[Attempt 4: Failure]
[Completion Rate: 60%]
[Reason for Failure: Death]
[This is your 5th attempt]
The completion rate had reached 60%.
Which was the highest yet.
Did this mean that Sebastian was finally on the right track?
Maybe. Maybe not.
One thing had been made clear to him.
It was impossible for 'him' to defeat the shooter.
It's one thing to fight a psycho with a gun.
It's another thing when that psycho starts teleporting around and starts throwing FIRE OUT OF HIS GODDAMN HANDS.
'DAMN IT ALL!!!!'
How was it possible for one person to be so powerful?
However, that didn't matter.
Neither the how, nor the why was important.
All Sebastian needed to know was that this person was someone he needed to defeat.
Sebastian couldn't help but smash his fist into his desk in frustration.
Within his eyes equal parts despair and rage seemed to be battling it out.
It all made sense now.
Why was he so afraid of the shooter?
It was because somewhere deep down 'he knew' that it was impossible to take on the shooter head-on.
There were still holes in that theory though.
Why was he the only one who felt that? What about Anna and Josh, the supposed 'owner'.
They didn't seem to have any problems tackling that 'monster' head-on.
In Sebastian's head, the shooter had already risen to the same level as a deadly monster of nightmares.
He couldn't run.
He couldn't hide.
He couldn't fight back either.
Then did that mean he would be forced to do 'that'?
For some reason, Sebastian refrained from directly mentioning what the fourth alternative was even within his thoughts.
Sebastian slapped himself with both hands and took deep breaths to calm himself down.
No, there was no need to go that far just yet.
Since the enemy is a monster.
He just needed to create another one to fight it.
And Seb already had a plan ready for that.
'This time I will give you a taste of despair as well.'
'I am sick of suffering alone'
'In the end… you made me do this … Mr Shooter'
"MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
This was the second time he had burst into crazed laughter.
But if the first time it was in relief of finally having found a way out.
This time it was a laugh full of malice and a newly budding hatred.
Somewhere deep within Seb's mind lay a metaphorical rope.
The rope seemed to be tying up and sealing off a certain section of Seb's brain.
What lay beyond it was obscured and blurry but seemed to contain churning shadows and endless darkness.
The rope lay in an extremely battered state, frayed all over.
In fact, it was in such bad shape that all that was keeping it in place was one thin little thread.
And now… the last thread started to show signs of snapping as well.
What would happen if this thread snapped?
That wasn't something that could be accurately predicted.
But what one could be sure of… was that Sebastian would never be the same again.
.
.
.
This time Sebastian directly asked the teacher to send both Josh and Anna to escort him to the infirmary, to which she agreed after a bit of back and forth.
Once they got out of the classroom, he simply walked off on his own without uttering a word, after gesturing at the two to follow him.
Sebastian moved with strong and determined steps.
A fire had been lit deep within his eyes
And it wouldn't be stopped before burning down all that stood in its path.
Seb came to a stop in front of Class 12-B.
"No matter what I do next. No matter how scared you are. Just trust me and you will be fine."
Perhaps Anna and Josh wanted to say something?
But after seeing the look in Seb's eyes they realized that it was better to just quietly follow behind him for the time being.
Seb kicked open the door to the room with a bang but did not enter immediately.
Sure enough, all thirty students started giving them the stare down the moment he was within their line of sight.
These abominations seemed to be some sort of undead. Since they did have a physical form, he couldn't call them ghosts but since they behaved like resentful spirits he couldn't call them zombies either.
Perhaps it would be best to call them revenants from now on.
"Ahem, how may I help you?"
Mr Li's voice interrupted Seb's staring contest with the revenants and forced him to get back to the situation at hand.
"Sorry, Mr Li. I was distracted for a second."
"It's fine, go on." The teacher's voice was still calm at the moment. Seb couldn't help but wonder if it would still stay the same once he was done with what he had planned.
"Mr Li, Mrs Brown is asking to see you."
"Why is she asking to see me? Tell her I am busy right now."
Sebastian gritted his teeth; he had expected this response. That is why he had something special planned.
"It is of vital importance. It is regarding a change in the curriculum."
"What are you talking about…"
"If you don't come now you will end up wasting a lot of time teaching the wrong stuff…"
Sebastian drawled on, stretching his words to put pressure on the teacher.
"… you wouldn't want all the time your students spent 'studying' to be wasted right?"
Sebastian turned to look at the revenants, his lips slowly twisting into a sadistic grin.
"Studying is extreeeemely important to you guys. Is it not?"
Almost instantly, all 30 heads twisted to stare at Mr Li instead this time who then immediately broke out into cold sweat and waved his hands wildly in the air.
"Ahem, I am coming. I am coming. There is no need to trouble my students alright."
"Of course, Sir… Please come with us."
As if the sadistic grin had just been an illusion, Sebastian politely smiled and nodded toward the teacher.
Mr Li walked out of his classroom all the while being stared at by the revenants, their necks twisting along as the teacher walked across in front of them to the door.
He proceeded to close the door the moment he stepped out.
"Let's go."
.
.
.
"Wait a minute Mr Li!"
"What?"
"You are going the wrong way…"
"What do you mean? Isn't class 12-A down this corridor?"
"No, it's just that… Mrs Brown isn't in the classroom at the moment."
"Then where is she?"
"Just follow me, Sir."
Sebastian led the teacher straight ahead instead of turning into the corridor that led to their classroom.
He then proceeded to go down an extremely familiar stairwell that led to the exit of the building.
Stopping in front of the door Sebastian came to a stop.
"Mr Li, she is right outside."
Sebastian pointed at the door and politely gestured at the teacher to go through it.
Mr Li frowned as he stared at Sebastian's face no doubt feeling that something was off.
"On second thought, I think it will be fine even if I met with her later…"
"Oh Mr Li… you have already come all the way down here, might as well meet her."
"But…"
"Here, Anna please open the door for the teacher."
Anna also couldn't help but wonder about just what the hell Sebastian was planning.
Her old classmate seemed to be growing more and more unfamiliar by the minute.
Lies after lies left his mouth as naturally as breathing.
Was this the same boy that wouldn't even bother communicating with anyone before being pestered into it by Josh a hundred times.
But she still stayed silent and decided to open the door.
In the end, it was too late to back down.
Seb asked her to trust him.
She could do that.
Anna quietly nodded and opened the door.
As Anna was opening the door Seb had positioned himself behind the teacher.
The moment the door opened; he violently kicked the teacher out of it.
And then proceeded to slam the door shut.