Chapter 68: The Hunt (19)

"Aaaaah!"

*Sphhhlt!*

A bloodied figure brought his bare hand out of the chest of an orange clad student, leaving a gaping hole behind on the Institute student's chest. The body slumped to the ground while the bloodied figure walked on.

"Well done, master." A charming but submissive voice entered the blood covered young man's ears.

"This martial skills this boy learned are not half bad. You did a good job fetching such a nice body." He looked at the blue ring on his right ring finger.

"It was my duty, master. Let's leave this wretched hidden dimension." The ring vibrated.

"Sure, let's go. The blood eclipse will take place 5 days later. We have to each the Western teleportation circle by then."

They headed West, where the other students were heading.

******

The Ivy Marshes.

*Splash. Splash*

"Hah. Hah." Dolf Ironcross was panting as he ran through the swamps for his life. Two students from the Institute were chasing him. Their faces betrayed an extremely level of hate as they chased the white and blue clad Academy student.

'I did not do it!' Tears escaped his noble eyes.

A few hours ago, he was wandering through the marshes. Coincidentally, at the Southern outskirts of the marshes he spotted some corpses. The two male corpses were normal. But the female hanging on the tree- he got goosebumps just visualising her condition. How could anyone do that?

And even more coincidentally, and of course unfortunately, two level 3 Institutes students came out of nowhere and spotted him with the corpses. They looked at the carcasses before looking at him. They were so incensed that it looked as if they were going to chew him alive.

He tried to explain that he did not do this. It was obvious- the corpses were partially rotten; they were killed at least twenty days ago. But they cared little about his blabbering. He killed her like that or not, it was without question that one who did the deed was none other than a student from the Academy, or that bitch from the Cadet College of Darkshore.

So, they began to chase him while Dolf ran for his life.

'Why?' He looked at the sky and cried. 'Why me?!'

He got teleported into a red zone. He barely survived and ran into a level 4 student from the Empire. He barely escaped and for the last one week or two, he met only magical beasts and enemy students; not a single ally came into his sight. And now? This!

Now, he had only one chance of survival, to run West- toward the teleportation circle.

His only wish- not facing the apocalypse during his journey.

******

One day left before the Fleeting Land closes down for four more years.

Isabella was running through the yellow grounds of the Hellish Depths. She had been running for an hour at full speed. Being pressed for time, she had no other choice. She devoured recovery potions one after the other- all high level ones.

But this time, she was able to run a bit easier than the first day she was here. She was carrying less load.

Her quiver- was empty.

******

The last day of the Hunt; the lunar eclipse would occur tonight, and everyone will be teleported back to Ervilia. The past week, the numbers in the camp more than tripled; it was somewhere near one hundred and fifty now. And a few more hours remained for the remaining students to come in; it was still the afternoon.

"How come no one of our class has arrived yet?" Cornelia was a bit worried. They were her classmates after all. She was sitting at a corner of the camp

"I don't care about Dolf, and I trust in Isabella. It would be a loss if something happened to Sirius though." He was lying on 'his' mat with his eyes closed.

*Whoosh*

Suddenly the curtains opened. A black haired elegant young man with eyes of the same colour stepped into the room.

Adrian opened his eyes and looked directly into the newcomer's eyes. A smile formed on his face, sending chills down 'Sirius's' spine.

'Interesting.' He closed his eyes again.

Two hours later. The curtains opened yet again as another one stepped in.

The 'most noble' of the classroom looked as if he were a destitute beggar. His hairs were messed up, clothes were torn and his whole body was dirty and stinking. He panted as he dropped to the ground.

"Only Isabella's left now." For the last few hours, Cornelia had been sitting at the exact same spot.

Evening.

*Whoosh*

Isabella entered the tent. Now, the whole tent was full with the five participating second years of the Academy.

"Young master!" Her shout disrupted the quiet environment but none minded whatsoever.

Adrian had yet to open his eyes. "You are tired. Go and take some rest."

Isabella nodded. She approached her friend and sat beside her.

"Hey, how was your adventures?" Isabella asked.

Cornelia only smiled wryly in response. 'Bitch! Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!' She screamed at her dear friend in her heart.

"Do you have any healing potion?" She politely asked Isabella.

"Why? You are hurt?" Isabella squinted as she examined her friend.

'Bitch! You have no idea!' She again smiled wryly, barely holding her tear back from flowing out. She reached out her hand and beckoned with her fingers.

Isabella was not able to find any external injuries. But she handed a healing potion to her nonetheless.

Before she could pass it to Cornelia, Cornelia snatched the vial and gulped the green contents within.

"Aaaaaaah!" She moaned in pleasure. It feels so good. "Got any other."

"No, this was the last one." Isabella shook her head.

"It's a pity." Cornelia too, shook her head.

"And why are you sitting here, in this corner?"

'Bitch! Ask that young master of yours! I was not able to stand up for the last three days. I can't!'

"Are you crying?" Isabella's question took her by surprise. She checked felt something wet on her cheeks. She quickly wiped them off.

"Nah. I just remembered how I almost died a couple of times." A smile again surfaced on her face.

Isabella sat down beside her and gave her a tight hug.

"Nononono!" Cornelia panicked. But alas, it was too late.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!" The whole camp heard her scream.

Three hours later.

The curtain slowly opened.

A burly young man peeked through the curtains, he was the same one who had come to notify them to assemble back at 'the gate'.

But his slow movement attracted the attention of everyone nevertheless. Sirius's blood besmirched face, Dolf's almost lifeless eyes, Isabella's nonchalance and Cornelia's eyes that betrayed the will to devour him alive sent multitude of shivers down the poor fellow's spine. And he did not even dare to look at Adrian's eyes.

"Ahem. Pardon my intrusion. It's time; the supervisor is ordering everyone to assemble on the Circle." He then slowly closed the curtains before running away.

'What the fuck is wrong with that batch?'

All of them slowly stood up, except Cornelia of course. Isabella supported her up and put Cornelia's arm around her shoulder.

Everyone gathered on top of the teleportation circle. It was completely identical to the one they had seen back at the ruins in Nemphis.

The night was red just like fifteen days ago. But soon, black enveloped the redness as the second moon on the sky invaded the blood red one.

Adrian looked to the North East one last time. "Goodbye!" He muttered under his breath.

Soon, the one hundred and sixty six persons standing on the circle vanished.

******

Midnight.

The Grand Imperial Institute.

Unlike the teleportation circle at the Confederation, the teleportation circle of the Empire was in the premises of the Grand Imperial Institute.

There was a huge building surrounding the teleportation circle. A few teachers were sitting a few meters away. There were some high class nobles sitting alongside them.

"Just a few more minutes." The middle aged Lecturer Feather was shaking her legs while taking deep breaths at regular intervals.

"Relax, Lecturer. You know that we are going to 'win'. Why are you so worried? I am sure at least half of the Confederation students are dead." Professor Rodney, the white haired old man, cheered.

"He is right." A golden haired middle aged man sat alongside them. "Harry is the one the leading this time. You know of his competence more than I do."

Lecturer Feather sighed. "I don't know. Something doesn't feel right." She said. "Something is just… gnawing at my heart."

"It's time." An orange masked man said calmly.

Everyone looked at the teleportation circle. Nothing happened.

Thirty seconds passed. Nothing happened.

A minute passed nothing happened.

Two minutes. Three minutes. Four minutes. Five minutes passed. Still- nothing happened.

There were no blinding lights, no thumping sounds of falling students, and most important of all- there were no students.

Everyone present had their whole body trembling; sweat drenched their skin and clothes. Some even were breathing unevenly.

Something was wrong- terribly wrong!

"Professor Rodney! What are you sitting there for?!" The masked man shouted. He lost his calm countenance. "Go check if everything's fine with the circle!"

"Ye… yes!" The old man nodded rushed towards towards the circle. He took his time to examine everything. But he was not able to find anything.

"Nothing is wrong with the circle. I have checked." He said.

"Are you sure?" The masked man's whole body was trembling uncontrollably.

"Yes, I swear on my loyalty to the Empire."

The masked man sighed.

The golden haired man asked the masked man, "What the hell's wrong? MY SON IS IN THERE!"

"I know. I know. Something must have happened at the Fleeting Lands. Something terrifying must've happened!"