What?
The moment the words left her mouth, a pin-drop silence fell over the venue as every single pair of eyes locked onto Juniper Payne.
Did they hear that right?
Did she just claim to be Dr. Nocturne?
Dr. Nocturne made a name for themselves years ago. How old could Juniper have even been back then?
She wouldn't have even been an adult!
Could the legendary Dr. Nocturne really have been a teenage girl?
If she was going to lie, she could at least make it believable!
Jenna Sloan froze in place, her mind going completely blank.
She had imagined a lot of possibilities, but she never expected Juniper to claim she was Nocturne.
Professor Dawson was equally shell-shocked, his gaze fixed intently on the girl.
He thought back to her recent performance in the School of Medicine, especially her terrifyingly encyclopedic knowledge of medical texts.
Good lord.
He realized it was entirely possible she actually was Dr. Nocturne.
At that thought...
Dawson gulped, quietly sinking back into his chair as he fought to steady his racing heart.
"Heh."
The medical students-led by Leland Landon-treated the entire declaration like an absolute joke.
"Hahahaha, Juniper Payne actually just called herself Dr. Nocturne."
Leland sneered, laughing obnoxiously. "Have you ever seen a legendary doctor this young?"
What kind of world-class physician would need to enroll in a university just to earn credits?
Bullshit!
"Well..."
A female student nearby parted her lips, muttering softly, "Did you guys forget about
how she memorized every single medical textbook?"
Being able to recite any page on command was terrifying!
Leland's smile stiffened slightly as he shot a glaring look at the girl.
Of course he remembered.
Thanks to that stunt, he had spent an entire afternoon screaming "I'm an idiot" out on the athletic field.
"What if..."
Another guy swallowed hard,
lowering his voice. "I'm just saying, what if Since she managed to become a master coder in her early teens, is it possible she became a medical prodigy at the same time?"
After all, she was someone who had memorized entire medical volumes word for word.
Most of them couldn't even read the texts out loud without stumbling.
The rest of the students suddenly fell silent.
Right.
She wasn't just a perfect-score valedictorian; she was a brilliant hacker, too.
When that news had first broken, they were all equally stunned.
Could it be...
Is Juniper really Dr. Nocturne?
If it was true, all their recent sneering and condescension would make them look like utter fools!
"Impossible."
Leland's confidence wavered, but
stubbornly refused to yield,
muttering under his breath
be
refuse
to believe anyone in this world is
that omnipotent." fo FindNovel.net
The others didn't dare say another word, keeping their eyes glued to the screen.
"Ms. Payne, you can't be serious, right?" The host couldn't even muster a smile.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Juniper's lips curled faintly, her voice laced with frost.
"Do you have any proof?"
The host guiltily touched his nose, trying to stay calm. "Dr. Nocturne has never appeared in public. How can you possibly prove this?"
"Just because I haven't appeared in public doesn't mean I haven't shown my face in private."
Juniper pulled off her hat and turned toward the judges' panel.
More specifically, she looked directly at Peter.
The corners of her mouth lifted into a faint smile. "Long time no see, you old geezer."
Old... old geezer?
She had to be out of her mind! How dared she address a renowned medical professor like that!
Wait.
What was that first part? Long time no see?
Did she actually know Professor Peter?
Just as the crowd plunged into confusion, Peter, who had been sitting in his chair, shot to his feet,
his ye
practically bugging out of
his head as he stared at her.
He hesitated for two seconds.
Then he cried out in absolute disbelief, "My little sovereign!!!"