I Destroyed the School after They Stole My Fate

The day they ripped out my spiritual root, the snow came down hard. I lay on the freezing altar as my fiancee tore the Supreme Bone from my chest and stitched it into the chest of the man she loved. She smiled and said it was for the good of the school.

I was left powerless and thrown into the Abyss of a Thousand Bones to die. However, they had no idea that a mysterious book with no words was hidden inside me. Only the deepest hatred and the agony of being on the brink of death could awaken it.
Chapter 1
It hurt. It felt like someone was scraping the flesh off my bones inch by inch with a rusty, blunt knife.
I opened my eyes. Everything around me was pitch-black. The stench of rot and blood filled my nose. Cold, sticky mud pressed against my back, and I coughed.
I tried to move a finger, only to realize that there was hardly a patch of unbroken skin left on my body. Where my Supreme Bone had once been, there was only a gaping hole in my chest. Whenever the wind blew, it whistled through the wound.
That was my Supreme Bone.
Three years ago, on another snowy day, my fiancee, Rebecca Lawson, had ripped it out with her own hands.
“Felix, don’t blame me.”
She had been wearing her wedding dress. Her smile had been gentle.
“William has extraordinary talent. He only needs this last bone to break through to the Golden Core Realm. You’re just a junior student. Even if you kept this bone, you could never use its full power.
“For the good of the school, consider this the last thing you can do for us.”
She had spoken as if nothing was wrong with what she was doing.
My fellow students, the same people who called me their friends every day, had stood nearby. Every one of them kept their head down. Not a single one dared to look me in the eye.
When they threw me into the Abyss of a Thousand Bones, I could still hear the cheers from above. They were celebrating the birth of a once-in-a-generation prodigy at the school.
“Heh…”
I forced a smile. A ragged, wheezing sound came from my throat. The moment Rebecca ripped out my bone, Felix had already died.
Suddenly, a bitterly cold wind rose from the bottom of the abyss. Countless anguished cries echoed through it. It sounded as if thousands of restless spirits were crying in my ears.
Then, something moved inside the bloody hole in my chest. It was not the itch of a healing wound. Rather, it was a sharp, piercing pain, as if something alive were burrowing deep into my bones.
I looked down. A faint ray of light from the opening far above illuminated the ground beneath me. In that dim light, I saw that my blood had not clotted. Instead, it gathered on the ground as if it were alive. It formed a strange symbol.
The next second, the strange symbol shot straight into my forehead.
With a loud boom, it felt like thunder had exploded inside my head. A pitch-black book with no cover appeared deep inside my mind.
The pages turned on their own. A line of blood-red text appeared.
[Host is on the verge of death. Resentment level has reached the required threshold. The Life-Stealing Book is now active.]
[Current target: The person with the strongest life force within a ten-mile radius.]
[Steal?]
I froze. Steal someone’s life?
Before I could process what was happening, I heard rocks tumbling down from above.
“Martin, are you sure that piece of trash is dead?” a shrill voice called out.
“He’s dead. No question about it. But Mr. Baker told us to check the body ourselves. What if he still has something valuable that he never handed over?” another gruff voice replied.
Two figures slid down the ropes. The flickering firelight revealed two familiar faces.
They were Martin Watson and Simon Lane, two junior students. They used to bring me tea and water and address me with great respect.
“Well, look at that. He’s not dead yet.” Martin jumped when he saw my eyes open. Then, he gave me a vicious grin. “Felix, you really are hard to kill. Good. Now we can finish the job and go back.”
Simon rubbed his hands together. His eyes were full of greed as he stared at me. “Felix, if you have anything valuable left, hand it over. You’re going to die anyway. Why not let us have it?”
I looked at them and suddenly smiled.
The Life-Stealing Book flashed wildly in my mind. The blood-red letters were so bright that they almost burned my eyes.
[Target locked: Martin Watson, third level of Arcane Refinement.]
[Steal his remaining thirty years of life?]
“Sure,” I said softly.
The two men froze. They clearly had not expected me to agree so readily.
The moment his fingers touched my collar, I shot out my hand and grabbed his wrist.
“What are you doing?!” he shouted in panic. He tried to pull away, but my grip was like a steel vise. He could not break free.
“Let me borrow your life.” I stared into his eyes and said each word slowly.
Martin’s eyes suddenly widened.
The next second, it was as if every drop of life had been drained from his body. His skin shriveled before my eyes, and his hair turned white. Then, his teeth fell out. All the life force in his body poured into mine like a flood breaking through a dam.
Simon was so terrified that he dropped to the ground. A wet patch spread across the front of his pants.
“Ghost... Ghost!”
I let go.
Martin’s body collapsed onto the ground like a piece of dead wood.
New flesh began to grow over the bloody hole in my chest. A warm current spread through my body. My damaged energy channels began to reconnect.
[Theft successful. Thirty years of life acquired. Cultivation restored to the fifth level of Arcane Refinement.]
[Special effect activated: Basic Concealment Technique.]
I stood up and rolled my neck. It cracked loudly.
Simon was still trembling. He kept muttering to himself.
I walked over and crouched in front of him. Then, I patted his face, which was covered in tears and snot.
“Go back and tell Rebecca and William.”
I leaned close to his ear and said, “Tell them to keep their necks clean and wait for me. I’m coming to make them pay.”

Chapter 2
Simon scrambled away on all fours.
I did not go after him. I had regained the fifth level of Arcane Refinement, but I had only just had my Supreme Bone ripped out. My foundation was still unstable. It would be unwise to get into another fight.
More importantly, the Life-Stealing Book had given me an even bigger surprise.
[Novice Quest Complete: First Life Stolen.]
[Reward: One damaged fragment of the Supreme Bone.]
[Description: This fragment can be fused with the host’s body and temporarily replace the original Supreme Bone.]
[Warning: The host’s body may reject the fragment. The blood essence of high-level magic wielders must be absorbed regularly to suppress the reaction.]
I stared at the bone fragment in my hand. It was only about the size of a fingernail. Dark red blood still stained it.
Whose bone was this?
The system did not say, but I could feel it. The power inside this fragment was even more overwhelming than my original Supreme Bone.
I pressed the fragment into the bloody hole in my chest.
A wave of excruciating pain hit me again. It was ten times worse than when my bone had been ripped out.
I clenched my teeth. Cold sweat soaked through my back. The fragment seemed almost alive. It pierced into my flesh and forced its way into my damaged energy channels.
I had no idea how much time passed before the pain finally faded. I took a deep breath and tried to channel my spiritual energy.
The air around me trembled. The energy flowed several times more smoothly than before. It also carried a strange dark red tint that reminded me of blood.
Was this the power I had stolen?
I clenched my fist and felt the immense power surging through my body.
Faint shouts and explosions came from somewhere above the Abyss of a Thousand Bones. The school must have discovered that something was wrong with Martin and Simon. They had sent people down to investigate.
The Life-Stealing Book had given me the Concealment Technique. I used it as I climbed up the rock wall like a ghost.
The corpses scattered throughout the abyss gave me the perfect cover. Torches swept across the rocks above me, but no one noticed the extra “dead man” hidden in the shadows.
By the time I climbed out of the abyss, dawn was breaking.
I hid behind an old locust tree and looked at the gates of Skycrest School in the distance, surrounded by mist.
That place used to be my home.
Three years ago, I joined the school as a low-ranking student. My incredible talent helped me rise through the ranks until I became the top student among the junior ranks.
Everyone called me a once-in-a-century genius. Even the headmaster took me on as his personal student.
Back then, Rebecca’s eyes always lit up when she looked at me. She used to say she was the happiest woman in the entire school because her fiance was destined to stand at the very top.
The very top? I could not even set foot inside the school anymore. The school’s protective barrier would kill any traitor on sight.
The second page of the Life-Stealing Book slowly turned. New words appeared.
[Main Quest Unlocked: Take Back Everything That Belongs to You.]
[Current Objective: Infiltrate the market district outside Skycrest School and make your first fortune.]
[Hint: The annual auction will take place in the market district three days from now. A large number of magic wielders will gather there.]
My eyes narrowed when I read about the auction.
In my past life, a Soulmend Herb appeared at that auction. That herb helped William fully stabilize his power and secure his position as the school’s top senior student.
This time, I was going to take that herb for myself.
I found a stream in the woods and washed the blood off my body. Then, I tore a strip from my clothes and made a simple face covering. The clear water reflected a pale, gaunt face. My eyes were deeply sunken, but they were frighteningly bright.
Three days was more than enough time to get plenty done.
I turned toward the market district. A piercing bird cry came from the direction of the Abyss of a Thousand Bones. It sounded like an ominous warning.
However, I did not care. From this day forward, I was the omen itself.

Chapter 3
The market district outside Skycrest School was called Sunset Row.
It was called a market district, but it was really just a long street along the main road. Shops and stalls lined both sides. Some sold potions. Others sold magical artifacts and enchanted charms.
Most of the magic wielders who passed through wore plain gray robes. They all looked like they were in a hurry.
I blended into the crowd, feeling all kinds of eyes on me. Some were wary, and some were curious. Others looked down on me.
No one recognized me.
The Concealment Technique worked even better than I expected. It did more than hide my presence.
It even made slight changes to my appearance. I looked like an ordinary magic wielder in his early twenties. I had an unremarkable face. No one could pick me out of a crowd.
“Did you confirm the news about the Soulmend Herb?”
I stopped outside a potion shop called Herbal Haven. I pretended to study the sign above the entrance, but I paid close attention to the conversation inside.
Two young men walked out of the shop. They wore fitted blue uniforms. Badges that identified them as junior students of Skycrest School hung from their belts.
“Confirmed.” One of them lowered his voice. “The auction house manager told me himself. The Soulmend Herb will be the final item of the auction. The opening bid is five hundred spirit stones.”
“Five hundred?!” The other man sucked in a breath. “We don’t even have a hundred spirit stones between us.”
“Why worry? William told us to get it at any cost. If we have to, there are always easy targets on the road.” He ran a finger across his throat.
The corner of my mouth lifted. It was just as it had been in my past life. William had always been like this. He acted polite and refined in public, but he was capable of all kinds of dirty tricks behind closed doors.
The two students hurried away. I did not follow them, for I had no intention of alerting them to my presence.
I walked around the market for a while. Then, I decided to use the few spirit stones I had left to buy a new outfit. After that, I found a secondhand set of warding flags at the black market.
The flags were old and worn, but they had one advantage. They were difficult to detect. The Life-Stealing Book contained a spell called the Veil of Heaven. With these flags, I could tamper with the auction without anyone noticing.
By early evening, I arrived at the inn across from the auction house and rented a room that faced the street.
I opened the window. The auction house entrance was directly across from me.
Carriages arrived one after another. Well-dressed magic wielders stepped out. Some even had Foundation Realm guards with them. Their presence alone was enough to draw people’s attention.
The Soulmend Herb really did have a powerful pull.
I was watching the street below when a sudden commotion broke out.
“Make way! Make way! Mr. Zane is here!”
The crowd quickly split apart. An ornate carriage came to a slow stop. The curtain lifted, and a young man in white stepped out. It was William.
Several young women blushed with every step he took.
“Mr. Zane looks as impressive as ever.”
“I heard he’s already halfway to the Golden Core Realm. He must be determined to get the Soulmend Herb this time.”
I listened to the voices below. Leaning against the window frame, I tapped my fingers lightly on the table.
William seemed to sense something. He looked up. Our eyes met from across the street.
Of course, he saw nothing. To him, the person behind that window was just an ordinary stranger.
However, I saw it clearly. A faint trace of gloom flashed across his eyes.
He had undergone the transplant without a bloodline fusion first. Even a genius like him could not withstand the backlash. He must feel pressure in his chest and have trouble breathing. His spiritual energy must also have trouble flowing through his body.
That was exactly where my opportunity lay.
Late that night, the auction house was still brightly lit.
I pulled up my hood and took out the warding flags. I placed them one by one in the positions I remembered.
“Veil of Heaven, activate.”
The energy inside the entire room instantly vanished. Even the light became distorted. From outside, the room looked like an ordinary wall.
I sat in the center of the array and closed my eyes. The show was about to begin.
At midnight, the auction finally began.
I had little interest in the first few items. Then, the auctioneer raised his voice.
“The opening bid is five hundred spirit stones!”
“Six hundred!”
“Seven hundred!”
The bids kept climbing. William sat in a private room on the second floor. He raised his bidding card with a calm expression. “One thousand.”
The entire auction hall went silent for a moment.
A thousand spirit stones were more than the annual income of many smaller schools.
“One thousand one hundred!” someone called out.
“One thousand five hundred.” William’s voice was calm.
No one bid again. The auctioneer was about to bring down the hammer. That was when I made my move.
I flicked a specially prepared enchanted charm from my fingertips. It floated toward the auction stage without a sound.
The moment it touched the Soulmend Herb, it turned into a wisp of green smoke. The glow on the herb’s surface suddenly faded. It looked as if it had withered.
“What happened?!” The auctioneer looked horrified.
“Th-This is not a Soulmend Herb!” an elderly magic wielder shouted. He clearly knew his herbs. “It’s Deathwort! It’s highly poisonous!”
The entire hall broke into an uproar. William’s face instantly darkened.
I had already slipped away under the protection of the Veil of Heaven. I walked out of the auction house. The night wind brushed against my face, and the air was cool.
I looked back at the brightly lit building. A cold smile crossed my lips.
I thought, ‘William, this is only the beginning.
‘You like taking things that belong to other people, don’t you? Then, I’ll make sure you know what it feels like to lose everything.’

Chapter 4
By the next morning, Sunset Row was buzzing with rumors.
Word that the auction house had sold a fake item spread through the entire market district overnight. People said William had been furious. They said William had caused a huge scene at the auction house.
The auction house manager had begged for forgiveness. He swore that he had been tricked too.
None of that mattered. What mattered was that William had been humiliated and had wasted one thousand five hundred spirit stones.
Who would he blame for that?
I returned to the inn just before dawn. The moment I stepped inside, I knew something was wrong. Someone had been in my room.
The cup of tea on the table had been moved. There were also signs that someone had wiped the dust from the windowsill.
I closed the door without a word. My fingers slipped around the needle hidden inside my sleeve.
“Come out. Aren’t you tired after following me for two blocks?” I said to the empty room.
After a brief silence, a soft laugh came from behind the bed curtains.
“No wonder you were once the top junior student at Skycrest School. You’re still as alert as ever.”
The curtain lifted. A masked woman stepped out. She had a slender figure, and a short sword hung at her waist.
Her voice sounded familiar.
“Who are you?” I asked.
The woman removed her mask. She had a delicate face with a hint of toughness in her features. I did not recognize her.
“My name is Whitney Spencer. I’m a senior student at Skycrest School.”
A senior student? I never had much contact with the senior students. Except…
“Are you here to help William get his revenge on me?” I asked cautiously.
Whitney shook her head. “I’m here to work with you.”
“Work with me?”
“I know who you are.” She stared straight into my eyes. “You’re Felix.”
The air in the room seemed to freeze. My hand was already on the needle.
“Relax.” She raised both hands to show that she meant no harm. “If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn’t have come here alone.”
“How did you find me?”
“That doesn’t matter.” Whitney lowered her hands. “What matters is that I know what you want. You want to take back what belongs to you, don’t you?”
I said nothing.
“William didn’t just steal your bone. He also ruined your reputation. He told everyone that you stole a priceless treasure from the school and ran away because you were afraid of being punished. Now the entire Skycrest School is after you.”
I sneered. “Yes. What of it?”
“You need an ally, and I need your Life-Stealing Book.” Whitney’s gaze sharpened.
My heart skipped a beat, but I showed no reaction. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
“Stop acting clueless.”
She pulled a crystal tablet from inside her clothes and tossed it to me.
“This is a map of the hidden compartment in William’s study. It contains evidence of all the dirty things he has done over the years. It even contains the truth about how your teacher died.”
My teacher? My eyes suddenly widened.
Three years ago, my teacher, Jason Grant, was killed by a monster while he was away on a training trip. I had always thought it was an accident.
“What do you mean?” My voice turned cold.
“Your teacher discovered William’s secret. He had been secretly practicing forbidden magic. He didn’t die in a monster attack. William had him killed to silence him.”
My hand trembled slightly around the crystal tablet. “Why are you telling me this?”
“I’m telling you because I hate him too. He’s my half-brother. He killed my mother because he wanted to become the head of our family. I spent three years undercover among the senior students. I was waiting for him to make a mistake.”
A trace of hatred flashed in Whitney’s eyes.
“How do you want to work together?”
“It’s simple. You create chaos, and I’ll gather the evidence. When the time is right, we’ll bring him down together.”
“Why should I trust you?”
“Because of this.” She pulled out another badge and tossed it to me. “This belongs to one of William’s personal guards. With it, you can enter and leave his private quarters freely.”
I caught the badge and weighed it in my hand. It was genuine.
“Three days from now, the headmaster will hold a promotion ceremony at the training grounds. Every Councilor will be there. That will be our best chance.”
“Why are you helping me?”
Whitney fell silent for a moment. Then, she said, “You’re different from him. All he knows is how to take from others. At least you know how to repay a debt.”
With that, she turned toward the window.
“Don’t forget. Three days from now. Meet me at the training grounds.”
She disappeared into the darkness outside. I stood there with the cold badge in my hand.
Outside the window, the sky was beginning to brighten. A new game had begun.