Chapter 18 Lia's POV

The students stayed on the ship for a few hours while fighting with the monsters continuously. When the reinforcements came, they replaced the students. The students are still children afterall and are not yet mature enough to fight a prolonged battle with the monsters. So, Ms. Anna ordered for the students to get on the ship.

After the students who were still alive got on the ship, the Stormwalker left the Rault islands. The expression on everyone's faces was extremely sad. About 50 students died during this monster raid, and every student is more or less injured. This matter is extremely serious. Not to mention the academy will have to bear the scolding of the families of the students that died on this trip.

Academy will have to take responsibility now for this. Afterall this tour was the academy's suggestion in the first place. And as expected the news about this incident reached media in just a few hours. A huge commotion broke out on the social platforms discussing about this incident.

Several enemies which has always been in unfavorable behavior with the academy instantly used this opportunity to criticize the academy. The internet got filled with questions about how the academy will take responsibility of such a huge incident.

In the end, Academy had to compromise and pay a huge amount of compensation to the family members of the students who died during the battle. Although the questions raised on the media calmed down a bit by this compensation, but this incident led to a decline in the academy's popularity, which will cause a huge problem for the academy in the following years.

All this happened in just a few days of time period when the students were on their way back to the academy, through the ship. It was truly a shocking incident in the history of the academy. This was the first time when so many students under the guidance of the academy died together.

Obviously, there has been incidents where students died but this time the number of casualties was just too high, leading to the current situation. Without a doubt this incident will leave its dark shadow in the history of the Academy. Always highlighting itself, when necessary.

Ms. Anna also got an official notice from the academy. I don't know it is but its true that this incident will cause her perfect profile to be ruined.

'In the novel she did not got suspended she still continued to be the one teaching the protagonist and his class'

Putting all this at back of his mind, Rio focused on the current situation of the students.

'After a few days of rest everyone has woke up already, why isn't she waking up yet?' (Rio)

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Lia's POV: -

When I was 5 years old my mother died in the hands of a monster, right in front of my eyes. Back then my dad saved me at that time and I slowly recovered from my depression, with his help. But something inside me changed due to that incident.

I started to feel extremely jealous of others, whenever I saw them being happy with their families, I got jealous. My best friend Kira was so happy with her family. I was so jealous of her in my heart, that I was not able to control myself from spouting curses on her every time I saw her. I didn't get to know when my friendship with her turned into hate. Eventually I started to see her as my nemesis, my mortal enemy.

I was rather panic, when I realized these changes within me. I was getting more and more of a bully by each passing day. I asked my father for help in hope, that he will definitely help like he always did. But what crushed my hopes was that my father became a workaholic after my mom's death. He started to raid more and more dungeons. Eventually he even stopped coming home for several months. I got distanced from him too. Now I was really alone.

It was really very lonely time of my childhood. But then I found a way to relieve my loneliness, I started to practice swordsmanship. I focused my whole focus on my sword training, I got really good in it with each passing day. It also helped me to stop my symptoms of depression.

Eventually I started to enjoy swordsmanship so much, that I started to train day and night. Weeks and months passed by, people started to call me a battle maniac or with other ridiculous names, but I didn't mind it and just focused my whole being to the sword.

My hardship showed success and I got the invitation for the great Freya Academy. I was really happy that time, who wouldn't want to go to the biggest and greatest academy. It was like a dream has come true. I was already imagining my happy academy life. I was thinking that I will make several friends.

After coming to the academy, reality burst my bubble of dreams like giving slap to my face. The atmosphere in the academy was no better then the outside. All the students were busy scheming something on others. Trying to take advantage of other by different methods. Not to mention Link the son a SS rank awakener was always trying to make his domination all over class. The bullying and scheming caused me to feel disgust towards these people.

Due to my gloomy nature I didn't approached anyone but those who approached me ran away a few seconds later with fearful expressions on their face. I was very depressed seeing others running away from me. Me being a battle maniac or a battle crazy woman, such type of rumors started to spread among the students.

Maybe it was because whenever someone approached me, I always invited them for a battle first. This is the only way for me to get to know others more easily afterall. I have never learned about those scheming talks those other children have learned. According to me only when in a fight do your real personality will shows up.

But this way of mine caused a misunderstanding, but correcting it would have been a huge hassle. So, I just ignored it and minded only my own business.

Things got really irritating when I saw that Kira always surrounded by several friends. Not to mention several boys are trying to please her with several ways. She has a huge friend group. She seemed so happy.

Seeing her like this I got really angry and started to harass her even more. This cause even more rumors about it. The rumors started get very annoying when that Kira started walk around everywhere with that trash Fade. They were like a couple walking all around. She seemed talking to Fade with such a shy expression on her face, that expression make me really annoyed. I was already at my limit.

Day by Day I was feeling my heart darkening a bit. The emotions which I had buried in my heart by concentrating on my swordsmanship were starting to show up again. If it had continued just like that, I would not have been able to hold for long. But a ray of hope shined on me. During the mid-term exams I met a rather interesting fellow.

When I thought that I was going to end up injured by that boss monster he saved me at the crucial moment. I knew it was maybe just a mere coincidence him saving me. But I felt a sudden warmth in a while remembering that moment.

It was my first encounter with that strange fellow. He had pitch black hair and eyes. Such a colour of hair and eyes has become really rare after the dungeon gates opened in this world so many years ago.

It was said that a mutation cause human to develop supernatural powers and in the process the humans lost their original colour of hair and eyes. That pitch black colour, which was rather common, became extremely rare, even close to not being present at all.

I got interested in that fellow, so I did a background check on him through my father's guild information sources. What I found was rather sad. This young boy was and orphan and the victim of the drift city massacre. Seeing this I developed some sympathy for him and since he has saved me, I chose to visit him.

When I asked him, if you want something in exchange of saving my life, he just replied that he wants money. I was really dumbfounded by his answer.

Afterall everyone knows in the academy that I am a S rank awakener's daughter, who have a high rank guild under him. So, if he asked for skill books or something, I will be able to provide it to him. These skill books can't be bought with money they can only be bought if you have connections.

But since it was his choice, I didn't mind it much and just transferred it to him. Obviously, I transferred a huge amount worthy of saving my life. After that I started to observe him, he was really just a decent student, there was basically nothing much special about him, the only thing worth noticing was that he had great speed. Yeah, his sword attack speed really fast.

I don't know why is that but its just abnormally fast. One more thing is that, this guy is even more of a battle maniac then I am. Basically every time I saw this guy out of his private training room was either to attend class or to use gravitation room for training. Even I was dumbfounded by how much he trained. I started to doubt if he was neglecting his studies, but his marks in written exam denied that possibility too.

He had better marks in written exams than me. Then on one fateful day when the tour was decided I got the seat right next to him. But due to me suppressing my emotions I ended up talking about irrelevant things too much. Remembering that makes me embarrassed even now.

I was really flustered when I found myself in his room but then he said he was fooling around. I don't know but I felt a little sad in my heart. Maybe I was really hoping for something? No! that's not it! I was just…. just….

Anyway, what I was saying is meeting him really changed my course of life. Same goes for today:

"Hmm…." (Lia)

"Oh! You finally woke up! You got me worried you know!" (Rio)

"….where..?" (Lia)

"Obviously, you are in my room again! You fainted when running from a monster! I saved you!" (Rio)

"Oh,…..th-thanks…" (Lia)

"..." (Rio)

"What? Why are you silent?" (Lia)

"Nothing. Take this food, you will get energy by eating it. I will go out now" (Rio)

Saying this he immediately left the room as if he was running away. Seeing this Lia got really confused but she stopped paying it any mind and started to eat.

A beautiful smile appeared on her face, unknown to herself:

"Even though he doesn't show any expression on his face. He is kind" (Lia)

Outside, On the back of the ship-

Rio came running straight. He hurriedly calmed himself and sorted out everything in his mind.

'What the heck was that!?'

'As I have read the novel, I know Lia's character, she never said a word of thanks to anyone. Yet! She Just now thanked me!? That's very strange from any way you look at it!….'

After a few minutes, Rio managed to calm himself down:

'What's going on here? Maybe I have triggered some unknown plot without even knowing, well whatever... I will observe first then decide what to do next...'

"Looks like this world has become even more interesting now"

Just as Rio was lost in his fantasies, the ship suddenly shook violently and a very familiar presence revealed itself.

"This damn Octopus is here again!"