragile.
Shen Xuan had originally wanted to give her a flick on the forehead to wake her up.
However, gazing at the little girl's sleeping face, the youth's lips curved upward unconsciously, and he reached out his index finger to gently poke her tender, bouncy cheek.
"Considering you promised to protect me in the future, I'll make an exception and look after you a bit longer," Shen Xuan said to himself, as if making excuses to himself.
[The master is protesting too much again.]
Shen Xuan: "Shut up, no need for your commentary."
Just as he finished rebuking a certain Love-Brain System, he suddenly turned around and looked straight toward the library doors.
Before he knew it, a thin, tall man wearing a wide mage's robe was already standing outside, his gaze meeting Shen Xuan's squarely.
Shen Xuan naturally recognized this thin, tall man.
"Oh~ Lord Liu, are you here so late to borrow books?"
The youth quickly put on a professional smile, but toward this powerful Intermediate Mage, the youth showed no hint of respect in either his words or his gaze.
"Yes." Liu's reply was extremely simple. He would be leaving Winter City soon anyway, so there was no need to pretend to be amiable to a mere librarian like before.
Then his gaze drifted past Shen Xuan, landing on the sleeping young girl behind him, and he let out a cold laugh in his heart.
He was quite lucky this time; he had found his target without any twists or turns.
As for the other innocent librarian, he could just deal with him along with Luo Xiaoxue.
"Bring me all the books on Intermediate Fire-type magic in the library to look over," Liu ordered Shen Xuan unceremoniously, straight to the point.
"Alright, Lord Liu."
The youth seemed unaware of the impending danger. After agreeing, he turned around and walked toward the rows of bookshelves.
Once Shen Xuan disappeared among the bookshelves, Liu silently raised his staff and began to softly chant a magic incantation.
The fire elements between heaven and earth were rapidly gathering. At first, these fire elements were just tiny specks divided into dozens of portions, but a few seconds later, they had transformed into dozens of fist-sized flame lotuses, revolving around Liu.
Moreover, as time passed, these flame lotuses rapidly expanded, ultimately growing to the size of a human head!
It was the Intermediate Fire-type magic—Explosive Flame Lotus!
Liu released his control over the fire elements. In an instant, heat waves surged, and the temperature inside the library rapidly climbed.
Then those dozens of flame lotuses shot out in all directions almost simultaneously. The largest one flew directly toward Luo Xiaoxue's location, moving so fast that even if she were awake, it would be impossible for her to dodge!
Liu burst out laughing, his smile filled with resentment and madness: "Die, die! Old Man Jin, I really want to see with my own eyes what expression you'll have when you find out your precious granddaughter was burned to death by a big fire... But never mind, I'm not confident I can beat you right now anyway."
He had already decided that once he saw Luo Xiaoxue burned into a human torch with his own eyes, he would immediately leave Winter City and head to another kingdom; otherwise, it would be troublesome if Jin Kela caught up to him.
However, a figure flashed by like a ghost, blocking the exact space between Luo Xiaoxue and the flame lotus. As soon as he got into position, he reached out his hand, meeting the oncoming flame lotus!
Liu's eyes widened. In an instant, he saw the other person's appearance—wasn't this precisely that librarian who went to look for books?
And judging by the look of it, this librarian actually intended to use his fragile palm to block magic!
He didn't know whether to call him brave or stupid. One had to know that even High-level Mages faced mortal danger trying to block Junior attack magic with their physical bodies, let alone blocking an Intermediate magic with extremely explosive power like the Explosive Flame Lotus—that was simply courting certain death!
In the blink of an eye, the flame lotus collided with the youth's palm, the fiery glow casting a crimson hue across that handsome face.
Yet the youth's indifferent voice drifted over faintly: "Mr. Liu, I don't mind you burning down the library, but this girl is practically like a little sister to me. So, you still have some time—take a good look at your last words."
At first, Liu thought he had misheard. A youth who didn't even count as a Junior Mage actually told an Intermediate Mage to leave last words?
Before he could even sneer, the next moment, Liu suddenly opened his mouth wide, terror flooding his eyes—he saw Shen Xuan clenching his five fingers into a fist, and thereupon, that Explosive Flame Lotus, which already belonged to the realm of Intermediate magic, abruptly shrank and was obliterated under that tiny motion!
Liu screamed frantically in his mind: This isn't real!
After dealing with one flame lotus, Shen Xuan didn't extinguish the other flames in the library; instead, he turned around, his gaze falling upon the sleeping young girl.
The girl's eyelids twitched, as if she were about to wake up.
However, Shen Xuan didn't want Luo Xiaoxue to see what was happening right now. Mana surged in his palm, and he gently stroked her forehead.
"Sleep a little longer," Shen Xuan said softly.
After finishing this, he finally turned his attention back to that "Lord Liu," who still wore a look of utter horror.
"Well then, have you thought of your last words?" Shen Xuan asked calmly. "Actually, it doesn't matter if you haven't. After all, besides me, no one will ever know you're dead."
Liu felt as though he were being stared at by a demon, his entire body's muscles trembling uncontrollably!
A mere librarian—why could he so easily erase Intermediate magic? Who on earth was this kid?!
Yet Liu wasn't naive enough to question the other's identity; that wasn't important. What mattered was that the methods the other party displayed had already exceeded the limits of his cognition. Clearly, he had kicked a steel plate this time!
"M... Maybe there's some misunderstanding here..." The thin, tall man broke out in a cold sweat, his brain racing to figure out how to explain.
Shen Xuan gave a faint smile and interrupted him: "I don't think there's any misunderstanding. If these are all your last words, then what a pity."