COI C4
"The news of the day, last week from the update what happen to the welcome tournament by our allies have showed some unforgettable event where two members from Saint Heroes were defeated by the members of Raker Mawn from Rune Isles"
"You're right, we have witnessed some eye-catching event where everyone didn't know those kinds of powers existed. It did however explain the survivors close to the west coast in Kinteinou region"
"Let's hope our scientists had special updates to solve this before our adventurer to ever set in to that region"
A broadcast coming outside from the districts of Isekai City where most people talk about and the fright of the people’s exaggeration.
In the sub urban homes, Chojima District, spread around their neighbors about the news.
"Are they really going to travel to Rune Isles? It is enough for them to stay here and let alone people leaving the city"
"We just want to return home to our world not like this"
"We can't even find people who doing something dangerous with their own magic"
"The Mayor should have settled it already since they talk about it a few weeks ago. Now he changed his mind"
The residents were not pleased because of the change, while the children grown interested of this new world. New technologies arose from the discovery of the new entrepreneurs, and giving away such amazing inventions.
Along in this district, Haw forced Ironno to come along to find his clients.
"I'm getting tired of your kinker ways Haw. When will we find our own sprouts"
"Ironno, there’s nothing for us to do except for handling the island near this city, I'm still not getting use to find a recruit with their kind of attitude"
"With all the polite face they have, I have no trust in them while our guild think the same thing"
The guild wanted to have recruits in this city, but after the tournament made themselves as monsters instead of warriors, The citizens are remained civil but not brave to speak to them because of what happened.
Haw found one of the people he rescued, she noticed the two and wave at them
"Edan! It's you, I thought you are going to forget about our invitation"
Ironno answered her for him
"And Yes he did, but now realizing how hard it is to because of that incident"
Haw didn't comment about it and just nod at him and then to her.
"Yeah that? The Saint Heroes did ask us about that. Oh, never mind about that, come in"
The woman invited them in to her home where the rest of the survivors are here.
"All women, the kinker man is true. What will the women in our guild look surprised of being a man like that"
Haw stood silenced to him and then greets to them.
"Reya, Iggy, Coral, and Andui, I never could have imagined that you needed my help"
The women were all young in the presence of their eyes. They see them in their 20s, as for Haw to be in their age group where Ironno on the other hand thought to them to be impossible to part of the expedition.
"Yes, we need to train by your guild to how to survive in Rune Isles without any used of mana"
Ironno flinched by hearing them not using magic
"You still need to use magic, miss, there is no possible way to survive where a region itself can used it"
Ironno is right, and Haw thought otherwise. They can venture Rune Isles, and the supplies needed are near to famine when the supplies are exposed by the decaying mana.
"Ironno, there are ways they didn’t know"
"You mean there are more ways to it"
"Yes, and the training will be scarce when to survive and the capacity that you can handle only for a week"
"Only a week? like no one from your guild didn't survive longer than that?"
Ironno opens up his journal and the other reports from his work
"This is the records of our past missions this year, and the most controversial one is the discovery of Junkis Las"
The women read the report on Junkis Las, and found something in their interest.
"Remaining debris stay intact after years passed by. Most of the technology remained the same state that were destroyed after a great explosion. Either that or time magic kept its form in the duration of its aftermath spell"
They continue to read further as they are surprised one small detail about it.
"The remaining surviving technology of the heroes still active beneath the debris, where the sounds of unfamiliar languages and abilities reactivate during meeting one of them. The least concerning where the rebels are here to exterminate them"
Reya got intrigue, Iggy felt concerned, Coral won't bother about this mission, and Andui don't want to know more.
"I umm, are we really going to Rune Isles like this. Even the training would be serious if we can reach Junkis Las"
"I'm curious more of the old heroes' technology and the relations between the rebels. They really want to destroy it after the part of the continent fell"
"I won't even tried to get more info about it you two. Hearing rebels to take down the heroes are something I want to know first"
"You girls are getting excited over this, I'm not going to adventure with you guys after that incident. You know how hard I tried to convinced Haw to rescue us"
The girls kept pestering around Ironno's reports. Haw and Ironno thought that it would be enough for them to learn a little bit from Rune Isles when they decide to pick it up.
"Anyway, back to business. About the training mission"
"Is there a reason to why you request me for this?"
"Of course, but we need to make a deal. We are thinking big in our community when they wanted to survive on this world . . ."
The women continue their discussion with more details until Haw understands their conclusion.
" . . . We've like to have you part of our new school here"
"School? I thought you mentioned about people at your age"
Coral thought about it as well, but seeing the reports they gave them made them realized the opportunity to have for their city guild.
"After you introduced these reports, we are more concerning the survival rate of our people in this city"
"Just stay in your region, and find other ways to live by. Enders Bridge is the sole reason it founded for recovering what this world lost"
"Then why you people wanted to live there?"
"We need raw materials and those ruins have enough to maintain the city state's demand for ore"
Coral hearing from him in a serious manner made her realized that the reason why they are going there in the first place.
After further more chats, the group change a bit about his mission. "Ok then, this is a repeatable mission. Once every student mastered any skills or abilities from Rune Isles. Including other works will help the school, Sister’s Hope Highschool will have substantial income. The pay would be 10,000 Y per student either had master an item or skill"
Ironno reads the mission and the currency to convert it to their world currency "It's 100 Cuu or 1 Slv"
"How much of living in Stranding Island?"
Haw asked Ironno during the conversion, and Ironno have no trouble that kind of expenses.
"With our base will exclude some expense. We can live off 15 Slvs with the remaining 140 Cuu for our daily meals for the entire week"
Haw looks at Ironno that kind of expenses is not normal from the rest of the city states. That amount of Slv only befit for the entire month, and even you can receive a few gald that would be richman thinking. Yet he asks the women about their pay
"Then how much is yours?"
"You know it's rude to ask . . . "
"HOW MUCH?"
His stares didn't pierce Andui, but for Coral who have a little trauma during their first meeting, she accidentally answered
"50 Slvs"
Ironno heard it, and a little troublesome to hear her fear of Haw.
"Haw, don't bother about the prices, we can handle it"
The city is giving such an amount of coin. It is more like thieves’ paradise if they think about it. Thievery and raiding are a thing for the goblins, and make sure not to go overboard without knowing the enemies they have.
"Ok then, I’m ready for your request and Ironno will come too"
Reya quickly casts her teleportation spell when he agreed. Somewhere in a grand scheme of things, they are now at the school where many young students are moving around the open track field.
"Here we are, and just in time for PE"
"PE? It's more like an exercise or training if you think of it"
The teachers saw them teleported and began rushing to them.
“Hey! I thought you are supposed to be at the entrance and not here of all a sudden"
"Sorry, but we have Edan here. We have one from Rune Isles teach them to survive and probably learn some skills too. Please can you announce to the students?"
While the two talks, Haw and Ironno observed the students doing their activities and the others looking at them.
"These little ones are energetic, even the other ones used mana so freely"
"These kids have the resources to replenished their mana and they are too lively of using it"
"Ok students, there is a surprised visit and this man will show you to learn from Rune Isles"
"!?"
Haw reacted to the teacher as he just teleported, and Ironno moving away from them.
"Alright fine, which of you want to volunteer on a spar. I need two people to spar"
The students looks at the other direction with a few students with an ego approached to Haw
"It would be me mister, and I want to challenge with that guy"
A man behind him is a muscular teen with glasses on with no sign of peaceful resolution towards them.
"Then state your name and skills"
"Well of course, I am Flourance Gilgas and I am . . . "
"State your skill"
"But wait let me"
"State your skill!"
Haw brings out a one of his potions
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"Alright alright, I am a mage who excel in most magics. I want to beat this guy with his brute force"
Haw pulls out a potion and give it to him
"Use it when the sparring starts, and now you"
"My name's No . . ."
"Hey hey, no real names. Remember this is the new world now"
"Oh yeah right, my name is Clark Right who is a melee fighter and I want a skill to beat what this mage come throw at me"
Haw throws another potion at him as he catches it.
"Ok everybody, make some space for a sparring ring and see what they can do"
A ring is formed and one the teachers helped him by summoning the area to an actual battle ring.
"The rules of the effect of those potions, you will figure it out when you drank it. It last only 60 seconds, so it will be a 60 second fight. Fight until someone is down or the effects of the potions wears off. Winner will have a magic item and the loser will received the same potion being given"
Both volunteers have been place in each side, where close enough to reach other and not far enough to have time to use their spells. Haw prepared them as they bring out their potions.
"Ready, in 3 2 1, DRINK!"
Both drink at the same time and ready to fight. Clark leap forward and Flourance flashes away, both felt the effects of the potion and Flourance already know the difference. Clark changed his striking direction to him and Flourance openly show to him. Flourance ego did made a deception but Clark reach him quickly and grab him by the collar. Flourance didn't expected it when he flashes out
"How?"
"I have instincts"
Clark can sense what he is doing. Flourance is trying to break away by using the ground up. Clark forced back then stomp on the ground to break the spell. Flourance continue to use magic and Clark closely dodges it. A straight frustration from Flourance and tried to use the effect of the potion as he lunges at him.
Clark got surprised and trying to grab a hold of him. Flourance recklessly cast and earth magic below them, and with Clark's instinct reacted so quickly that Flourance misses and now moving to his direction. His body flew back from the force of the magic that didn't even touch him. The students and teachers were surprised. Reya even saw a mage who act recklessly managed to evade by his own spell in a quick succession. Students never have that kind of technique. She starts to wonder what Haw's potions were. Flourance laugh in the sight of his own mistake
"Something like this will always hit me, but this potion did help me get out from it"
Clark and Flourance are in a predicament as their weaknesses are no longer the issue. The main problem for both of them of how to land a hit, Clark don't want to get hurt by Flourance's earth magic, and Flourance can't do anything to move away from Clark's aggressive attacks. Clark charges again and Flourance moves back by the presence of his strength where he moves back with every strike Clark makes and dodges closely when Flourance counters. It is a never-ending fight where both of them won't even hit each other, Flourance looks like it was a hit by plain air, and Clark dodges it like it slides through him without a graze.
Both are too astonished of seeing each other’s best abilities did not even take a hit. Clark starts to move quickly as he swiftly moved back and forth in all direction to surround Flourance and the moment of strike will blow Flourance away without harm. Then Flourance's turn unleash most of his earth spell he could ever master, Clark can sense of it coming to him and even his own two feet knows where the earth turned against him, he then gusted by it that he still made it out ok. Nothing comes along for Haw and seeing that these students don't have the knowledge about these kinds of powers, yet it is their first experienced such a skills they used.
A minute is over and the potion loses its effect. Both tired out from their own all-out skills and mastery leaving their classmates and teachers amazed of all the most dangerous abilities, and none of them ever land a hit. Haw looks at them at the limits of their abilities and experiencing something they don't know how to fight against.
"Clark’s potion, Instinct potion, strong of senses upcoming attacks. Weakness, dependent to the paranoid. Flourance’s potion, Air Force Potion, strong for sliding or blown away by any attacks without harming the user by leaving or dodging away like thin air or water. Weakness, it uses the mana of the user as an alternative defense"
Haw brings out the same potions and also brings out a special container. He releases it and sprung out a light of fire, he then douses it with the same potions used by the students.
"Ok, which one of you can turn off its flame. Remember check its mana and see what will happened"
One of the students tried to put it out but the flame dodges so closely and its mana didn't change.
"Now I show you to find it weakness"
He steadily move his hand to put the flame out, as he closely put it out the flame as it didn't react. His stops to the last moment, and slowly formed a grip to surround the flame. Then slowly squeezing it, the flame burns his hands as he squeezing it out and mana starts to deplete.
He releases it where his hand burnt. The teacher used her healing magic on him while he explains to the class
"If they have this kind of ability, it is difficult to release your killing intent where it can react along with the air force. Yet more so it can't be killed until the mana died out first"
The students were surprised by these potions and one of them ask.
"Is it there any side effects?"
Haw only nod at them and said
"Probably, using these potions too much can lead something to your habits. Normally, no, but mentally it does something to you. Even I myself won't going near a morphing potion"
"Then where can we buy those potions"
The students were excited to use those potions, and Haw only giving only a big disadvantage of making it
"Making it is easy, but buying it are near impossible. Like making the Air Force potions, these require wisps from the inner forest close to Purissarwell territory. In your terms is Elven lands, and the Instinct potion is somewhere in the dungeons in Mountaiwall territories, closer domains of the gobins . . . no . . . its goblin? right?"
Reya nod at him and she follows up more of the description.
"Buying it should be possible if they can handle the demands . . ."
"If the city states do have the supplies for it, I don't know what will happened since the conflict from the far north. Either it be bountiful or limited, not everyone is an adventurer"
Reya explains to them as they are disappointed but for the two who are receiving the potions are grateful to Haw as they can do more than just their roles.
"Thank you!"
Both are happily taken it and someday going to use it on the mission. Haw has a good collection of it, but giving away a good potion is common if it is easy to make. However, no one in this city will manufacture it because of its rare ingredients.
After the spar, more students want to learn more from him.
"Please teacher, can you train us beside potions"
Haw heard them calling him teacher.
"Understand that my skills are for surviving the Rune Isles and other dungeons, you need to find something stronger than me. I'll just provide what I can"
The student move away a bit as they are reaching their phones, from the sight of Haw he didn't understand awhile back since they were staying here, and he won't bother of doing so. After a few minutes they came back
"Teacher, how about foraging"
Haw pulls out his notes of foraging to any place he could be proven safe. He closes it and respond to the student with assurance.
"From the deep forest, we could find good training over there"
"Teacher, is there also other missions there approved our skills"
"Let's see"
The other teacher opens her notepad checking for viable missions.
"There are some feral goblin's nests that we can exterminate"
Haw has no idea what feral goblins they say, it is probably from their terms. These feral goblins should be the Marsh Seep or Marsp, they don't look like goblins but they are acted as small humanoids but has only animalistic intelligence. They only relied anything in their surroundings as a weapon. The difference between them that Marsp maneuvered better on trees.
A disgruntled from Haw saying Marsp related to the goblins
"Feral goblins, at least the students would survive"
"Ok it settled, we will be adventuring to the west side of the forest next week. To anyone who likes to join?"
Haw added to her statement
"We will also experience the work of an adventurer with rewards and loots"
Hearing from Haw lead the students to riled up to them. Behind him where Reya and the others
"Why did you announced that? There are hundreds of students who are going to join. You know how much . . ."
"Hold it, I can handle it. Don’t you worry a bit. I might have them a few items if they find something"
Ironno confronted at them during their commotions.
"But the price would be 30 million Y if they all succeeded"
"30 million Y what?"
"Haw, it's 30 gald as in 3,000 sylvs or 300,000 cuu"
Haw seeing only hundreds of students who will be willing to join. In his estimate, he compares the same price of other skilled guild members in Enders. The price difference is too big to see these students that are worth 30 gald, but it is not the burden he is expected. Somehow doing life threatening missions like saving these women back then is close enough the reward. He still remembered the coins he was given by them. 50 gald and still didn't use it since then.
"It's fine, we can still pay for their expenses"
Haw in his timid foresight after acted all civil and talk too much, leaving Ironno tired out from all the talking. Haw did have some potions to kept him relax, like no smell of an alcohol.
"I have never thought of being drunk help me talk to them in a calming matter"
"You always talk normal because of a good drink, and now you a kinker of doing just that"
Ironno laughs after the special class in PE. The adults around him didn't even notice his toxication, and the students think he is normal. Andui came along to his side and noticed the difference.
"Edan, I know you're drunk. I am surprised that drinks calmed you down since we first met in our needs"
"Ah yes, if you want him alone. Then this kinker will be sure he did"
Haw pushed him and his little toxication push him off balanced, and Andui catches him
"I'm surprised you can teach them without any effort moving your body"
Haw can hide himself in this situation except for his missions, where he looks at Ironno that he believed that he can make his way out when Ironno stays as it is. Andui pulls Haw's face to her and give off a worried look.
"Don't acted being aggressive again, you already made a good show to the students. Your mission is not over yet, and the plus side the 300 Sylvs might cover a bit in those expenses"
The rest of the adventurers, Reya, Coral, and Iggy continue on teaching the remaining day as substitute teachers for the school. Ironno stays with them to only observe the students' behavior. Iggy reaches out to him
"Hey, how about some lunch. Care to join us"
Ironno was distracted on something then begins to nod and follow her out of his senses. Iggy saw him staring at someone with a straight face.
"Wow, even you don't look at me. You can trace me without looking"
Ironno focuses on someone that catches his eyes.
Iggy brings along Reya and Coral too, where Ironno stops focusing on the person. Reya noticed something on his hard hat, looking similar of it.
"Did your helmet glows?"
Coral and Iggy didn't notice, and Ironno asks Reya about it.
"Does it glow dark red?"
"Yes"
The two who didn't notice about his hat glow dark red
"Where?"
"Ok what's going on with you guys and Ironno's hat"
Ironno have kept something a secret and for Reya have concerns about the dark red glow.
"It did glows dark red, but it's hard to explain why I am the only one sees it . . . Is there any lead to it?"
It's quite strange that people around them not minding on Ironno’s hard hat, then again there are others that are shines brighter than his equipment. Ironno answers them.
"This hat supposed to watch any problems, and one of my guild members told me that what he found is troubling"
The women almost understood it as a detector, but they are not certain.
"But why only you and Reya sees it?"
Reya have gained an interest of it and Ironno continue on the small details.
"Let just say, I have gaining favors and I need to check first then settle it after"
Coral didn't understand a bit and said
"Well, I have nothing to say here. If you want to make it clear, then I’ll just ask Haw instead"
Ironno sighs without them knowing
"Agreed, but Haw wouldn’t know who am I talking about. I will be surprised if you found out from him"
"Alright, then I’ll be eating first"
Ironno recalls the rumor spread by the locals, to brief a situation about the city are the outsiders and the defected. The city brands those people who left the city as outsiders instead, and now they are terrorizing in the east coast. It caused bad relations with the rusics and the gobins, where the rebels and the outsiders joined together or fought each other under their territories. The other thing is about the other outsiders hiding within the city, and finally the phenomenon is coming to this city. For one of the examples needed be for looking at the student, they have contact indirectly from the outside. It will get busy for him when many more figured it out, he hopes it would be the Horsins.
Reya speaks out to him as he was busy thinking.
“Hey, any reason for your hard hat to glow like that? Both of them are already started eating while we are the only two talking”
Coral and Iggy ignored them as they busy talking to each other. Mentioning about Haw and the other Enders would be joining in if they have to. Ironno explains to Reya.
“Do you know anything of the condition of your city?”
“Which one?”
“Anything that is true, I heard mostly rumors that I don’t want to settle with”
“Yeah, you already said that before . . . Hmm, where do I start?”
Reya eats her meal as she thinks. Ironno eats as he waits.
When they finished their meal, Reya starts to doubt that it would be useful to Ironno.
“The abandonment of the city to the east coast, the rise of gangs hiding within partially remains of the tall buildings in Fuki City, and settlement in stranded island. I have no clue anything that related to your hat’s glow”
“I understand, then listen to these rumors”
Coral and Iggy waited for them to talk about it. They seem to be uninterested, but a nice gossip to hear around the city will ease their boredom.
“Locals had talk about something that the citizens didn’t know about. Common sickness and disease were immune due to resistance by magic”
“One of the rumors is that the bacteria had its own way of infecting others”
Iggy bursts out laughing.
“Really!? What things like that exist?”
“Be quiet Iggy, this is their world. There something to worried about”
Reya stops her as she listens to him seriously. Ironno laughs too when Iggy said about it.
“Hah, I know rumors like this sometimes make you laugh. That’s what I hope it to be”
“Hmm, yeah”
“My hard hat is supposed to detect any problems around me. I don’t know why you two didn’t see it, and only thing I guess that from the rumors where you two are immune”
“Immune! You hear that Reya, you’ll going to get sick by it”
“Sigh* Iggy would you please stay quiet”
“Fine, fine . . . Hey Coral why aren’t you commenting on this?”
Coral is thinking about it, since coming here. She was a police officer. They don’t have reports of people getting sick. Since the hospital has no sick patients but injured ones instead. The rumors are really something on her head. Ironno continues
“Just let me explain, the main rumor I heard about your city is the strange immunity before we reach your city. The locals mentioned about diseases still effects to the adventurers until they recovered quickly after use. Yet they get infected again, many will be immune by certain sickness. The dark red glow shows one of the signs like that who supposed to be immune, it only leads to one thing. Hosts or carriers”
Reya asks one of her friends
“Did anyone check up on them?”
Coral answered her
“Yes they did, multiple times when people went outside. No sickness, harmful symptoms, nor anything would harm their physiology. Even we survive the attacks of the expedition, we went pale when our mana starts to hurt us, remember?”
Coral then turned to Ironno
“Yet even the hospital can’t find a way to do their research because how we quickly recovered”
“And this one stayed and no one found out about it”
Iggy starts to worry as the rumors grew closer to a pandemic in her mind. Ironno stands up
“It is still a rumor, and I hope it won’t be lethal”
“It’s fine, it’s a nice scare don’t you think you two”
Coral is sarcastically responds to him but kept in mind about the rumor, and she herself knows that it will happen someday.
Ironno goes outside and found more students who has the same dark red signatures from his hard hat. The students noticed them
“Hey look, it’s the new teacher. Hello!”
“What’s to be the problem, teacher?”
“I’ve come here to ask anyone who are going to join the quest”
All of them raised their hands and shouted with excitement. Then there’s a student where Ironno found before. They started to huddle up about the quest.
“I know it’s early to teach you, but would like to know about . . .”
“You mean survival, eh, I don’t think we could listen to that”
“Survival? No, I meant fighting”
All of the were shock.
“Are you serious? Are you really a teacher?”
“That’s your teacher, but in this world. There are no telling how dangerous people might harm you”
The students doubted him, as they know they can overcome him. They thought something dangerous beside the outside. The other whispered through their devices.
“Can he really teach us how to fight them?”
“Did you forget about the welcome tournament? Didn’t you?”
“How about that rat guy turning into like a monster?”
The students turned to Ironno and said
“Ok sir, please take care of us”
Ironno managed to persuade them, where it’s the beginning to solidify the rumors.
“I hope you younglings are serious, because in this world you should already be able to kill”