Chapter 4 - Surprise

Later, as the food was being distributed, Lucas approached me and handed me a water bottle. "I've already got mine," I said.

"You'll need this, I knew you were back in training," he insisted, but I gave him a cold stare.

"That's quite amusing..." I scoffed with a slight roll of my eyes, "Considering you didn't even bother to offer a helping hand when my close friends and I were struggling in a precarious situation. Did you think I wouldn't see through you?" I rose to my feet and angled my head slightly to meet his gaze as I continued. "You think by pulling me off the edge earlier and giving me an extra bottle will make me join your hopeless team? I didn't train for some stranger; I did it for my own sake."

"That's..." He sighed, "I— I heard that you helped a student a while ago, I'm guessing maybe you see yourself in her? Someone who asked for help but no one responded."

"And what are you trying to say?"

"Well... We could use a bit of your—"

"I did it for myself, Lucas." I said firmly, "I also didn't want her screaming and attracting more monsters in our building," I explained and I walked out.

That was clearly a lie. I have reasons why I did that: First, it's partly my fault, Second, I don't want other people to feel the same way I did that time. And Third, the feeling of needing assistance just because I am unable to protect myself or those important to me, that's why helping her counts, giving me sense of fulfilment.

After lunch, our classroom adviser asked us to gather and ask for volunteers once more, but this time they were going to send a distress signal to the military later that night.

I had a thought to reconsider the offer of joining the team, and reasoned that I could sneak out and quietly escape for myself. I can try not to attract any monsters on my way home.

So I talked to our adviser and told him I'd join, even though I didn't think participating in their mission would attract more students to join us.

I brought my backpack and left some items that weren't important to me behind. Then I brought the monster's bone I had obtained.

"I will first inform all of you of what we have observed from our previous loots outside," our adviser stated. "There were two types of things we should be aware of: first, those monsters with circular glowing eyes, which has hawk-like eyesight and can see moving things even from afar; if they happen to detect a movement, they will automatically attack."

'That's the kind of monster I remember, the one who killed my friends.' I thought to myself.

"Second, there were eyeless monsters, which are far more dangerous because they can detect their prey with soundwaves. Danny has tested their senses are triggered within a 5 to 7 meter radius."

"Is there any way to counter those monsters if we come in contact with them?" asked the guy behind me.

"There is... but we're not sure if it will work with all of them," Lucas responded, he looked at me and gave me a nod while smiling. I avoided his gaze quickly, what he did was unnecessary.

"The monsters with eyes can back out of following their prey if they are out of sight for a minute, and that also works for the eyeless monsters, hide from afar and don't move," Danny advised.

"You know those creepy monsters with glowing eyes? Luckily, they sleep at night, which means we can sneak around without being seen. So we can lurk in the shadows and get our jobs done without any hassle," our adviser added, and he divided us into three groups, each with a leader.

I'll be in a group with Danny and the obnoxious guy who complained the last time. He should've gone with Lucas, but the guy begged him to stay with us.

"We'll be the last group, following Sir Hernandez's group so we can watch their backs when they make a move," our leader Danny explained, signaling the two of us to move, but the other guy was too wary of his surroundings, slowing our team down.

Danny told him to hurry up because his slow movements kept us further away from our adviser's group.

We eventually got close enough to the room where our adviser could send a distress signal. We stood outside and kept an eye on them as they went inside. While Lucas' group goes outside to keep an eye on the other side.

"You guys should slow down, you were making a noise a while ago," he complained. This is his third complaint, and he even made Danny take the blame when we were almost caught by the monster earlier.

"The monster we're up against isn't particularly sensitive to sound, so stop whining and do your part," I asserted. I believe it harmed his ego because his expression changed.

"You're the one who's supposed to be doing your part; didn't you just kill a monster a while ago? You should start killing monsters now because you've been doing nothing since the beginning," he responded.

"Hah..." I scoffed and sighed heavily.

"Guys, stay alert; there's a monster nearby," Danny alerted us.

I ignored him and moved closer to the person who pisses me off. "Hey, dumbass, I killed that monster because it was annoying... So keep your mouth shut until I can keep up with your arrogance and stupidity."

"DANNY, THIS GIRL IS CRAZY. SHE TOLD ME SHE WILL KILL ME," he exclaimed, not in fear, but in anger.

"I said keep your mouth shut, the monster is near," Danny warned again, and we were startled when we heard its loud footsteps approaching us.

"Oh geez..." I sighed and began running. I didn't even realize the annoying guy had been following me all along.

"HELP ME! HEY— WAIT FOR ME!" he yelled over and over. I saw him running, out of breath, and his one arm up in the air as if he's reaching for me, but I didn't stop.

Soon after, the monster caught up to him and it grabbed its body. I came to an abrupt halt when the monster had him held up in the air. I turned and looked at him in a relaxed manner.

"HELP ME!! AAAAHH!" He screamed, "THIS IS YOUR FAULT! YOU SHOULD BE THE ONE HERE!" he kept on screaming and that irritated me more.

He's just attracting lot's of monsters. It would cause us a lot of trouble— especially if I let him live...

I lifted my hand and raised my middle finger, smirking as I watched his terrified expression one last time as the monster brutally tore his limbs off one by one, as if savoring its meal. "AAAAGH! YOU WH*RE! I Swear I'll kill you! FUUUC—"

When the monster finished swallowing all of him, it surprisingly did not look for me, and instead withdrew. Maybe it's a good thing I'm hiding in the shadows here, their advice is remarkably effective.

"Where is he?" Danny sought out when I approached them. We already keep up with Sir Hernandez and the others.

"Hmm?" I replied innocently as I shrugged my shoulder.

He responded, raising his one brow on me and shook his head. He turned around and I saw a glimpse of his mouth forming a smirk.