It was a tool in the right hands. But what of a young child set in his ways? What of a boy hurt and betrayed by his own abilities? His memory was meant to be a gift, but it weighed down on him like the pressure of a hundred suns. Nevertheless, he was dead set on what had to be done: persevere.
A hassle-filled week passed by eventually. Crowds of concerned parents and locals constantly flooded the academy as the faculty desperately tried to appease them and explain the situation. The fact that the incident was caused by the kidnap Hina was kept under wraps. As an assurance, these past few days were spent on fortifying the defenses and keeping a strict check on everyone who entered and exited the campus grounds.
Hina's parents were among the many who rushed to Hexora. Without the need for any special permission, they took her away for the time being, allowing her to recover and rest for a little while longer. It was the right decision, and nobody stopped them from doing so. A concerned parent would cross any limit to ensure the safety of their child. Moreover, stopping her sister turned out to be scarier than anticipated.
As a way of taking their minds off the incident and getting them out of the campus, the Professors proposed an excursion of sorts. This allowed for them to make developments to the defenses as well as provide some sort of relaxation to the students.
The most important point was that during this excursion, the students would be taken to hunt down monsters. While this seemed contradictory to their goal of keeping them safe and allowing them to relax, the Professors also recognized the need for students to grow more vigilant.
Thus, they made the monster subjugation voluntary and not compulsory. Moreover, at every given point, they would be accompanied by teachers who were more than well-equipped to keep them safe. Those who chose to opt out of this practical experience could sit back and enjoy the getaway that Hexora planned for them.
In general, most people weren't opposed to such an idea. In a controlled environment, not much could go wrong, especially under the vigilance of a Professor. To ease this tension, every group of first-year students was accompanied by a small number of third-years assisting the Professor. This allowed for interaction between the juniors and seniors, as well as providing them the comfort and sense of safety they needed.
Currently, within the continent of Adrenia, there were multiple neutral zones occupied by sentient species. They were considered as such because they weren't hostile to other races or weren't hostile on sight. This made the invasion so much more peculiar. Not only were the monsters spawning within the campus premises, but from what it looked like, they were enhanced to not have any thinking capacities of their own.
Dio was accompanied by Judas and John. The latter was his roommate and someone he had grown to care for, but Judas was someone random. He had no connection with him and even took every opportunity to ridicule him. This made this combination so much more weird. On the other hand, the trio of Alex, Blue, and Jin stood out greatly; their general presence seeped into the students around them and even caught the eyes of the seniors.
'She looks pretty…' John stole quick peeks at Alex. Interestingly enough, every time the two groups interacted, Jin's attitude seemed to have been less aloof. Since that day, he made an active attempt to try harder, but Dio still replied with disgust.
"We'll be there soon," Professor Ember announced. They were headed towards the teleportation gate. These were pretty commonly used, especially by Hexora and other such major entities.
They were headed to Bayspire, which was another city like Thresh Old within the Kingdom of Heartrow. However, unlike before, Bayspire had an extremely different environment. It was right by the coast and was probably the most exposed to an invasion by the water. However, who in their right mind would attack a city with mages and magic users trained in water magic? After all, they had been surrounded by it all their life.
The smell of salt and a deep stench of sea animals was present for everyone to sense. The air was more humid and felt heavier. However, the bright blue sky with the backdrop of a golden sunlight piercing through the clouds was absolutely ethereal to stare at.
Most cities within the continent would warmly welcome students of Hexora. Towards the ending of their first year, students were allowed to, and in some cases tasked with, taking up missions. These included community service, monster subjugation, simple chores, etc. Because of this, they were treated with consideration and kindness that most people didn't receive.
"Bayspire… huh…" Dio stood at the pier and stared into the ever-expansive ocean. There was a vague sense of longing as he wondered about what existed on the other side. He knew the answer to this question; rather, what he pondered was more about the specifics. Who were they? What were the Lutherians up to now?
"We can set up and explore the city today! Those of you who volunteered for the monster subjugation, make sure you're up and out of your rooms by 9. I don't want to play mommy and come knocking on all your doors," Ember groaned, the dark spots under his eyes evidently pointing toward how tiresome the past week had been. "Seniors, some of you will have to stay back with these guys so the others can rest up and do whatever."
"Also, do not, at any cost, step out of the city without notice. If there are any problems, just head over to the Adventurer's Guild. We've already notified them and requested assistance, so they should be more than happy to help," he yawned while using his hand to cover it. The fishy smell was initially hard to get used to, but with every passing minute, the freshness of the salt depositing was simply too overwhelming.
Dio turned to his side and looked at the two that followed him. "We're volunteering."
"We? What do you mean we?"
"Yes, we. Me and you, and you," he pointed to each of them individually. It was their choice to follow him, but even for Dio, wanting to take two people considerably weaker than him to a monster subjugation was cruel.