Free Web NovelChapter 40: Investment 40— Strange?
The situation looked similar to when a cowboy face off was about to start, just without the dinging sound. Leonard reached for his sword slowly in response. Futaba, Rose and August were getting into position to attack.
"Are they really going to fight each other?" Cold sweats dropped down Jin’s face. He didn’t know what to expect if these four monsters chose to fight each other.
"Tsk." Leonard let out a defeated sigh and clutched his fist in frustration.
"Even though I want to get to my little brother and smack him, then rescue him," his eyes drifted towards the other student council leaders.
"Putting up a fight against you lot will be near impossible, if not impossible." He knew the outcome of the battle wouldn’t favour him or them, plus they were currently in a dungeon that was acting strange.
"So let me hear what you have to say, Vice President Futaba." He scoffed.
"Ahahahaha." Futaba rapidly hit her thighs as she let out a wild laugh.
"You needed to see the look on Jin’s face." She pointed a finger towards the now confused Jin.
"I’m gonna relish this moment forever," she continued laughing.
"Futaba aside," Rose let out an exasperated sigh. She gave Futaba a death stare that immediately ceased her laughter.
"We know you are very worried about your little brother," Rose let out warm and subtle words to calm her childhood friend down.
As someone who lost her big brother at an early age, she could fully understand his pain and anxiety.
"But as the student council leaders and as proud model students, it is our duty to reprimand any and all heinous acts. Be it a relative or stranger."
Her words carried the weight of conviction. She didn’t preach self-righteousness, but the need to do the right thing for the entirety of all the students, not just themselves.
Rose’s words touched Leonard deeply and served as a reset to put him back on track.
"Thanks for the candid reminder, Rose."
"Ahem! I suppose that little spat is over." Moohawk cleared his throat.
"Lady Futaba, can I continue?" He blinked his little owl-like eyes.
"Of course you can, Moo-chan." She patted him on the head.
"Like I was saying earlier before Lord Leonard rudely interrupted." His head shifted towards Leonard.
"I am super sorry for the unpleasant outburst, Moohawk. Please forgive me. I’ll throw in your favourite... peanuts!" He smiled brightly, then dipped a hand into the bag by his side and brought out a couple of peanuts.
Moohawk flapped his wings with the speed of light and flew away from Futaba’s shoulder, then dove head-first (with his beak) into the peanuts on Leonard’s hand.
"I totally forgive you, Lord Leonard-kun." His tone changed after he devoured the peanuts in a fleeting moment.
"Ahem!" Moohawk coughed, placing his feathers in front of his beak. "Continuing from where I stopped earlier. The mana distortion around them was unlike anything I have ever seen... well except from a few individuals like the head master and his vice."
"The spiky-haired girl that welcomed them after emerging from the portal must be quite strong to possess such control over environmental mana."
Mana was separated into two types in the world of Hale: environmental mana and internal mana. Controlling internal mana was fairly easy and even comes naturally to some, but environmental mana was very hard to control based on the fact that it does not belong to the individual.
To simply put it, it was like trying to control a tree branch that was not a part of a person’s body but instead was part of a tree.
Individuals that have mastered the act of using the environment are leagues above those that only use their internal mana. All of the 22 Imperials have mastered the use of environmental mana and gained the Arcane Zone.
Adept silence claimed the area until Moohawk spoke again, not with news to ease the tension but an even more devastating reveal.
"The spiky-haired girl also mentioned something about ’the slaughter’ and how Alex and his fiancée will be spared or rather exempted."
Leonard couldn’t believe his ears. This just firmly confirmed Futaba’s previous statement. "So he didn’t even include me, for the very least. That greedy bastard."
He mused with great annoyance.
"And lastly, the other students are headed safely to the second floor. Most have already located the teleportation platforms. But—"
"But what?!" Jin cut in with a shivering gasp.
"I sensed a sinister and dangerous energy in the second floor. Something that’s not supposed to be felt this high up the dungeon."
This reveal was the most shocking yet. (What he meant was that hundreds of students might probably be walking into a slaughter right now.)
"Guys!" Leonard called out loudly to gain their attention.
"We currently can’t reach the outside world and our instructors are nowhere to be found. Leaving the dungeon is currently impossible until two weeks time when Professor Dermiurge will come to pick us up."
They had no way to escape; the dungeon was literally another world on its own and no one amongst them possessed a teleportation spell strong enough to breach the gap.
"So our only option is to solve this ourselves... or for the very least protect the other students." His golden pupils hardened. "We are the leaders of the student council and we do not back down from a fight, nor do we abandon our own."
He spoke loudly with determination and confidence.
"Ahahahaha. Any fucking bastard that chose to mess with us... chose wrong."
Futaba slammed her fists into one another.
"I suggest we find a way to access our enemy’s capabilities," Rose streaked her hair. "But in the case where we cannot, me and Tee will be very much happy to eat."
Wine-coloured mana flared around her.
"Oh my goodness, this is going to be such a hassle." August threw both hands behind his neck. "But if they chose to stress us out, then it’s our solemn duty to make the bastards pay tenfold." He uttered those words with a carefree tone, but his presence was very terrifying.
"Ah-ah. Good luck, you guys. I’ll be on my way now." Jin tiptoed slowly away on the sand.
"Oh no you don’t! You are coming with us." Futaba grabbed him by the arm. freewebnovёl.ƈom
"Moohawk. Lead us to the nearest teleportation platform." She continued to drag Jin on the sand.
"Pleaseee... nooo..." Jin yelped.
"And also put a message through to that old geezer." She whispered to Moohawk. freёwebnovel.com
"Yes, my lady." He whispered back.
