Iye gently placed the lifeless Cale on the leather sofa, that sat next to the door
Ba-Thump
She could hear her heart scream to leave and don't look back but something like that was not possible in the face of Zenox
Tap
Tap
Zenox playfully tapped on his wooden smooth office desk
[Do you know?]
His voice was energetic, his tone carried a weight of forgiveness
"...."
But that was further from the truth
Iye knew that it was impossible for Zenox to be this calm, the fact he was holding back so much truly shocked her
[That this place didn't used to be the top school?]
She knew, Gardenia history dates back to millions of years after all
[It was our lord that brought Gardenia to this prestige]
"...."
Zenox clasped his hands together, a smile tugging his lips
[Do you understand the gravity of what you. A teacher of Gardenia have done?]
"...I d-"
Bang!
A loud sound was heard, causing Iye to flinch but
Zenox remained motionless, hand remaining steady as if it had been an illusion
[You don't]
"...."
[You do not understand anything]
She couldn't refute what was said because deep down, they were true
[Even firing you and executing you wouldn't be enough to ease this seething rage that I feel in my bones…]
A tremor of rage spread throughout the entire body of Zenox, his tone turned the room chilly under pressure
He could barely maintain his reason
In the end though, he asked what was on his mind before anything else
[So? You are here to resurrect him, are you not?]
"Yes…"
Her voice came out subdued, and Zenox rocked back at his chair
[Normally, I would reject this offer altogether]
His voice turned calm, the pressure that pressed the room dissipated and eased
[However, you can be an exception to this]
"...."
At first it sounded like Zenox held merciful intentions, but Iye knew that this was not at all the case
It was the worst punishment she could possibly be afflicted to or any teacher for that matter
[Obviously. You will be the one to accept the price]
A chuckle escaped Zenox's cynical smile
[Of Goddess Nature]
Iye's heart dropped, but her expression did not falter, she knew this beforehand and still decided to do this
A sense of responsibility gripped her tightly, so tightly that she wouldn't be able to live if she knew she let her ideals go simply because she feared her life
Well…If she refused, she'd just die under different causes
[You do know the price you will have to take, correct?]
"I do…."
[But, do you know that there is a second price you will have to pay to Goddess Nature?]
'There is a second?'
She was surprised, there had been only a first price one had to pay when resurrecting someone using the power of Goddess Nature
Throughout the history of Gardenia, there has never been a second price, unless of course it was hidden
"What is the second price"
She didn't beat around the bush and asked directly
[I don't know?]
"...."
[It is always different after all]
Iye turned to look at the lifeless Cale that sat comfortably on the sofa
[If you want to atone for Gardenia, go to the shrine of Goddess Nature, the 'Sabe Serotifio' as they call it now, the priest will handle the rest]
Grabbing Cale and slinging him on her back, she was about to leave when a voice stopped her retreating figure
[Ah one more thing]
Zenox stopped her, right before the door she was inches away from opening
[Iye Idiyele, you are fired]
Her body quivered slightly
'Did he have to rub it in?'
[Do not come to seek a job as a teacher to Gardenia]
With those words he left, Iye tried dramatically opening the office door
But
Clack
The door was closed and it clicked just then
'Ah right, you can't come and leave Zenox's office whenever you like'
It was his ability to create a pocket dimension after all, though rumors suggest it wasn't like a pocket dimension and something else similar to it, whether they were true or not, Iye did not and could not know
She cranked her head slowly to Zenox
"Could you…."
[Ah right. I forgot]
He waved a hand, and the doors opened wide
[You are going to be made fun of for sure~]
Instantly,as the streams of light tried to penetrate Iye's refracting surface, she eventually found herself in the courtyard
On the pavement she stood on, at her feet was a letter
[And you call me an idiot -Seroti Serotifio (your BFF!!!!)]
She tore the paper in even pieces
'Never heard of her'
"Let's just get this over with"
Iye looked down
Her clothes which symbolized that she was a teacher, were torn off and replaced with casual clothes she wore yesterday
"That isn't goo-"
Swoosh
Boom!
The ground exploded, cracks formed around the crater, a fog kicked up on the field
Pigeons? Flew away from the sudden loud sound
It all happened in an instant
[Hmm I really am powerful right?]
A twisted grotesque voice complimented themselves, their body however hidden
The fog cleared out of the way like servants and revealed
Nothing
[?!]
Rustle
The individual grew alarmed and moved slightly, the sound of their body rustling in the bushes echoed through the entire silent forest
[Wh-Where did]
The individual looked frantically around, trying to see where the individual was
Crack!
[!!!]
Just then, the hidden creature hiding in the bushes heard a branch break off in the distance
Turning around, their red pupils dilated and-
BOOM!
An explosion occurred in the direction of the branch being crushed under someone's weight
[Haa.. Ha.. Hah…]
What revealed in the distance was a charred corpse of a bear with a gaping maw and horns that pierced its own skin
The bear then reverted into pitch black ash
[Hooo]
The creature inhaled deeply, finally realizing that safety never left them and were just overreacting
[That's right, no way that thing survived my explosion!]
It sat up in sweet victory frosting itself on a layer of arrogance
[Hahaha!]
A third rate villainous laugh came rushing out of their mouth
[My power truly is incredible. Muahaha!]
Leaving the hiding spot where they camped the entire recess, they walked to the crater
Stomp!
Stomping their foot under the supposed grave of the invisible creature dragging another monster that was slung on their back
[How worthless your pitiful existence was! I the merciful one gave you an end befitting for you]
They extended their arms to the sides, still laughing maniacally in front of the grave
"Achooo!"
In the meantime
"Damn I feel sick"
Muahahahahaha!!!
In the distance, someone could be heard laughing at something that Iye could not understand why
"Why are they revealing their location?"
Iye was flustered when an explosion occurred all of the sudden, but it wasn't difficult to dodge, just a surprise
She wanted to use her authority as a teacher, but she quickly realized she didn't have such authority, so what did she do?
Naturally, she ran away
"I may be fired, but that doesn't mean I'll suddenly go on a rampage"
Was she salty? Yes, did she want to kill the sudden explosion brat? Yes, would Zenox kill her if she did that? Absolutely.
"Oh, I came here faster than I thought?"
The point of no return was reached, or that is what the students called it, the 'foot' of the shrine of the Goddess Nature
The shrine of Goddess Nature was located in the dense forest outside of the courtyard of Gardenia
Already, the scenery was completely and utterly different from before
Before, the forest was normal, greenery filling it to the brim
But when reaching the center of the forest, it starts to 'transform' and malform into different shapes
The trees in the forest take on different shapes, the colors of it start to vary and change
This forest that the benevolent Goddess Nature has blessed with her very essence, causes the most casualties in Gardenia all year long
Countless geniuses have lost their life trying to trespass through this forest
"This is going to be the most difficult part"
Iye laid Cale on the floor
Stretching and readying herself for the bullshit Wildlife would slap her with
All authority she had as a teacher of Gardenia disappeared, she was closer to being a student or a legal guardian, maybe even a parent visiting Gardenia to see their child at best
In other words, she couldn't have the benefits she would normally naturally have as a teacher
One such benefit was the ability to go through the forest 'Sabe Serotifio' without obstacle
Goddess Nature promised to not hurt teachers of Gardenia after all
Which she now was not one
She leaned against a tree and picked up Cale again, slinging him on her back, adjusting him for comfort
Trudging further to the distorted purple grass that seemed to create a clear line screaming what the signs don't.
Multiple pieces of information flooded her mind, important for her to know
How to make medicines using the unique forest that Goddess of Nature created
Creatures that lurked within the forest
But Iye vividly remembered one quirk that Goddess Nature was known for to all priests
Out of all the Gods, Goddess Nature loved one thing deeply in particular.
She loved disaster