Chapter 114: Too Late

Chapter 114

Too Late

"Professor Maxim, I don’t think you need to resign at all," Lucien said in a calm and cool tone. Did this middle-aged woman in front of him dare to threaten him? Did she think that he could be easily intimidated now?

Hah! That was too ridiculous!

However, his words, which conveyed a determination not to let Maxim resign from her position, made the middle-aged woman feel a bit relieved. She mistakenly thought that her threat had succeeded. It seemed that Lucien was afraid that she would resign because of him, so he decided to try to keep her.

But...before she could feel any satisfaction in her perceived superiority, Lucien’s next words left Maxim speechless.

"You don’t need to resign yourself, because I will be the one to make you leave your position!" Hearing this, Maxim’s eyes widened in shock. Her thick lips trembled, opening and closing as if she wanted to say something, but she truly didn’t know what to say.

"Please wait here for a moment, Professor. After I’ve interrogated the culprits, I think you will need to stay and listen too," Lucien said. Upon hearing this, Maxim panicked. The middle-aged woman bit her lip. She couldn’t wait for Lucien to drag the culprits back for interrogation; otherwise, she would have no escape left.

As long as those traitorous scoundrels were dead, there would be no witnesses left to accuse her!

Who would have thought that this female professor seemed to lose her mind? She no longer thought things through and suddenly pulled out a magical device. What she held in her hand was a poison bomb, a forbidden item in the institution.

Boom!!

Ellie moved quickly the moment she saw Professor Maxim’s body shift. She knew that the professor, being one, must have a trump card hidden. A student like her could not afford to be careless. However, what Ellie did not expect was that this professor had lost her sanity to the extent of using a poison bomb in an open area like this. In front of both professors, she seemed completely unafraid of the consequences!

Grab!

As Ellie was trying to get herself out of this deadly situation, her neck was suddenly seized tightly. The poisonous fumes made it harder for her spores to detect movements. The reduced efficiency from the poisonous smoke put Ellie at a disadvantage, preventing her from escaping one of the institute’s professors.

"Ugh!!" the young girl cried out, before seeing a flash of light and tree roots rushing in. However, the rapid attack abruptly stopped when it saw that Maxim was holding the small body of Ellie in her arms.

"Step back! Step away from here," the female professor said in a stern voice. She had no other choice. Dealing with the culprits was something that had to be done, at least to prevent those vile people from mentioning any other accomplices.

Maxim knew that after this incident, she would have to flee as far as possible. Otherwise, her only option would be death. And the death she would receive would still be a good end compared to having her supporters revealed. If such a thing really happened, it wouldn’t just be her who would die, but everyone; everyone in the organization, including her entire family.

When someone had no other options, making decisions became much easier, as there was only one path to take. With an important student of Medik as a hostage, the other party would have to give in to her demands!

"You all stay here and do not follow me, or I’ll kill this girl!" Maxim squeezed Ellie’s neck harder. Medik’s eyes flickered, and the fury displayed by this elegant person was truly terrifying. Every time Ellie saw it, it made her shiver.

"Let her go now," Medik’s voice was stern, but Maxim only laughed.

She deployed her own power shield, creating a strong water barrier. This was not to defend against attacks but to prevent others from stopping her assault.

"Don’t think about using your power to snatch her away. Your student is really foolish. I gave her many chances, but she still doesn’t understand. Sigh. You should actually be grateful if I eliminate your student for you, as it means you won’t have to waste time teaching this worthless student anymore, Medik..."

"Oh...and don’t let Lucien try any tricks either. No matter how powerful you are, I am still a professor. You wouldn’t think I could be easily blown away like a beast, would you? Because if you do that, I’ll take your student to die with me. Or you can try and see what happens."

The middle-aged professor revealed her true nature. Her intentions were now clear. With this action, both professors could definitively conclude that Professor Maxim was indeed guilty. Not to mention her apparent connection with the escaping criminals, merely using poison powder or taking a student hostage warranted more than just dismissal! The punishment would undoubtedly be much more severe!

"Alright, if you understand, then step back," Maxim relaxed after seeing that Lucien and Medik didn’t dare to move. The female professor grew complacent, fearing only that the two would disobey her. As for the young girl in her arms, she didn’t consider her someone to be cautious of. This was, in fact, her greatest mistake.

Firstly, Maxim didn’t notice that Ellie, the student who supposedly shouldn’t have much magic power, could withstand the poison powder and was completely unaffected by it. Secondly, Medik didn’t show any sign of being at a loss, despite his deep concern for Ellie. He knew that this small girl had more power than anyone realized.

At the very least, the image of the Purple Mushroom decomposing dead plant matter in Ellie’s planting plot was still vividly etched in his memory. Even though Ellie hadn’t openly demonstrated it, Medik was confident that she could use that power against people.

She had even completely eradicated an entire Porst plant, forcing him to quickly plant another tree to prevent students from panicking afterward. So...this small, seemingly insignificant student was always seen by him as a hope for him to relinquish the throne of work.

"I said, step back!" Maxim shouted furiously. Lucien looked to see what Medik would do, and he received a signal to retreat.

Although surprised by Medik’s decision, Lucien complied, stepping back as instructed. Observing Maxim’s numerous flaws in her movements, he wanted to laugh. Despite being a special professor, she couldn’t control her power effectively. If she faced an opponent who could use their power stably, it was clear that she would be defeated before she could even speak.

The middle-aged woman seemed to have lost her sanity. What she needed to do as quickly as possible was to deal with those traitorous criminals who dared to betray their employer. Maxim hurriedly dragged Ellie outside to an area where no one else was around. Fear and anxiety made the professor who excelled in self-defense fail to notice that her body was covered in spores and purple mushrooms.

"Tell me, where are they now!?" Maxim demanded, her voice harsh. But the young girl merely tilted her head.

"Why are you asking me? Shouldn’t you already know where to find them?"

"You! Don’t play games with me! Answer me now." If it were as Ellie said, that would be good, but Maxim had no idea where to find them. They hadn’t followed the agreement. There’s no way they would return to the rendezvous point! Humph, Ellie’s words just now, how could Maxim not know that were mockery?

"Professor...do you really think doing this will resolve everything? I think you must be taking orders from someone else, right? So why sacrifice yourself like this? Just tell the truth, and at least you’ll get a reduced sentence."

"Don’t lecture me! A clueless child like you, just getting attention from the Setter family, thinks she’s a high-class person now! Hah! The day the Setter family casts you aside, you’ll be nothing but low-class!"

"Oh wow, Professor, you’re prejudiced against your own students? I can’t understand how you’ve remained a professor for so long... Oh, or maybe you endure being a professor for some benefits. No, wait...You endure it to serve others’ benefits, right?" Ellie clapped her hands at this realization, which only made Maxim even angrier.

"Don’t think I won’t dare killing you, you worthless girl! Answer me, where are they hiding!?" The professor quickly came in to squeeze Ellie’s neck. If this girl still refused to speak, then it would be better if she just died. Maxim could find out herself later. Time waited for no one. If she delayed any longer and the criminals were caught, it would be too late!

However, instead of allowing herself to be captured as she initially had, Ellie dodged to the side, producing a dagger in her hand seemingly out of nowhere. The dagger plunged into Maxim’s shoulder, causing blood to splatter. Ellie retreated nearly a meter. Her previously slow movements had noticeably improved, showing the positive effects of her physical training.

"Y-You!! You evil girl, how dare you attack me?" Maxim screamed loudly. But before she could grab Ellie, her neck was suddenly restrained by a fine, sharp thread.

"Professor, I suggest you don’t move. It looks...quite dangerous." Ellie used the knife in her hand to cut the thread, which became visible as blood droplets ran along it.

Maxim’s eyes widened in shock. She hadn’t even realized Ellie had set such a trap. And yes! To differentiate herself from "Luke," Ellie had chosen to train in using knives and weapons like thread for restraining enemies. She had spent months mastering knife skills, and using thread was not an issue since the spores constantly monitored everything for her. With just a glance, she knew where to set the traps. Of course, the "Soft Jade Manual" from Professor Regan also aided in this training.

The Soft Jade technique allowed her body to be incredibly flexible. It could be said that it was a technique that really helped with movements when fighting enemies. However, it did not enhance her offensive or defensive powers; it simply made her body adjustment more perfect. Thus, when using this technique to set traps, she could do so seamlessly, so much so that even Professor Maxim was unaware.

No! It was more accurate to say it was fortunate that Professor Maxim hadn’t paid close attention. She was preoccupied with thoughts of the criminals, making it easy for Ellie to trap her unnoticed. If it had been Professor Lucien, Professor Medik, or Professor Regan, Ellie believed they would have noticed immediately because her Soft Jade technique was still at a beginner level.

"Haha. Haha. Haha, how ridiculous!" The female professor, realizing she had been trapped by a first-year student, felt deeply humiliated. Her desire to kill Ellie intensified, and she laughed maniacally, though her eyes were filled with a murderous aura.

"You’ve planned this well, truly impressive. Your abilities are such a pity to waste. But don’t forget, I have over 10 years of experience as a professor. Do you really think there’s no way for me to survive this situation?"

The middle-aged woman pulled out a familiar device, one of the many hidden cards she possessed...the "poison powder bomb."

Maxim planned to throw the bomb at Ellie. With such a powerful explosive, the girl would surely meet her end. This hidden card had allowed Maxim to defeat numerous enemies in the past!

However, before she could use the device she was so proud of, Ellie waved her hand once, stopping the professor from wasting any more time. The young girl even had a smile on her face.

"Professor, I don’t think you should use the poison powder a second time."

"Why! Are you scared? Then beg for mercy! Kneel and beg for mercy, and I might consider sparing your life."

"Professor...you’re truly ridiculous." Hearing Ellie speak so dismissively infuriated Maxim. Her face flushed with anger, she no longer cared for any banter. She hurled the bomb at Ellie, intent on ending the life of this insolent girl immediately!