Races: Online (VR Smartphone App)

Consciences were damning. 

Once the liquor cleared out from his head, Russel considered his words and experienced a sharp pain in his gut and a bitter and raw feeling down his throat. Although that might have been just him vomiting earlier at all the alcohol he drank earlier into a bucket.

While that still might have not been enough to start looking for Han to apologize when the man was probably back at the Academy—the scrawnier Guardsman, Bo, he claimed that Han wasn't safe yet. And it was only due to the insistence of Boaz and a Skill he had as a Guardsman that they were able to track out. 

The man noticed that Han hadn't headed back home according to their promised agreement. 

And Russel knew it was because of his insensitive words—and to make worse things to become the worst: All of them here were now goners. The entire street was littered and filled with a great number of criminals.

They were outnumbered from 1:3.

It was just Russel's estimation. He hoped he was wrong and that it was actually lower than what he saw. He wouldn't have minded if this was all a figment of his mind as long as he woke up and realized this was a dream of his.

Or to be more apt—a nightmare he was now living in.

Except in actual time.

"Hah! What do you say, let's split up the profits after this." the man in the center barked out a hacked laugh. The others in his group also made their sounds of agreement, some even laughing louder than him.

But then this guy looked at them and his expression changed.

This man looked closer to a monster than a human at this moment as this Slug Fist stared at them like they were nothing more but coins waiting to be made. Russel might have fainted if this had happened anywhere else. 

Their only protection was a Guardsman who had just left the clinic and another one who was currently weaponless. 

Surely this was what Professor Uriel had been training them for, right? This was the day where he and the others needed to fight back. But even Donovan wasn't throwing himself out at these people.

Which made sense, they'd be eaten alive.

The sight of a multitude of men and women of different sorts, all armed and ready to attack made him hesitate. Which was just his common sense keeping him alive.

Don't fight back, idiot! His skin crawled with displeasure and goosebumps traveled across his skin. This was the reason why he didn't want to go out at night, capital city or not, the mere fact it had sprawling streets meant it was still filled with certain infestations here and there.

It was more difficult to keep a city truly protected from all unsavory elements.contemporary romance

Now what only mattered was whether they'd be found in the city alive or get dragged into places where Russel himself couldn't fathom or imagine. He didn't even get the chance to apologize to Han, didn't even get a chance to make his parents proud or even tell the truth to—

"Alright, this is how it's going to be." Ryden the Guardsman spoke. The man was vibrating in place and looked back at him and the rest. "Bo, be the shield and I'll be the sword. Keep the children safe—"

"We're not children," Donovan finally said and lowered his stance. He was eyeing the ones closest to him. "How about you take the ones in front of you and we'll handle the rest. We're four students from Kraelonia Academy. Weapons or not, we'll help."

The sound of metal clanking together sounded as Diov hit his fists together. "He's right." Perhaps that was the only benefit of having a weapon you always wore, it meant that it was always there for Diov to use.

Teresa was weaponless like him, and she looked nervous, unarmored except for the leather armor she wore—until she looked at him, formed a braver smile and said, "Didn't you say you were a mixed curriculum Student, Rus? Show us some magic and prove there's actually a point in your course."

A course of energy ran through his veins.

He was no prodigy like Elliot or a crazed mage like Kyse.

Continuous practice, time and energy spent in studying awaited for this kind of moment. His hand swiped into his small bag and he pulled out an orb—his catalyst. The countless lectures and criticisms of Professor Carnus filled his mind and then it faded and blew away.

It was a small elemental orb floating in his hand.

One of the criminals laughed and pointed at it—he threw the compressed wind orb right at the man and sent him backwards. The Thief struck against a wall and crumpled up immediately.

"They have a Mage—strike him down!"

A woman with a wand blasted her rechargeable wand at Russel. A bolt of speared lightning headed straight for him, as he dodged. Diov hissed at the electrical surcharge, but then launched himself at the closest enemy.

Donovan hadn't brought his axe, but he threw himself at two gangsters beside him and brought them down. He acted like a wild man in a bar, drunken fists blowing and blitzing—

Russel formed another wave of mana into his catalyst and quickly pulled it out. Another miniature tornado compressed into an orb—he threw it at the enemy that snuck behind Teresa and ran for her. 

While he had no tremendous mana well compared to others—he felt like he could still do it a couple more times. He spun behind his classmate, the two of them back to back one another as he asked. "Can you fight or do you want me to take cover."

"Don't mock me, I can—duck!" Teresa grabbed the guy by his shirt and dragged him down as the fireball singed past their heads and into a wall. She gritted her teeth and eyed the person who held a wand. "Watch my back, I'm taking them down."

"Wait—wait!"

The young woman threw herself into the fighting. Her footsteps light, agile as she maneuvered past underneath a sword that swung behind her. She skidded and threw a kick behind a man's knee—knocking them into the ground.

She fixed her hair away from her face, and then moved again. 

Russel ended up backing her up as he kept his distance from the thugs, luckily a good number of them were being held back by the four other men and even Teresa. He looked amongst the crowd and aimed at a group of three clustered together.

The elemental orb flew at them.

If Han had been there, he might have said it was striking three pinball heads with one bowling ball. And yet the man was nowhere to be found. The Diplomat's Skill [ Word of Agreement ] had allowed a certain man to notice that he didn't actually head to Kraelonia Academy yet.

So where was he?

Bo—Boaz the Guardsman dodged and ground his teeth, scarcely avoiding the second slash from the lady that attacked him with twin knives. While he was no speedster like Ryden and neither could perform any magic like some of the students in Kraelonia Academy. There was only one thing that only he could do. 

He spoke only two words as he kicked a guy in the gut. "Hey—[ Let's Talk]."

A baffled man got a punch in the jaw as Boaz winced and rubbed his hand, before pointing at another person. "You, [ Let's Talk ]!"

In reality, a Skill like this was unrefined and would have grated Sir Leon de Harrington's ears if he had heard of it. There was a lack of finesse, it was brusque and held no style.

But it worked for Boaz.

Man or woman, they faltered one second—just one second, but it could spell life and death for someone like him. Boaz outmaneuvered the dual-knifed woman and snatched one of her knives before knocking her out with a quick blow in the face. 

His entire elbow would have been raw and bled if it weren't for his armors. 

They were tough. 

It was as if their enemies were wearing plates of steel that prevented them from immediately being taken down by an attack. Was this some kind of Mass-Skill? He had no idea, but the man kept others back. When he glanced back over his shoulders, he'd check and find none of the Students were hurt.

They were more than capable of handling—or at least we're doing fine so far.

"Hey, girl! Catch." Boaz aimed carefully and tossed it at one of the Students. While he didn't want to teach them violence that happened in the streets, it couldn't be helped that they needed all the luck that they needed to win and survive this. 

Teresa saw the knife flying in the air and quickly made her way for it—

Until the ground beneath her feet trembled and shook. 

She completely missed the knife.

—-—-

Author's Note: A non-Han chapter. It feels that it's been so long since I made a completely no-Han one lol. Thank you for reading! I hope this was fun~

done.co