Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Attention, class! I'm well aware of how much you hate my subject and especially this topic, but pay attention. One day this might save your lives."
"That voice… Professor!" There was old Antônio, sweating like hell on a hot summer day, yet never abandoning his formal outfit.
"How?... But I saw..."
"As I was explaining, it's estimated that about 80% of the world's population has used some kind of medicinal plant to ease disease symptoms."
His shock hadn't passed when he felt warm, quick fingers sliding under his shirt.
"I know this old man's class sucks, but you're going to get kicked out acting like that, little lion..." Her voice was as seductive as ever, and a deep desire stirred with each word from her red lips.
Oliver could never forget that heat and that damn nickname. Only one person called him that.
"Luísa…" Oliver muttered.
"What the hell is going on?... Time travel? Isekai?"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Okay everyone, since you're clearly not going to pay attention, just write this down, alright?" Clear frustration rang in the old man's voice.
"Medicinal plants may contain substances like: Alkaloids, Mucilages, Flavonoids, Tannins, and Essential Oils." He paused to catch his breath and concluded.
"Which act as: Sedatives, laxatives, anti-inflammatories, antimicrobials, and healing agents. Respectively."
"He tried so hard, but still, not even half a dozen students picked up a notebook or their phones to write it down." And Oliver was one of them...
"What's wrong, my little lion? You're spaced out today, quiet and looking like you saw death itself. Hihihi." Her laugh was just as beautiful as ever, lighting everything around. She laughed with her eyes and every move was tender, like a girl hopelessly in love.
"I missed you so much..." Oliver whispered, full of pain. He hadn't admitted it to his own mother and had only ignored it since that day, but there it was. The truth: he never forgot her.
"What are you talking about, you goof? We've been cuddling all day. Hehehe, you never change, come here." Her warm hands touched his face, and her lips came close to his.
Beep!
[Initialization begins in 3... 2... 1...]
"Fucking cliché!"
The world went dark, and when his eyes opened, the sound of voices reached his ears.
"Is everyone okay?"
"My God, what the hell was that on the ceiling?"
"Where the hell are we?"
"What is this crap on our arms?"
His eyes finally began to focus, and he could see. They were all sitting atop a rocky hill in a clearing within a tropical forest.
"So it was a dream... Everyone marked by the silver light is here."
Less than half the class. Exactly 22 students.
"This number can't be random." Something burned in his mind, telling him something was off.
"Guys!! Let's stay calm. Panicking will only keep us from acting when it counts." Samuel quickly took control of the group. He was never the class rep or anything like that. He was just the futsal team captain and the bastard's words were completely right.
"Samuel's right, guys. We don't know what the hell is going on, but we have to adapt quickly and find a way back home." A tall girl with red hair tied up in a hairpin immediately supported him.
"I'm pretty sure I was supposed to know this girl." Oliver's mind was still too foggy.
"Well, if you energetic youngsters are so eager to return home... I can help you with that little task. Hehehe..."
Chills ran down everyone's spine, and their eyes turned to the top of the hill. Right above a large rock stood something that could only be described as an angel watching the poor students.
Golden eyes, blonde lashes, short wavy hair of the same color. Ivory skin with faint golden veins and a unisex appearance.
What made everyone instantly associate it with an angel was the beautiful pair of golden-feathered wings draped over its shoulders like a cloak. A cloak completely contradicted by its outfit: a tight white shirt and matching sweatpants.
"Looks like Archangel Gabriel just walked out of a CrossFit session to say 'hi' to us..."
Its glowing eyes scanned them all but lingered a few seconds longer on Samuel and Luísa.
"Okay, okay, okay. Don't look at me like that, virtuous young ones. Let me introduce myself. I am Zanyel of the Luminaries."
She or he, nearly impossible to tell,paused long, as if wanting them to really remember that name.
"This is your Initialization, and in fulfilling the duty of bringing light to the peoples of distant systems, I volunteered for this mission. Your world is going through changes. So are many others, in case you weren't aware of their existence."
Zanyel continued to speak slowly and clearly, like educating a bunch of illiterate monkeys. The worst part: no one dared interrupt.
"All you need to return home is to cross the forest and find the cliff bridge. At the end of it, there will be a temple with a portal to your world. Sounds easy, right?" She tilted her head and smiled sweetly.
"It's not going to be easy at all," thought Oliver.
"Your lips move differently from the words you're saying. How is an alien speaking our language?"
A slight look of surprise slipped from Zanyel's smile and her gaze landed on a redhead girl with her hand raised.
"Nikki! Shut up!" Luísa quickly tried to silence the athletic, sharp-eyed girl.
"Nikki... Damn!! The handball team captain." Oliver finally remembered.
"Ah... Smart girl. Yes, I don't speak your language, but the bracelets implanted in you allow universal translation with anyone who wears one."
"Thanks for the info, Miss Zanyel." Nikki bowed and crossed her arms, now focused on the Luminare before them.
"Very well. It should be easy for talented and apparently clever, young folks. However, danger may come. And as a servant on a noble mission to enlighten you, I'll give you two choices: The Tool or the Knowledge."
Beep!
[Scanning options...]
[Rank 1 Scanner: Herbs, Minerals, Energies...]
[Guide: Herbalism, Forging, Runes...]
[Weapons: Spear, Sword, Axe...]
[Materials: Leather, Metal, Herb...]
Notifications projected from everyone's forearm.
"The first two are knowledge, and the last two are tools?" Oliver's mind began working fast.
"You have 15 seconds starting now to choose. Good luck, hihihi..."
With that, a sea of golden lights began to project. Bronze weapons started appearing in most of his classmates' hands. Few realized that 15 seconds is actually a lot of time.
"Damn... We had more than enough time to coordinate and choose the best option for the group!!"
"10 seconds left, people. Better decide soon.... Hihihi..." Her voice sounded like a mischievous child.
"Bitch," Oliver cursed in his mind. Saying that to an angel's face didn't seem wise.
"Damn... No matter how much I read, this isn't balanced. Weapons are tools, Materials are resources, the Guide is knowledge, and the Scanner is another tool."
"5 seconds..."
"Who the hell hasn't chosen yet?" Samuel yelled across the clearing.
"Ahhh!! Fuck it."
[New system function assigned...]
[Herbalism Scanner Rank – 1]
"Very good, my young ones!" said the angel with a satisfied smile.
"No matter how much I think, my body isn't fit for a weapon, materials are useless if you don't know how to use them, and there's the big paradox of knowledge... According to this church-cosplaying alien, there are other languages in the universe, races, and therefore, unique planets!" His thoughts raced.
"It's impossible for a single guide to contain all knowledge of a universe, even from a single field."
"Mutations happen every day in labs. Did you know watermelon used to be the size of a lemon and it was YELLOW?!" The almost vivid memories of old professor Antônio resurfaced.
"Thanks, Professor Antônio..."