Chapter 49: Survival Class

Actions spoke louder than words, Rocky always knew that this age-old idiom was true.

However, this belief was strongly confirmed when Principal Liam released his ghosts across the hall.

Seeing the ghosts, who were once students, everyone felt goosebumps running down their spines, as they deeply understood the gravity of Principal Liam's warning.

The Tower was a tough place, full of dangers at every step. But it was the urge to retaliate for even the slightest offenses that posed the greatest danger.

Liam's display today, at the very first lecture of the survival class was to hammer home the point that, should they succumb to the desire of exacting vengeance on a fellow student, then they themselves would suffer a fate much worse than death.

He could have just sent a chilling warning with words, however, because he unleashed the ghosts, the entire feeling behind his warning changed, as every student realized the dangers of exacting revenge on one another.

"Very well, now for the first lecture itself. Today we will talk about how to prepare supplies for a tower floor raid-" Liam said, as he retracted the ghosts and transformed into a regular professor.

He placed an orb on the stage, which worked like a magical projector as it cast a white image behind him, on the stage wall.

"If your expected floor raid duration is 5 days, prepare food and water for 20. Wasted money can be recovered, but life can't..." Principal Liam began, his tone shifting to one of a seasoned educator from the grim harbinger of warnings. The ghosts had vanished, but their lingering presence reinforced the gravity of his words.

He paced the stage, while pulling at his beard, as he continued, "In the Tower, unpredictability is the only certainty. A path that seems clear today might be fraught with danger tomorrow. A storm might trap you, or you may find a hidden chamber that requires more time to explore safely. Over Preparing is your only defense."

Liam turned to the holographic display behind him, where lists of essential supplies began to materialize. "Water, food, medical supplies, and tools for navigation and defense are the cornerstones of any raid preparation. However, choosing what exactly to bring requires understanding both the environment of the floor that you're going to raid and your own capabilities."

In our next class, I'll be demonstrating and teaching you how to apply first-aid, but you all should read and learn about it from your side as well.

There is nothing like wasted knowledge, so go to the library, pick a book and read when you can-" He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.

"And finally, remember this: teamwork is often your greatest asset. Share the burden of supplies, complement each other's skills, and protect one another. Isolation may seem like a way to conserve resources, but in the long run, solidarity is what keeps you alive."

"Today's lesson goes beyond mere survival; it's about making smart, calculated decisions. It's not just about fighting what's in front of you, but also preparing for the unseen and the unexpected."

With that, Liam concluded the first lecture, leaving the students with a lot to ponder.

Not only had they been given a practical guide to preparing for a raid, but they had also been reminded of the importance of foresight, preparedness, and unity in the face of the Tower's myriad dangers as almost everyone left the lecture with newfound respect for Principal Liam.

He was a little wack, no doubt about it, but he did care about his students and it showed, which was a warm feeling to have in its own way.

************

After the lecture, Rocky and Erin felt so inspired by Liam's words that the two of them decided to head to the library and study more about the points that the principal highlighted today.

Not wanting to die early, they took his subject seriously, however, Buhara felt differently to the two of them.

Instead of studying in the library, he wanted to focus on practicing his spells and becoming a mage as he headed towards the mage training hall where he wanted to practice the fireball spell scroll that he had just received in his first lecture in the morning.