"..."
A man, cloaked in darkness, sat at the head of a round table, facing six other figures.
With a crescent moon and star symbol on his robe, he began to speak.
"Is everything going to plan?"
At that exact moment, a terrifying aura enveloped the room, making five of the men quiver in fear.
Yet, only one man spoke. A man wearing a jester's hat, his face painted like a clown.
"Yes. All according to plan."
He spoke freely, undeterred by the immense pressure emanating from the Grandmaster.
"..."
"I will deal with Eilot. The rest of you will handle the other professors and enforcements,"
Continued the man cloaked in darkness.
"As for you, Jester... don't toy with the students for too long. The barrier won't last long once reinforcements arrive. Remember, this attack cannot fail. You must kill the hero that our lord has spoken of."
The Jester silently nodded, a chilling grin spreading across his face.
"We will begin once the clock strikes 11. The barrier will activate once the Jester enters the vicinity of the students. We will stall for enough time for you to locate the hero and kill him. Now, disperse."
All of the members vanished into thin air, leaving a ripple of mana behind.
The man in darkness removed his mask, his fingers tracing the scar across the left side of his face.
"Eilot… your pitiful life will end at my hands tonight," he said, his voice cold and menacing, as his twisted smile grew wider.
He walked out of the dark room and slowly made his way down towards the main city hall, each step echoing ominously.
---
Alyssa's Pov
Knock Knock
"Ugh, who is knocking on my door so early in the morning?"
I grumbled as I got out of bed and stretched.
"Yawn... I had such a wonderful sleep, one I haven't had in ages."
'Aren't I forgetting something? It's probably nothing important,'
I thought to myself.
I walked barefoot towards the door and opened it, only to be met with three piercing eyes staring at me.
"Hi?"
I spoke with a sense of uncertainty.
Aldric suddenly spoke in haste,
"We've been knocking on your door for nearly twenty minutes! We've already arrived in the city, and now we're waiting for you to come out."
'Huh, I slept for that long? And I slept in my uniform? I must be tired. Wait, wasn't I training? But instead, I fell asleep!'
I facepalmed as I checked the time.
[7:21 PM]
'Less than five hours left. To think I overslept on the day I was supposed to be most prepared.'
"Alright, you three, get ready to fight."
Ryder suddenly interrupted what I was going to say next.
"Why should we follow your instruc—"
I lifted a finger to his lips and said,
"Shhh, you promised, didn't you? Hahaha."
"..."
Ryder fell silent.
Liora finally spoke. "So, we've decided to follow your instructions for now. What do you want us to do?"
'Hmm...? I thought she would probably say something about how royalty shouldn't follow a noble's words, let alone mine. At least, that's what was portrayed in the game.'
"Huuu, if I said we are going to be attacked, what would you do?"
Aldric replied in the most enthusiastic voice,
"Naturally, beat them up! Who even dares to attack us?"
"Hahaha, good, keep that spirit up. Just don't complain later. But anyways, what about you two?"
I looked towards Liora and Ryder, who both had no emotions shown on their faces.
"Beat them up," Ryder muttered.
"Who would dare to attack the students of Lumi?" Liora added.
Ignoring both of their words, I went to put on my shoes and walked down the hallway, unconsciously digging my nails into my palms, as I quietly muttered to those three.
"Follow me."
Finding my way out of this airship and down towards the ground, I was met with a wonderful view of the ocean.
'It's a shame that I can't enjoy this view for now.'
Turning back, with three of the best talents of Lumi who are following me, I had to instruct them to get something.
"Ryder, and Liora, you two will go towards the central market to buy some stuff for me."
I messaged in the group chat the list of items I need.
[ 5x Explosive Scrolls ]
[ 5x Smoke Bombs ]
[ 6th Grade Mana Barrier Scroll ]
[ 1st Grade Mud Scroll ]
[ 2x 1st Grade Blinding Light Scroll ]
[ 4th Grade Sound Proof Barrier ]
'Hopefully these are enough'
"Alyssa, you will be in more debt, you know that right?"
Liora looked at me with a confused look
"Don't worry, you will know later. Now set off and come to the lobby of the hotel once you're done Follow me Aldric."
Ryder and Liora begin heading towards the central market, while Aldric and I are walking towards the hotel.
'To think they have a map that tells you where to go just like a GPS.'
If they didn't have this thing on the bracelet, I would've been long lost a long time ago.
"Hey, Alyssa!."
"What is it?"
"Here's some cupcake you left behind."
Aldric then proceeded to hand me a cupcake.
"Here, you should eat something before we head out," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle.
I took the cupcake, my eyes widening at the sight. It was a perfectly frosted creation, with swirls of creamy vanilla icing topped with delicate silver sprinkles that shimmered under the light. A single cherry, glossy and vibrant, crowned the top.
"This is the limited time cupcake I bought just for you."
Aldric grinned and patted my shoulders.
I took a bite out of the cupcake, but I couldn't taste anything.
But still, I can feel a small smile tug at the corners of my mouth.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
For a moment there, I was lost in thought.
'This was the first time I've received something.'
I smiled and finished the cupcake.
'But I have to focus now.'
We quickly followed the map on my bracelet towards the hotel. When we arrived, my jaw dropped.
'This is even bigger than I imagined. In the game, it wasn't this expansive.'
The hotel was enormous, with several wings connected to the main building. There was a pool, a training room, a library, a grand dining hall, and even an arcade.
As we walked through the open doors, a grand lobby came into view. Luxurious railings, elegant stairs, and modern elevators adorned the space, with a woman manning the reception desk. Students moved in and out, some in groups, others alone.
We approached the counter to complete the check-in process.
"Group 18, Alyssa Valenheart and Aldric Valorhart, you've been assigned to rooms 514 and 515 respectively."
"Thanks."
I headed towards one of the elevators, overhearing snippets of conversation.
"Hey, is that Alyssa with Aldric alone?"
"Yeah, that's them. After kicking Ryder out, she even brought Aldric along?"
I ignored the whispers. Gossip was the least of my concerns right now.
We entered a free elevator and ascended to the fifth floor.
"Alyssa, what's going on? You're clutching your hands so tightly, you might even scar your palms!"
Only then did I realize I was gripping my hands so hard they were bleeding.
"..."
"I'll explain once we're inside my room."
Ding. The elevator arrived at our floor, and I found our room, 514. I opened the door, let Aldric in, and shut it firmly behind us. I dropped into a chair and took a sip of water.
"Aldric."
I looked at him with a stern expression, making him shiver.
"Uh, Alyssa, you're kinda scaring me right now…"
"Don't worry, you'll be scared out of your wits later."
"..."
"Remember what I said? We're going to be attacked by the Syndicate."
"Who?" Aldric asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
'Right, I forgot that only professors, high-ranking Union officials, upper-nobles, Ryder, and Liora knew about them.'
"The Syndicate," I repeated, my tone serious.
"They're a dangerous criminal organization known for their cunning and deadly skills. Their prowess rivals that of the Union."
"What? So you're telling me we're going to be attacked by them—people whose skills rival the Union's? Aren't we all doomed? I haven't even said goodbye to my parents yet!"
Aldric began to panic, and I smacked him on the head again.
"Uh, listen to me. It's only one strong person and other weak people attacking this hotel. If we handle this correctly, we can defeat him, and then the rest okay?"
"Oh, only one strong guy and a few weak people. Sure!"
"Yep, an 8th-tier ranked individual."
'It should be an 8th-tier person now that we are in Hell Mode.'
"Alyssa, I think we should run."
I smacked him again.
"Ouch."
"You and Ryder will deal with him."
Even though the Saintess isn't here, the hero's stats should be sufficient to stall the Jester. Once he activates all his buffs, he can rival an S-rank individual. The Jester primarily relies on mental attacks, which means I'm the perfect counter, but the hero is also well-equipped. He has protection from the Holy Sword.
Even if the Jester's main abilities are mental attacks, his physical and mana capabilities are still at the S-tier level. One should not underestimate his other attacks.
"How can you say that? You're sending me to my death! I can't handle an 8th-tier maniac!"
"No, all you have to do is stall with Ryder and wait for the professors to arrive."
"..."
"I'll provide more details once those two return from shopping."
---
"Why do you think Alyssa tells us to buy all these kinds of items?"
Liora asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and skepticism.
"To prepare for that attack Alyssa keeps talking about," Aldric replied, a confident edge to his voice.
Liora frowned, deep in thought. The only group that dares to attack the academy, which is under numerous protection, can only be that group of villains. But how did Alyssa know? A fallen nobility like her should not have any powerful connections... unless it was the Moonlit Guild?
"Do you think it is the Syndicate?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Ryder stayed silent, his gaze fixed ahead, lost in thought.
"I'm not too sure."
"Hah. Let's ask her later. But first, we need to get all the items she requested, and it seems like it's mostly traps..." Liora said, sounding resigned.
The two of them quickly moved off, asking for directions to the Union branch in the city to purchase the items on their list.
---
Three hours later, Liora and Ryder returned with the items I had asked them to buy. They approached, each carrying a case filled with various supplies.
"Here's everything you requested,"
Liora said, her tone a mix of relief and exhaustion. She set down her case and began to unpack the items.
Ryder followed suit, placing his case beside Liora's.
"We got everything on the list, though it took a bit of searching."
"Good."
I nodded with approval as I glanced around at the supplies.
Liora wiped her brow and looked at me.
"So, what's the plan now?"
"To be prepared for an attack, what else?"
I quickly took everything and put it into my subspace.
Ryder wanted to know.
"So what is this attack?"
"Just an 8th-Tier rank guy. You should be able to stall it right?"
Ryder looked at me with widened eyes.
"What's that look for? You can do it with the help of that sword right?"
".. Alyssa, I don't know how powerful you see me but, even with the help of the sword.. I'm afraid I can only assert the power of a 6th-Tier…."
'Huh? What is this bastard suddenly saying?'
I activated 'Appraisal' on him.
[ Status ]
Name : Ryder Valken
Age : 16
Rank : C
Strength : C
Agility : C
Stamina : C+
Intelligence : D+
Mana : C-
Luck : EX
Charm : Unknown
-> Profession
[Advanced Swordsmanship lvl.6]
[########] (Locked)
-> Manual
[ Eternal Sword Style (Unknown) ]
-> Minor Mastery of 5th Realm
-> Skills
[Basic Sword Mastery (B)]
[Enhanced Reflexes (B)]
[Void Step (B)]
[Mana Manipulation (B)]
[Eternal Domain (S)]
[######] (Locked)
[######] (Locked)
[Holy Sword (EX)]
[######] (Locked)
[######] (Locked)
-> Effects
[######][######]
"This can't be real… How is this possible?"
I grabbed Ryder's shoulders, my voice trembling with disbelief and frustration.
"How can you be this weak? After everything, how is this even happening?!"
My grip tightened as I searched his face for answers, my mind racing with a mixture of anger and confusion.
The disparity between my expectations and the reality before me was too jarring to process.
The hero right now should be atleast A rank.
Then, the harsh reality hit me once again.
'…this is no longer a game.' I thought to myself.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion shattered the silence.
BOOOOOOOOOM—
The city hall, a towering behemoth that loomed over everything in its vicinity, erupted into flames.
I stared in shock.
'Wait! This is too early—it hasn't even reached midnight yet. But right, this is Hell Mode. There are bound to be unexpected changes.'
"What's happening?"
Aldric's voice cut through the chaos as he pointed toward the inferno.
Liora turned to me, her expression a mix of concern and disbelief.
"Is this the attack you were expecting?" she asked, her frown deepening.
Ryder, who had been caught in the turmoil, finally broke free from my grip and sank to the ground.
"If that's the attack you were expecting, we wouldn't have been able to do anything—"
Without waiting for further explanation, I bolted out of the room, racing toward the emergency stairways. My heart pounded as I descended quickly, my mind focused on the urgent task at hand.
'I can't afford to waste any more time. I need to confront the Jester myself. All the students should be capable of defending themselves against the attackers. The only reason those students died was because of the Jester, and not the unknown attackers.'
My strategy was clear: stall the Jester long enough for the professors to arrive. My goal was to ensure no one else died or suffered severe injuries so that these talents could be preserved for future battles.
Without warning, the lights flickered violently before plunging the entire hotel into darkness.
My heart raced as a cold dread settled in.
'The Jester is here… He entered.'
I reached the lobby floor and flung open the door.
There, standing in the dim light, was a sinister figure—a creepy clown with a jester's hat perched atop his head. Dressed in a garish circus outfit and sporting a wide, malevolent grin, he fixed his gaze on me.
"Look who we have here. A lovely, defenseless lady dares to cross my path?" he said with sinister glee, his voice dripping with malicious amusement.
Before I could react, he lunged forward, and in an instant, I was slammed against the wall.
I struggled to regain my balance, my vision blurring and my breath coming in ragged gasps.
His shadow loomed ominously, and I knew with a sickening certainty that the worst was yet to come.
"I've been craving to break someone with such a determined will as yours," he said, his voice dripping with ecstasy. A wide, twisted smile spread across his face.