Races: Online (VR Smartphone App)

"Boss, boss! Get back inside!" 

A kid who should have been just around ten years old tried to shove Doug and Han into the old building.Two other children came running towards them from a street ahead of them and waved wildly. 

If it weren't for the situation, one might have thought they were just chasing each other around. Han pulled out his wand from his pocket and glanced across the street. 

There didn't seem to be any visible threats, and yet he tensed.

The street was now empty, except for the three young kids in front of him. Still that didn't mean he could dismiss the idea of any danger as he tried to find any remaining mana within his body. It was like tapping into the recesses of a dried up well. 

Still, Han looked at the kid and frowned. "What's the situation?" 

"Guardsmen!" the boy whisper-shouted and threw a look at Doug. "It's the one with the spear!"

"Wait, he's finally out of the clinic?" Doug rubbed his face and threw a look at Han. If he assessed this situation, then this guy was uninvolved. It was strange for the Guardsmen to do patrols here, but maybe this guy was just lucky. "I mean it's probably safe for you and you can get escorted—"

"No, no. They're just two Guardsmen and a couple of teenagers. I think the target shifted from this guy to them, and I already saw the other gangs coming out." Another boy insisted and shook his head. "Mari and I already saw them closing in on them!"

The girl shoved her hands into tattered shorts. "It's best we keep out of it, Doug. But maybe if you're quick we can get your friend back to the Academy."

Before Doug could protest at the fact that Han wasn't his friend—Han frowned and slapped a hand over his forehead. The description of the kids matched what was in his mind word for word. 

"Well fudge it it all, I know them."

"What?"

"Unless I'm wrong, which I can be—that group are my classmates." Han scratched the back of his head. A smile crossed on his lips. "I didn't think they'd actually go out of their way to find me, er, but drama aside—I mean, it's about four weaponless Students and two Guardsmen. I haven't seen any spear or anything at all."

"They're fucked then." the girl said.

"Not if I can stop them—" Han said and then paused as the four kids gave him blank looks.

"Mister, you had to run earlier." the girl said. "If you hadn't stumbled into our place by accident then you'd have been a dead body in the street in the morning or somewhere else." 

He sighed and threw a look at the street ahead of them, straining his ears to hear if there were any fights breaking out. "I know it's stupid. But do you guys have weapons? Can I borrow them and I'll toss it to my friends."

He wasn't about to ask kids to pick up a fight with him and save Donovan and the others. 

But even just the thought of a fight between his classmates made him wary, this wasn't just large spiders or wyverns but actual people. Neither was this actually a spar where you could call it off.

"Do you think we'll just give them to you?" the first boy looked at him baffled. "They're not free."

"Their best chance is escaping—but I don't think they'll be able to do it if everyone participates in the fight." Another said. 

"Well, if Ryden tries to leave—I bet he could, but he wouldn't just abandon them."

"I know that Slug Fist has a vendetta against him. Bet it's going to be nasty if he just got out of the clinic."contemporary romance

"If he runs then he can call reinforcements."

"It'll be too late, by then. Especially if it's that guy, Bo he's with."

Somehow, the conversation quickly descended into some kind commentary about their survival. Han's classmates and what was going to happen. Even if he left now—what was the best he could do? He needed to get his hands on a mana potion—

Doug shoved a knife towards Han, nearly stabbing him in the face. "Here's mine. Use it, since I don't think you can use that wand unless you're poking someone in the eye with it. Actually, maybe we should go." the boy glanced at his friends.

"What? Boss—we're going to get involved in that? No way!"

"Then I'll go and help," Doug said. "At least I'll earn levels while fighting tougher enemies."

"I know they said that, but they're really higher level—"

He cut off the squabble and picked up the knife from the boy. He managed a grin. "Hey hey, I appreciate the knife but I can't ask that." Han pocketed the weapon, already walking forward and looked back at them, "I mean if any of you got a mana potion—I'd appreciate it. But other than that, thanks for saving me."

Without waiting for another word, he began to run—and then dodged another knife that came behind him.

"You can use that too!" Another boy shouted. "It's rusted so it'll hurt more!"

Han swiped it up and shouted a quick thanks, and then he ran off. 

.

.

.

Once the young man disappeared into the street, the four kids shared a silent look together. It seemed like their job was finally over, which hadn't been that hard. For the last half hour, they remained as a lookout and ensured that Han hadn't been tracked to their place. The group of kids still relied on the previous horror of their mentors, but now, they were free to do as they pleased.

"He's stupid." one of the boys decided loudly. A grin cracked up on his lips. "I like that. Too bad he's going to die though."

"Argh, the exit is just a couple streets down in the opposite direction—and I don't think anybody else is watching it anymore." the girl groaned and shook her head. "I'm going in though." Without another word, she slid back to the apartment.

Doug crossed his arms. "Well, it's not like he'd abandon his classmates. I mean they're probably just like us who watch each other's backs." 

"Heh, Hailey and I did leave you back then though."

Doug half-glared at the boy. "Yeah, I didn't forget that, Trav."

Max shrugged and looked back. "They're supposed to be from the Academy—do you think they're actually any good?"

"Nah, combat experience? They're good as ants in the street."

"You think we could watch though?"

"Watch? Seriously? Are you out of your mind!"

"If we're fast, we can probably loot some bodies."

"Not a great idea."

—-

They were surrounded, trapped.

Boaz was the only one who had a weapon—well, someone snatched it from his hand.

"I can use this better than you!" Ryden said and pointed the sword at the largest guy that approached them. It was an extremely huge guy—and his nickname really didn't fit him. "Hey, Hey, Slug Face, nice to see ya. Did ya miss me?"

The guy didn't move like a slug, but rather slugged very hard.

"Heard you just got out of the clinic. What you doing in our territory?" another Thug swaggered. "Asking for a beating, huh!"

Slug Face—er, Slug Fist threw a nasty look at the Thug who clamped his mouth shut. One of his friends elbowed the random thug, before Slug Fist addressed Ryden again. "It seems like you're doing a little tour around this place—what is this, did you give up your post as a Guardsman?"

"Hah, nah nah. We're just using this as a shortcut—you didn't happen to see one of my kids though?" Ryden cocked a grin. 

Boaz thought it was idiotic that his friend was spilling the beans… and yet, his Diplomat Skills were useless in this hour. Unless he could just get a lighter beating? He threw some looks at the young men and the sole woman with them and gritted his teeth. 

He and Ryden could attempt to make a break for it, but not without risking them.

"I think it's best that you don't touch a single stray hair of any of us if you know what's good for you." the Diplomat said—more on threatening, than actually being a good Diplomat if he was to be honest.

"And why's that, Joe?"

Boaz's expression flattened at the name.

"Oi—he's name is Bo! And I'm the only one who calls him that." Ryden swung the sword around like a kid. He did a few thrusting stabs in the air—which wasn't effective for a sword, unlike a spear.

Boaz threw him a look.

Ryden sighed and said, "But yeah, he's right—we're not here to fight. It's actually best if you let us through."

It took a great amount of forcing for Ryden to actually say it. 

Even if he was out of duty for a couple of weeks now, it didn't mean he'd actually let it pass when there were so many criminal folks around them. Somehow, if he'd let them go now—it meant that they'd hide even better next time. 

This was a chance for a proper arrest if he actually had his weapons with him. If being a quite important word. And if he had a lot more Guards with him.

"Hah! Backing out from a fight, huh? What's so special about these kids—think they'll fetch a good price?"

—-—-

Author's Note: Slug Fist… yeah, I'm a bit terrible at thinking up names. Cough. Anyhow, not much more to say, heh. I mean this was an expected development, I suppose. Thank you for reading the chapter!

done.co