Chapter 345
A flash from the past
There was an almost awkward silence slithering through the air, curling around their skin as all eyes fell on Yohan.
He cleared his throat slightly. Natsuki's expression remained unreadable and cold, offering nothing in response. He glanced at IAM, wondering if this intense personality was what he had been dealing with this whole time.
He spoke again, scratching his head, "I'm asking because you guys are usually together, so it's kinda weird to see you… by yourself… ahem."
He seemed almost shy… almost as if he hadn't just annihilated a high spawnling using its own ability seconds ago.
Natsuki tilted her head slightly, her gaze settling onto him as if she was peering straight into his soul.
Then she spoke.
"We are transported to completely random places. We have no way to locate each other beforehand… but we will find each other."
The last part carried a quiet firmness, something absolute, as if her words alone made it inevitable.
Yohan perked up slightly. "Aren't you worried about her? The—"
"She is not weak."
"… "
"Shall we begin to move along?" IAM said, cutting off whatever tension was building and bringing an end to Yohan's quiet torture.
Natsuki and Yohan both nodded.
"Let's go."
Minutes later, two boys could be seen at the front, jogging side by side through the dark and eerie forest.
One of them was Yohan, who had shrunk back into his quiet shell, while IAM managed to keep up due to the training he had undergone during his time on this planet. He took a glance behind him, where Natsuki followed, her beautiful visage calm as she jogged while maintaining a ten-meter distance between them.
He noticed she wasn't wearing her badge. She had most likely hidden it somewhere on her body, leaving his curiosity about her number unsatisfied, as it wasn't required to be visible as long as it was on her.
They had set aside their reservations, deciding they were strong enough to defend themselves. Their goal was to find others as quickly as possible, and all they could do now was hope they didn't encounter a devilborn—or worse—before then.
Every once in a while, they would encounter a spawnling, but nothing they couldn't handle. With a simple wave of her hand, Natsuki's sword would flash with speed before causing a graphic explosion of gore, leaving IAM and Yohan with nothing to do so far.
Soon enough, both IAM and Yohan noticed a group of low spawnlings crowding a section of the forest. Their disturbing noises carried through the air as the two stopped and observed for a few seconds.
The creatures were gathered tightly, their jagged teeth twitching as they leaned in toward something on the ground.
A body.
A student?
But that didn't make sense. If someone died, their body would eventually disappear…
It could only mean—
"They're still alive," Yohan whispered.
He was about to move, but he stopped himself, waiting.
For her.
Natsuki didn't say a word. With a slight twist of her wrist, her sword cut through the air, splitting it apart as it arrived in a flash. The creatures had no time to react, no chance to resist.
Spulch!
Spulch!
Spulch!
Spulch!
Spulch!
Wet, violent bursts echoed as the spawnlings were torn apart, their bodies rupturing before they could even register what had happened. Within seconds, they began to fade, leaving the area silent once more.
Yohan was the first to move forward.
The scene felt eerie.
The body lay there amidst the low-hanging fog, perfectly still, face down. A short distance away rested a large hammer, its end slightly curved like a scythe.
It didn't make sense.
Why was this student passed out… and why had they simply allowed themselves to be almost eaten?
. Yohan stood over the body and could now tell from its form that it was a girl. She was quite small, around five foot three if he had to guess. He took a knee and slowly turned her over.
The first thing he noticed was… snoring.
He blinked.
Was she… sleeping? Here? During the trials? Surrounded by deadline creatures and other students, someone actually had the balls of audacity to fall asleep!
Even with spawnlings right over her, she hadn't woken up. If they had gone any further, she would have been killed.
Even Natsuki, with all her boundless confidence and strength, wouldn't do something like that.
"Step back. I will check on her," Natsuki said suddenly.
Yohan, who was beginning to understand her, listened without argument and stepped back to stand beside IAM, who was silently watching. Yohan muttered under his breath, "Do I look that untrustworthy? I wouldn't have done anything weird…"
Natsuki lowered herself gracefully to her knees and lifted the girl's head onto her lap. The boys watched as she handled her with an uncharacteristic gentleness.
She brushed the girl's deep brown hair away from her face, strands slightly muddied, and used her sleeve to wipe it clean, revealing a soft, cherubic face.
Cherubic meaning cute like a little angel which could actually best describe the girl as she really did look like a little angel.
There was a peacefulness to her expression, completely untouched by the chaos around her, her soft snoring almost absurd in contrast to everything that had just happened. It was the kind of face that made you want to hold onto it, to protect it without thinking.
Her milk chocolate skin was smooth, marking her as a descendant of the Sorcerer. Her lips were a soft brown, shaped like a heart, and her long eyelashes framed her face, making her look even more delicate.
Natsuki lightly patted her cheek a few times.
The girl's eyes twitched slightly—
But she didn't wake.
Natsuki slightly frowned as she tapped on her cheeks a little more... Still nothing but a stir, not the complete wake.
She gave her another that was a little bit harder, faint mumbled words escaped the girl's lips but still she didn't wake up.
Natsuki seemed to run out of patience as, with a kiss of her teeth, she delivered a crisp slap on the girl's face.
Pah!
"uwuhah!" a strange sound escaped her mouth as her eyes finally snapped open against her will!