"Let's go camping," I had said to the empty hallway.
It sounded confident. It sounded cool.
But five minutes later, sitting on my bed in Room 104 with a notebook and a headache that felt like a hangover from hell, the reality was a lot less cinematic.
I stared at the floating holographic window that only I could see.
[Asset Library]
[Slot 1: Unstable Narrative Hole (Paused)]
[Size: Large (3m x 2m)]
[Placement Cost: 50% Mental Stability]
[Warning: Object is volatile. Unpausing may result in catastrophic sector deletion.]
"Great," I muttered, scribbling 'DO NOT TOUCH' next to the entry in my notebook. "I basically have a tactical nuke in my pocket, but if I use it, I lobotomize myself."
Tybalt stirred in his sleep, murmuring something about "spicy jam."
I closed the interface. The "Asset Library" was a game-changer, literally. It meant I could steal plot devices. But right now, I didn't need a black hole. I needed camping gear.
Vance was bringing mercenaries. I had a stick and a roommate who was afraid of loud noises.
I needed to go shopping.
The next day, Wednesday, was a "Free Study" day to allow students to prepare for the Friday Expedition.
I found Ria and Cian behind the cafeteria, in a small alleyway where the kitchen staff dumped the potato peels. It smelled earthy and gross, which meant it was the perfect secure meeting spot.
"You want us to do what?" Ria asked, leaning against the brick wall. She was tossing her gold coin again—the real one this time.
"I need gear," I said, checking my list. "Flash powder. Tripwires. Smoke pellets. And... something to neutralize a mercenary."
Cian, who was sitting on an overturned crate reading a book on Combustion Theory, looked up nervously. "Mercenaries? Ren, are you sure? Bringing outsiders onto campus grounds is treason against the Crown. Vance wouldn't go that far."
"Vance is a Thorne," Ria corrected, catching her coin with a snap. "They don't care about treason; they care about winning. If Ren says there are mercs, there are mercs." She looked at me. "But why tell us? You have the 'Grey-coat' camouflage. You could just hide in a bush and let Kaelen deal with it."
"Because Kaelen is the tank," I said, using terminology they wouldn't fully get. "If the tank goes down, the party wipes. Vance wants to humiliate Kaelen to steal the leadership spot. If Kaelen gets jumped by pros before he can react, he's done. And if he's done..."
The world ends, I didn't say.
"...then we all get stuck in the forest with no heavy hitter," I finished.
Ria sighed. "Fine. I know a guy in the Lower District who sells 'unlicensed gardening tools'. I can get the smoke and wires. But it'll cost you."
She held out her hand.
I reached into my pocket. I didn't have much money. My student stipend was laughable.
"Put it on my tab?" I tried.
Ria rolled her eyes. "I accept favors. You owe me two now."
"Deal."
"What about me?" Cian asked, raising his hand like he was in class. "I don't know any black market dealers."
I looked at the genius. "You, my friend, are going to the Alchemy Lab. I need you to brew something."
"A potion?" Cian brightened.
"Not exactly," I said, leaning in. "You know how sap from the Whisper-Trees is sticky? I need you to concentrate it. Make it like glue. Super-glue."
Cian frowned, his mind already working. "If I distill the resin and add a binding agent... I could create an adhesive that hardens instantly on contact with air. It would be impossible to remove without a solvent."
"Perfect," I said. "Make a lot of it."
"Ren," a voice called out from the main walkway.
We all froze. The alleyway was supposed to be hidden.
I turned around.
Standing at the entrance of the alley, looking completely out of place among the garbage bins, was Lysandra.
The Heroine.
Her golden hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she wore a white training uniform that wasn't even smudge-resistant; it was just magically clean. She looked like a Valkyrie who had taken a wrong turn.
Ria instantly vanished into the shadows behind a dumpster. Cian dropped his book and tried to look like part of the scenery.
"Lysandra?" I asked, stepping forward to block her view of my co-conspirators. "Can I help you?"
She looked at me with those intense blue eyes. In the novel, Lysandra is kind but distant. She carries the weight of her noble house and her holy affinity. She doesn't talk to commoners unless it's a quest requirement.
"You are Ren, correct?" she asked. Her voice was melodic, polite, and terrifyingly formal.
"That's me. Ren the... student."
"I saw you in the Joint Lecture yesterday," she said, stepping over a pile of potato skins without looking down. "When Vance attacked Cian."
"I think Cian attacked the floor," I deflected.
"You signaled him," Lysandra said. It wasn't an accusation; it was a statement of fact. "I saw your eyes shift toward the professor. Then Cian acted. It was... coordinated."
She's sharper than the book gave her credit for, I thought. Everyone in this world is leveling up except me.
"We study together," I lied smoothly. "We have signals. For... studying."
Lysandra stopped a foot away from me. She smelled like lilies and expensive soap.
"Vance is planning something," she said quietly. "He has been boasting in the common room about 'changing the hierarchy'. He intends to challenge Kaelen for the Vanguard position during the expedition."
I nodded slowly. "And you're telling me this because...?"
"Because Kaelen is..." She hesitated, searching for the word. "Volatile. He is strong, but he lacks discipline. If Vance provokes him, Kaelen might kill him. If that happens, Kaelen will be executed."
She looked me in the eye. "You seem to be the only person Kaelen tolerates. You gave him a bun."
The Bun Event referenced. Nice.
"I need you to ensure Kaelen does not accept the challenge," Lysandra said. "If they fight, it will be a disaster for the Academy."
"I can't control Kaelen," I said. "Have you tried talking to him?"
"He does not speak to me," Lysandra said, looking down. A flash of genuine sadness crossed her face. "He thinks I am like the others. That I judge his darkness."
In the book, this misunderstanding lasts for twenty chapters. Lysandra wants to help, Kaelen thinks she's arrogant, and they angst about it until they get trapped in a cave.
"Look," I said, making a split-second decision. "I'll talk to him. But I can't promise he'll listen. He's stubborn."
"Thank you," Lysandra said. She reached into her sash and pulled out a small crystal vial containing a glowing blue liquid. "Take this. It is a high-grade Holy Water. If... things go wrong in the forest. It burns undead, but it heals the living."
[Item Acquired: Lysandra's Blessing (High-Grade Potion)]
"Thanks," I said, taking it. "Let's hope we don't need it."
She nodded once, turned on her heel, and walked out of the alleyway as if she hadn't just been standing in garbage.
Ria popped out from behind the dumpster. "Holy Water? From the Duke's daughter? Ren, you are collecting waifus like Pokémon cards."
"It's a healing item," I said, pocketing it. "And we need it. Because if Vance is bringing undead summons—which is likely given his necromancy obsession—this hits harder than a sword."
"Right," Ria said. "I'm off to the black market. Don't die before I get back."
"I'm going to the lab!" Cian squeaked, grabbing his book and running off.
I was left alone in the alley.
"Talk to Kaelen," I muttered. "Sure. Just talk to the guy who nuked the courtyard."
I found Kaelen in the training grounds at sunset.
He was alone, naturally. He was hitting a training dummy with a wooden sword. No magic. Just physical strikes.
Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.
His form was brutal. He wasn't fencing; he was trying to break the wood.
I walked up to the edge of the ring.
"You're dropping your left shoulder," I said.
Kaelen didn't stop. Thwack. "Go away, Ren."
"I'm serious. You swing hard, but you open your ribcage. A rogue with a dagger would gut you."
Kaelen stopped. He turned slowly, sweat dripping down his face. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead. He looked exhausted and angry.
"Is that what you came to tell me?" he asked. "Critique my form?"
"No," I said, hopping onto the fence. "I came to tell you that Vance is going to challenge you on Friday."
Kaelen snorted, turning back to the dummy. "Let him. I'll break him."
"That's exactly what he wants," I said. "He wants you to lose your temper. He wants you to use the Darkness. If you do, the teachers will step in. You get disqualified. He gets the leadership spot."
Kaelen froze. He lowered the sword.
"He's not coming alone, Kaelen," I continued, keeping my voice low. "He's bringing help. Outside help. If you accept a duel, it won't be one-on-one."
Kaelen looked at me. His eyes were intense, swirling with that abyssal mana. "Why do you care? Everyone else is terrified. You keep showing up."
"Because I bet five credits on you surviving the semester," I lied. "And I hate losing money."
Kaelen stared at me for a long moment. Then, the corner of his lip twitched. A ghost of a smile.
"Five credits? That's it?"
"I'm a commoner. It's a lot of money."
He wiped his face with his sleeve. "So what's the play? I refuse the challenge? Look like a coward?"
"No," I said. "You accept. But you don't fight him on his terms." I hopped off the fence. "We fight him as a team."
"We?" Kaelen raised an eyebrow. "You have F-rank combat potential."
"I have other skills," I said. "And I have friends. You remember Tybalt? The bun guy?"
"The one who shakes?"
"Yeah. And Cian. The gravity guy."
Kaelen nodded slowly. "The one who ducked."
"And a specialist," I added, thinking of Ria. "We're going to be in your squad. When Vance makes his move, we'll be ready."
Kaelen looked at the training dummy. He hit it one last time, snapping the head off.
"Fine," he said. "But if you get in my way, I'm not saving you."
"Deal."
[Relationship Upgraded: Kaelen (Reluctant Ally)]
[Story Stability: 94.0%]
I walked away feeling like I had just defused a bomb with a hammer.
Friday morning arrived with a thick, unnatural fog.
The staging area for the Forest Expedition was the North Gate. Three hundred students were gathered, checking gear, tightening straps, and looking nervous.
The Forest of Whispers wasn't a joke. It was a controlled zone, sure, but it was still filled with Mana-Beasts. Wolf-Spiders, Iron-Boars, and the occasional Void-Wisp.
Professor Hale stood on a crate, barking orders.
"Teams of five! You have your assignments! The objective is simple: Reach the inner relay point, retrieve a Beacon flag, and return. Time limit: 48 hours."
I stood with my group.
Tybalt was hyperventilating into a paper bag.
Cian was checking his pockets, which were bulging with vials of "super-glue."
Ria was leaning against a tree, cleaning her nails, looking bored.
Kaelen stood at the front, arms crossed, staring into the fog.
And me. The Grey-coat.
"Attention!" Hale shouted. "Before we depart, are there any disputes regarding Squad Leadership?"
This was it.
Vance stepped forward from the crowd. He was wearing custom-made leather armor with silver trim. He looked like the hero of his own story. Behind him stood four students I didn't recognize—older, scarred, looking way too tough for first-years.
The mercenaries, I thought. He disguised them as transfer students?
"Professor!" Vance shouted. "I challenge the leadership of Squad 7!"
Squad 7 was us.
Professor Hale frowned. "Vance, we don't have time for—"
"Academy Rule 402," Vance interrupted, grinning. "A noble may challenge the competency of a squad leader if the safety of the team is in question. Squad 7 is led by..." He pointed at Kaelen. "...an unstable Dark User. I don't feel safe entering the forest with him in charge."
The crowd murmured. He was playing the fear card.
"I propose a duel," Vance said. "My squad against his. Winner takes command of both teams."
Kaelen stepped forward. The air temperature dropped ten degrees.
"Accepted," Kaelen said.
Vance's grin widened. "Excellent. First blood?"
"No," I said, stepping up beside Kaelen.
Vance looked at me, his eyes narrowing. "You again."
"First blood is messy," I said, raising my voice so Hale could hear. "And we're on a schedule. How about a race? Both squads enter the forest. First one to the Relay Point wins command."
Vance laughed. "A race? Against me? I have the best trackers in the year."
"Then you should have no problem winning," I said. "Unless you're scared of a little cardio?"
Vance's face darkened. He looked at his "transfer students." One of them gave a subtle nod.
"Fine," Vance spat. "A race. But don't expect us to wait for you when you get lost."
"Squads, ready!" Hale shouted, clearly just wanting to get this over with. "On my mark! Go!"
We took off running.
As soon as we hit the tree line, the fog swallowed us.
"Ren," Kaelen said, running beside me. "Why a race? I could have taken him."
"Because," I said, checking my Observer map which was currently overlaying the forest path in glowing blue lines. "Vance prepared for a duel. He didn't prepare for a marathon. And he definitely didn't prepare for the terrain."
"The terrain?" Ria asked, keeping pace easily.
"I spent all night with the Asset Library," I muttered to myself.
"What?"
"Nothing," I said. "Cian, get the glue ready. Tybalt, watch the ground."
We ran deeper into the grey mist. The trees here were twisted, their bark pale as bone.
Suddenly, a howl echoed from our left. It wasn't a wolf. It sounded metallic.
"Iron-Boars," Kaelen said, summoning his dark aura.
"Ignore them!" I shouted. "Keep running!"
"Ignore them?" Tybalt shrieked. "They eat people!"
"They eat metal!" I corrected. "Throw your canteen!"
Tybalt panicked and hurled his metal water canteen into the brush. A massive, tusked boar burst out of the fog, ignored us completely, and crunched down on the canteen.
"Keep moving!" I ordered.
We were making good time. But I knew Vance wouldn't play fair.
"Ren," Ria said, her voice sharp. "I hear movement. Parallel to us. Fast."
"The mercenaries," I said.
Ping.
An arrow struck the tree right next to my head.
I skidded to a stop. "Cover!"
We dove behind a fallen log.
Another arrow thudded into the wood. Then a fireball scorched the earth a foot from Cian's leg.
"They're not racing," Kaelen growled, his eyes glowing purple. "They're hunting."
"Correct," I said, breathing hard. "Which means it's time to set the trap."
I looked at the clearing ahead. It was empty. Just leaves and fog.
But in my vision, I saw the blue outline of a grid I had mentally placed there ten minutes ago.
[Asset Library]
[Slot 1: Unstable Narrative Hole (Paused)]
[Deployment Range: 10 meters]
I didn't want to use the Black Hole. That was suicide.
But I had... borrowed something else during my "shopping trip" last night. Something from the school's supply shed.
[Asset Library]
[Slot 2: Hive of Angry Mana-Wasps (Active)]
"Ria," I whispered. "See that big oak tree? When I say 'Now', I need you to throw a rock at it."
"Why?"
"Because I'm about to summon a piñata," I said grimly. "And Vance is holding the stick."
"Ren," Cian whimpered. "I hear footsteps."
Five figures emerged from the fog. Vance and his four thugs. They weren't running. They were walking, weapons drawn.
"End of the line, rats," Vance called out. "Did you really think you could outrun us?"
He raised his wand.
"Now!" I yelled.
I mentally dragged the [Hive] icon from my inventory and dropped it directly onto the branch above Vance's head.
And then I unpaused it.
[Author's Note: Arc 1 is heating up. The Forest Expedition will span the next 5-8 chapters. Current Goal: Survival.]