Published at 16th of February 2024 2:21 pm

Chapter 32. More Than Monsters

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Professor Wolfhammer was late the following morning—relatively late for his standards. The man usually arrived a quarter of an hour before the sixth bell and expected the class to be done with their pre-laps stretching by then. He would discuss general combat techniques and reorganize groups that hadn't already formed a party, and then the running would begin. Nox’s manameter said they still had five minutes until the class's official start time, but the ginger-haired teacher was nowhere to be seen.

Whenever they had time, the students would talk amongst themselves, discussing magic, other classes, or their evening of debauchery. Unlike most days, a heavy silence hung over the class. Eyes darted at Nox and Lillin or stared at them more than often. Everyone but Annabelle gave them a wide berth.

Nox heard the names of the deceased classmates in their conversations. Many spewed vitriol about the pair. Others did the same about the survivors.

"Settle a bet, Nox," Edward said, approaching the trio. "Are you a coward or a murderer? Did you bite off more than you could chew and then abandon your front line? Or did you want a bigger cut and stab them in the back?"

"I wouldn't expect you to know the challenges of rifts or dungeons, Eddie," Nox replied. "You're just here to sow your wild oats before Mother gives you a comfy spot on the royal guard, aren't you? Come to think of it, why are you even in this department? Wouldn't the simplicity of war mage studies suit you better?"

"Should someone in your position talk?" Louis asked. "If I returned from a mere orange rift with two dead party members, I'd hide my face in shame. In fact, I'd leave the department if not the university altogether."

"Roque died because he's a fool," Annabelle said, planting herself firmly next to Nox. "He rushed the Rift Lord without taking a moment to figure out its abilities and openings. Victor was in no position to pull him out and ignored my warning. There is nothing Nox or Lillin could've done to help him."

"So typical." Edward laughed. "Little midge Nox needs women to do the fighting for him."

"Do you really want to discuss fighting, Eddie?" Nox asked. "I'd be more than happy to accept a duel. If getting humiliated in front of Mother, her subjects, and the empire's allies wasn't enough, I can do it again in front of our peers."

Louis placed a hand on his brother's shoulder when he stomped towards Nox. "What excuse do you have for Victor? I suppose Roque's demise is believable. He's never been the patient sort, and he didn't have much going on in his head either. Victor, on the other hand, was amongst the finest fighters in our class. I'm the only person here that's ever beaten him in a swords-only duel, and he had finer control of his magic than anyone."

"That's true," someone in the gathering crowd commented. Nox guessed it was someone in Edward's entourage. "It was just utility magic, but Victor figured out excellent defense, mobility, and control out of it. He wouldn't go down easy."

"Perhaps, but like most of you, Victor had no real-world experience," Nox retorted. "Maybe this should be a lesson in humility for all of you. Go out and fight real beasts instead of conjurations that will never try to kill you. Victor was talented, but he lost his head after Roque fell. The boss rained acid on us, and instead of retreating and regrouping, Victor got overconfident and tried to take it alone. Lillin is a control mage, yet she got in close to try and save him. It wasn't enough. Victor got eaten whole. If you're not careful, the same fate awaits you."

"Nox and I have hunted beasts that will make most of you hide under your mother's skirt," Lillin said. "Death awaits the green and careless. It doesn't matter how good you are in class—"

"Get your servant to shut her vile mouth!" Edward spat. "You can give us all the excuses you want, Nox. Everyone knows you're a filthy murderer. You killed Victor. You killed dozens of my Father's people. You killed your father."

Annabelle slapped Edward before Nox could retort. The blow lacked enough force to do more than marginally turn his head, but her hand almost blurred as it moved. A red welt formed on his skin almost instantly. Nox guessed it was the Sigil of Agility at play.

"You're as vile as everyone says," she said, clutching her right hand. "I can't believe my father suggested I accept the proposal from Lord Gegde. He said allying our families made sense, and you were a good man. I'll be sure to brief him on your behavior so he doesn't make the same mistake with my sisters. Only someone desperate for coin or status would want to be with you."

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"For the record, Edward, I'm the one that killed your father's men," Lillin added. "I'm assuming you're talking about the assassins he sent to cut Nox's throat while he slept or stalked us during our expeditions. It's funny how easily poisons, a pretty girl, or simple traps can take care of the Gedge house’s pathetic minions.”

A heavy silence fell over the class. Surprised eyes, including Nox's, focused on Lillin. She had never told him about any attempts on his life while living under Queen Mercer's rule. He had only faced beatings, bullying, and isolation.

Lillin chuckled. “Like father like son. Pathetic. Insecure. Cowardly. I hear this is the second year you’re attempting this course. What happened? Did the final exam terrify you so much that you didn’t turn up? Or are you scared you’ll end up just like Victor and Roque?”

Edward broke free of Louis' hold and marched towards the trio. His jaw clenched, and lightning crackled around his hands. Two men just as large as him followed. One carried a monstrous hooked weapon that looked more like a one-armed anchor than a club. A light breeze picked up, and dirt swirled under the feet of the other.

The crowd retreated, enlarging the circle. Nox and Lillin didn’t need a warning from Annabelle. The latter of the pair conjured an eye-ball-sized gravity orb. Meanwhile, Nox created the same layered defense he invented against Mistress Maraka: a Slow-infused mana disc manifested as far as possible from his outstretched palm as possible while the other maintained an inch distance from his skin. Nox’s heart skipped a beat. The second disc materialized further from him than it had before. Instead of six inches, Nox estimated it floated just under a foot away.

Nox grabbed the metal rod. A brand new chain connected it to his belt like the manameter. A mote of mana activated the artifact, and the composite bow of azure light grew out of the metal. White smoke exploded from the ground between the two parties before Nox could fire an arrow. Worried it was the wind mage’s conjuration, he considered releasing an arrow anyway. Then a metal wolf head poked out of the little cloud.

“Did someone tell you about today’s class already?” The professor’s raspy voice spoke from within the smoke. The sound of a metal point striking stone followed, and the cloud dispersed immediately. “No. That can’t be right. We’re engaging in one-on-one duels, not team fights.”

The professor frowned as he glanced at the groups on the verge of a fight. “Or were you going to engage in a silly fight on the one day I decide to sit back and observe?” He sighed. “Are you fools looking to get expelled?” Professor Wolfhammer shook his head derisively. “More than half of delves full of first-timers result in casualties. It is why we insist all apprentices don’t enter dungeons or rifts without someone experienced, preferably a journeyman. Jumping to accusations is never smart. All five of them are dullards. If Victor Oakheart didn’t lie to the department office and me about hiring a journeyman guide, he wouldn’t have received the rift’s location or my permission to miss Fifthday’s class.”

“But professor—”

“I don’t want to hear any more than I already have, Edward Mercer,” Professor Wolfhammer said, cutting the lordling off before he could protest. “Both parties spat vile nonsense. Settle it in a duel. Let me guess. You want to fight Nox Ratra.”

“No,” Edward replied, pointing at Lillin. “I want to fight her.”

“Gladly.” Lillin shot the man a smile. It appeared sweet to the unpractised eye, but Nox knew it was actually predatory.

“If we can choose our dueling partners, I’d like to fight Nox,” Louis said before looking Nox in the eye. “There’s a matter we need to settle, don’t we, half-brother?”

Nox guessed Louis intended to make the last word venomous, but it sounded more like a pantomime villain. He wanted to laugh and ask whether they learned how to be menacing from bad plays and trash novels, but taunting in front of the professor would debase both parties.

“I’m fine with it if Professor Wolfhammer doesn’t mind.” Nox shrugged. “I don’t have anything to prove.”

“I don’t care who fights whom,” the professor replied. “Although, I’d rather do the matchings so vanguards don’t face off against support mages and controllers don’t stall forever against one another. So, I’ll arrange the rest of the pairs. We have six hours, so there will be multiple matches and other exercises.”

A hand shot up. It was Caitlin. “What’s the purpose of this exercise, Professor?” She asked. “Isn’t this Intermediate Dungeon Combat? What’s the point in training against fellow Aether Practitioners? I thought that’s the war mage department’s purpose.”

“Dungeon combat isn’t limited to gods and their beasts. Besides helping you get used to humanoid foes, fighting other humans will also prepare you for Dungeon Lord Cults and Delver Hunters.” The professor paused. His eyes scanned the class. “The official announcement isn’t out yet, but I’m sure some of you have heard about students going missing. We initially thought the abductors were grabbing people from outside campus, but we’re not sure anymore. I usually delay these training sessions until later in the semester, but I think it's vital you experience this now.”

“Aren’t they almost exclusively targeting commoners?” Edward asked. “The cults know better than to touch us.”

“That might be true for now, but things might change. I want everyone to gain experience against future Aether Warriors and control mages. The abductors are most likely using them to capture targets relatively unharmed. Any more questions or arguments?” A heavy silence hung over the class. “Very well. Get your laps out of the way. Then the duels can begin.”

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