Chapter 8 Destroy Eric

Liam collapsed to the ground, his arms instinctively wrapping tightly around Faye. His head spun in a dizzying blur, and waves of searing pain radiated through his legs and back.

At the center of the basketball court, the masked figure cast a fleeting glance at the dense cluster of red dots on his wristwatch. He could not suppress an angry curse, "Shit!"

Just a moment earlier, the man had intended to dispose of the only witness, Faye, and abduct Liam without hesitation. But to his surprise, the impetuous young boy had dashed out from behind the storage box, shielding the girl with his own body.

This unexpected act forced the assailant to shift the muzzle of his weapon slightly, for he did not wish to end Liam's life. His priority was to capture him alive.

As the shot rang out, the wristwatch buzzed with a warning: the security personnel of Theological Seminary had arrived at the corridor outside!

In this dire situation, carrying a burden was clearly impractical, and there was no time to waste before reaching the door.

The masked figure shot a venomous glare at the fallen Eric before turning swiftly and squeezing the trigger of his particle beam pistol.

"Bang! Boom!!"

The deafening explosion reverberated across the court, a massive hole blasted into the right wall, sending plumes of dust swirling into the air.

Like a gust of wind, the masked figure charged forward, his body leaning into the movement. His right hand, still gripping the gun, swung back with a fluid grace as he fired another shot at Eric's mechanical frame.

A blinding flash of light flickered through the room, and in an instant, the particle beam struck Eric's chest. There was a deafening crash as his Kinetic Core Module was utterly shattered, countless components scattering in all directions, clattering to the ground.

This shot was purely an act of vengeance. Without Eric's interference, the masked figure would have already succeeded.

After firing, the assailant vanished down the corridor.

Moments later, the sounds of several explosions echoed from outside the dormitory, indicating that the masked figure had encountered the security personnel.

Within the basketball court, Liam took a long moment to regain his senses, then slowly began to rise. He brushed off the dust and debris from his body, instinctively lowering his gaze to check on Faye, still beneath him.

"…Th-thank you!" Perhaps due to her turbulent family background, Faye was far stronger than he had expected. She didn't break into hysterical tears, but instead stared at Liam with wide, fearful eyes.

Seeing that she had no serious external injuries, Liam was about to breathe a sigh of relief. However, the thought of Eric—the one who had saved his life—immediately flooded his mind.

Faye, too, came to her senses. She suddenly whipped her head around towards the basketball hoop, shouting frantically, "Eric! Eric…!"

The young Faye stumbled to her feet, her disheveled clothes torn as she rushed to Eric's side. Helplessly, she gazed at the massive hole in his chest, the surrounding mechanical parts scattered across the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes, and in a voice choked with emotion, she cried, "Please don't die… Eric… I'll… I'll get help for you!"

Children's emotions are the truest, their joys, sorrows, and fears pure expressions of their hearts.

Liam rushed to Eric's side, his gaze falling upon the wound, and for a moment, he was struck motionless.

Faye may not fully understand the significance of a lost Kinetic Core, or that the complete destruction of the Kinetic Chamber was akin to losing one's heart and having the heart's chambers shattered. But Liam, now an adult, knew all too well the gravity of the situation.

The security personnel had already entered, yet Liam was oblivious to their presence. His mind was a haze, fixated solely on Eric. An overwhelming sense of guilt surged within him, and his mind replayed the image of Eric, without hesitation, stepping in front of him to shield him, and delivering that decisive punch.

Perhaps it was due to the events surrounding the Sophia case that Liam's emotions toward AI and robots were different. To him, they were not merely cold machines or mere lines of code. There was something more—something profound.

"Newcomer Liam! Are you alright?"

"What is going on here?"

"…!"

Shouts echoed from all directions, but the sound only seemed to amplify the sharp pain throbbing in Liam's head. His vision blurred, and his body swayed backward, before he collapsed into unconsciousness.

…

The following day, around ten in the morning, a beam of bright sunlight streamed through the window, gently caressing Liam's face. Slowly, he opened his eyes, his neck stiff as he turned to survey his surroundings.

The first thing that caught his gaze was Andrew, who was sitting on a chair beside him.

"Where… am I?" Liam asked, his lips cracked, voice weak.

"You're awake?" Andrew turned around, his round face almost pressing against Liam's. "This is the academy's medical ward."

"Oh…" Liam nodded slowly, his movements labored.

"I took your pulse," Andrew began, his tone a mix of chatter and professionalism. "From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, your fainting was due to liver qi stagnation and a rise in liver qi… not a big deal. A bit of rest should suffice."

"What are you talking about?" Liam asked, utterly bewildered.

"In simpler terms, you just fainted from shock," Andrew adjusted his black-rimmed glasses. "But what happened last night? The basketball court looks like it's been through a war."

Liam immediately recalled the events and turned sharply to ask, "Hasn't anyone in the academy checked on this? What about Eric—how is he?"

"Oh, I almost forgot about that." Andrew stood up hastily. "I need to inform the authorities."

Without another word, Andrew dashed out of the room like a whirlwind.

Liam turned his head and surveyed the room, noting its simple layout. Beside the bed stood a large, multifunctional medical device, designed to automatically administer medications, monitor the patient's vital signs in real-time, and provide support for the torso, aiding the patient's mobility, among other functions.

Across from the foot of the bed, there was a half-wall holographic projection screen, displaying real-time health metrics of the patient's major internal organs. The heart's rhythmic beating was vividly visible, with dynamic graphics making it impossible to miss even the slightest movement.

Such equipment was common in large hospitals, yet to find a relatively advanced medical system in the medical department of Ravenwick Theological Seminary was a surprising discovery.

After resting for about ten minutes, Liam saw a group of seven or eight people enter the room. The leader, a man in his early forties, dressed in a suit, exuded a commanding presence.

"Good morning, Liam. I am Mason, the vice president of Ravenwick Theological Seminary," the middle-aged man said as he walked to the side of the bed, his tone warm and concerned. "How are you feeling?"

Liam glanced at him, replying, "I feel much better. It's nothing serious."

"Any student admitted to this academy is one of our most valuable assets," Mason said earnestly. "On behalf of the institution, I sincerely apologize for what happened last night. We assure you, we will take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents from occurring again."

"I understand," Liam responded before hastily asking, "What about Eric? How is he?"

"His situation is being handled by the academy's AI management department. I'm not yet informed of the details," Mason replied. "If your condition allows, I'd like to ask you a few questions. They could be crucial to solving this case."

"Of course, Vice President Mason," Liam nodded slowly, his mind still preoccupied with Eric. Had it not been for Eric's timely intervention last night, he knew he wouldn't have made it.

"I must ask, do you have any enemies in your life outside of the academy? Or perhaps, did your parents offend anyone in some way?" In Mason's reasoning, Liam was too young and had yet to achieve anything of notable significance in his academic career, so he was unlikely to have any personal enemies or be embroiled in any conflicts of interest. The root cause of this incident, Mason speculated, was most likely tied to Liam's deceased parents.

Although Liam was young, his mind was sharp and astute. Having been adopted at a young age, he had developed a sensitivity to human interactions, leading him to be particularly thoughtful and cautious.

Both Sophia and his father had urged him to come to Ravenwick Theological Seminary before their deaths, yet within less than a day of his arrival, such a disturbing and strange event had already occurred. This seemed far too unsettling and unnatural.

It was clear that the academy was not a completely safe environment. Moreover, the man in black from the previous night had displayed an intimate knowledge of the academy's security systems and even its daily operations. Liam now wondered if revealing the truth would only invite even greater danger.

He found himself unable to fully trust the stranger before him, and the only person he could truly believe in at this moment was Dr. William, whom he had yet to meet.

Before his death, his father had written a letter of recommendation for him, addressed to Dr. William. It was clear that the latter had known his father and shared some degree of familiarity and connection with him.

Liam was certain that his adoptive father would never harm him. He had already silently resolved that as long as he did not encounter Dr. William, he would never reveal the truth.

During the ensuing conversation, Liam played the role of the unaware, providing no answers to the questions that might have led to the truth. He refrained from disclosing the reason for his arrival at the academy or mentioning Sophia's final words. Instead, he only relayed the basic events of the attack and some specific details about the man in black.

After hearing the account, Mason gently patted Liam on the shoulder. "Rest and recover. All expenses will be covered by the academy. We will also expedite communication with the authorities and work together to solve this case, ensuring you get the answers you deserve as soon as possible."

"Thank you," Liam replied.

"Would you like us to contact any of your family members? We can arrange for them to visit, and we will reimburse their travel expenses." The policies at Ravenwick Theological Seminary were truly thoughtful and considerate.

"I have no family," Liam answered quietly.

At that moment, a man leaned close to Mason's ear and whispered something to him. His expression shifted subtly, and he turned to Liam. "I apologize. But since you are now part of the academy, every mentor and staff member here is your family. Please focus on your recovery."

"Thank you," Liam murmured.

Mason gave a small nod and, with the others, departed the room.

The room fell into a deep silence, and Andrew leaned closer, speaking in a hushed tone. "It's truly bizarre! We were also knocked out last night..."

"What?" Liam asked, his expression one of disbelief.

"We inhaled the sleep gas too," Andrew replied, matter-of-factly. "This morning, we were all summoned to give statements. I also saw students from other dorms being called in."

Liam sank into deep thought.

"Who could be behind this? Who would go to such lengths to make a spectacle of it?" Andrew muttered, his tone laced with frustration.

In the hallway, Mason, his face devoid of emotion, gave a stern directive. "Incidents involving AI robots are highly sensitive at the moment, especially since students are involved. Make sure the PR department takes strict measures to control the information."

"Understood!" The staff members nodded in unison.

...

An hour later.

After sipping some rice porridge, Liam found it impossible to remain still in the hospital room. He felt the urge to step outside and check on Eric's repair progress. After all, it was Eric who had been gravely injured while saving him, and surely, Eric's system would contain live footage—perhaps there were details from last night that had been overlooked.

Andrew, ever the loyal friend, sensed that Liam hadn't fully recovered. Considering that the academy hadn't officially begun yet, and that he had nothing pressing to do, he volunteered to accompany Liam downstairs.

The two of them walked along the small path beside the medical department, and as they neared the entrance, they suddenly saw Faye, her face streaked with tears, desperately crying out at the iron railing. "Please, don't destroy Eric... I beg you...!"

Liam paused for a moment, then quickly strode forward and asked, "What happened?"

Faye, her face soaked with tears, turned to glance at Liam. With a frantic gesture, she pointed toward the courtyard and cried, "They're... they're going to destroy Eric...!"

Liam followed her gaze toward the outside of the iron railing. There, he saw a crane with two large lifting arms, roughly gripping Eric's head and waist, preparing to place him in the truck bed for transport.

For reasons he couldn't fully understand, seeing Eric—who had risked his life to save him—now suspended like refuse in mid-air, stirred within Liam a storm of emotions: a fury that was raw and unarticulated. Without a second thought, he rushed forward, shouting, "Wait!"

...

Inside Velmora.

Dr. William lay in a moving hospital bed, being hurriedly transported to the emergency room.