Chapter 252 59.1 - Before the trip

The classroom buzzed with the energy of students trickling in in the early morning of the day. Anxiety hung in the air, palpable as the weight of impending deadlines loomed over them. Among the students was a distressed girl, her face reflecting the fatigue of sleepless nights.

As she shuffled into the room, her classmates noticed the desperation in her eyes. The girl whispered anxiously to her friend, "What do I do? What do I do?" Her distress was evident, and the concerned looks exchanged among her peers hinted at a looming crisis.

Puzzled, her friend asked, "What happened?"

With a heavy sigh, the distressed girl confessed, "I just forgot to submit the assignment."

"You did what?" gasped her friend, disbelief etched across their face.

"I forgot to submit it," she repeated, her voice tinged with regret.

As the realization of the situation sank in, murmurs of sympathy and concern rippled through the classroom.

The girl's eyes welled up with tears as the weight of the consequences became apparent. She stammered, "My grades will fall off, and I could lose my scholarship."

A somber atmosphere settled over the room, and her friends exchanged glances as they looked worried.

However, in the other corner of the classroom, another conversation was going on.

"Bro..."

One guy entered the classroom and put his bag on the desk.

"What's up?"

"You know what went down?"

"Not a clue."

"We messed up and didn't submit the assignment."

"Oh... Got it."

"Yeah, it is what it is, bro."

"Aren't you worried about your grades taking a hit, though?"

"They've already plummeted. But next semester, I'm planning a comeback; no sweat."

"..."

The second boy leaned back in his chair, an easygoing grin on his face. "Nah, man. Grades are just numbers. I'll bounce back. No need to stress about it."

The contrast between the two conversations was stark.

While the distressed girl carried the weight of potential consequences, her friend seemed almost nonchalant about the situation. The boy's carefree attitude hinted at a different perspective on academic challenges.

"Sigh..."

Changing the perspective to the front seats, the girl with bob-cut white hair pushed her face to the desk, burying herself.

"What was with that assignment, man?"

"Couldn't do it?"

"Well, we wrote some things, but...."

"Expected from you?"

"Ha!"

"Just joking."

"Did you do it then?"

"Of course. The answer was pretty easy, though."

"Ho? What was it then?"

"You will see soon."

"Scared to reply?"

"Who the hell is scared!"

"Obviously, you."

"...."

It was the usual day for the two twins.

"Come on, say it. Say it." Julia smirked, seeing Lucas backing down a little. She knew her twin well, and there was no way he could find the correct answer.

"....Cough...Plagiarism is prohibited."This chapter was originally shared via N0/vel/Biin.

Julia scoffed, shaking her head. "Plagiarism? Seriously? You're such a goody-two-shoes, Lucas."

"Better than risking a lecture on ethics."

Julia rolled her eyes, seeing the smirk on his face. "Whatever. Let's see how well your 'ethics' hold up in the real world."

However, she had yet to have her fill for the morning. She needed more attention and energy; there was no way this was enough after all.

Turning her attention to Irina, who seemed engrossed in something on her smartwatch, Julia couldn't resist the opportunity for some playful teasing.

"Hey, Irina, what's so interesting on that watch of yours? Checking out some boys, huh?"

Irina scoffed, shooting Julia a disapproving look, and promptly closed her smartwatch. "Please, Julia, don't be absurd."

However, Julia didn't miss how she flinched a little. She chuckled, leaning in a bit. "Come on, spill it. What's the secret info you're hiding there?"

Irina raised an eyebrow, unamused. "It's called privacy. You should try respecting it sometimes."

"Privacy? In this day and age? How quaint."

"Sigh...."

Knowing that this would go on like that for a little longer, Irina accepted her fate.

CREAK!

Just at that moment, the door opened wide, coming to her aid.

"Huh?"

Revealing a guy they knew well.

"Ethan?"

The trio turned to look at Ethan, expecting their usual exchange, but something seemed off. Ethan appeared lost and dazed, his usual composed demeanor disrupted. He absentmindedly walked to his desk and sat down, his gaze fixed on some unseen point.

"Hey, Ethan, you alright?"

"Did he turn into an NPC? Will he give us quests now?"

"Maybe? What if this world was a game, though?"

"That would be weird."

"Why? You look like a typical dumb female lead."

"Who are you calling dumb, bastard? You are dumb."

"See. You can't even come up with other words."

"Wanna die!"

Just as the two of them continued their banter, Irina turned her attention to absentminded Ethan.

"Hey."

Irina called out to him, but there was no response. Ethan remained lost in his thoughts, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings.

"Earth to Ethan!" She continued, waving her hand in front of his face. Still, no response.

"Sigh..."

FLICK!

Growing impatient, Irina conjured a small flicker of fire in her hand and casually tossed it towards Ethan. The tiny flame landed on his desk, prompting a flinch from Ethan as he returned to reality.

"Huh? What? Oh, sorry. I was somewhere else for a moment," Ethan mumbled, shaking off the daze.

"What happened to your face?"

Irina immediately asked. The others didn't notice, but nowadays, Irina was checking other boys' faces with more detail, and she didn't miss those small bruise marks that were healing already.

"Ah..This..."

Following that, Irina witnessed something for the first time in a while. A small smile was on Ethan's face, but it was not his usual smile.

"Just encountered something."

Ethan smiled bashfully, his gaze a little distant, as if lost in a dreamy reverie. His usual composed demeanor seemed to soften, revealing a hint of something that Irina had never seen before.

Irina studied him for a moment, noting the subtle change in his expression. There was something different about him, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. At the same time, she felt like this kind of look was familiar, and she felt bothered.

"Urghk....Gross..."

Irina couldn't contain her disgust, her face contorting into a cringe as she looked at the dreamy Ethan and his smile. The unexpected shift in his demeanor was too much for her to handle.

"Ethan, please spare us the romantic daydreams," Julia teased, catching onto Irina's discomfort.

"Yeah, we don't need any of that lovey-dovey stuff around here," Lucas added, a playful smirk on his face.

"W-who said it was about romance?"

'It is fucking obvious.'

All three of them had the same thought in their heads, looking at Ethan. Irina threw a quick look at one of the backseats without even knowing.

CREAK!

Julia, ready to tease Ethan even more based on his reaction, had her retort ready, but at that very moment, the door swung open once again, saving Ethan from another round of playful banter.

"Saved by the door," Julia whispered, grinning mischievously. Irina couldn't hide a small sigh of relief, grateful for the timely interruption.

She wasn't sure how much more of Ethan's dreamy musings and the teasing in the morning she could endure.

TAK! TAK! TAK!

As the sound of high heels echoed in the classroom, the noise filling the classroom disappeared one by one.

With a swift motion, Eleanor made her way to her desk, a commanding presence that demanded the room's attention. The students, now silent, watched as she dropped her papers onto the desk with a purposeful

THUD!

"Good morning, class," she greeted, her voice cutting through the air. The students responded in unison, a subdued acknowledgment of her presence.

Eleanor spared no time in getting to the business at hand. "I trust you all had enough time to ponder over the assignment from Monday. Today, I will reveal the answers and discuss the significance of your findings."

As she spoke, the students exchanged glances, curiosity mingled with a sense of anticipation. Eleanor continued, "The location you were deciphering in the assignment is no ordinary place. It is known as Phantom's Land."

"What?"

"It was Phantom's Land?"

"I fucking knew it. Though wish I had submitted it..."

"Where is Phantom's Land?"

"You don't know?"

"I don't."

A murmur of uncertainty swept through the room. Some students exchanged puzzled looks, unfamiliar with the term.

TAP! TAP!

Eleanor, however, remained composed, her eyes scanning the room to gauge their reactions while tapping on her papers. Normally, she would shout at the students and reprimand them.

"QUIET!"

And this was any other normal day, it seemed."

SILENCE!

As the silence fell onto the classroom, thanks to her voice, she started once again.

"Phantom's Land," she explained, "is not a physical place as we know it. It is a complex magical realm that exists within a special type of mana-phenomenon field."

She pointed to a diagram on the chalkboard to help the students understand the intricacies of this field. "Within this field, the line between the physical world and the magical world is blurred. It's as if reality has two natures, one being our physical world and the other being the spectral remnants of those who once lived in this land."

Eleanor glanced around the room to make sure the students were paying attention. "Imagine a peninsula where the sea meets the ethereal. The coastline is like a border between our world and the unseen. Waves crash against the shore, carrying with them echoes of a past that refuses to fade."

She paused, allowing the students to picture the haunting scene she described. The weight of the unexplained disappearances and the subsequent transformation into a ghost-filled realm hung in the air.

"As you move further inland," Eleanor continued, "you'll find a terrain steeped in both history and enchantment. Ghostly apparitions roam amidst the remnants of their former lives. The air is thick with the energies of the mana-phenomenon field, creating an atmosphere where the mundane and the magical coexist."

She stopped at that second, letting everything sink in. "And your task will be to observe the phenomenon there and write a report about the properties of that realm."

The students absorbed this information, a mix of surprise and intrigue evident on their faces. The atmosphere in the room shifted as the realization that their assignment had real-world implications settled in.

Eleanor continued, "Your understanding of the magic formulas was crucial to deciphering the coordinates leading to Phantom's Land. This field presents unique challenges and requires a comprehensive grasp of magical principles for safe traversal."

The students exchanged glances, now aware of the gravity of their assignment. Eleanor's stern gaze held their attention as she emphasized, "This is not merely an academic exercise; it is a preparation for the practical challenges you will face as future Hunters."

With that, she concluded, "Prepare yourselves, for your next task involves navigating Phantom's Land. Use the knowledge you've gained wisely, and remember, success in the field requires more than just theoretical understanding."

"Now, ready your bags. We will leave one hour later."

With those words, she had left the room.