After weeks of investigations, the locations of the fugitive assassins had been somewhat narrowed down. There were numerous hot spots around the empire with suspicious activity and even a few villages and towns that had been taken over and turned into rebel strongholds.
While parties of second and third year students left for those hot spots to search and destroy, several nobles came out of retirement and organized forces to liberate the captured villages. Most of these nobles “volunteered” thanks to general Sylph’s recommendation letters, but there was one man who stepped up to the plate long before his invitation arrived.
Count Vistacia decided to go north. Accompanied by two battalions of students and two of mercenaries, 200 people in total, he planned to lay siege to the assassins in Coldridge city and sentence every last one of them.
Since the count promised to take the lead in battle and leave the front line to the adults, first year students clamored to get a spot among his forces. The unlucky ones would have to join the other nobles, or worse, take their seniors' example and face the enemies alone.
Early in the morning, on the fourth Monday since the night of slaughter, Michael, Natalie, and Tommy waited in front of Nunac's hideout. There was magical chainmail underneath their clothes, heavy backpacks on the street near their feet, and sharpened weapons on their hips and fists.
Suddenly, an explosion occurred in the building’s attic, creating a hole out of which flames burst wildly. The entire attic was burning, every single wall was in flames. The old pools of blood within gurgled and evaporated, while the rotting bodies and body parts were slowly being eviscerated.
All this while, two lone teens watched the fire unfold from inside. After the heat destroyed their clothes, along with the dried up blood, sweat, dirt, and guts which had gathered on their bodies, the teens restored function to their nostrils, closed their eyes, smiled, and took a deep, deep breath.
Noxious gases filled their lungs, although finally, the stench was gone. While modifying the air inside their lungs, the two grabbed each other’s hands and descended from the attic, leaving it to burn.
They found chainmail and well fitting traveling clothes on the second floor and quickly put them on. There was even a scarf for Annie, to cover her now bald head, and a hat for Finn which he grabbed and set ablaze.
“Careful,” said Annie. “You can still overdo it and you have much to learn. If it comes to a fight, you should still rely on your breath.”
“No thanks,” Finn winked. “In for a penny, in for a pound. If I get into a pinch I’ll figure something out.”
They could both feel the heat approaching from upstairs. In sync, they touched two walls opposite each other and released a wave of flames which engulfed the room.
As they descended to the first floor, the attic collapsed in on itself, and the second floor would soon do the same. Guards would arrive and put out the fire, Madam Isabella might even call the teens in for questioning. However, there would be no evidence, and their team would soon leave Phoenix.
“Count Vistacia, let’s see what you’re about.” With these words, Finn walked after Annie and exited the building. He grinned at the sight of his friends and at the first sight of sunshine in a month.
However, he soon stopped. Mid-walk, Annie had frozen along with his friends. An eerie silence invaded his ears and even the smell of fire and charred flesh subsided out of nowhere.
“You’re not in Kansas anymore.” The voice was familiar and Finn’s mood instantly soured.
“Parlor tricks,” he muttered while keeping a straight face.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“And this time you mean it. The world looks different when you can feel its essence. Stifling, isn’t it?”
Finn focused on his inner mana but nothing felt different. Whatever the voice was talking about, it was still too soon for him to comprehend.
“Where am I? Where are you?”
“Hmph, not much of a hero after all. Perhaps I was worried for nothing. You can try as much as you want, Mark, but you truly have no talent.”
Suddenly, the world shifted and Finn found himself back in the attic. Moreso, he was now dressed in a black tuxedo, had a golden watch on his left wrist, and had suddenly grown a long, gray, beard.
“Ha, I didn’t even have to cut your hair. This looks about right, maybe I should make it permanent.”
“Aren’t you going to show yourself?”
“What’s the point? You’ll see right through it.”
“Of course,” Finn lied. “But I still want to…”
“Shut up!” Suddenly, the building exploded and old man Finn went flying into the stratosphere. After getting a good look at the planet’s moons, he then plummeted with the speed of a rocket towards the ground.
“I thought we had a deal, Mark.”
“Weeee doooooo!”
“You haven’t taken a single math class. Hell, you’re training and even going on a quest, a quest! Up north no less, like a cheating asshole set on ruining my fun.”
Finn’s body slammed into the earth and kept going through the ground like some kind of drill. His mouth filled up with dirt, his limbs twisted and broke from his body, yet his face remained calm.
‘It’s all an illusion. It’s all an illusion. Focus, you’ve got this.’
Suddenly, the earth around Finn disappeared, and he found himself inside a giant ball of black energy.
“Bastard,” God muttered. “I should squash you like a level three newb, which you are by the way. Don’t think you’re hot shit just cause you can light up a bonfire.”
“Why don’t you?”
Suddenly, the black mana squeezed Finn’s body, and this time around, he felt genuine pain. His own energy was being pressed into itself, turning from light blue to a deeper shade, and then to slightly purple.
“You don’t get to ask questions,” God’s voice hissed.
Quickly, Finn reconsidered his choices and with an almost crying tone he whimpered: “I… didn’t…. have a… choice.”
“Bullshit! If you had joined math class like you were supposed to…”
“I... already… know math.”
“Then you should’ve started a business, sell some Goddamn soap!”
“I am… and for this... I need power.”
The pressure on his spiritual body lessened, but Finn kept up the act. He couldn’t fall on his knees inside the giant energy ball, so instead he hunched up like a baby, hiding his face.
“Why?” God grunted. “You have your memories, so make a steam engine, sell it and hire mercenaries.”
“This world runs on magic.” Finn raised his head pathetically. “Nobody will buy my engine, people can already fly.”
“But…”
“I can’t rely on mercenaries, assassins will kill me in my sleep. If I can’t use magic, I’m as helpless as a level two slime. And I didn’t want to go on a quest, I can barely control my powers.”
Since no tears came out, Finn covered his eyes and rolled back into a ball.
“Please… O mighty God, help me.”
...........................
At the same time, on God's deserted asteroid...
[... Access denied… Access denied… #$%#$^%... Access Granted.
New username: Sexy Krishna => (Delete)… Earth’s Finest => (Accept)
Welcome Earth's Finest.
Target status screen => (Open):
Name: Andrew Finn.
Nickname: Achoo.
Age: 14 years and four months old.
Race: Quarter elf.
Class: ???
Abilities (relevant):
- Clay construction: Miniature models {Master}. Full scale clay construction {Intermediate}
- Leadership: {Intermediate}
- Warrior's Breath {???}
- Knife fighting {???}
- Archery {???}
- Photographic memory {Master}
- Mathematics: {Saint}
- Dual Processing {Beginner}
- Liar {Intermediate} => (Delete)... Honest to a fault {Advanced} => (Accept)
Potential:
- Nerd 70%
- Hero 85% => (Delete)... 45% => (Accept)
Comments: None
Earth's Finest => (logging out)]