Robb responded politely, but with his newly heightened perception, he caught a faint inconsistency in Oliver's face.
There was an extremely subtle seam, almost invisible, but under his now elevated mental sensitivity, it stood out clearly.
He glanced at Marcus's small, ugly face, then back at Oliver's unnaturally flawless one.
He quickly cut off that dangerous train of thought. Best not to follow that line any further.
"Well then, I won't disturb you any longer." Oliver bowed slightly, making an elegant farewell gesture. "I hope we meet again someday."
Marcus followed behind his brother, but turned to glance back at Robb as they departed.
That look in his eyes held a twisted mix of emotions—pity like he was looking at a dead man, schadenfreude, and an indescribable sense of vindictive satisfaction.
That gaze made Robb's heart sink. His gut told him Oliver's "courteous visit" was anything but sincere.
Only when the two disappeared at the end of the hallway did he finally exhale and start packing up his things.
Now that he was free, there was no reason to stay any longer.
Moreover, with his enhanced perception, he could sense a faint trace of eerie energy lingering in the room—some residual magical signature left by Oliver.
Robb shuddered. He decided to leave this place as soon as possible.
Whatever Oliver was planning, Robb knew that at his current level, he was nowhere near strong enough to handle it.
The moment he stepped out of the confinement room, he took a deep breath.
Though the air of the Black Mist Forest still carried its usual cloying mix of sweetness and blood, to someone just released from isolation, it felt like luxury.
"What the hell is that guy up to…"
Robb walked and pondered. First, he'd return to his room—then speak to Andrey to get a clearer picture.
As he made his way back, he could feel how much he had changed in just two weeks.
His internal mental power had undergone a qualitative leap, sharpening his perception to the point where even his gait had become more fluid and effortless.
To him, the nearby apprentice candidates appeared like glowing flames—he could sense their spiritual strength and frequency of fluctuations with surprising clarity.
This might be ordinary to others, but for Robb—who had just broken through—it still felt incredibly novel.
Soon, he arrived at his room.
The door lock was intact. Seemed no one had tried to break in during his absence.
Still, Robb checked his hidden tamper marks—subtle traps he had set before leaving to detect intruders.
Once he confirmed everything was untouched, he finally relaxed.
"Guess I was overthinking it."
He chuckled at himself and began organizing his belongings.
The modest apprentice dorm was far from luxurious, but it was still a major step up from the confinement cell.
Just as he was about to sit and rest, a sudden, rapid knocking came from the door.
"Robb, you're back?" Andrey's voice came through the door.
Robb raised an eyebrow—seemed the Thirteenth Prince's intel was as sharp as ever.
"Come in, it's not locked."
Andrey pushed the door open, visibly surprised.
"I was just eating in the dining hall when I heard someone say they saw you in the hallway. I had to come check. Did you use extra magic stones to get out early? That's pretty extravagant…"
He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, pupils shrinking slightly. "Wait—you've…"
Robb smiled faintly. "That's right. I broke through."
"An Initiate Apprentice!" Andrey sucked in a sharp breath. "And you did it in confinement? That's just…"
His tone was full of disbelief, but he quickly composed himself. "Although, given how fast you've been improving lately, maybe it's not that surprising."
Robb motioned for him to sit, then gave a simplified version of his breakthrough—carefully omitting anything about his class progression system.
"As expected of you," Andrey said sincerely. "Confinement is torment for most people, but you managed to turn it into the perfect environment for a focused breakthrough."
A flicker of complexity and frustration flashed in his eyes.
"Robb, you know… sometimes I really wonder how you've progressed so far in such a short time…"
Robb didn't bite on that line. Instead, he smoothly changed the subject.
"What do you know about Oliver?"
Hearing the name, Andrey's face immediately turned serious. "He came to see you?"
Robb nodded. "Just now. I only got out this early because he spent magic stone fragments to make it happen."
"That's not a good sign." Andrey lowered his voice:
"Oliver doesn't have a good reputation in the academy. He's known for being a smiling predator. His research path is… let's just say… disturbing. Even other High Apprentices tend to avoid him."
"Be specific," Robb pressed.
Andrey hesitated, weighing how much to reveal.
"His focus is on live modification…"
He lowered his voice even further:
"It's said most of the 'materials' in his lab were slaves collected by Marcus."
Robb thought of Emily, the girl he'd met before, and his heart sank.
"But what I don't get is—why did he bother visiting you?"
Andrey frowned. "A petty conflict between Marcus and you shouldn't mean anything to someone at Oliver's level."
"I think…" Robb said quietly, "it might be related to Darude's sonic spell research."
Andrey caught on. "You mean—he's interested in the project?"
"More than interested," Robb recalled Oliver's words. "He said sonic spells and curses share similarities—they both use unique methods to subtly and continuously affect their targets."
"That… actually makes sense," Andrey admitted. "But still, for a High Apprentice to personally reach out to someone who just broke through? That's odd."
The two fell into a brief silence, each lost in thought.
Eventually, Andrey broke it.
"Whatever the case, you need to be extra careful. Oliver's not someone you want to cross. Even our royal connections don't hold much sway against someone like him inside the academy…"
Robb nodded, fully understanding the weight of that warning.
"Oh, right," Andrey added, as if just remembering something. "Over the past two weeks, the black market merchants in the bazaar have gotten active again. A few more candidates got into trouble."
"Same banned potions?" Robb asked.
"Yes—but this time, something's different." Andrey's tone turned grim.
"The mutations caused by the potions are… more controlled. Almost like they were intentionally engineered."
Robb's mind raced. "You think Oliver could be behind it?"
"It's just my suspicion," Andrey said carefully. "But the timing is suspiciously convenient."
Robb's eyes narrowed, then he casually brought up a seemingly unrelated question:
"I was wondering… could the black market possibly have some… special materials or formulas?"