Chapter 11: Alice's Resolve, Sharing SSS-rank Skill Phantom Parade
Peter was the same. The guy had fought with a lot of people when they made fun of Isaac for training as if it mattered and tried to bully him.
"Thank you," Alice said and left.
The fear and anxiousness in her eyes had decreased a lot.
Isaac rested against the chair.
"Who would've thought the cold queen Alice could cry and smile like that?"
"Right? It was a surprise to see the heir of the Callowey family bawling her eyes out."
Isaac swiftly reacted to the foreign voice.
But before he could stand, an arrow shot through his leg and pinned him to the chair.
A brutal scream left his mouth. It was less of a result of pain and more of a calculated move.
Loud noise, especially a student's scream, was the best way to call for reinforcements.
Isaac had been injured a lot during his training at the academy.
He was used to pain, and he would never scream from an injury of this level unless it was on purpose like right now.
His mind instantly started churning at high speed.
Assassins? They must be strong, at least Adept if they dared to enter the academy and attack a student in daylight.
Why arrows though? Assassins would mostly use knives, darts, or bullets to eliminate human targets. Arrows were weapons to hunt monsters. They could be lodged inside the body for greater damage.
That was when it hit Isaac.
They used arrows to maximize the pain and injury. It would cloud his judgment and make him easier prey.
Sure, they could've used bullets, but arrows were better if they planned to incapacitate him without killing him.
They had to be in a hurry if they wanted to make him an easier prey and be done with the job quickly.
The assassins must know about the existence of Guardians.
'I need to buy time for Professor Lorraine to come rescue me.'
Another arrow hurtled towards him at a swift pace.
Isaac was ready this time.
He used Phantom Steps. The movement skill caused his body to blur and appear ten meters away, near the door. The arrow lodged in his leg was brought along. Isaac didn't pull it out.
He stumbled. The leg injury made it hard for him to walk or run. Ten meters was the best he could use the movement skill for with his injury.
He rolled out of the classroom and noticed the campus was scarily empty. Not a single soul was present.
It was as if everyone was snapped out of existence, leaving only Isaac and his assassins behind.
Isaac suddenly felt lethargic.
'There was poison in the arrows!'
Two more arrows arrived from different directions.
Isaac dodged the one aimed at his shoulder and took the hit by the one aimed at his stomach.
'Good, I can react to their attacks with my Agility, meaning they are only Lv. 11~13 Adept rank.'
'But my movements are growing slower, probably due to the poison. Not to mention my injuries are bad.'
'I need to finish this quickly or escape as soon as possible.'
He was injured, and immense pain coursed through his body.
But Isaac's mind remained calm like a serene lake.
He didn't panic or feel afraid.
"Are you going to keep attacking from the shadows? Fight me, man to man," Isaac taunted.
The assassin—or assassins—didn't react—obviously. Isaac realized he needed to train his trash-talking skills.
He activated Spectral Claws.
Purple wisps of energy materialized around his hands in the shape of claws.
Isaac dodged another arrow and attacked the pillar supporting the building. His hand cut through it like butter.
A moment later, the pillar started to crack like glass.
The air and the ground near the destroyed pillar also became covered in cracks.
"Like I thought, we are in the Mirror Dimension," Isaac muttered.
He had heard from Alice about them. Mirror Dimension was one of the most favored skills of Assassins. It allowed them to pull their targets into unique dimensions of reality. They could complete the assassination in that place, and no soul would catch a whiff of it.
'I want to buy time, but leaving everything to Professor Lorraine is dangerous.'
'What if she doesn't come on time, or what if she is in cahoots with these people?'
'Whatever it is, it's best if I fight like no one is coming to rescue.'
Isaac made his decision and grabbed his pendant.
'Share Emily's Talent Skill!'
Skill: Phantom Parade (Unlocked at user Lv. 5 Initiate Rank)
Skill Level: 1
Effect: Allows the user to summon up to three ghost types that can follow simple commands. Each ghost has a unique trait:
Wisp – Emits a soft glow, illuminating dark areas. Can harmlessly phase through walls.
Ember – Can release small ghostly flames, dealing minor spirit damage.
Zephyr – Moves swiftly and can create small gusts of wind to push objects or disrupt enemies.
(Summons last for 5 minutes. Cooldown: 6 hours. Mana cost: 5 per ghost, scales with summoned number and strength.)
Isaac ignored the notification and called out,
"Zephyr, come!"
He burned 50 Mana to summon ten Zephyrs. The cute little green fairies were quite a contrast to the current situation.
"Cover me with the strongest tornado you can create!"
The spirits nodded cheerfully and raised their hands.
They were not very strong at their current level individually, but when ten of them were put together, they worked wonders.
A powerful tornado materialized around Isaac.
It hid his figure and bent the paths of the arrows aimed at him.
'This would force them to either use powerful skills to penetrate through the tornado or come close to me to fire stronger shots.'
'Both cases will reveal their location.'
Isaac didn't celebrate.
The assassins would definitely have more tricks up their sleeves.
And Isaac's body was starting to stop functioning, thanks to the poison.
'Emily, can you come out?'
'Of course.'
Emily's happy expression froze when she materialized before him and saw him in a bloodied state. He was rapidly losing blood, his eyes were barely open, and he was pale.
"Isaac!"
She rushed to him, but Isaac spoke firmly to calm her down.
"There is no time to explain. Summon all Zephyrs you can and strengthen this tornado."
Emily looked anxious. Still, she heeded his words.
The tornado grew larger and fiercer under the addition of 10 more Zephyrs.
'My Zephyrs will disappear in roughly 3 minutes. I will also become unconscious from the poison by that time,' Isaac thought. 'I have only three minutes to locate the assassins.'
He held Emily's hand before and reassured her with a smile.
"I'm perfectly fine," he said, and added. "Keep this tornado up. It will serve as a smoke screen and allow me to hit the assassins from the back."