Chapter 82 - Midlight Village#2

MAX'S POV:-

[Zliwsn diwfn aresut]

"Listen carefully. This expedition is meant for you guys to get some experience in the wild with monsters. Visca isn't forgiving. Everything in this world wants to kill you, you must always be prepared to fight. One second.."

"What the…" I couldn't help but speak out loud. Everyone looks at me with a confused expression. I then turn my head down as I avoid the glare the instructors are giving me. The instructor then continues his speech. My mind turns into turmoil. Even an idiot would realise what is happening around here. 

'I am repeating the same thing all over again.' My eyes turn slightly perplexed at the situation. I looked around, only to find Katherine looking at me. As soon as our eyes get in contact, she turns her head away, maintaining her aloof expression.

The instructor finishes his speech, and once again asks us to take care of the monster. Knowing what will happen next, I wanted for a few moments to pass. Then summoned a mercury shield in front of the mage who was supposed to be hit by the monster's attack. I then help others in whatever way possible, increasing our coordination by another notch. 

After the monsters were once again wiped out, the teacher called me this time. Confused and slightly scared of why he was calling me, I waited for a few moments as I observed him carefully.

'Damn! His expressionless face makes it impossible to see through what he is thinking.' Since I had no choice but to follow his order, I went towards him. 

"You did excellent. Keep improving like this. Now go back to them and relax a little before we move to the next objective," he says as a smile forms on his face. 

'He…is praising me? How long has it been…that someone praised me?' I can't honestly remember the last time someone praised me. It feels…honestly good to hear it. A smile blossoms on my face as I nod and move back to others. I notice Katherine looking at me once again. Noticing her, I pondered if I should approach her this time.

'Well, no harm in doing it,' I thought as I moved towards her. I then observed around to see if there were any anomaly going around. I have heard about time loops before. There must be something that is causing it. If I can just make everything right that is supposed to go wrong, I might let the time flow normally. Reaching to them, I saw all of them looking at me with a strange look. 

Ignoring their looks, I asked Katherine, "Can I sit here?" 

The others had their jaws dropped at my actions. Some of them even started asking the person beside them if what they are watching is real or a dream. 

"Sure," a smile blossoms on Katherine's face as she answers me, making the other guys more shocked.

Sitting beside her, I observed the surroundings carefully but found no anomaly.

'Just what is it…there has to be something,' I look around as I enhance my senses but still can't find anything. Well, if it doesn't work then…

"Daphne…" I look at Daphne, who has the sharpest sense in our group. Katherine looks slightly perplexed as she looks at me then Daphne. Even Daphne stares at me. Her eyes are asking me to continue. I look at her with dead serious eyes and say," Use your best senses and search for any signs of danger as far as you can."

"What are you trying to-" One of the girls starts interrupting but Daphne looks at me with seriousness in her eyes, nods then closes her eyes as she chants,

"[Blessing of Senses]" She chants, shocking everyone, even me. 

'She has a blessing? Don't only Supreme Elves or higher have a blessing?' 

Daphne stays silent for a few moments before her eyes shoot open as she looks in the opposite direction from where we came.

"RUN!! WE NEED TO RUN!!" She started shouting with horror in her eyes. She was too terrified. 

'Just what did she…' I look in the direction where she was looking before.

[Zliwsn diwfn aresut]

"Listen carefully. This expedition is meant for you guys to get some experience in the wild with monsters. Visca isn't forgiving. Everything in this world…"

I snap out of my horror as I look at the Instructor giving a speech. I then look in the direction where Daphne had pointed before and focus my senses to max. 

'Still nothing…just what did she see? And how far is the enemy? Clearly, whatever it is, I am pretty sure that is the reason for my time loop right now and based on her horrified expression, it is not an enemy we can handle,' thinking all that I look at Daphne, 'should I ask her again? No, let's ask the instructors this time.'

"Sir, can you check something for me?" I ask him, interrupting his speech, which makes him glare at me but still nods as he sees my desperation.

"Can you check in that direction as far as you can for any higher grade monsters or something? I…have a danger sensing ability that is tingling me right now from that direction," I lie through my teeth with no hesitation as I point in the same direction, but since it was necessary, it is something that must be done. Katherine and others look at me with a confused expression. Some of them even had a mocking expression. From the murmurs I heard from them, they were saying something like 'Scaredy cat'

The instructor looks at my face for a few moments before looking in the direction where I was pointing. He then closes his eyes before mumbling,

"[Superior Mana Sense]" 

After a few moments, his eyes turn wide open before he runs away.

"What?!?" The other instructor is shocked and checks in the same direction. He then falls on his butt as a horrified expression forms on his face. 

"What is…someone like him doing here? Why? Why? Why.." the instructors seem to have lost their cool. Sweat trickles down his face as his eyes start to shake. Just what…or who is there?

"[Blessing of Senses]" I hear Daphne chant her blessing and close her eyes. After a few moments, her eyes shake as a horrified expression forms on her face. 

"WE NEED TO RUN!!" she spoke as she ran in the opposite direction. Following her, the other people run too. I too started running using all the energy I can.

After running as far as I can, I look back to see people started vanishing who were behind me. First it was a few boys, then it was other girls. Soon I saw Daphne ripped apart in two. Horror-stricken, I ran faster than ever before. I then sensed something reaching close to me.

'He…seems to mock me. He is enjoying this hunt. Whoever it is, that bastard is, he is f*cking enjoying this hunt.' I felt pathetic and weak. In my entire life, I have been called a weakling and I have always worked hard to prove them wrong. But never in my life have I felt this weak. 

I sense him getting almost close to me, but before he could touch me, someone pushes me away. I flew away and hit a tree before I fell down. 

'That…hurts.'

-Blrr

Vomiting blood out, I try to look in front, only to find Katherine in my previous position. She was ripped into pieces. Her body parts were lying all over the place. She had a horrified expression on her face. My eyes turn horrified as I look at her face. 

Tears flowed out of my eyes. They trickled down my cheeks and fell down on the ground as I fell on my knees in front of her body. 

'Why? Why? I can't understand why she would do it for me? We didn't even know each other. Then why? Why save me instead of yourself?'

I feel weak. It hurts.

'Why did you need to die for me? For someone as useless as me? Why? Why?' I slowly wipe my tears as I think about my next move. I must do something. Is there something I can do?

If I kill myself again…will she come back?

Yeah, she will…but what then?

I need to find a way to defeat him.

'Think! Think! I must think about something. There has to be something which can be done…but what?'

'Wait! Do I even know what he looks like?' No, I didn't. I had no idea what I was up against.

I look around to see the silent forest. It is too silent. Not even the wind is blowing.

'Wait!! Why am I still alive?' I realised something important. Why did he leave me alone? Why did he let me live? Is it some other play he has in his mind?

As if to answer all my doubts, he came in front of me. I saw him. Horror enters in my eyes as I realise who we were up against. This isn't something we can handle at our level.

"No wonder the instructor ran. Haha…to think we had this much bad luck," I mutter as I look at him. 

He smiles at me as he moves forward. I take my stance, even though I knew it was foolish. Unless the Headmaster or the Elder Instructor comes here, I doubt anyone else will be able to save us from him. After all, the one we are fighting here is,

"The Devil Sin Of Sloth, Belphegor."