"Hey, hey. What is he talking about?" Some nervous students saw the other freaking out and started to ask without getting any responses. The others were too stunned to continue talking, but what was even more bothersome was that Joaquin's face still remained expressionless after uttering such a threat.
"IT'S IMPOSSIBLE! Those things live in deep shallow waters…" Luo roared out at first but calmed himself as Beipan intruded into his statement.
"It is very much likely that this swamp is a portal to another world, it is also likely that it is that deep and we just haven't realized it…"
"Hush, I was still talking here." Joaquin silenced Beipan and turned to face the Idol Prince who was distraught and only waited for solutions. "There is only one of them here and they are a C class monster, this swamp is an array set by one of the teachers to seal that thing down there. The only way you could pass through successfully is by not using your binary at all. Even you, at some point between this place and the destination, would've ended up victim to the swamp's rapid energy absorption"
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US BEFORE? DO YOU WANT OUR PRINCE TO DIE?"
"Calm down Luo, he did warn you all before you blindly took off into the wind. We should just be thankful that he is willing to tell us this information. But what I want to know is what a C class monster doing in a D rank area?" Beipan asked with a grin on his face, looking at it Joaquin could tell that he wanted to paint him as a fraud.
But Joaquin didn't care, if he were to convince these students to rally against him again it would be them who will be responsible for digging their own graves. "Do I look like a textbook to you?"
"The Dimensional Forest is an area set up by the school to replicate or transfer to this place various environments and challenges to train the students. It can also be used for teleporting to other areas instantly, I think the shark came from us stepping outside the designated training area. It is an incentive to send us back. Am I right?"
"Partially, yeah. But onward to the important stuff, there are two ways you can get out of here. The first one is to stay here and try to replenish all of the energy you've lost being idiots it would probably take up to three days and if you get impatient and mess up the swamp will swallow you and feed you to the megalodon below it. The second one is to force the hideous monster up here, but for that, you would need to go and join that group there."
No matter how they looked at it, both ways were equally terrible and could quite possibly lead to their deaths. No, they would most definitely lead to their deaths, some students started proclaiming their noble births and became rowdy. Others cried while Joaquin and the others just stared with empty faces, as for the Idol Prince, he still didn't know what to do so Beipan spoke up.
"What do you mean by you, are you telling us that you're not coming?"
"I am not the one stuck in here am I? Pick your choice now, but since I'm a good guy if you pick the first one you won't owe me anything," Joaquin said as he shook Ains, it was a reflex that he just came out of nowhere because he felt a sudden urge to burst out laughing. His face was still expressionless.
"I'll pick the second one," the Idol Prince exclaimed after a brief moment of silence.
"Are trying to die or something?" Joaquin asked as tried to take a step back but was held on tightly but the swamp.
"He is right, we should just stay here and meditate at least then some of us will be able to walk out. A C class monster could kill us all." Luo protested as he marched forward to try and hold the Idol Prince back.
"You should listen to your guard, a C class monster doesn't sound threatening, but we are in its habitat. Just trying to lift our feet costs chunks and chunk of inner qi, are you trying to die and take us with you?"
"I won't die, I trust him." The Idol Prince said it again with a bold and serious tone as he pointed at Joaquin.
Joaquin blinked rapidly as he thought, 'I don't even trust myself.'
"Idol Prince Wang, are you a masochist or something?"
"Of course not, you can't introduce us to an option we have no chance of surviving without a valid reason or a way to get around it. As I said before, I trust you."
"Not even Ben trusts me, aren't you curious as to what I'll want from you?"
"I don't care what it is, money is nothing compared to the lives of my comrades."
"Just how dumb do you think I am? I have the lives of over 20 students in the palm of my hands, why would I exchange them for a few coins. If I ever want to use this favor, it will be for something that can help me achieve my goals." Joaquin leaned away from Ains and stuck his pinkie in his ear. "Also, one of your pets issued me a challenge earlier, I just thought I should remind you and ask you to pick your choice wisely."
The Idol Prince slipped and his feet sunk into the swamp, his face and his trust were both destroyed by Joaquin. Unlike Beipan who would be making his grip on someone an absolute hell, Joaquin didn't look excited. In fact, judging from his expression and tone, Joaquin could just choose to leave everyone here and the Idol Prince will not be surprised. Slowly, he started to grasp why Ruben was always on his tail and keeping other famiglias from recruiting him.
Beipan took over for the Idol Prince and after a calm and sophisticated back and forth with Joaquin they decided to bring the shark up to the surface. What was unsettling to most people including Joaquin himself was how Beipan seemed to be having fun. Beipan wasn't hysterical, even though he laughed and smiled a lot it was normally at a lower scale. It gave off an air of trust, in most cases, Beipan could even act like Joaquin. Even if not as dead-looking but he was able to keep his calm and charm his way out of almost anything.
Joaquin and Ains passed the group and continued forward, although most of the students were displeased there was nothing they could do but shout. Just barely an inch away from everyone Joaquin pulled out of his pockets a talisman.
He connected the runes and they shone with a violent looking black light, from it emerged three black balls which immediately reddened because of the amount of mana in the air. Instead of exploding, they were reduced to ashes that were absorbed by the pond.
"Ooooh, Master, master, do it again. Make it shine." Ains exclaimed as she jumped carelessly in and out of the swamp. Full of life, full of energy
"If I had known that those things would be that quick to react I wouldn't have brought them out. It's only thanks to the swamp that we weren't reduced to atoms," Joaquin said in a very low voice rivaled by a whisper as he shifted his gaze to glare down at Ains.