Chapter 65: Let's Go

Zach stood with his hands on his hips, his chest puffed out in a display of confidence. He looked at Dukiel and Julius, waiting for them to say something. They glanced at each other before looking at Zach.

"Cough. Cough. Sorry, Zach, it seems I've gotten sick. I might have to sit this one out. I'll cheer for you, though." Dukiel made up an excuse. Poorly.

"Did you just say the word 'cough' twice instead of coughing?" Zach threw Dukiel a gaze of mixed upset and confusion.

"...I don't know how to cough."

Zach and Julius gave Dukiel two blank stares.

"Are you two scared or something? Do you think it's going to be a repeat of last time?"

"..."

Their silence was all the answer Zach needed.

"Well, it won't be. Only crazy people do the same thing under the same circumstances and expect a different result. And I'm many things, mostly good things, but I'm not crazy—Hey, what's that look? Whatever. Just get prepared, write your wills, say your goodbyes, and get permission. We leave at dawn." Zach finished his speech by striking a glorious pose with his foot on the chair.

"No boots on my chairs, please."

"Right, sorry Dukiel."

"No worries. It didn't leave a print, right?"

"No." Zach wiped away the dirt.

The three students looked at each other. Dukiel and Julius sighed. They looked at each other. They sighed again. They slumped in their chairs.

"Fine."

"You're paying for my tombstone."

"Of course!"

"Wait, doesn't that mean he'll live and you won't—"

"At this point, I don't mind."

"Okay, now you two are just too much. Can you leave my room?"

"This is my dorm, Zach."

"But it's mine after you die, right?"

"Get out."

"What about Julius?" S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"He's obviously staying. He needs to help me prepare."

It was Zach's turn to sigh and hang with his shoulders as he trudged his way to the door, where he mournfully turned back with tears in his eyes.

"All the way, Zach."

Zach sniveled and tried to look as cute as possible. It wasn't enough.

Dukiel threw a pen at Zach. Zach caught it and drew a sad face on the door before opening it and leaving the room and the door open.

"For fuck's sake."

The next morning, two hours after dawn, Zach showed up to the outskirts of campus with Yanael next to him. He waved at Dukiel and Julius, who were sitting next to their gear.

"Hey, guys, did you wait long?" Zach greeted them cheerfully.

Julius looked at his empty wrist.

"Nope, we just got here. Not once have you arrived on time." Julius stood up and grabbed his bag.

Dukiel didn't say anything as he also stood up and picked up his things, a bag and a shield as big as his torso. Instead of entertaining Zach, he looked at the forest with a grim face. He was too busy worrying about what was waiting for them in the forest to care about Zach fooling around with Julius.

"Let's go?" Zach looked at the other two. They nodded.

Dukiel was about to take the front with the Sentinel and let Zach hold up the rear with his maid while Julius and the Mannequin were in the middle when Zach put a hand on his shoulder. Zach pulled back Dukiel and took the lead as they walked to the forest.

"Allow me." As Zach spoke, Yanael stepped away from the group and stood a distance away from Zach, Dukiel, Julius, Sentinel, and Mannequin.

A thin, almost translucent, faint gold barrier unfolded out of thin air in front of Zach and carefully wrapped the group in a perfectly oval dome.

Zach glanced back at his two friends.

"Let's go."

Almost as if they had been waiting for Zach to step foot outside campus ground, two assassins leaped out of the bushes toward Zach as soon as he was in between two trees.

The barrier that was close enough for Zach to touch with a bent arm bounced the assassins back. It didn't just block the attack. It took it and returned the force to the attackers. The barrier was soft and springy. It was completely different from the other hard sheets or domes he had cast.

Zach grinned and glanced at Dukiel and Julius.

"Impressive, right?"

"Very."

"I guess."

Dukiel and Julius could barely be bothered to answer with more than a shrug and a monotone voice. Zach's expression froze, and he stiffly turned his head forward to look as Yanael dashed forward, wings and halo out, to grab the assassins before they could flee.

She managed to snag one and stab it with her sword. But while she did that, the other managed to slink into the shadows of the vegetation and disappear.

The result wasn't much different from the previous times Zach had tried venturing into the forest. More than once, Zach had used his Blessed Defense to protect himself while Yanael hunted the assassins.

The difference between now and his past attempts was the sustainability.

The further into the forest they traveled, the more assassins and ambushes they had to endure. Usually, Zach and his barrier would run out of energy, and the barrier would break, leading to anything from minor to serious internal injuries and turmoil.

When that happened, Yanael had to focus on protecting Zach and keeping his life intact. That meant she couldn't hunt the assassins. Instead, they would only grow in number and make the trip unbearable.

The longer Zach held out, the deeper into the woods they would be and the harder to return it was.

But now, Zach's barrier was more energy efficient, didn't break as easily, and it helped Yanael hunt the assassins by surprising them with its bounceback.

Eventually, Dukiel and Julius had to admit that Zach was contributing more than his presence and the assassins he attracted brought down the atmosphere. His barrier and the improvements he had made were impressive.

"Okay, this barrier is impressive. How did you do it, Zach?" Julius had to ask. His own skill wasn't anything special, but it might help him in the future if he knew how to improve it. Dukiel was also curious, so he listened eagerly.

"..." But Zach was silent and simply looked at the forest.

"Zach?" Julius asked carefully. He and Dukiel looked at where Zach was looking but couldn't see or hear anything.

"...Are you sure you want to know?" Zach slowly turned his head like an owl and looked at Julius, briefly glancing at Dukiel, too.

"Not when you say it like that, no." Julius shook his head. He was curious, but when Zach spoke like he had made a deal with some evil supernatural being, Julius decided to take a step back.

It wasn't that important. It might not even be worth it or helpful information. After all, their skills were very different in nature. What worked for Zach wouldn't necessarily work for them.

Zach shrugged with a shoulder and continued walking.

Dukiel looked at Zach's back with narrowed eyes.