"I curse every scoundrel to endless suffering! May they meet a terrible end!"
Elias was once again startled awake by this curse.
When your lungs are pierced, even breathing feels like drowning in blood.
"Elias, are you alright?" His female classmate, startled by his behavior, showed concern. "Do you need me to get the school nurse?"
Seeing his still-living classmate, Elias was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. "It's nothing... just a bad dream," he reassured her.
She, eager for any chance to converse with Elias, didn't want to let the opportunity slip. "Oh, by the way..."
But Elias, uninterested, gave her a cold shoulder, silencing any further conversation.
The air turned awkward, and she huffed, turning away. *What did I do to deserve that? He's not even that gentlemanly, no matter how handsome he looks!*
Little did she know, Elias was actually concerned for her safety.
[Returned to save point: Rose City University, Class B of Magic Studies]
[Remaining reloads: 3/5]
Another death... Only three chances left...
Elias felt like a veteran general on stage, riddled with flags of defeat. The gap in strength between him and Luna was overwhelming. Elias had no intention of confronting her now.
His only option was to run.
With this in mind, Elias quickly stood up, planning to escape before Luna could find him in class.
The classroom was buzzing around a girl who had just been rejected, surrounded by her sympathizing classmates. Elias, impatient, pushed through the crowd and headed straight for the door.
"Hey! Why push me?"
"Elias is so full of himself!"
"Why is the new guy acting so arrogant?"
As Elias briskly walked away, the students whispered among themselves. A short while later:
"Elias, your girlfriend is here looking for you!"
"Elias?"
They turned towards the beautiful girl at the door. "Oh, that guy already left," the classmate Elias had brushed off said, rolling her eyes.
Luna, confused and abandoning her shy persona, asked hastily, "My bro... I mean, Elias, where did he go?"
"Who knows," shrugged a student, glancing toward the hallway window. "He just left, probably hasn't left the school yet."
"Oh... thank you..."
Luna quickly peered outside, scanning the crowded square for Elias. With the school day ending, the area was bustling with students, making it hard to spot him among the laughter and chatter.
Luna's gaze quickly locked onto a figure anxiously sprinting towards the school's exit.
A slight smile curved on her lips. Found you, bro.
Elias, with an expressionless face, left the school, scanning the familiar yet alien streets.
The shelter house, though his last resort, was currently a dead end, and its secluded location meant that even if he screamed his lungs out, no one would come to his rescue.
The school was a trap too, despite its misleading name, "Magic Studies Academy." It taught no magic but rather produced technical support for the magical industry, much like mechanical engineering in his original world.
Outside seemed a safer option. The city's upper district, near the academy, was affluent and more secure. Known organizations like the "Holy Order of Knights" or the "Special Affairs Department" of the Saint Rose City Police dealt with supernatural threats.
Deciding on the police station, Elias hurried off, thinking, When in trouble, go to the police!
As he ran through the streets, two police officers noticed him.
"Hey, kid! Stop right there!"
Elias saw two officers at the street corner, dressed in dark blue coats with round, hat-like police caps, adorned with the emblem of the Saint Rose City Police.
Seeing Elias excitedly running towards them, the officers exchanged puzzled looks and instinctively reached for their sidearms.
"Freeze! Don't move!"
"Hands up!!"
They nervously drew their revolvers as Elias, still smiling, raised his hands in cooperation, blurting out:
"Help! Someone's trying to kill me!"
"It's a monster! An exotic creature! An evil entity!!"
The officers were baffled, not used to seeing someone so cheerful while claiming to be chased.
Is this some kind of prank?
"There are many crazies from Rose City University who get their kicks by playing pranks on us," one thought.
"Slow down, what's going on? Where's the monster?"
"It must be right behind me; she must have found me by now!" Elias exclaimed.
Elias anxiously glanced backward. In the bustling city streets, Luna could be hiding among any crowd.
One officer started to frisk Elias, while the other scanned the street, following Elias's gaze. The upper district of Saint Rose City was bustling as usual, with no sign of any monster.
After searching Elias and finding nothing dangerous, the officers' expressions grew skeptical as they listened to his story.
"Your sis turned into a monster? And she came to your school to kill you?"
"Uh..." one officer lifted Elias's eyelids, suspiciously asking, "Kid, you're not on drugs, are you?"
Elias looked at them with a mix of frustration and amusement. Ordinary officers were usually unaware of the sinister underbelly of the world. If members of the Holy Order of Knights were here, they'd probably detain the entire street, given their 'better safe than sorry' approach.
"I'm telling the truth..." Elias said helplessly, seeing their disbelief. He decided to drop a familiar name. "You must know Chief Leonardo, right? He's an old friend of mine."
"Chief Leonardo?" The mention of the name made the officers more attentive. Leonardo was a renowned figure in the police force, known for solving many difficult cases and shrouded in mystery.
"You know Chief Leonardo?" One officer scrutinized Elias, still doubtful.
"Everyone in Saint Rose City knows Chief Leonardo," the other officer chuckled. "Kid, try a different prank next time. This one's old!"
Elias sighed, watching two potential big cases slip through their fingers. No wonder they were still patrolling the streets at their age.
He quickly scanned the area, including the rail trains and steam buses, watching every passerby. Luna had to be watching him from the crowd.
As the officers were about to leave, Elias had a sudden idea. The safest place in Saint Rose City was, ironically, the police station itself. He smiled and grabbed one of the officers turning to leave.
"Hey! Kid, what are you doing now?"
"Let me tell you..."
Before he could finish, Elias threw a punch, knocking the officer to the ground with force born of desperation.
"Assaulting an officer! Assault!"
The officer, clutching his bruised eye, scrambled up and drew his revolver.
Elias raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry, officer," he said with a harmless smile. "That's what you get for not believing me."