Chapter 823: Within The Dome
"We're not going to be fine..."
Lucielle could hear the surviving staff whispering amongst themselves as they had their little meeting away from the rest of the students.
Unlike Rey's group that had a certain level of hyperactivity, the ambiance in Lucielle's forlorn group was that of dead silence-almost like a graveyard. Those who spoke did so in hushed whispers almost like murmurs.
It made things easier for the eavesdropping Grand Mage.
One look around her clearly showed the current state of the students. They were absolutely terrified, even though all of them were currently safe in the shelter that had been created by the Joint Magic of their Supervisors.
As a result of this haven, one could say they were no longer in immediate danger.
They had managed to get rid of all the surrounding Undead, and then cleared the area of the poisonous Miasma, but... even though there was no enemy in sight, the damage already done was catastrophic.
For one, so many students and staff-the former especially-died during the skirmish with the Undead Dragons.
While the staff did all they could to protect them from the clutches of the Undead ones, it was virtually impossible to cover all the grounds. In the end, several students had lost their lives, and even those who didn't were severely injured.
"That wasn't all, too...
"The Miasma Poisoning is getting worse for those affected."
"Yeah. We might have to quarantine them at this rate. For the safety of others..."
"Quarantine? Are you sure that would be enough?"
"What are you suggesting, then? They're just kids! If they can fight it for a while, it's best to
"I'm just saying... why prolong their suffering?"
"They're just kids!"
The staff were arguing amongst themselves, and Lucielle found herself enjoying every single juicy detail that was leaking from their lips.
Based on their supposedly discreet conversation, the staff were a little conflicted on the state of Miasma Poisoning experienced by mostly students and a few Supervisors.
The Supervisors could hold out for longer, as well as control their Mana enough to dull the symptoms, but even they couldn't halt the spread of Miasma.
As for the students, well... they were as good as dead.
The Dragon Empire had long discovered medication for Miasma Poisoning, but they didn't think they would need it in the Southern Continent, so they never brought any supplies.
None of them were also skilled enough to cure it with their sheer skill.
'If they make one wrong move, they could also be infected... and die.' Lucielle smiled to herself, trying her best to hide the satisfaction on her face.
"The solution isn't to do anything to those students. They're our responsibility, so we have to do everything in our power to protect them!" The most adamant supporter of the young ones was Instructor Kar'eena.
Her concern for her students was genuine, and even now she remained their stern advocate.
Thankfully, she was strong enough to have a firm say.
"And how do we do that?"
"By acting fast." She responded swiftly. "We have to leave this place as fast as possible."
It was already late evening, and many of the students as well as staff were exhausted beyond description. Leaving the shelter at this period would be unproductive at best and suicidal at worst.
Their mobility would be compromised, and if they were to encounter any enemies during their journey, they wouldn't have nearly enough energy to fight.
Of course, Kar'eena knew this already.
"The best shot we have is to rendezvous with the first group. We haven't been able to reach them all day, so if "
"Isn't it likely that they're also experiencing a great deal of difficulty as well? There's a chance their situation is even worse than ours, and perhaps they didn't fare as well."
"...." At first, Kar'eena said nothing.
"For all we know, they might have been exterminated."
"We have to operate on the assumption that they're not." She finally retorted. "There's strength in numbers. If both our groups are together, there's a higher chance of success."
The fellow Supervisors sighed and nodded.
Kar'eena might have been a Commander, but she was the closest thing to a General among the other Instructors. Rumors were that she was hiding her fourth horn... though those were only
rumors.
Just that.
"We leave first thing during the day. I'm sure we would all have replenished sufficient energy for the trip. If we hurry, we'll still be able to save the Poisoned Ones."
"Alright."
"Understood."
"I get it."
One after the other, the Dragon Supervisors all agreed to Kar'eena's suggestion, practically making her the de'facto leader of the Excursion.
The plan was simple-everyone would fly to the first group as soon as morning came, and then they would come up with something more elaborate once that first hurdle was passed and they had more information regarding the situation of the first group.
Many things were hinging on the safety of the first group, but this was the best idea anyone
had.
"I just hope we-"
"... Lucielle, are you listening to me?"
Forcefully drawn out of the conversation among the staff, Lucielle slowly opened her eyes and hid her gritting teeth as she turned to the source of the sound.
It came from Mi'ja, the Class Representative.
"M-Mi'ja...?" She muttered, pretending as if she was just waking up from sleep.
Her eyes flickered for a few seconds as she acted disoriented. It wasn't just Mi'ja that was around her, but the rest of her 'friends' and classmates from Imperial Academy Class 1-A.
They were all sticking together.
"H-how can you sleep in this kind of situation? I... I'm scared out of my mind."
"M-me too..."
"I'll have nightmares for sure."
"I can't even fall asleep."
As they confided in Lucielle regarding their current problems, she felt like scoffing and rolling
her eyes. She didn't appreciate that they were speaking to her at the moment, particularly because she was busy with something else.
Still, since she had to keep up appearances, there was no way 'Lu'cia' could treat her friends
badly.
'Damnit... why didn't they just die during the struggle with all those Undead?'
In the end, she made a smile and began to comfort those around her.
As she did this, she noticed a certain gaze on her.
It was from Ad'oni.
'Why is he staring at me like that? I've been noticing it for some time now, but ever since the
Excursion started he's been paying unnecessary attention to me...'
In fact, his fixation on her predated the Excursion.
Even in class, she felt his attention fall on her on many occasions.
At first, Lucielle was worried that her cover had been blown. She even confided in Rey about it,
but he assured her that wasn't the case.
Hence, she ignored it.
But... the stalking had become excessive at this point. She had run out of excuses to give him
now, especially since he was meant to be preoccupied with his own fears and anxiety, not her
own wellbeing.
That left only one possible explanation.
'D-does he... have a crush on me or something?' She nearly retched the moment that thought
flashed in her mind.
Her recoil in disgust was properly covered up, though.
None of her frightened friends even suspected a thing, and they continued with their hugs and
words of affirmation.
The shelter was a massive earthen dome that was fortified enough to hold, so there was probably really nothing to be too concerned about.
'Which is why this whole thing sucks...' Lucielle sighed internally.
She kept hoping something bad befell the group, but it seemed her fun was already over.
'I wish I could participate in this whole thing, but it's a shame that I have to maintain my cover...'
If things got too dangerous for her, though, she would probably have to fake her death and rendezvous with Rey or Ater-both of whom could be accessed by her if she so desired.
'I can't be careless because I have options, though. Rey and I have worked considerably hard
to integrate ourselves with these people. It would be a waste to throw all that away- especially from my end.'
Plus, she wasn't done learning as much as she could from the Dragons.
Despite how sickening being among them it was, she endured every moment of it due to the
benefits that came along with her sacrifices.
They were very well worth it.
*************
[Meanwhile...]
With the earthen dome that housed hundreds of Dragons standing erect in the distance, two
figures watched from afar with smiles on their faces.
-Justin and Belle.
As their hairs swayed due to the night breeze, they observed the fortified walls of the
Dragons' haven with anticipation and amusement.
"I guess we should start preparing for what comes next..." Belle said to Justin, before shifting
her attention behind her... where there was an army of more Undead waiting.
They were stationary, yet they growled with a bloodlust that reeked of death. Justin nodded as
he heard this and offered the only response that came to his mind.
... The only one could give.
"Yup!"
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[A/N]
Thanks for reading!
Looks like there's gonna be more carnage. Also, apologies for the clone chapters. My exams
aren't over, and things aren't going so well IRL...