New Era 825, Winter, Thirteenth Month.

Taal Duchy, Royal City.

A biting cold wind, akin to the swirling flakes of a White Dragon, swept through the world outside, already blanketed in white. The ground was covered with snow and ice half a meter deep.

As the final month of winter, the Thirteenth Month was the coldest in the year.

In a cold room at the Holy Splendor Knight Academy located in the northern part of the city, there lay a stiff corpse on a wooden bed. The face of the deceased was as pale as paper, seemingly lifeless for quite some time.

Outside, the cold wind howled, but inside was an eerie silence.

"Pain! It's too painful!!"

Feeling the excruciating tearing pain throughout his body, Sauron screamed in his mind, but trapped in this lifeless body, he couldn't produce a sound.

Five hours! A whole five hours!

Sauron's consciousness had transferred to this corpse five hours ago, enduring a pain that seemed to emanate from the depths of his soul. He cursed why his consciousness remained so clear.

He had crossed, but not completely!

In Sauron's memory, as a programmer, he had only worked for over twenty hours before losing consciousness.

Then, he found himself in this corpse.

The pain from the depths of his soul had persisted for five hours. However, Sauron remained oblivious to the current situation.

Although he had some perception of his surroundings and a clear mind, he couldn't control the body's slightest movement.

He couldn't even open his eyes.

"It's snowing outside, so it should be winter now!"

Enduring the pain, Sauron forced himself to calm down. Even though he was trapped in this corpse, he wanted to gather as much information as possible.

Gah gah!

At this moment, a creaking sound came from the door. Two silhouettes seemed to enter, lightly brushing off the snow on their bodies.

Sauron felt a glimmer of hope and wanted to ask for help from the two.

However, despite exerting all his strength, he couldn't make a sound. He could only reluctantly give up and wait for the two to approach.

"Is this Sauron?"

The owner of the voice was a young girl who walked to the bedside. However, she didn't dare to get too close, curiously examining the stiff corpse.

"Yes, it's him."

Another older female voice spoke. Compared to the young girl, she was much more composed, not only walking to the body but also lifting her upper clothing.

A pale chest was presented before the two.

"No wounds on the body. How did he die?"

The young girl's voice held some confusion as she carefully examined the body, finding no signs of injury. If not for the pale skin color, it would seem like he was peacefully asleep.

"At present, it's uncertain. We need to examine before drawing conclusions."

The older woman's tone was calm. She said, "However, judging from the current situation in Night Raven City, it's highly likely he was poisoned. Given the recent circumstances, many wouldn't want him alive."

"Martha teacher, are you suggesting... Sauron was murdered?" The young girl's face displayed surprise.

"It's very possible."

Martha's voice lowered, shaking her head. "The Lord of Night Raven City has been missing for over three months. Rumors outside claim he has been killed."

"And from the perspective of bloodline, Sauron is the only successor to the Lord of Night Raven City!"

"As long as he's dead, those noble families from the Western border can rightfully divide the wealth of the Swain family. Night Raven City will once again fall under the control of the Duke of the Western border."

Hearing Martha's words, the young girl couldn't help but swallow hard.

"Of course, all this is just my speculation."

Martha shrugged. "Perhaps this poor little fellow didn't die from murder but a sudden illness."

The conversation between the two women echoed clearly in Sauron's ears.

"Indeed, I've crossed, haven't I?"

Based on the dialogue between the two women, Sauron gathered some information. While not necessarily accurate, it seemed highly credible.

"...Alright, Evelyn."

At this point, Martha spoke again. "Since you want to become a scholar, dealing with corpses will be inevitable in your future."

"Now, bring out your tools!"

"Tools? What tools?"

Hearing Martha's words, Sauron suddenly felt an ominous premonition.

"Yes, Martha teacher!"

Evelyn obediently nodded, then opened a box containing various knives, hooks, and clamps.

"Get ready." Martha instructed. "Start?"

"Start? Start what!?" Sauron shouted in his mind.

Evelyn took a deep breath, took out a small knife from the box, but before she could make a move, her hand involuntarily trembled.

"You can't do it like this."

Seeing Evelyn too nervous, Martha shook her head, grabbed the other's hand, and pressed the small knife against the chest of the corpse.

"Dissecting a body is like this."

Martha spoke gently, encouraging, "The first time is always nerve-wracking, but only by experiencing these things can you become an excellent scholar."

"Remember when I was young, the first time I dissected a body with the teacher, I was almost scared to tears."

"But as long as you overcome the fear within, you'll understand how interesting body dissection is."

"Unlike living people, corpses never lie."

"As an excellent scholar, with the skills learned from dissection, you can obtain any information you want from a body!"

"That's the charm of body dissection!"

Martha patted Evelyn's shoulder, her eyes flashed with encouragement. She said, "Come on, Evelyn, I believe you can do it!"

"Thank you, Martha teacher."

With Martha's encouragement, Evelyn's hand holding the knife no longer trembled, and the nervousness and fear gradually disappeared from her heart.

"Yes, I can do it!"

Evelyn's eyes were determined, gripping the knife firmly. She said solemnly, "Overcome the fear within, and I will surely become an excellent scholar!"

With that, a faint smile appeared on Evelyn's face.

She had finally suppressed the fear in her heart. Next, as long as she completed this dissection, it would be considered the first step toward becoming a scholar.

"Very well, Evelyn."

Seeing Evelyn calm down, Martha slightly nodded and said, "Assuming this body was poisoned, where do you think this dissection should start?"

"I think... it should start from the chest!" Evelyn replied.

"Good, let's begin!" Martha nodded in satisfaction.

Hearing Martha teacher's approval, Evelyn's eyes became even more determined. At this moment, there was no longer any fear on her face.

The next moment, the small knife in Evelyn's hand descended.

"Wait!"

At this moment, a hand suddenly rose, grabbing Evelyn's wrist, and a trembling voice said, "Actually... I think I can still be saved!"