Chapter 97: Professor (4)

The crumbling soil, decaying air, and stifling atmosphere provided the perfect description of an ordeal. Clumpy combs of wet moss dangled from the trees' rotten bough. Everything that's considered life in this forest became an anomaly. I was left wondering how one creature can be this destructive to the environment. It's so similar to the one I encountered in the past. There's no doubt about it. They're the same.

"Here it is."

"How did it come this far within a split second?"

"Boy, that's the question I've been asking myself all this time. It spent a chunk of its mana, so I guarantee it's running away to search a place to rest."

While Professor Eukla was talking, I recalled a grotesque object from the hand of Alicia. The withering heart of the man. While fighting it earlier, I sensed countless souls brewing inside of it. I already had my suspicions about what Alicia's doing, yet Diana denies them. She's either using those hearts, as a container for those souls, and... the rest is a mystery for me.

I'm facing a creature without any physical body. As we proceed onward, voices made us stop on our tracks.

"Ew, ew, ew, ew, disgusting. What happened here? Hyieeeh—! Ew, ew. The stench is so strong! I want to puke! Bueeh!"

"Stomach it in, Ami... I assure you, we can find the way out of this forest."

"Ohhh~ How sweet~"

Behind the trees, four people emerge from the shadows. I was taken back upon recognizing their faces. It was Shin and Ami, and they're joined by two beautiful women. Those two women were the first ones I recognized as they're the one who was eagerly observing me earlier.

"Oh? Look whom we found in this place... And, my, my, he's being accompanied by another woman again? Now, I'm curious how many women you have by now." The woman with heterochromatic eyes said.

"Students from S-class? What are you doing all here?" I said in bafflement.

"From S-class? Freshman or seniors?" Professor Eukla asked me.

"Freshmen, professor." 'Is she really blind? Or not? I can't tell.'

"I see, get them to join us."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I did let you accompany me."

"If you say so." I shrug. "You just added more people to take care of. I also don't think it's a good idea, professor."

"We need people to help us. Invite them."

"You're saying it like we're going to a picnic... I told you."

"Go already."

"Tch, god damn Professor Thigh," I muttered.

"I heard you."

"Ah, sorry, I'll go now."

With the professor's words, I walk forward and told them the situation they got into. "That's why the forest became like this. The professor said you guys are obligated to join us. From the professor's words, not mine."

"Not true at all." Professor Eukla said across from us.

"Ah..." I turn my head back to the group. "You can join us if you guys wanted. Whether if you wanted or not, okay?"

I can't believe how Professor Eukla was able to hear it from this distance. It must be true about blind people heightening their other senses to compensate for their blindness. For the lies, I'm certain Shin would gladly hope on, and Ami would join along because of Shin. But as for the two, I'm not sure. Realizing it now, it may have been dumb of me to assume the other two would cower out.

Since the beginning of my explanation, Shin has been diligently listening to every detail. I've never seen a person like him through my stay in this world or even back to my world. The seriousness and worries that his eyes exude, intrigued me. He's already caring for other people.

How did I find out?

Simple.

It was the first question he asked me. "What about the townfolks? Did someone get hurt?"

His good-hearted nature really made me admire him way back then, and now, that still didn't change. Apart from his kind nature, I've known him as this reckless person who only takes action because he feels like it. Shin's selfless persona became what people love him for, but there's also a nature that he himself doesn't know—his tendencies to not think. He doesn't think of the consequences of his actions. 

From interaction and observing him, I could safely say—Shin's personality didn't change that much from the game. 

"No."

"I see. I'm glad." Shin let out a sigh of relief.

"Shouldn't we go now?" Ami suggested.

"Yeah, we should."

Once Professor Eukla spoke, she went ahead of us, leaving us behind. Naturally, we followed her from behind. I leisurely took my pace, to preserve my energy. Shin and Ami were ahead of me. Next to me were the two women, looking up-close, I'm getting aroused for no apparent reason other than their enticing appearance.

"Hey, her majesty's lover, can't you introduce yourself to these lovely ladies beside you? That's basic courtesy, you know?"

"Oh, how rude of me, I'm Claude Weiss. I apologize for the rudeness. I was captivated by the lovely appearances of these two lovely ladies next to me."

"My, a silver-tongued man. Is that the reason? Fufufu~ Anyway, my name is Sonia Arpen. And, across from me, she's Elizabeth Arpen, a shy one. She's my sister, but not related. We're grateful for the wonderful introduction, Mr. Claude. And, if you don't mind seeing my unpleasant eyes, just tell so." The woman with heterochromatic eyes said with a smile.

I respond with a smile. "My pleasure as well. I don't mind the eyes, but rather than saying it unpleasant, I find them appealing."

"My, I'm grateful for the flattery." Sonia smiles rather sadly than the previous one.

"What are you with the two?" I point at the back of Shin and Ami.

Sonia got closer to my ear and whispered. "I'm targeting the girl."

"Ami? What do you mean by target?"

"Yep. And, I mean it."

'No way... What a waste! Wait a minute...' 

After our short introduction of ourselves, we got interrupted by a thunderous sound of trees collapsing from the distance. At the center of the decaying forest, the monster that we've been chasing has been already apprehended by none other than Shin who was at top of the monster. He's holding his head on the ground.

Followed by countless arrows on the body of the phantom and piercing water sword figures. In spite of all of the aggressive attacks, it still manages to survive by hurling Shin into the decaying trees. Eyes a-flame with hunger, they were hoping to dine on our bodies and get to taste our blood. They're eyeing us like we're some fancy feast.

Soon enough, Shin's aggressive fighting style took place in the entire forest as he's fighting the creature with few supports from Ami and Professor Eukla. Professor Eukla was scolding Shin for his reckless style of fighting, yet she got no response from him. Shin was too absorbed in the fight.

"You! Stop fighting it alone!"

"Shin! Come back here! We can't also attack it if you're that close against it! Stop being an idiot for once, please! O, heavens!"

At the far back end of the fight, Sonia, Elizabeth, and I were watching the fight. I glance at the two. "Why are you here? Go fight."

"Hm? Why should we? Fighting it right now would be too risky considering Mr. Shin is fighting that ludicrous creature by endangering everyone around him. I'd rather wait for him to die than help him. He's too much of a liability if he acts that way."

'I thought I'm the only one who thinks that way. I'm glad I'm not the only one.' I thought.

"Sacrificing one person for the benefit of many?"

"..." Sonia didn't even bother herself on opening her mouth.

"I see. I thought you two are friends. Since you know?"

"Friends, huh? I barely know him. But if the situation tells me to do so, then I won't mind. Also, why are you here? Shouldn't you ask your question to yourself too?"

"I'm still regenerating my energy from the last fight. That's why I'm extremely lucky to meet all of you, earlier. I'm not sure how I can fight in my current condition."

"Point taken. Then, we'll move now. I've been wondering why you're not taking action."

"Why now? I thought you two will wait."

"The situation is only getting direr and direr if we let it slip by, and to also buy you time." Sonia smiles at me.

"Good luck."

Sonia and Elizabeth rush into the fight, bringing out their weapons—a wooden stick for Elizabeth and a wooden pole for Sonia. Elizabeth dash through the sprawling tendrils, simultaneously, dancing her way through and waving her wooden stick in the air. Sonia uses her wooden pole to leverage herself up in the air to get through. The two successfully probe into the fight with ease.

"What a weird girl... Okay, I need to focus on regaining myself."

The musty air was difficult to breathe in, but that didn't deter me to soften every muscle fiber in my body. I have so little time to spend, as I need to enter the fight as soon as possible. Observing the fight a little more, I finally decide to enter the fight to end it all. A metallic taste of my blood filled my mouth.

"Blood?" Spewing a mouthful of blood, made my eyes widen to extreme degrees of surprise.