Chapter 31 Professor Claude
Seeing the old man, I let out a smile and called out his name, saying “Professor” in a low voice. He smiled back at me, that familiar gentle smile that never seemed to age with the rest of him, and he slowly removed the microscopic glass before placing it gently on the table beside him. The precision in his movements was still the same, methodical, patient, almost ceremonial, as if even setting down a piece of glass required detailed intention.
Before I could stop myself, I dashed across the room and threw my arms around him. The force nearly pushed him off balance, but even with his old age, he caught me with surprising steadiness, like he already anticipated I’d launch myself at him the moment I stepped into the lab. His grip was firm, and warm. He patted my back once, twice, in that habitual way of his before we slowly separated from the hug.
This old man is Claude, though everyone simply called him Professor. I had known him since I was a child. For as long as my memory reached back, he was here, working in this secluded, metal-filled sanctuary my father built for him. The smell of oil, steel, and old books had practically raised me.
The professor tilted his head and raised a brow. “Why didn’t you answer my question earlier?” he asked with that same gentle smile. His voice had a way of sounding both amused and scolding at the same time.
I took a breath and met his eyes. “Because… I’ve decided to take responsibility,” I said. “I’m ready to lead the clan properly. Like a real leader should.” Guilt crawled at the back of my throat. “And… I’m sorry for throwing tantrums back then.” My voice lowered along with my head. Even remembering the mess I caused years ago made embarrassment coil in my stomach.
This man, for all his frailty and age, was a highly wanted fugitive, one of the most dangerous minds the government ever failed to arrest. A high-profile criminal who once created and sold illegal, deadly weapons in the black market. They said his inventions could change the tide of wars, bring countries to their knees, and erase entire organizations overnight. And yet, here he was, the man who taught me how to hold a knife before I learned how to read properly.
He met my father while he was on the run. Instead of turning him in, my father offered him shelter, a hidden space, and the resources he needed to continue his work. In return, the Professor swore loyalty to our family. He’d been under the Blade family’s protection ever since, and he rarely, if ever, left this underground facility.
Back when my father was alive, he had begged the professor to teach me everything he knew. My father wanted me to inherit the professor’s unparalleled mastery, his precision, his instincts, the eerie talent he possessed for predicting the outcome of a fight before the first strike even landed. He was quirkless, just like me, but that only made him even more terrifying. He was feared because he didn’t need a supernatural ability to be lethal; his mind and skill alone were already a weapon.
Professor chuckled softly. “You were just a child. Children throw tantrums. That is natural.” He lifted a finger. “But do not pretend as if you were ever an ordinary child.”
I sighed. “Still… I shouldn’t have acted the way I did.”
“And yet here you are,” he replied. “That tells me more than any apology can.”
Professor walked closer, his steps slow but steady, and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I was never angry with you. I knew you would come back one day.” His voice gentled even more. “And I am glad you are finally prepared to act like a real leader… and stain your hands with blood when needed.”
I swallowed. The weight of those words pressed heavy on my chest.
He pulled back just a little and narrowed his eyes playfully. “Now the important question—have you lost your touch, or do you still have it in you?”
A smirk tugged at my lips. “I’m better than you now,” I answered jokingly, lifting my chin with exaggerated arrogance.
“Oh?” he chuckled, amused. “Then you should prove it.” He tapped the side of his head. “As a matter of fact, I just finished working on a new weapon. I was going to test it later, but since you’re here—”
He paused mid-sentence, his gaze shifting past me. His eyes finally landed on Eric and Anna standing quietly behind me. He stared at them for a long second, then turned back to me with a raised eyebrow, silently asking who the strangers in his sanctuary were.
I cleared my throat. “Ah—right. Professor, this is Eric.” I pointed at him. “He’s my bodyguard. And this is Anna. My maid.”
Eric bowed slightly. “A pleasure to meet you, Professor.”
Anna followed with a small, polite nod. “It is an honor, sir.”
The professor studied them both for a moment longer, his sharp gaze dissecting everything from their posture to their breathing pattern. Then, with an approving hum, he lowered his guard.
“Well,” he said, “if they are with you, I suppose they are trustworthy.” The edge to his voice disappeared.
In the next second, he picked up a small device from the table. “Since you claim you are better than me now… let’s test that confidence.” He pressed a button with his thumb.
Instantly, the entire lab began to shift.
The floor vibrated beneath us. Mechanical whirs echoed through the enormous underground chamber as gears rotated, panels slid open, and metallic arms unfolded from hidden compartments. Walls shifted and rearranged themselves like a giant puzzle being reassembled. Eric took a cautious step back while Anna’s eyes widened in awe.
Within seconds, several massive dummies—reinforced, armored, and each marked with multiple glowing targets, rose from the ground and lined up before our eyes. Their metal bodies gleamed under the white laboratory lights, humming with energy.
The professor folded his hands behind his back and smirked. “Show me what kind of leader you have become.”