Fantasy World - Chapter 7 (Older Edition)
Traveling through the forest was time-consuming, considering the amount of stamina that Selene and Lithia had the group wasn’t able to move at a fast pace.
Han checked the map and saw that they had only traveled a two-fifths of the total distance. At the current pace, they would be cutting things close for reaching the ruins before nightfall.
Periodically, they would need to rest and allow the sisters to regain their stamina.
They have yet to run into any monsters in this forest, which he considered to be unusual. Periodically, Han would look around, to see if any indicators were letting him know that intruders were heading towards them.
Since the Ha-Yoon was so adamant about them being vigilant in this forest, Han figured that seeing monsters would be a relatively regular event.
“Y-Yi, do you think we can take another break?” Selene gasped, collapsing on her back leaning against a boulder. Sweat was dripping down her face, and her face was red from exhaustion.
Sighing, Han looked back at her and said, “We need to maintain this pace if we want to reach the ruins on time. I do not think you want to spend the night in this forest, with just the four of us?”
Though he sounded harsh, Han understood that this was probably a lot of work for them. Unless a student came from a background that prepared for this amount of exertion, the average commoner would have a difficult time.
“I’m sorry, Yi, but we never thought we would be going into the field so quickly, after getting accepted into the academy. The area that we lived in was mainly flat terrain, and the monsters came to us, so we didn’t need to run around so much." She explained.
" I can’t believe such a forest exists, with all these cliffs and uneven terrain,” Selene said with frustration.
Her words made what they were doing make little sense, considering the experience levels of many of the students. Why would the Academy purposefully make these students go through such a rough training experience?
At least many of the students had already received some combat training, from family members or militia groups.
Listening to the sisters, Han learned that many of the villages didn’t have the benefits of having protection close by. With the looming threat of monsters and demons, many had to create their own militia to fight off the attacks.
This was even more so when it came to an event called, the Overflow.
For some reason, monster and demon activity would increase by several magnitudes. No one knew the cause of this event, though there were many theories.
With the Overflow, villagers needed to set themselves up to protect themselves cause the main military force would be used to protect cities and large towns.
With him being frustrated at how, relatively, quiet this forest was, a part of him wanted to figure out where all the monsters were.
“Did the other teams already take care of them?” He said, under his breath.
If he were going to find out what was happening, it would probably be beneficial to have either Anacolis or Aracia here with him. Looking over at the sisters, Han said, “I will be going little ways away, to make sure that there are no monsters nearby.”
Seeing the sisters' eyes widen, in fright, he said, “Brittany will be here with you, so you do not need to worry.” After seeing them relax, he nodded to Brittany and walked away from where they stopped.
Once he was far enough away, so as to not see the sisters and where they were at, he leaned against a tree and sent out his thoughts, “Jungle Sisters, your Master calls for you.”
From the ground, two shapes bubbled out of the ground. The two of masses of plant life, slowly formed into Anacolis and Aracia.
Once they completed their transfer, the sisters bowed in front of Han. Both of them were as stunning as when he first created them, combining both beauty and savagery.
“Master, we are honored that you would summon us.” Both of them intoned.
“I have missed you sisters, seeing both of you brings joy to my life.” Han lovingly said.
All his creations were precious to him, so not being able to spend time with them had always weighed heavily on his mind.
“We are unworthy of such praise, Master,” Anacolis said.
“My sister is correct, Master. We only exist to humbly fulfill your wishes and desires.” Aracia agreed, with her older sister.
“How is your domain doing?” Han asked the two of them.
Anacolis was the first to speak, “As you wished, both Aracia and I have created our minions to help us guard our floors. Following the form that you had created for us, the minions that I set up are a variety of Lamias. Each one was created into a different subspecies, allowing them to improve their ability to protect your realm.”
“Master, I have created a variety of Aracnias, each with their own strengths for different scenarios. With the minions that we created, Master has no need to worry about any external forces infiltrating your holy realm.” Aracia finished.
Placing his hands on each of their shoulders, Han said, “You have truly made me proud, of the two of you. I am happy that my gift was not wasted on the two of you.”
“Now, the reason I have summoned you, sisters, is to find out what is special about this forest. This area should be filled with monsters, yet I have not seen even a single corpse." He explained the situation.
"I am, currently, pretending to be a student at an academy and the class I am attending is on an outing through this forest towards ruins located here."
"There are other students here, so I do not want you to engage them. With your abilities, you should have no problem in staying hidden." He said looking at each one to drive home the point.
"Brittany, my personal attendant, is with me so all communications will go through her since Helania is back in the city. You will, temporarily, be under Brittany’s command and the both of you will coordinate with her.” Han ordered the sisters.
Both leaned forward and bowed. “Your will is our will.” They answered, accepting his command.
In a flash, both sisters disappeared to fulfill his desires.
Han turned around and headed to where his group was resting. When he returned, both Selene and Lithia looked ready to continue forward, towards the ruins.
Seeing that Han had returned, the sisters got back on their feet ready to move. Han started to walk towards where the golden orb was floating.
“Brittany, I have summoned both Anacolis and Aracia to investigate the forest, about the lack of monsters. They will be under your command, so make sure to coordinate with them properly.” Han informed Brittany.
Though she had experience with commanding maids and waitresses, this would be the first time she would be commanding those that are as powerful as the Floor Protectors.
As the day passed by, the sisters were able to build up their stamina. This caused them not to stop as frequently, increasing their time.
Now that Han had assigned the Jungle Sisters to investigate the curious nature of this forest, he felt like the trip became more relaxing and enjoyable. As the sun was starting to dim, and the night sky was taking over, they went around a large tree and saw a clearing open up.
In the center of the clearing were several ancient structures. Surrounding the structure, there was a broken up wall that had vines crawling all over it. Past it, there was a long road that looked to have seen better days, though it did well to survive for so long.
Entranced by the scene, Han walked into the ruins first, going past the walls. On either side of the road, there were old buildings with some of them entirely collapsed.
There were statues of women in various poses, their bodies crumbling due to the passage of time. Looking at them, Han couldn’t help but feel saddened by how distraught they all looked.
He tried to picture what they looked like before, which just made things harder on him. Passing by houses and temples, he imagined the streets filled with the laughter of children as their parents looked after them. Now the ruins felt like a Necropolis, a ghost of its former self where the dead controlled it.
“I wonder where everyone is?” Selene said out loud.
The ruins seemed to be as large as a city. Some of the buildings were taller than most of the structures inside Academic City.
With the sun slowly coming down, the city started to look more ominous as if anyone within the city would be trapped, forever.
Han thought about those myths he learned in school, where the hero would stay inside a forbidden city for too long and become trapped inside. Even though he had nothing to worry about, Han still felt a chill run down his spine.
Looking around, he willed himself to see where his classmates were located. Blue dots appeared, all bunched up together, near the center of the city. Sighing in relief, he pushed back thoughts of a haunted city out of his mind.
Ever since he was a kid, he would think that there were ghosts inside the various places he lived. Though a ghost would be no match for him, Han didn’t care to face any at the moment. Shaking off such ideas, he proceeded to where the class was located.
“Let us try the center of the city,” Han suggested to the rest of the group.
As they approached the center of the ruins, Han could hear the sound of laughter and chatter of his classmates. Everyone had already set up their camp and were getting ready to eat dinner.
People grouped their tents around their party members, instead of just setting up wherever they wanted. The experience inside of the forest creating a strong bond between them. Now they talked to one another as if they had known each other for a lifetime.
“Look who finally came in. The teacher thought that she might have to go searching for you stragglers.” A group of nobles mocked them.
Several of the nearby groups began to laugh, thinking Han’s team were a bunch of useless commoners. Many had a look of doubt, regarding the uniform Han wore and whether he was really an S-ranked student.
Han looked back at the sisters and saw that they were seeming depressed at the reception they received.
“Do not concern yourself with what others think about you. The two of you have grown during this single trip, so there is no need for you to feel embarrassed.” Han tried to encourage them.
Both sisters cheered up a little, after hearing what Han said.
"Thanks, Han," Lithia said in a quiet voice, her cheeks red.
Selene nodded her head in agreement.
Finding a spot that looked good for them to camp during the trip, Han said, "I am going to report to the teacher about us safely arriving."
Selene and Lithia were taking off the packs they were carrying.
To help them get through the forest, Han had the sisters equally distribute the weight in their packs. Selene, being the older sister, had filled her pack with more equipment, which helped to contribute towards her poor stamina.
Selene began pulling out a tarp, rope, and wooden poles for their tent, which looked to be a basic version of an A-Frame.
While organizing the different pieces, Selene looked at Han and nodded her head in understanding before focusing on the tent. Lithia just gave a smile to Han before concentrating again.
Walking towards the center of the camp, Han turned around to see where Ha-Yoon was. It didn't take long before he was able to locate his teacher, who was in front of a fireplace and preparing her meal.
Han headed towards the teacher but soon scrunched his nose from the smell coming from where Ha-Yoon was cooking. The smell that wafted into Han’s nose left something to be desired, and let him know that the teacher wasn’t going to be a typical wife if she ever got married.
“Teacher, my group has returned and we would like to report in,” Han informed Ha-Yoon.
Looking up at him and Brittany, she gave a long sigh, saying, “I am glad that all of you have made it safely, though it should not have been that difficult with the lack of monsters in this forest.”
Her shoulders trembled slightly, thinking about the unusual circumstance.
“We are setting up our camp, and will be preparing our meal.” Han simply said, not bothering to worry about the lack of monsters.
Seeing Ha-Yoon nod her head in consent, Han strolled back to where Selene and Lithia were finishing the tent.
Seeing the sisters get their tent ready, Han checked his side for any obstructions and waved his hand.
Out of nowhere, a large elaborate tent appeared, already set up and ready to be used. The size of the tent made it look like a cabin, with module looking sections.
With the appearance of his living area, the sisters watched in amazement at how fantastic Han’s tent looked, even compared to the tents the nobles brought. Just the size alone looked as if ten people could fit inside comfortably.
Walking inside the tent, Han looked at the various comforts that were included in the tent. There was a cast iron stove (to help keep the tent warm at night), several leather sofas for people to sit in, a dining area for him to eat at, and a large master bedroom with a massive bed inside.
In another room, there was a bathing area with a large bathtub. The tub was already filled with hot water and would stay at that temperature as long as he wished it. Though they were camping inside ruins, the feeling the tent gave off was they were staying inside of a proper home.
"Looks like a great place for us to spend our time in, during this adventure," Han said.
Lifting up his hand, he thought, "Feels like the more of my power I use, the better it feels. Instead of it feeling like a strain, the experience is smoother."
Sprawling on one of the nearby leather sofas, Han sighed. "Though I enjoy traveling outside, I do feel that the creature comforts of modern society are nice."
A rumbling sound in his belly was heard.
Close to the dining table, a portal opened and several waitresses emerged from the void. Each one was carrying dishes of varying sizes. The smell of pot roast was something he enjoyed, in addition to the vegetables.
"Master, I have already had the staff prepare a meal for you and have it waiting until you desired it. I hope that a pot roast covered in gravy and served with various vegetables fits your desires?" Brittany said as she stood behind the sofa.
Seeing the amount of food being placed on the table, he clapped both hands together and rubbed them eagerly. Getting up from the sofa, he said, "You have really outdone yourself, Brittany."
"All of you are doing a fine job," He said, looking at the waitresses, a couple of them blushing from the compliment.
One of the waitresses who looked dreamily at Han was elbowed by the one next to her, getting chastised about looking professional in front of the Creator.
He couldn't help grin at seeing them act like typical serving workers on Earth, though comparable to a higher end business. Each one of them could compete against models in fashion magazines. It was a pleasant feeling having so many beautiful women looking at him with hunger in their eyes.
Heading over to the table, he sat down at one of the many seats and grabbed his plate to begin dishing out the pot roast. The fork used easily pierced the meat with how tender it was, juices dripping down the side.
“Master! Please, allow me to ready your dish.” Brittany looked horrified and protested.
“Brittany, there is no need to worry about that here. I am famished, so I will just serve myself.” Han rationalized to Brittany, not wanting to wait for Brittany to go through all the usual decorum.
Shaking her head, she politely but firmly took the serving utensil from Han. With her eyes, she directed several of the waitresses to guide Han back into his seat.
“I must refuse, Master. I am your personal attendant, and I can not allow you to serve yourself like some barbarian.” Brittany stubbornly stated.
Seeing that Brittany had dug in her heels on the matter, Han just threw up his hands into the air and waited for Brittany to ready his meal. Though Han enjoyed being pampered by his creations, it was moments like these where he just wanted to dig into the food, like he would have done on Earth.
When his plate was ready, Brittany placed it in front of him.
When it looked like she was going to start feeding him, Han said, “Brittany, you also need to eat. This is a casual day, so there is no need for you to take feed me."
"You have not eaten all day, so you need to eat something, too.” Part of him was being considerate towards Brittany, but another part of him wanted just to shovel the food into his mouth.
Due to the time constraint, Han and Brittany weren’t able to eat a decent meal due to how slow Selene and Lithia were moving.
The pot roast was easily made into smaller portions with his fork. Making sure the piece was covered in the delicious gravy, he ate the morsel and moaned in delight. Han felt that the food tasted even better after they had gone through the forest all day.
Moments like the current one made Han feel thankful for his powers, where he didn’t need to wait for food to be prepared. He was thankful towards Brittany for being forward thinking and anticipating his hunger. Though he could have made food appear, it was a nice feeling having someone else bring him something to eat.
Grabbing a roll, Han tore it open and watched the steam float up. It was recently baked, having the crispy texture on the outside and soft flaky interior.
Taking the roll, he used it to mop up the small bits of meat and gravy left on his plate. Eating the roll, he rolled his eyes at how great everything tasted. Repeating the process, his plate looked practically clean.
Grabbing another roll, he broke it open and took some butter to it. Enjoying the melted butter from the residual heat of the bread, Han pushed the plate away.
"That was amazing," Han leaned his head back and smiled.
As he watched the plates being removed from the table, he closed his eyes.
"Master, I recommend you enjoy a hot bath. The waitresses will get everything cleaned up, so please take time to relax from such a meal." Brittany was soon next to him. She positioned herself behind him and used her soft hands to massage his shoulders.
Feeling the way her hands targeted all his sore spots with such precision, Han sighed with pleasure. "You treat me so well, Brittany," Han said with his eyes still closed.
Her lips were felt on his forehead as she gave him a loving kiss. "It is only natural for me to show such care to someone such as yourself," Brittany whispered into his ear.
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Entering the bathing area, Han saw the welcoming tub filled with hot water. A small fog hovered above the water’s surface.
Creating a clothing rack, he removed his uniform and hung it up on the rack. Even though the day was mild, there were stains on the fabric. Picturing the uniform clean, Han felt the mana inside him bend to his thoughts. He watched as each of the stains slowly disappeared from the outfit.
Once again, it looked as clean as when he first put it on.
Close by, there was a full-sized mirror to allow him a better view of himself. Seeing himself nude, he thought about how he never considered himself as being particularly attractive, so looking at himself never appealed to him.
Though he made some modifications to his appearance, Han still felt like he still looked the same as when he was on Earth. It made him wonder if this is what people that made surgical changes to themselves felt.
Changing how he viewed himself was likely going to take time, so he stopped himself from making any additional alterations. Even with his thoughts, Han was able to acknowledge that he looked more attractive after this morning.
There was definitely a stronger look of his Asian heritage. Several areas were enhanced to keep his mix blood, like his stronger and square jaw.
He smirked at how he used to be bothered by being mixed, dealing with the issues that came with it from both sides, but now he was thankful for his features. The image reflected may not look like a model, but he still liked it compared to his older self.
Content with his looks, Han climbed into the bath and enjoyed the warm water enveloping his body.
His back against the tub and hands draped over the sides, he closed his eyes in bliss. Though the world may be different, there was nothing like soaking in a hot bath.
While he lay in the tub, Han heard the sounds of footsteps getting closer. Without needing to open his eyes, Han knew that this was Brittany.
“Join me.” He simply told her, not speaking louder than necessary to maintain his current level of relaxation.
Start of the Sexually Suggestive Scene - For those 21+ years old
The sounds of clothing being removed could be heard, the ruffling of fabric and undoing of buttons. Clothing falling to the ground and light steps towards the bath, and finally, the feeling of the water’s surface disturbed.
Ripples gently hit his chest, and the water level rose as it was being displaced.
Brittany’s feet could be felt against his calf, her smooth skin rubbing against his. As she lowered herself into the water, Han could feel her butt rubbing against his groin followed by her back against his chest. Turning herself towards him, Brittany lay on her side and rested on his chest. Her head nestled just below his jaw.
Inserting his arm under hers and around her chest, Han enjoyed the feel of her body. Her breast pressing against him as she cuddled. In addition to the feeling of her plump breasts, Han enjoyed the feeling of her smooth thighs as they rubbed against his legs.
With such beauty on him, an ordinary man would be driven by sexual desire, but Han was overcome with a feeling of peace and satisfaction. A moment, where everything was right about the world encapsulated him.
“I could just lay here with you in my arms, for eternity,” Han whispered into the air.
His hand enjoying the feel of her waist and ass, as he gently felt her body. The water made her body feel smooth and soft, even more so when she would press herself against him when they slept.
Breathing in the scent of her hair, he hugged her tightly and thought how lucky he was.
“If Master allowed it, I would always want to be held by Master.” She cooed, in bliss.
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“Yi!! You need to wake up.” A voice called out to him, through the comfortable haze of slumber.
Han grumbled at being woken up from such a peaceful dream. Glancing next to him, he saw Brittany laying next to him. The way she wrapped herself up in the blanket, made her look like she was in a cocoon.
Getting up and sitting on the bed, he stretched out his arms and yawning. Conjuring an energy drink, he popped open the cap and enjoyed the sugar infused liquid.
Emptying the can and making a basketball shooting motion, the can went flying through the air and vanished.
Feeling the caffeine begin to kick in, he looked back at Brittany and leaned over to give her a kiss on her cheek. “My beautiful creation, you need to get up.”
Her eyes fluttered and seeing him, Brittany smiled and unwrapped herself out of her blanket. With arms spread out, the naked figure of her body could be seen.
Noticing the look in her eyes, he slid into her embrace. Around him, the blanket covered them as Brittany wrapped her arms around him.
Kissing her lips, his tongue wrapping around hers. He managed to say between panting breath, "We probably need to get ready."
Her legs intertwined with his, and she began to grind up against his. "I just want to help Master wake up," She moaned and pulled away just to begin kissing his neck.
"If you keep that up, I'm not going to want to leave the bed," Han warned, tempted by his engorged penis.
"They can wait for my Master," She purred, once she noticed how his body was reacting.
End of Sexually Suggestive Scene
Pots hitting against one another could be heard outside. "Seriously, Han! Everyone is almost ready and are looking at us!" Selene shouted.
In the background, he could hear Lithia telling her sister that she was being a disturbance. Sounding a little worried that they may get in trouble with the teacher.
"I guess that answers that," Han sighed. Giving Brittany one last kiss on the lips and burying his head between her breasts to kiss them some more, he emerged from the blanket cocoon.
Brittany had a pouting face and rolled to face the bed, letting her feelings about the abrupt ending being known.
Scooting off of the bed, he gave Brittany's ass a spank before continuing to the edge. He grinned at hearing her yelp and her ass cheeks clenching from the action.
At the edge of the bed, Han stretched and yawned. Even with the caffeine, Han had never been a morning person. Looking around the room he located where his uniforms were hanging from.
Standing up, he walked over to grab his uniform.
He heard the sounds of Brittany getting out of bed, muttering about what she was going to do with Selene being heard.
Han casually put on the outfit while taking peaks at Brittany sliding into her clothing. When she caught him staring, she giggled and blushed from his attention.
It was hypnotic, watching as she sat on the edge of the bed after grabbing her thigh high socks and slowly put them on.
Part of him suspected that she was purposefully taking her time putting on her socks, knowing that Han was looking at her legs.
Shaking his head, he summoned a mirror. Checking himself to make sure that everything looked proper and neat.
When Brittany finished putting on her clothing, they made their way out of the tent. The sun was warm and bright, illuminating the ancient city.
Everyone was close to finishing up, packing up all their gear, and were occasionally looking over at them. He saw Selene standing next to Lithia, wearing her armor and weapon sheathed.
“Yi, you need to hurry up and get everything ready. The teacher said that we will be getting ready for the next part of this journey, so you can’t delay!” Selene scolded him, for sleeping in.
Han stretched out his neck, ignoring Selene’s lecturing. With the two of them standing in front of the tent,
Judging by the tents still where they were set up in, the packs that some of the people were carrying indicated supplies needed for going into the ruins.
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Ha-Yoon was relaxing on top of some rocks that looked to be part of some other structure. When she saw him approaching she gave him a tired look. "Is your group ready for going into the ruins?"
"Just looking forward to where we will be heading off to in this place," Han answered.
Seeing how relaxed and casual he was, she tried not to think of it too much and said, “In this city, there is an area that is usually infested with monsters. This is one of the reasons why this city is now in ruins, cause out of nowhere monster activities increased to the degree where they overran the city’s defenses."
Pointing deeper into the ruins she said, "Now some nests are scattered about in this region. Under this forest, there is a high concentration of mana, which may be the cause of the initial incident. To prevent the number of monsters from increasing, we will be going into the nest and exterminating monsters."
"Are we clearing out the nests?" Han asked with a certain level of surprise.
Shaking her head, she said, "With the ability of all of you, there is no way that we’ll be able to clean out the nest, but it will be good for experience and skill building."
Looking back at many of the students who didn't come from well off families, he wasn't sure how well this was going to go.
"Each of you students already has some basic knowledge of combat, as part of the requirement of being accepted into this academy. If anything happens, I will be here to oversee events as they transpire.” Ha-Yoon stated understanding Han's concerns about the idea.
“How many monsters do you expect to be there? I assumed that there would be monsters inside the forest, but I did not see any on the way to the ruins.” Han inquired.
Ha-Yoon placed her index finger to her lips, the circumstance seemed to bother her.
It understandable considering that this forest is known to have monsters, and then the monsters are no longer in the woods.
Looking at Han, Ha-Yoon responded, “This is a very disturbing event. Inside the nest, there should be several hundred monsters."
"The majority of them should be in the farthest part of the nest, at least that is how they were organized in prior nests that were exterminated.” She sounded unsure of this fact.
Nodding his head and thinking that there was no reason to continue asking questions, Han walked back to where the sisters were standing. Reaching Selene, she gave him a questioning look as if to ask what he had asked the teacher.
Shaking his head, he replied, “we will be entering into a monsters’ nest, and proceed with killing the monsters to improve our combat skills.”
Seeing her eyebrows go up from this news, Han continued. “Considering how there should have been monsters inside of the forest, I am concerned about entering into this nest with so many students that lack the necessary fighting skills.”
“Do you think it will be safe for us?” Selene asked, her voice indicating how worried she was. Compared to her experience with fighting off monsters in the place she grew up in, there was a difference between that and entering into a nest.
“Since the teacher will be there with us, there should not be any issues.” He tried to comfort her, though he had an uneasy feeling building within.
Looking to Brittany, he sent her a psychic message.“Brittany, let the sisters know that we will be entering a monsters’ nest. From what the teacher said, there should be more nests in this forest."
"I want them to enter one of the nests, and see what the distribution of monsters is like. Let them know that they have permission to eradicate all monsters inside of the nest. Make sure the sisters know that they need to focus on the number and set up of the monsters.” Han ordered Brittany.
“Yes, Master. I will inform Anacolis and Aracia about their new mission.” Brittany acknowledged.
Gathering all the students into one place, Ha-Yoon walked in front of the students and waited until she had their attention.
“We will now proceed to the next stage. Inside these ruins, there exists a monster nest. The monsters that reside inside the nest are relatively weak, so we will be killing them to help keep the population of the monsters manageable." Ha-Yoon said.
"Our goal is not to eliminate all the monsters, but to gain experience." She emphasized, looking at all of them. "This means that I will not tolerate students that act recklessly inside the nest."
"Instead of having each team enter separately, there will be three teams that will move as a group into the nest. Two groups will have four teams working together. The four-team groups will be the first and last to enter into the nest."
"For the two groups with an additional team, your responsibility will be to make sure to keep the groups in the middle are aware of any changes." She explained, giving them an idea that their safety will be maximized with the team formations.
"When you enter into the nest, there will be a long tunnel which will then branch into many tunnels." She indicated with her hands. "One of the four-team groups will stay in this junction, along with a three-team group."
"Splitting off from the main party, the other groups will head into one of the tunnels. Once you have killed a sufficient number of monsters, the primary force will return back to the junction to rejoin the secondary force."
"We will then rotate the group, and just like the first time, a new group will go back into the same tunnel. Depending on how successful we are, this will be repeated several times.” She gazed at all of them to make sure that they followed her plan.
After giving out the itinerary, Ha-Yoon began sorting the teams into different groups. There were now five groups, with two of them having four teams.
Looking at the teams that were added to his, Han thought it was interesting that both of them were composed of commoners. It was apparent that Ha-Yoon had organized the teams so that nobles were set up with other nobles or those with wealth.
Considering his ability, there wasn’t a need for him to be concerned with being matched with commoners. At second glance, some of the commoners looked like people who were competent, at least when looking at their equipment.
Like Ha-Yoon had said, students that are accepted into the academy have a base level fighting skills. With this in mind, it was unlikely that he would need to step in too often. Watching these commoners fight the monsters could be mildly entertaining, though he would step in if necessary.
Han’s group followed the others, with the teacher leading them all. As they walked past buildings and other structures, the overall feel of the class felt tense. There was a feeling of anticipation, with people knowing that they were going into a potentially dangerous situation.
Even on Earth, people would get killed or severely injured in environments that were designed for training purposes. He remembered talking to a classmate who had enlisted in the armed forces, and how there would often be an accident resulting in a soldier being killed or injured.
The worst thing that these students could do is get too tense, and not be able to react appropriately. Situational awareness would be a life-saving skill that these people needed to learn quickly.
After walking for some time, Han saw a massive structure in front of them. If he were back on Earth, Han would have thought it was a stadium.
On the floor level, the stadium had entrances surrounding the base. Each of the entrances had arches, making them look very Romanesque. Choosing an arch to enter didn’t seem to matter, as Ha-Yoon walked into a random entrance way.
Entering the structure, Han was amazed by what the residents, of this ruined city, were able to create. In the hallway, murals were showing epic adventures, soldiers fighting monsters, demons, and gods.
One of the murals attracted his gaze, a woman that stood in front of a massive army and brandishing a mighty sword. In front of her, there was an impossibly large number of creatures.
With their endless flood of figures, they looked like a bottomless pit of teeth and claws. Behind this army of horrors, was a black waterfall that looked to feed the endless numbers of nightmarish beings.
When he walked up to the mural and looked at the woman, Han couldn’t see any fear in her eyes. The artist did a wonderful job at capturing her bravery and made him wonder if he could perform as she did if he didn’t have his powers.
Regardless of what world he existed on, there would always be people that were willing to stand in front of insurmountable odds.
At the end of the hallway, it opened up to show what looked like a place for citizens to enjoy battles and performances. In the center of the ceiling, there was a stream of sunshine that pierced through the darkness. Instead of lighting up the entire area, the light focused on a deep gouge in the earth.
Seeing this crack in the ground, it gave the feeling of the sunlight guarding the entrance and containing whatever darkness sealed inside. Each of the students exclaimed in awe at such a scene in front of them.
When Ha Yoon reached the edge of the hole, she turned around and looked at them.
It was a sight to behold, the way she stood in the light while the rest of them were in the shadows. “This is the entrance to the nest."
Her facial expression was serious as she said, "As I have already told you, the group with four teams will enter first. Though the entrance looks intimidating, just remember that the creatures inside are at a level where you will be able to succeed. If you keep your head, all of you will be able to return to the academy."
"Heroics will not be tolerated! Keep to your team and group, and you will return stronger.” Ha-Yoon informed them, her voice telling them that foolishness would not be tolerated.
As the vanguard entered the ominous hole, Han checked to see if there were any monsters. At the moment, the nest was as quiet as a tomb.
When the vanguard was deep enough into the nest, Ha-Yoon indicated the next group to enter. Looking at the next group, which was composed of nobles, he saw that they walked with more confidence though they were sensible enough to have some caution.
Compared to the nobles, the next group walked in a jerky manner. Their fears only served to hinder their movements.
Luckily, Han didn’t see monsters that were close to the entrance.
When it was his group’s turn to enter the nest, Han looked at the walls of the tunnels. There were signs of claw and burn marks. Between the rocks, were glowing streaks of blue that lit up the inside of the tunnel.
Based on the look of this nest, there must have been either colossal monsters or many monsters that built this nest and maybe they had left behind some type of residue to help illuminate the network of tunnels.
His footsteps reverberated as he walked further into the slanting tunnel, causing loose rocks to roll downhill and creating more noise. The way noise was so easily carried, the biggest concern was whether the monsters would hear their passage.
As a learning opportunity, this would be effective at giving people valuable experience. Sometimes the best lessons are those that are learned in horrific moments.
“Where do you think the monsters are?” Selene spoke to no one, in particular, her voice quivering.
One of the guys in his group looked back at her, and said, “you should be hoping that we don’t see a monster.”
“Why do you think that?” Selene asked the guy, grateful for the distraction.
“Even though each of us has some experience, do you think we have the ability to fight so many monsters? This seems more like a suicide mission, instead of a class lesson. I don’t know what the Academy is thinking, sending us into this mess.” the guy grumbled.
The guy next to him drove his elbow into the guy that spoke. “Shut your mouth, Ryleth! This place is terrifying enough, without us having to listen to your useless theories.”
“You know I’m right! If we don’t end up dying in here, we might end up as invalids!” The guy named Ryleth argued.
Listening to the two of them arguing, Han continued to scan the area to see if he could spot any monsters near them. The ability to detect enemies was limited, to not give away too much and ruin the feeling of suspense.
There were no signs of monsters in the area. This served only to annoy him, but not to the degree of opening up the map and researching where the monsters were. Considering how he wouldn’t be in a dangerous situation, to go that far would be like skipping to the end of a movie, instead of watching events unfold.
Once they reached the junction, Han’s group was part of the secondary force and entered the tunnel. The size of these tunnels was mind-boggling, being so deep underground and not caving in.
He wondered whether there was something that the monsters did to the ground, to increase the structural integrity. With the ruins on top, it would make sense for the entire network of tunnels to cave in on itself.
As he was contemplating all of this, Brittany said, “Master, I have received a report from Anacolis and Aracia. They informed me that they discovered a nest, and upon entering it, they did not see any monsters until they entered deeper into it."
"Deep in the nest, there were thousands of monsters resting in caverns. To figure out the strength of the monsters, they made a noise and caused the monsters to flood into the tunnels."
"They are still inside the nest fighting off the monsters, but there is no worry of being overrun. After they finish exterminating the nest, they request to come to Master’s aid.” She said, ending her report.
“Did they mention how strong the monsters were?” He asked.
“They said that defeating each monster took a little bit of effort, but nothing they could not handle even with the number of monsters,” She answered.
Hearing the report, Han looked around and increased the distance of what he could detect. Doing this wasn’t something he wanted to do, but considering the new information, it was probably better to err on caution.
As if looking at a densely populated city at night, from space, there were thousands of red lights like the night sky. Placing a palm on this face, Han felt a massive amount of annoyance.
Not only were there monsters, but the number of them was also beyond the expectations of the teacher.
The monsters even caused the Jungle Sisters to put in “a little bit of effort,” meaning those things were beyond the capabilities of these students.
Han understood that if nothing were done, there would be a massive number of casualties even if the teacher stepped in. Ha-Yoon was only an A-ranked adventurer, so expecting her to defeat thousands of monsters was ridiculous.
Looking at Selene, he said, “We need to go back. There is something the teacher needs to know.”
“What are you talking about?” The guy, who was arguing with Ryleth, asked.
“There was a miscalculation with this mission,” Han said to the guy.
“What miscalculation?” He asked again, sounding a bit worried.
Sighing, he said, “I have the ability to sense monsters, and what I am sensing is beyond what we can handle.” Han lied to the guy.
He could flat out see the number of monsters inside of this nest. As long as they went back to the junction, they would likely succeed in not alerting the monsters.
Seeing that his group had stopped, the vanguard group stopped and looked at them curiously. Walking back to them, one of the teams approached them. Based on their equipment, this team was composed of nobles.
“Why have you stopped?!” The leader demanded haughtily.
Ryleth looked at the noble and said, “This guy thinks that there are monsters in the direction that we are heading towards.”
With the way the boy spoke, it was evident that he didn’t want to attract the ire of the noble and threw Han under the bus.
Han sighed. Based on the attitude of the noble, something bad was likely to happen. “There are not just monsters ahead of us, but their numbers and strength are greater than what we expected.” He tried to reason with the overbearing kid.
“All the better. Instead of fighting against weak monsters, is it not better to fight against something you can test your strength against?” He taunted Han, implying that Han was a coward.
“Let us just leave this coward behind,” An attractive noble girl suggested.
Based on the lack of melee weapons on her, Han surmised that she was a mage. Though she was outwardly cute, in a sexy schoolgirl kind of way, her attitude was somewhat lacking.
The other teams that were part of the vanguard started to voice their agreement, in leaving Han behind and how they could handle a couple of weak monsters.
Han did a face-palm, debating whether he should just leave these people to die. Even if he could defeat the monsters, it didn’t feel like it concerned him.
There were a couple students that voiced the need for caution, and how they should just go back and get the teacher’s decision. It was these people that convinced Han to stay. It would be a bit unfair for those with common sense to die because of some overconfident individuals.
The mage that suggested they leave him behind spoke up, “We are the nobility. Since a young age, we were trained to be able to defeat monsters."
"Even the teacher confirmed that the monsters in this nest are within our ability."
"I know that with my skills, I would be easily able to defeat some monsters." she scoffed.
"So watch and learn you, commoners. I, Selestra Ignalis, will show you the difference that exists between us.” Immediately she began to chant a spell. “I call upon the power of hellfire to turn asunder all those who stand in my way, Bolt of Hellflames!”
Everyone stared as mana swirled around her, and transformed into flames. The students near her started to back away from the head.
Upon unleashing her spell, they watched the brilliant fire blast out to the nearest tunnel wall. The was a deafening noise and explosion that resulted from her spell.
Once the fire and smoke died out, there was a large crater remaining. Students started to clap in amazement at the strength of the spell performed. For commoners, seeing such a strong spell was a phenomenal thing to behold.
Han groaned as he watched the bolt of fire streak towards the tunnel wall. This is why no one liked those who were pampered since birth.
Even on Earth, people hated how wealthy family acted as if they had some divine providence, and often led to massive company scandals.
Looking at the red dots in the distance, he saw that they had begun to shift towards them. Turning towards Selene, Han said, “You need to take your sister and head towards the entrance. If you are able to reach the entrance, I want you to start heading back to the safety of the city. Do not even pause to tell the teacher what you saw. Just get out of here with haste.”
“What do you mean? W-w-why do I need to take my sister to the city??” she stammered, her eyes showing that she was confused by the situation.
“There is no time! You need to take your sister and run, now!” He yelled at her.
Shocked by Han raising his voice, she nodded her head and took her sister. The two of them were running the way they came, though it would take some time to reach where the primary force was waiting.
He didn’t even bother telling her to report what was happening and run back to the city, cause there was nothing that could be done. The hornet’s nest was toyed with, and now they were angry.
“Now you understand that with us nobles here, there is nothing for you commoners to worry about.” The girl arrogantly proclaimed, basking in the cheers of her fellow classmates.
They hooted and cheered, making a lot of noise with the enthusiastic cheering.
Initially, there was only the sound of the students, but slowly a rumbling noise could be heard. It was quiet and remote, but gradually it rose in intensity like an approaching storm off in the distance.
The cheering began to fade away, as people realized that there was some kind of noise, which was getting louder.
A few of the classmates looked at Han, looking for answers. He casually raised his hands and shoulders and said, “It might be a good time to run.”
The nobleman that approached him, earlier, scoffed at his suggestion and proceeded to equip is sword and shield. “Sounds like we have some guests to entertain.” He laughed, encouraging his fellow nobles.
They laughed along with him and also began readying their weapons.
With everyone else looking forward to the approaching wave of monsters, the only person that didn’t look joyful was the noble girl that fired the spell. She shakily looked at Han, who glanced at her. Han merely smiled at her.
Seeing his smile, she took a step back, away from the thunderous noise as the blood drained from her face.
“Where are Anacolis and Aracia, currently?” He asked Brittany who was calmly standing next to him.
Brittany looked preoccupied for several moments, and answered, “They are now on their way to our location. Anacolis informed me that they would be at our current location in a few minutes.”
“Hmmm… I suppose if they are already on their way here, then there is no reason to tell them not to come.” Though Han didn’t need the sisters to help, it felt nice to have such considerate creations who worried about him.
“Since they are coming, I guess this means that we should play around with these monsters, for a bit.” He thought out loud.
“Brittany, I want you to hold off the wave of monsters. Restrain yourself a bit, to let a couple of monsters through. People tend to appreciate the effort of others if they experience how difficult the task is.” He ordered her.
With a flash of light, Brittany equipped her armor and created two large broadswords. Walking to the front of the vanguard, she stood ready to take on the horde of monsters.
The other students stared at her, not sure what she was planning. Many of them looked bewildered at how she was able to wield such heavy looking swords, on top of the weight of her armor.
From the darkness emerged a wave of creatures running towards them, some on the floor, ceiling, and walls. The only place that was free of monsters was the center of the tunnel, making it look like a giant worm was rushing towards them.
Han walked a little to the side, to give himself a clear line-of-sight and patiently waited for them to get closer.
A couple of the students, realizing what they were facing, began their chants and to form their mana into offensive spells. When they were finished, each of them fired various spells of different elements.
Most of them were bolts of fire, ice, wind, and water. Though they would look impressive to students, they looked pitifully inadequate for the oncoming swarm.
The few spells that hit a monster were shrugged off, doing no damage to the monsters. It was like shooting a gun at an oncoming train, the difference in force was too great to bridge.
Winding up one of his arms, the arrogant noble walked to the front. Stretching his body even with the rushing flood approaching them. “Fighters, line up in the front and prepare to receive the initial charge."
"Those who have both fighting and magic skills, all of you need to be in the middle and protect the mages." He ordered.
"Mages, line up in the back and start forming your spells and fire them together in a concentrated manner."
"We are proud and capable students of an elite academy, so there is no need to be afraid.” The eager noble yelled out, rallying the students.
Pointing at a team, he yelled, “Go back to the primary force and alert them of the situation. We will need them to send reinforcements!” Accepting their mission, the team ran back to the junction in a hurried manner but not looking panicked.
Han was impressed at how the noble was taking charge. “I guess nobles are useful in some areas.” He murmured.
“There is no way that they will be able to withstand the first attack, so let me give them a fighting chance,” Han said out loud, chuckling.
Lifting his hand and pointing it ahead of him a thick swirl of mana formed, discharging energy from the amount being coalesced. Aiming at the monsters, Han whispered, “Incinerate.”
Streaks of flames flew down the tunnel, quickly turning everything in its path into ash. The flames were so intense that streaks of molten rock left behind, replacing the relaxing bluish hue with a fiery light.
Not seeming to care about the loss of their comrades, the monsters continued to rush forward.
Cupping his hands together, Han imagined a flow of liquid lightning being formed into a ball. Sparks spat out from the globe of raw energy, as he poured a ridiculous amount of mana into it.
Reaching a sufficient size, he compressed it to the size of a marble. The crackling of electricity was heard as it danced around him as the energy resonated out of the marble. He could feel a force pushing him back, rejecting the compressive force.
Holding the ball made his hands glow from the heat being generated. Closing a hand over the marble, Han made a fist and pulled his arm back. Like tossing a rock across the surface of the water, the ball of energy fired out with a concussive sound being heard.
The marble flew down the center of the tunnel. As the sphere of raw power reached the monsters, he pulled back his hand. With an intense light, the globe detonated and released several hundred tendrils of lightning, charring everything it touched.
The globe flew down the center as it lay waste to everything it touched. Aside from monsters that weren’t killed, there was the smell of ozone in the air.
With two large Area of Effect spells sent into the charging monsters, the number of them drastically diminished.
All the students stared at him in amazement, with how strong his attacks were compared to the other mages. Seeing them starring at him, Han made a gesture towards the remaining monsters to remind them to not lose focus.
The first person to engage the monsters was Brittany. Just as the monsters were leaping towards her, both of her broadswords ignited to be covered in large flames.
As smooth as a hot knife cutting through butter, one of the blades glided through the monster with ease. Both halves of the creature flew past, before landing on the ground and tumbling to a stop.
Slashing her other blade upwards, a streak of flames cut into tens of monsters. Crouching to the ground, Brittany’s legs launched her forward into the swarm.
With mechanical precision, monsters were sliced apart. Unable to handle the whirling blades.
The air was filled with the charred smell of grilled meat, causing several of the students to throw up onto the ground.
Watching Brittany, they watched as she darted from one area to another, swinging her blades and causing streaks of fire. It looked like a giant animal was clawing the ground.
Some of the monsters were able to go around Brittany and head towards them. Seeing the monsters approaching them, the students prepared themselves.
----------------
Selestra thought that she could show off her magic, to her classmates.
Listening to that boy, Yi, talk about them needing to retreat made her annoyed. She thought it was ridiculous that someone wearing a white uniform would say something so cowardly.
When she had unleashed her strongest spell, she basked in the thunderous applause from the commoners.
“This is why peasants are useless, and we, nobles, have to clean up their mess.” Selestra thought to herself, disgusted by such incompetent people being in her class.
Since birth, she was raised to be a strong member of the House of Ignalis. Her father would hire mages to come and teach her how to boost her fire magic abilities. Having such talent, she was considered to have the greatest potential as a fire mage in the history of her House.
When she arrived at the academy and went through the examination process, she learned that her abilities landed her in the lower B-rank. For someone, her age to reach such a high level was extremely impressive.
Her servants had showered her with praise, and she sent off a letter to her family to give them the good news.
In this class trip, she was going to further demonstrate how great she was and increase her House’s prestige and power. Selestra’s father was a duke within the kingdom, so they received many favors from other houses. Considering that she was the third daughter, the pressure to perform better than her two older sisters were great.
Becoming a duchess wouldn’t be possible, but if she performed well the title of Baroness would be possible.
At the academy, those not meant to inherit titles would need to gain connections to improve their social and political status.
Given the opportunity to enter as part of the secondary force, first, would help her gain valuable experience and recognition.
The forest was meant to have many monsters, but they didn’t run into any. Without killing monsters, it wouldn’t matter where they went since no one would care.
Splitting off from the main group, and going to kill monsters would let her have the most kills. With her fire skills, killing off monsters was nothing to worry about.
After firing off the spell and heard the rumbling noise, Selestra thought that it was just the clapping and cheering from her fans. It wasn’t until the noise was getting louder than her classmates that she realized that something was horribly wrong.
The noise sounded like a distant storm heading their way.
When the boy, Yi, suggested that they run, she understood what was coming towards them.
Yi had said he sensed a large number of monsters and that they should go back, but being arrogant they foolishly didn’t heed his advice.
The sounds of thousands of feet rushing towards them were growing louder and feeling as if it drilled into her mind.
As the rumbling became more distinct, the sense of death approaching grew. Her heart beat faster, as the reality of the position she found herself became real.
Glancing over at Yi, to see if he knew what they should to, only a smile greeted her as if telling her to prepare for her own death.
Stepping back, the thought of running back to the primary force crossed her mind. Their teacher was an A-ranked adventurer, so surely she would be able to protect them.
It was at that moment that her whole body started to shake in fear, soon a warm sensation on her legs was felt and let her know how terrified she was.
Out of nowhere, streaks of fire tore through the monsters and left behind red hot rocks. Instead of the comforting blue glow from the walls, the tunnel turned into an inferno with the red glow flooding the tunnel.
Even from where she was, Selestra could feel the radiating heat.
Frantically, she looked around to see who had created such a strong spell. Her classmates were also looking around to find the culprit.
While she searched, an intense bluish-white light appeared. Looking at her hair, she could see the tips sticking out and an invisible force pushing her back. The armor on her was shaking, the metal acting strangely.
Turning her head, she saw that Yi had a bright blue ball in his hands. It looked to be made out of pure lightning, letting off a high whining sound.
She couldn’t stare directly at the ball, cause of how bright it was.
Watching as Yi pulled his hand back, she wondered what he was planning on doing with that. There was a loud crack, as a tiny ball flew towards the monsters. Then that small orb exploded, and streaks of lightning radiated out, incinerating everything it touched.
The air had a weird smell to it after the globe exploded.
Her eyes opened wide as she tried to figure out how such a young looking boy had such power.
Not even her father perform such acts of magic.
"Did it mean that Yi's uniform truly reflected his abilities?" These thoughts raced through her mind.
Feeling dirt on her legs, and looking down she realized that her legs had given out.
“What are we doing here?” She said out loud.
Tears started to flow down her face, as she understood how serious of a situation she was in.
“We are going to all die here...” She whispered as she held herself.
Thinking back to her childhood, Selestra wondered what the point of all the training she went through was. "Did I miss out on my childhood just to die in some hole in the ground?" Selestra cried, breathing heavily.
"I do not want to die. Please, someone, save me." She begged.
Drowning in her despair, Selestra looked up to see a creature running on all fours, several times bigger than her dog.
Everything began to slow down, so she was able to see the four green eyes that stared back at her with cold apathy, its insect-like wings quivering in anticipation. The dirt being flung back by the force of its claws, as it rushed towards her.
As it opened its massive jaw, she thought about how she wanted to meet a wonderful guy and have a happy wedding like her eldest sister. Selestra remembered watching them dance during the wedding, her sister’s face with such a bright smile and looking happy.
A sword swung downwards and lopped off the monster’s head, surprising her.
The head flew away, and the body slid several feet on the ground. Not understanding what was happening, she could only stare at the body of the headless creature. The head still not realizing its demise, the mandibles trying to get her.
“Are you alright?” A voice asked.
Looking up, she saw that it was Yi holding out an arm to help her back up.
“How...,” Was all that she could say. Her mind blank.
“I could not let such a stunning woman be eaten by a monster, now could I?” He spoke, grinning at her.
In the background, Selestra could hear the sounds of people screaming and the flashes of spells being cast. In her chest, she could feel the thumping of her heart.
Taking Yin’s hand, she got back on her feet but fell into Yi’s chest.
His arms wrapped around her shoulder as he held her, her head resting on his chest as everything spun. “I am scared. I do not want to die.” She whispered, her tears starting back up again.
“I will protect you,” Yi assured her, his breath hitting the top of her hair. As if in response to his words, the world no longer spun dizzily.
While she wondered how he was going to protect her in this nightmare, she heard him quietly say, “Feel the power of Absolute Zero.”
The temperature around them dropped and a dazzling mist surrounded them exploding outwards.
Looking up at him and then towards the monsters, seeing the remaining monsters stop in their tracks. They glittered like diamonds before crumbling into a sparkling cloud.
A mist of ice crystals was left behind, where all the monsters used to be.
Inside of it, all she could hear was the groaning of her classmates that were injured during the attack.
There several students that lay on the ground, motionless. When it dawned upon her, she brought a hand to her mouth. Trying to keep back the feelings of grief that wanted to bubble out of her.
Looking up at Yi, she could feel her lips quivering.
Yi looked down at her, his eyes looking at the streaks of tears on her face in addition to her trembling lips.
Unable to let him look at her anymore, she turned away thinking he probably thought she was an ugly and arrogant woman who caused the death of her classmates.
It was all her fault.
If she didn’t try to show off to her classmates, many of them would still be alive.
The feeling of his fingers brushed against her cheek, guiding her to look back at his face.
As she stared into the bottomless pools of his eyes, Selestra wanted to know if he knew how horrible and monstrous she was.
While thinking about these things, she saw his head lowering towards hers and his eyes closing.
Her eyes slowly closed and soon she felt his lips on hers, banishing all other thoughts from her mind.
The world around them fell away as she kissed him back.