Chapter 80

"So, I hear you are sitting out from most of the competitions, including my own."

"I am. Sorry about that Merelda." Alex responded as he sat down in front of the young old potions master from the previous year.

"Don't be, you'll be helping me during your time off instead of whatever else you were going to do." Merelda said with a smile.

'…'

"What do you think of this years host?"

"I think it's a good thing I sat out. What qualifications does he have other than being the son of a billionaire?" Alex asked as he mixed several ingredients.

"He has all of the qualifications, he went to a prestigious school, his mentor is a Emperor class mage, the list goes on."

"Mhmm."

'I guess that is all it would take huh. I could afford to attend a school and hire a teacher now, but what would be the point. I would just get a few words to add on a resume, a piece of paper that declares I am fit for the job, and then… I wouldn't get most jobs. I will end up a small step above where I was. Sometimes you need a lot more than just a piece of paper and a bit of experience to vouch for you, but with my background… it seems to negate any bit of achievement.' Alex passed a concoction to Merelda and started working on another. 'My father had the same problem, he is a refuge, but is treated like scum in the eyes of this kingdom.'

'Still the tension in the world, the chaos that seems to wrap the entire planet… puppets, entire kingdoms are used like puppets, in order for some few to gain power from conflict.'

'Everyone is too busy trying to fight one another, and ignoring the true threat. Even I spend most of my time ignoring it, spending my time thinking about the possibilities and different outcomes.'

"You get a lot of requests for potions." Alex said as he passed another vial to her.

"I do. Although, this time every year I always get a lot more."

"Sounds rough."

"You're not bored already are you?"

Alex shook his head.

"Good, cause I have plenty more orders to complete." Merelda said cheerfully while handing Alex a few more lists.

——————

"She didn't do any funny business with you did she? I mean, you were gone for two whole days." Taylor teased as Alex read a book.

"The only chemistry done in those two days, was potion brewing." Alex replied.

"They really changed the entire portal system." Alex said as he flipped a page.

"Yup. Hooked up some fancy computers, and let's just say it will be impossible to get sent anywhere dangerous this year." A guy across the room answered Alex.

"Took them long enough, with the funding our school has, this shouldn't have happened. I wonder what it'll be next, the giant unsafe boiler beneath the school, maybe the untamed beasts in the taming sanctuary." Another kid grumbled as he played with his phone.

"As long as it doesn't happen again." Alex said to Taylor before putting down the book and laying down.

"We'll do fine." Taylor consoled Alex before climbing up to the top bunk.

Alex slept as much as he could, waking early in the morning and walking to the room with portals for the second time in his life.

The presence of two large screens attracted his attention as he entered the room.

He watched as a map on the screen moved and highlighted specific regions of the nearby wilderness. Every time another group entered the portal the location changed.

When it finally came to his groups turn, the guard next to the portal spoke up. "Group 23, are all competing members present?" He asked as his gaze moved towards Alex and Taylor.

The two nodded.

"Enter."

"Total count." Taylor's voice called out.

"Seventeen, this is all of us."

"We made it!" One student cheered, causing the rest to also celebrate.

"Shh, we are still here for a reason, keep the celebration to a minimum. There will be plenty of time to be happy and loud when we return." Taylor shushed the group as he looked around.

Alex looked off in the distance. 'The older group is still together also. That is good.'

"Alright, we all know the plan, split into your smaller groups and head to the spots we marked on the maps immediately. Let the rest of us know if you come across any true dangers."

"It's quiet." Alex said as he pulled out the map and started walking, Derek, Ana, Janet, Dylan, and Taylor following close behind.

"Is that bad?" Dylan asked as he looked over Alex's shoulder at the map.

"Maybe, we are pretty close to the highly concentrated area in our zone, and we should see or hear anything, but we don't."

After a few minutes of traveling Alex stopped. "Taylor, watch the alerts closely and be ready to head towards their location at any moment."

"The monstrosities are back. Take on the ones I pass, and I'll take on the dangerous ones."

The five of them nodded as Alex rushed off towards where they were headed. All of them gulped before following him.

They had heard the stories and descriptions of the beasts. None of them would have believed what they had heard if it weren't for the fact that Daniel had taken back a few of the monster's parts to Lockhorn for studying.

As they got to a clearing the five froze. The sound of a loud scream assaulted their ears as they saw Alex getting swarmed by featureless humanoids. Their skin dark red and green as if they were made of spoiled raw meat. However the lack of a could smell seemed to say otherwise.

The abominations charged towards Alex endlessly. The screams they let out were almost human like and off putting to say the least.

Taylor was the first to start moving as he noticed many beasts were already moving towards them. The feeling of being overwhelmed was on all their minds as hundreds more poured out from within the woods.

Meanwhile within the heart of the battle.

'These things can't be living. Darkness can't drain their life force and lightning can't fry their nerves.'

Through brute force Alex was swinging his sword and using his light affinity to cleave through the beasts while also using his spacial energy to smash and slash them.

Soon dark strands of energy also attacked them, but Alex watched as more and more of theses things poured out from nowhere. As his friend grew weaker and weaker, his own energy reserves getting lower as two monsters as strong as noble class beasts jumped towards him.

A sick feeling within him made him want to hurl as thought of what he could do.

'Even if we hadn't have split up this would be too many for all of us to handle. Potions would be too slow.'

The world around him seemed to dim as panic surrounded him, the sound fading as everything seemed to come to a halt.

Alex looked around in confusion as he noticed the change. 'They stopped, did I do this?'

He turned as he heard footsteps closing in, his eyes widening as he saw himself.

'Why can't I just use everything at my disposal?' His copy said as it looked at him in contempt.

'Why, have I always been such a wimp? I could've had everything. No one could stop me at this point, and I know it. Why do I refuse to let go? Everyday I look at everyone else living happily, selfishly living as happily possible in this miserable world. Why? Why can I not for once just do what I want to?'

The words seemed to reverberate through his head as he heard them. He frowned as he looked at himself.

'I'm the only thing standing in my own way. Would I really let all of this happen, just for some impossible dream? You. Tell me what I want.' His copy called to him.

'Hearing you talk is making me feel sick. You know what I want right now, and it is very simple. What I-' Alex bit his tongue.

'Just go to your brothers and sisters, you aren't fooling no one.' Alex said as he turned back around.

'Haha, very funny Alex, but you know we are right. You are the one who is fooling nobody, enjoy the pain of torturing yourself you freak.'

Taylor watched as Alex paused for a moment, the claws of the swarm of monsters drawing closer and closer to him, when suddenly he couldn't see anything at all. A thick concentration of dark mana covered the surroundings while Alex created a halo of darkness above himself.

Boundless energy poured everywhere as everything went silent, and when the darkness faded, the monsters were completely gone.

"Are you guys alright?" Alex asked as he walked over to them.

"I'm good now." Derek said as he patted himself down to make sure he was uninjured.

"I think we are all good." Taylor said as he sat down breathing heavily.

"They didn't leave any beast cores." Ana muttered as she looked around.

"Not all of them, but a few did. They were probably about to digest these, I was lucky to have saved them." Alex said as he held out two handfuls of cores.

"It's better than nothing." Taylor said as he looked at the dull beast cores.

He picked up a device and pressed a rune. "Group two and three, how are things going?"

"Two, currently in combat with an expert beast."

"Group three?" He asked.

He waited for a few seconds until he heard some noise.

"In combat with a master class beast. We might need some help."

"Going." Taylor said as hopped up and moved towards a mark he put on the map.