"Isn't this the hallway where I encountered that blonde ghost and got stabbed by Alysia?"
As he looked around, he soon realized that this was likely the scene after he went unconscious or, as Alysia claimed, died. Furthermore, it became apparent that he now perceived things from a third-person perspective. However, his perspective was limited to the space around Alysia, and he couldn't wander freely.
He saw his lifeless body with a dagger plunged into his heart, leaning against the walls.
Even though he had guessed it much, it still gave him an uncomfortable feeling to see his own body in that state.
Shockingly, there was no blood in sight. His clothes appear to be unharmed either.
It's as if the dagger wasn't there in the first place.
Is this dagger a magic weapon? The kind of magic weapon that is able to penetrate through obstacles?
As he was guessing, he watched something emerge from his body. It was the blonde ghost, who had shrunk to the size of a palm.
She seemed frightened and wanted to escape, but Alysia's hand was faster.
She effortlessly grabbed the flying blonde ghost and chuckled. "Hehe, you think you could run away after causing this mess? No way!"
The blonde ghost struggled in Alysia's grip, but her efforts were in vain against Alysia's firm hold.
She soon took out what appeared to be a small, transparent pearl with her other hand.
Next, proceeded to clasp her hands, effectively merging the white, transparent pearl and the blonde ghost
The blonde ghost seemed to understand what Alysia intended to do and began to struggle desperately, but her efforts proved futile. Alysia continued to grind her palms together, forcefully connecting the two objects.
Finally, after a whole minute, Alysia lifted her palms, revealing the once small, transparent pearl, now filled with grey fog substances.
'Is she sealing the ghost inside the pearl, similar to how some monks entrap demons in their prayer beads?' Austin speculated.
Alysia smiled contently as she gazed at the pearl. Following that, she bit her thumb, letting the blood drip, and used those blood droplets to engrave something on the pearl.
After a while, the pearl seemed to shake as if humming before returning to silence.
Alysia nodded approvingly and promptly stored the pearl inside her pocket.
As if remembering something, she finally cast a glance at Austin's lifeless body.
'Took you a damn few minutes to finally remember me!' Austin cried inwardly.
However, he soon curious about what she's gonna do with his body.
Would she princess-carry him?
Or would she prefer to sling him over her shoulder, much like carrying boxes?
Which option would she choose?
Either way, both options looked horrendous.
The first one is just downright weird, given his height of around 1.70 meters. Although Alysia wasn't a short woman, it would be odd to see her carrying a person of his size.
As for the second option, it was more humiliating. Imagine being carried around like a piece of luggage.
His thoughts were disrupted by the scene of Alysia walking toward his body.
Under his anticipating gaze, she made a movement that caught him completely off guard
To his surprise, she chose none of the options he had imagined.
Without a hint of ceremony, she simply grabbed the collar of his shirt and started pulling, dragging his body in the process.
It was like a mother cat dragging her kitten with her mouth.
Or a person dragging their suitcase.
"..." Austin was utterly speechless.
My lady, could you at least pretend to care about me, even though I was dead at the moment?
As she dragged his body down the staircase, she took out her phone and dialed someone.
She seems to be nonchalant to the fact Austin's body kept rebounding against the staircase with each step she descended.
Austin felt a pang of hurt witnessing how he was treated worse than trash. He had the urge to wake up from this dream-like state and hurl curses at her.
Yet, he knew it would be akin to seeking death. From the way she carried his body leisurely, it could be perceived how strong she was. He weighed around 70kg, yet, he was treated as if nothing but a piece of weak chicken for her.
...
The call finally connected.
"Eris, please acquire the required ingredients for the Servant Contract and Demon Reincarnation Ritual from Merlin," Alysia ordered promptly.
"Oh, you want to appoint a new servant, young miss? That's a rare occurrence." Eris's voice came from the other end.
"Yup, I'll tell you the details later."
"Okay, young miss, I'll visit Merlin immediately. I'm going to hang up now."
...
After ending the call, Alysia pondered for a moment before dialing another number.
It didn't take more than a couple of seconds before the call was answered.
"H-hello, Ma'am. What do you need from this lowly one?" A shaky, nervous voice, presumably that of a middle-aged man, came from the phone.
"Ey, how many times have I told you to drop the formality, Dean Brian?" Alysia replied with jest.
Dean Brian?
Was this supposed to be the Dean Brian I knew? That same old man full of dignity and pride, always giving a long speech about his achievements when the opportunity presented?
"N-no, that's not acceptable. This lowly one wouldn't dare to commit such an insolent act," Dean Brian replied with a stutter.
Alysia's tone quickly turned cold. "Hey, Dean Brian, I've been cutting you some slack lately, haven't I? If I say the Earth is flat, then it's flat. If I tell you to drop the formality, I mean it."
"I don't want to appear like an old and stern leader being addressed as 'ma'am,' and you keep referring to yourself as a 'lowly one.' Just call me 'student' from now on," Alysia said with a bright smile at the end of her sentence.
"T-then, student Alysia it is. So, how may I help you today, student Alysia?" Dean Brian quickly assumed the role.
"I'm currently in the Faculty Art Building One. Could you please clear the CCTV content around the area for the duration of this night?" Alysia asked.
"Absolutely, that will be easy. Anything else you need, Student Alysia?"
"No, that's all for now."
Dean Brian breathed a sigh of relief as he ended the call.
"Dear, who was that?" An alluring voice, accompanied by warm breath, reached his ears.
"Just my superior," Dean Brian stood up and strode toward the balcony, ignoring the owner of the coquettish voice.
Previously, he had been ready to move on to the final stage with his young lover, just inches away from devouring her completely.
However, Alysia's call caught him off guard, and he was no longer in the mood to continue the deed.
He fumbled to light his cigarette and dialed someone.
"Will, it's me..."
...
After the call with Dean Brian, Austin watched as Alysia continued her journey to the college parking lot.
However, he abruptly felt as if the world froze, and his vision went black. Soon, he found himself back in Alysia's study.
"I'm back?"
"Welcome back. How was the little trip down my memory lane?" Alysia inquired while holding her chin, looking interested.