bdsm-fiction Chapter 4 The Expensive Bet
Chapter 4 The Expensive Bet
Angers turned to face Su An with a kind expression, as if he hadn't just fired the shot; his tone was light:
"I am an educator who distinguishes between rewards and punishments, and it is only right that students who violate the rules should be given a small punishment."
Alright, let's talk about the truth of the world. Let's leave aside the red tape of the Abrahamic blood pact for now; geniuses deserve special treatment.
Su An's eyelids twitched. The old man's shooting posture was too skilled, as if he were a veteran who had just come from the front line of the battlefield. With every move and a smile, he could throw grenades into the enemy trenches as if they were candy. Could this old man's words really be trusted?
Angers seemed oblivious to Suan's surprise and suspicion. He reached into the lining of his dress and took out a scale.
The scales were about the size of a palm, an ancient dark red. They were neither like the shells of amphibians nor the scales of reptiles. Su An couldn't imagine what kind of creature on Earth had such large scales. Perhaps only dragons in mythology had scales of this size?
"What is this?"
"This is a glimpse into the truth of the world, a genuine dragon scale, from a second-generation ancient tomb recently excavated by the Execution Department. Its hardness will tell you everything."
Angers raised the scale and flicked it with his finger. The scale trembled slightly, and then he tossed it to Su An.
"Try pricking it."
Su An took the scale with suspicion and raised the fruit knife to stab it downwards.
With a crash, the fruit knife shattered.
Angers was not surprised, and he continued:
"Try using my folding knife."
Su An glanced down at the folding knife in his hand. The ornate Damascus steel pattern was hidden in the blade, and the sharp angles were displayed without any transition at the tip. It was an exceptionally beautiful knife, and it was obviously very valuable.
"If the knife breaks later, I won't pay for it."
Angers chuckled and nodded. "The folding knife won't break. Use all your strength to stab downwards."
Su An raised his folding knife, aimed at the scales, took a three-second breath, and said:
"If the scales break, I won't pay for them either."
Angers nodded helplessly and explained gently:
"These are scales from a second-generation species. Apart from a very few high-bloodline hybrids who can pierce them with their bare hands, no one else can pierce them. Besides, this is a teaching tool. Teaching tools don't break, and even if they do, they won't hold you responsible for paying for them."
Su An still looked suspicious, making Angers scratch his head repeatedly. This newly awakened boy was incredibly talented, but he was always unusually cautious in strange situations. However, it is also the responsibility of educators to answer students' questions and put their minds at ease, and as the principal, he must set a good example.
Thoughts raced through his mind, and Angers smiled as he said, "If you can shatter it, I owe you a promise, a promise from Hilbert to Angers. Perhaps you don't understand what this means, but please believe in its value."
To be shameless and boastful, I am quite famous, and I will strive to fulfill my promises, but only if you can shatter this scale.
Su An was finally relieved. He focused his mind, gripped the folding knife with both hands, and pushed it down hard.
With a clang, the blade struck the scales hard, producing a dull thud that was neither metal nor wood. The special buffering and energy-storing molecular structure within the dragon scales vibrated continuously, and the kinetic energy released by Su An's attack was actually absorbed by the scales with each high-speed vibration.
This was the result Angers had expected, and he began to use it as a starting point to introduce the secrets of the dragon race.
But an unexpected event occurred. A series of extremely subtle spatial distortions condensed at the tip of the folding knife. Su An felt as if the space between the folding knife and the scales had shattered, and the remaining emptiness burst forth with tremendous pulling force. Su An almost subconsciously and uncontrollably thrust out a knife.
A flash of cold light passed by, followed by a slight cracking sound.
Angers and Suan looked down and saw a small crack appear in the arched middle of the crimson scale. The crack then spread uncontrollably, and the stress moved through the precarious structure of the scale. With a pop, the scale shattered and split in two from the crack.
"You said I wouldn't have to pay for it!"
Fearing that Angers might change his mind, Su An spoke first.
Su An stared intently at Angers' face. He had a vague idea that the old man meant no harm, but the scale was telling him from head to toe, "I am precious." Whatever the story behind it, Su An was certain that it was not cheap.
Angers' expression was strange, seemingly a little embarrassed, but more so a shock as he came to the realization of the significance behind "the scales being shattered by Su An's knife".
"I have never seen such amazing talent."
His tone was fiery, almost burning hot, as if the piety that an ascetic had been searching for on his pilgrimage had finally been realized, and he had finally found the core that would determine the fate of the dragon-slaying battlefield.
Angers placed his hands on Su An's shoulders, looking Su An in the eye.
"Su An, you are a genius, a sharp blade that can decide the fate of our race. But once you step onto this path, there is no turning back. I lost the bet, and I owe you a promise, but have you really thought about stepping into the truth of this world?"
Su An's eyes remained a calm blue. The intense pain from overusing his abilities repeatedly assaulted his mind, but for some reason, he gradually became able to endure it.
"Mr. Angers, I certainly enjoy the constant struggle for an ordinary life while indulging in comfort, even if it means dying suddenly..."
Su An showed a slight look of recollection, then said calmly, "But... I hate being an ignorant mouse, only knowing my fate at the very last moment. Whether an ant or a lion, everyone should have their own choices. Rather than being a black or white piece in Go, manipulated at will, I'd rather be a pawn in chess."
Angers asked curiously, "Why?"
"Even a pawn, though insignificant, can still move," Su An licked his lips. "Besides, a pawn charges forward without hesitation; who knows if it can't kill the king?"
Angers looked intently at Su An, his gaze deep and unsettling, and said, "You want to know the truth about this world, and then make your own choice?"
Su An laughed heartily:
"I hate the scenario of being forced into a corner, and I'd much rather scout out the situation before deciding to board the pirate ship."
“But that’s not how the world works,” Angers shook his head, looking down at his folding knife, his eyes distant and unfocused like a ghost: “You never know when you’ll be strapped to a chariot, marching forward to the sound of war drums, until the very end.”
"But I'm a genius, aren't I? Didn't you say geniuses deserve special treatment? Educators can't contradict themselves, can they?"
Angers burst into laughter after hearing this; he hadn't laughed so freely in a long time.
His silver brows were sharp as knives, and his eyes beneath them glowed golden with excitement. Those golden eyes reflected Su An's blue eyes, like a mirage of a sapphire.
"That's right, you're not a pawn. You're Su An from Class 6, Grade 12 at Shilan High School. You have your own destiny, but you can consider a second option, like becoming a warrior."
Angers bowed slightly again, and pulled a green-covered admissions brochure from his pocket. The World Tree, half withered and half thriving, had its sharp branches creeping from the front to the back of the brochure, which was inscribed with the title "Kassel College Admissions Brochure" in Latin, Chinese, English, and other languages.
Su An subconsciously read it aloud: "Kassel College?"
Angers slowly opened the manual, his gaze fixed on Su An.
"Let me introduce myself. I am the principal of Kassel College in Illinois, USA."
Our school only teaches one thing: slaying dragons.