It's been a few days since my heroic brush with explosive alchemy left me with a nasty injury. The academy, in their infinite wisdom, decided I needed some time to recover—and by "recover," they meant "sit in your room and do nothing." So here I am, grounded like a kid who touched the family heirloom vase, with nothing to do but stare at the walls. Honestly, I thought being expelled was a bit harsh for that student, but hey, not my circus, not my problem.
On the upside, I've had plenty of time to focus on my mana circulation—Void Mana Control, courtesy of dear old dad. And I have to admit, it's working. I can feel the mana flow getting smoother, stronger. Pretty sure I could take on a fireball or two if I had to. Which, you know, I definitely won't. Because there's absolutely no way I'm stepping outside today. Why? Oh, no reason. Just the small matter of the Phantom Order about to storm the academy.
Yup. The big event in the novel is happening today. And guess who's not planning to get mixed up in it? This guy. The smart move is to stay right here, in my cozy little room, safe and sound while all the chaos unfolds outside. Why mess with the timeline? Besides, the plot doesn't need me right now.
That said, being cooped up in here for days is slowly driving me crazy. I mean, how many times can you practice mana circulation before it gets old? But hey, my stats are looking good, so there's that.
[Status Window]
Name: Lucius Ravenhart
Age: 17
Element: Dark
Mana: 4.9
Strength: 6.1
Agility: 6.7
Endurance: 5.8
Intelligence: 15.1
"Well, at least my mana's creeping up... but still stuck at 4.9." I sighed, glaring at the screen like it was personally responsible for my mediocre numbers. "What do I need to do, make a blood pact with an ancient mana beast to break 5? Ugh, three-star magic core, here I come... eventually."
As if the universe was tired of my complaining, a loud explosion suddenly rocked the academy. My heart jumped. Oh, it's started.
Through the walls, I could hear the sound of students screaming and more explosions echoing outside. It's funny how reading about a siege is way less nerve-wracking than actually living through one. Another crash, and the instructors' voices boomed through the halls.
"All students get to the emergency shelter!" one of them bellowed, probably expecting everyone to follow in an orderly fashion.
Everyone except me.
Sure, the Phantom Order's attacking, and sure, there's panic in the air, but if the novel's timeline holds, they're not even coming near this part of the academy. No need for me to panic. No need for me to leave the room. I'll just... stay here and, you know, let the hero Dorian handle all that outside business.
Yeah, staying in the room is definitely the best decision.
I flopped back onto the bed, fully aware of the explosions and chaos just outside. No point in risking my life when the attackers aren't even after anything in this area. I just have to play it cool and not... die of boredom in the meantime.
After a few minutes, the chaos outside seemed to quiet down. I figured the heroic Dorian must have taken charge, leading the charge from the classrooms to the academy yard while trying to evacuate the unfortunate souls still outside.
But then I heard it—an ear-splitting noise from the school garden right outside my window. Curiosity got the better of me. Peeking out, I spotted Dorian and his crew heroically rescuing students and throwing punches at the members of the Phantom Order. It was all very dramatic, but just as I was settling in to enjoy the show, something unexpected happened.
Out of nowhere, a Two-Headed Horned Wolf leaped into the fray. My jaw dropped. Wait a second—this monster isn't supposed to be here! My mind raced. This was not how things were supposed to go down.
Looks like I had no choice but to get down to the garden and assess the situation myself.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly opened the door to my room, ready to become the unsung hero of the moment. Except, as soon as I stepped outside, I nearly tripped over a member of the Phantom Order loitering in the hallway. What are the odds?
"Who's there?!" the thug barked, clearly as surprised as I was.
Damn it! What's the play here? Do I fight? But can I even hold my own against a member of the Phantom Order? I'd been found out, and hiding was no longer an option. So, after running through a series of absolutely ludicrous calculations in my head, I decided to embrace my inner hero.
I stepped out into the open, puffing out my chest like I was ready to take on the world. "Are you talking to me? I'm here to stop you!" I declared, channeling my best main character vibe.
The Phantom Order goon looked me up and down, snorting. "Look at this student—you look weak. It looks like you want to die."
And with that, he lunged at me, dagger gleaming menacingly.
Well, this escalated quickly.
I whipped out my sword just in time to block his attack, but damn, his speed was impressive—like he was auditioning for a role as the Flash. Members of the Phantom Order specialized in both magic and close combat, which meant I was up against a serious challenge.
"Interesting, you were able to block that attack. But you're still going to die!" he taunted, and I couldn't help but wonder if that was his catchphrase. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent fire elemental shots soaring in my direction like a fireworks display gone wrong.
I swung my mana sword, desperately trying to deflect the attacks while maintaining a safe distance from his dagger, which was definitely not a prop I wanted to get up close and personal with.
"Mana sword user?! Interesting. This will be even more fun to kill you," he sneered, launching himself at me again, his dagger glowing ominously with mana. Each hit sent a jolt through my arms, and I could feel the weight of his strikes piling up like an unwelcome debt.
He charged, his relentless attacks scratching at my skin and reminding me that this was no ordinary sparring session. Why am I not scared right now? I mentally shook my head—now was not the time for an existential crisis.
Then it hit me. I could tap into my Librarian's Tome to gauge his weaknesses!
[Character Window]
Name: ???
Age: ???
Element: Fire
Combat Style: Risky
Strengths: Unpredictable Aggression
Weaknesses: Overcommitment
Just as I was reveling in my newfound knowledge, he lunged at me again.
The dagger zipped toward me like a homing missile, but this time I was ready. I could see the wild, aggressive pattern in his movements—he was charging in like he was trying to impress someone, but that reckless abandon left openings. If I timed this right, I could flip the script on this showdown.
Let's see if he can handle a little counterattack.
Another fiery blast shot toward me, forcing me to duck like I was in a twisted game of dodgeball, except the balls were made of pure death. My mana sword shimmered in my hand, a beacon of hope against his onslaught. But with each strike I blocked, the weight of his attacks felt heavier, more desperate—like he was trying to finish me off before the next commercial break. Sweat dripped down my brow, and I barely evaded a lethal thrust aimed at my throat.
"You're getting slower," the man sneered, his breath hot enough to roast marshmallows. "Just give up. You're out of your league, kid."
"Yeah, well... I hear that a lot from my teachers," I shot back, trying to sound brave while my heart raced. My eyes darted to the Character Window again—Weakness: Overcommitment. Bingo! I just needed to turn the tables.
He lunged again, his dagger slicing through the air in a brutal arc. This time, instead of blocking, I sidestepped. As expected, he'd put too much force behind the swing, and his body lurched forward, his momentum carrying him off-balance. Oh, what a perfect opportunity.
With a tight grip on my mana sword, I aimed for his exposed side. I thrust forward, landing a clean hit that cut through his defenses like butter. He grunted in pain, staggering back while clutching his ribs, but the fire in his eyes only burned brighter, and I could practically hear the rage bubbling beneath his skin.
"You're dead!" he roared, raising his arms to summon a wave of fire.
The air shimmered as flames erupted around him, spreading like a wildfire at a barbecue gone horribly wrong. I raised my sword, channeling every bit of mana I had left to form a protective barrier. The fire roared against it, threatening to consume me like an unwanted dessert, but I held firm.
My legs shook, my body screamed in protest, but surrender was not on my to-do list. Not with that one last opening still hanging in the air like a dangling plot thread. As the flames began to subside for a brief second, I spotted him—his chest heaving, his form weakened from the relentless barrage.
Now or never.
With a burst of speed, I charged in like I was auditioning for a role in an action movie, feinting left before pivoting sharply to the right. His eyes widened—too slow. My mana sword sliced through his defenses, and I drove the blade into his side with a satisfying thud.
The Phantom Order member gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief, like he'd just realized he was the punchline of a very bad joke. He slumped forward, and I yanked my sword back, panting heavily as I watched him collapse to the ground.
For a moment, silence filled the room, broken only by my ragged breaths. My muscles screamed in protest, and I could feel the burn of exhaustion creeping in. I'd done it... I'd won.
But just as I lowered my sword, a sharp, searing pain shot through my left hand. I looked down—blood was pouring from a deep gash. When had he—? Oh right, that last swing. Great job, Lucius.
My vision blurred for a moment, and I realized I hadn't come out of this unscathed. The dagger must've grazed me during his final desperate swings. I clenched my jaw, trying to suppress the wave of pain crashing through me.
"Well... that went better than expected," I muttered through gritted teeth, staggering back as the pain in my hand worsened.
My left hand was ruined—mangled from the fight. I had won, but the price was steep. Just my luck.
Damn it, good thing I snagged that healing potion from the academy. I fished it out of my magic storage, unscrewed the cap, and downed the entire thing in one go. The effect was nothing short of miraculous; all the wounds on my body immediately closed up, and the fatigue that had wrapped around me like a blanket vanished.
I stood up, my clothes now splattered with blood but otherwise intact, and rushed out the door toward the park to see what chaos awaited me there. Let's just hope I didn't miss the grand finale!
As I approached the park, the sounds of chaos swirled around me like an overenthusiastic symphony of shouts and roars. Honestly, I'd expected some fighting, but the cacophony was beyond anything I'd imagined. According to the novel, the assassins attacking the park were supposed to be a mere handful—just a diversion while the real group stormed the academy's storage area.
"Damn, how do we defeat that monster?" I heard a student shout, panic threading through his voice.
When I finally reached the park, my jaw dropped. There it was—the Two-Headed Horned Wolf—towering and menacing, a beast of epic proportions with an appetite for destruction. This wasn't in the novel or even the game! Where was my cheat code for this?
"The instructor will be here soon, hang in there!" Dorian's voice rang out, trying to rally the troops, but it was clear that most were still cowering behind whatever cover they could find. They hadn't even mustered the courage to attack the monster.
I mentally facepalmed. The instructors were unlikely to show up anytime soon; they'd likely calculated their time and energy by attacking the other side of the academy where the Thousands Spells Palace was. So, naturally, most of the academy's power was channeled there, leaving us here to deal with a literal two-headed nightmare.
If this kept up, the Phantom Order would waltz right into the academy's storage without breaking a sweat. It looked like the universe had dropped a plot twist on me, and it was time to improvise.
I took a deep breath, channeling my inner hero. "Well, time to show this wolf who's boss," I muttered to myself. Maybe I could buy us some time, or at least distract it long enough for the students to find their courage. Let's see if I could make a name for myself—or at least avoid becoming a wolf snack!
I rushed toward their group, and it seemed my dramatic entrance caught them off guard—probably the blood splattered on my clothes didn't help with the "charming hero" vibe I was going for.
"Hey, what happened to you? Are you okay?" Dorian asked, eyes wide with concern.
"Seriously, why are you covered in blood? Are you hurt?" Claire chimed in, her voice a mix of worry and disbelief.
"Relax, I'm fine," I replied, waving off their concerns like a pro. "But let's focus on the important stuff. Do you guys have a plan to take down this Two-Headed Horned Wolf?" I asked, adopting my best serious tone.
"I was thinking we should attack with full force along with the other students. If we all hit it together, we can take that monster down!" Dorian replied, the leader in him shining through.
I sighed internally. No way would that end well—those poor students would be left as wolf snacks if they rushed in without a plan. Plus, they looked like they'd never faced a beast like this before. If they wasted time here, the entire chapter could spiral into chaos!
I scanned the assembled group, a strong team made up of the academy's brightest talents. Dorian stood as the leader, flanked by Claire and Zephyr—the dynamic magic swordsmen duo. Leon was here too, with Fiona, the essential support. Kain, Selene, and Lucas—three of the academy's rising stars—rounded out the squad, along with several other eager students looking to help.
Seeing Selene and Lucas gave me a flicker of hope. With them here, this should be manageable. I straightened my posture, doing my best to channel the confidence of a seasoned hero.
"From now on, I'll take over"