Chapter 78: Head Start
Seeing Teo and a few other students leave with the instructor, the group grew apprehensive.
“What do we do now?”
“What else?! Follow him, he can’t stay with the instructor forever!”
The group stealthily followed Teo while maintaining their encirclement, but as Teo and the others exited the forest, they found themselves nowhere to hide so they followed from a distance instead.
—–
The Martial faction headquarters was not too far from the northern district. In fact, it was located north east of the academy so after some time the group reached their destination and Lia talked to the seniors and arranged a stage for their instructor to lecture on.
New recruits lined up and were taught by senior members. Visitors also flowed in to either spectate or participate. Many prospective recruits would always look around to decide on whether to join the faction or not.
After the arrangements were made, Teo, Lia, Windle and Grifford huddled together at the stage nearby. Windle briefly glanced at the entrance and then back to the group.
“How many do you think there are?” Windle asked.
“I saw maybe 9 or so… I didn’t see them all quite clearly but they should have sneaked in.”
After some time, Teo noticed four cloaked figures that did not directly go to the stages but rather off to the side behind the trees within the spacious courtyard.
Grifford sat beside them and found the whole ordeal entertaining and just kept quiet and observed with a grin.
“What are we going to do?” Lia inquired.
If it was a fight she was not too afraid as she was the strongest in the group. She could even beat up some of the senior students who she sometimes sparred with.
“Let’s wait it out first, I’ll head to one of the underground training room for a bit. I need to prepare for something. Keep watch of those four for me.”
Teo gestured at a particular location and Windle and Lia also gave a quick glance.
“Those are probably them, if they brought their companions they’ll surely signal them somehow. Try to figure out which one they are, but don’t get caught.”
Soon after, Teo headed into one of the underground rooms. Locking the door behind him, Teo quickly removed several materials from his interspatial stone.
——
Hours passed and Teo had yet to return. Grifford had already gotten bored and left the Martial faction, while Lia and Windle pretended to train while they kept watch over the figures that Teo pointed out.
‘So far there are 7 people who talked to them,’ Windle thought as he was swinging his sword.
Although there were less people now, the courtyard was still crowded by many people. Lia who was besides Windle quietly complained.
“These people are so persistent!”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure Teo will be safe as long as he stays here.”
“You know Teo can’t run forever right? He needs to solve this problem soon or he won’t have any peace until we graduate!”
Windle also agreed. If Teo was in trouble, they would surely help him, but after noticing the other students that they marked, he knew that some of them were seniors. Although he did not know who they were, Windle knew that if it became a team fight, they were outnumbered and also outclassed.
Considering the situation, he was tempted to get Lia to ask the seniors of the Martial faction to intervene, but the Martial faction won’t move against personal vendettas. If one faction is clearly bullying the other, then they might band together, but in Teo’s case it has not yet escalated to that level. There was also no guarantee that these pursuers were together with a faction so Windle decided to wait for Teo’s decision.
A few more hours passed and more people started leaving, but the same individuals waited patiently.
“Windle, Lia thanks for waiting.”
Teo finally returned wearing a cloak. His face and hands covered in soot as if he went through a chimney.
“Grifford had already left a long time ago, what were you doing?”
“Preparing for my escape.”
“Teo, even if you escape today, they’ll just come find you tomorrow or another day after that.. We need to deal with this sooner rather than later,” Windle advised.
“You need to deal with this properly or you won’t be able to train with us at all,” Lia followed up.
“I know, I know..”
Teo considered fighting it out and getting beat up, but without the old man’s protective array, he put that idea to rest. Within his interspatial stone was an extra defensive ring he created during his free time, but it wouldn’t last a whole beating. At best he could protect himself from 10 different blows, but who would stop after 10 blows? It was also his only life saving device, he did not want to expose it unless he needed to. If he wanted to make more he could have, but charging them with Qi took him a very long time.
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He didn’t want Windle and Lia to suffer at his expense so he also did not want it to become a team fight. If he could only fight them one by one, perhaps he had a chance, but what could he do?
‘I doubt they’ll let me off once I leave the protection of the Martial faction and instructors… If I really want to settle this.. I can apologize or…’
Teo was only briefly optimistic but knew that those four would not let him off with just an apology. They had attacked him in broad daylight before so they will likely to do it again.
‘Since I doubt this will be resolved peacefully, the only way out is to fight!’
Windle and Lia noticed that Teo grew quiet and did not disturb him. Whatever Teo decided, they would support him either way. The light exercised they had been doing was enough for them to be battle ready, the only thing they needed was Teo’s decision.
After waiting for a while, Teo finally turned to Windle and Lia.
“Guys, I need a head start.”
———
Teo wore a deep brown cloak and his large backpack that was easily noticeable. He walked around the courtyard alone as if he was spectating the various lectures within the area.
“There he is, he finally came out!”
“Keep track of him, this bastard is slippery as an eel!”
Before they discovered Teo who nonchalantly was spectating around, they thought that their cover was blown as Teo had entered into a restricted area exclusively for Martial faction members and their friends. Seeing him emerged as if nothing happened they felt relieved that their target was openly showing himself.
Each of their attention focused on Teo, and they noticed him putting on his hood. The large hood was enough to cover more than half his face, and the cloak covered his entire body as well, but the eye catching backpack remained.
No matter where Teo headed, they tracked him from a distance. There were instances where they lost track of him when he turned and walked around the corner of the main building but soon his figure emerged right after.
“Does this bastard intends to stay here forever?!” Kristofer impatiently asked in a low voice.
His voice was muffled by the mask he wore but those beside him could feel his frustration. They also felt as if they were being toyed around, but they dismissed the idea as they felt that Teo had yet to notice them.
They felt anxious when Teo wore his hood in public, but seeing Windle and Lia talking to him, their worries subsided.
It was only until the hooded figure took off his backpack and handed it to Windle and bowed that they noticed something odd!
Windle and Lia laughed as the hooded figure gave another bow. Windle patted the figure’s shoulder as smiled. Zachery were too far to hear their conversation but they quickly notice the change in mannerism of the hooded figure.
A terrible thought emerged in the back of the minds. They did not want to believe it but after the hooded figure took off his hood, the faces of Zachery and the others’ froze!
It took them a brief moment to process what they were seeing! The face of the one they’ve been tracking was not Teo but an unfamiliar face! As he removed even his cloak they realize that it was a first year recruit that had similar build and height of their prey!
*Bang!*
Zachery slammed his fist into a tree!
“Find him!”
All of them meticulously scanned every person in the courtyard but after finding that Teo was not among them. Though there was possibility of Teo hiding within the building or the underground chamber, they did not risk it and expanded the search outside the courtyard.
“There he is!”
One of the 6th year student who was hired by Zachery discovered Teo’s silhouette from the distance. Although Teo was pretty far, he did not wear his hood on but walked leisurely towards the northern part of the academy.
“Quick! Catch that bastard!”
Teo used his [God’s eye] glancing from a distance to see if they found him yet. Once he realizes they finally found him, he increased his speed to maintain the distance.
—–
“I hope it works out well…” Lia worried.
“Don’t worry too much, let’s hurry and finish what Teo asked for,” Windle replied.
Windle and Lia who were closely paying attention were slightly worried of Teo’s plan, but were convinced that there was no easy solution to this problem.