Silent Return

Claire flew the children up to their island home after getting each of them the sickle skill. Now that she is here, and her job is actually an engraver, she may as well engrave some protection spells on the house. First of all, the bamboo houses are flexible all on their own, but she still put a fluid and flexible rune on the bamboo used to make the house. If push comes to shove, the house could twist a little in the typhoon, but it will return to normal by the time the storm passes. 

She put the " sturdy " charm on the joints of the frame to the roof, hoping they would not come loose at the last point. After that's done, she put a water repelling charm on the roof and windows. A 'water attract ' rune circle on the drains. 

Then a series of line charms around the house, which emit a sound when a person or an animal with malicious intent crosses that boundary. This way, children will know and be aware of dangers. Then, a small freezing charm on one of the boxes, which is a continuous drain on her magic, to keep the fish filets in there. 

She made enough for them for lunch, but Claire was not confident she would return by the night. 

Amidst all her changes, it must be noted her physical prowess stayed the same as a normal human being. If a well trained soldier punches her, she's more than likely to break a rib, though it will heal faster than a normal person owing to her having a life core, it will still take her down for some time. 

" While I am gone, Brea is in charge. You can go and practice your powers on the island, but you must stay together. Never go anywhere alone. Alright ? " Claire asked them. 

There are big enough birds in the sky that could carry away children the size of Dolce. 

" Yes, sister. " The children answered obediently. 

" Awesome. I will come back soon. Listen to Brea well. " Claire told them - but she could see it in their eyes. They are raring to go wild on this mountain. Well, she can not protect them forever. They have to learn to protect themselves. 

Claire flew back to the slime dungeon, from there, and appeared back at her bedroom. 

Only, a tranquilizer shot came straight for her shoulder. 

By reflex, she stopped the shot and returned the volley. 

A black clad man rolled away from the syringe, which hit the wall and fell on the ground. Only a baseball cap peaked from behind the sofa. 

Had Claire's fighting experience been equal to what a person her age should possess, she would have fallen for it. 

Instead, like any veteran, she looked at all reflective surfaces on or nearby to determine the location of the assailant. There… 

He was crouching down towards the side of the sofa set, right besides the baseball cap. Ideally, she should be attacking that head under that baseball cap with a blunt weapon from across the sofa, given that's the shortest distance. At that time, the hiding master will attack her with a tranquilizer, attacking her open body, taking her down. 

It was a good plan. 

A pity, he met Claire. 

She retrieved a small bronze ball, which was littered all over the place. In her hands, the bronze bullet reshaped itself into a needle. The needle floated down, dipped itself in the tranquilizer liquid spread on the floor. It floated up, twirling in the air, two millimeters above her finger. Claire approached the sofa slowly. She swung down the stick in her hand towards the baseball hat, keeping her eyes towards the assassin's direction. 

The assassin only got up a little to shoot the tranq gun. In that moment his neck was exposed for just a second, given he was wearing plain clothes. The tranq shot deviated from its expected path, stopped in mid air. The needle she shot pierced through his neck, taking him down. 

She walked around the sofa. The metal balls which were littered all over the house all rose at the same time, slowly floating over to her, forming handcuffs and leg chains on the downed guard. Despite the needle piercing through the main artery, the man did not die, he only lost consciousness. 

She frisked him just to be sure. The identification information belongs to their own base. There's a cellphone, an even older model than the one she herself owns. So this must be a burner phone, Claire knew. While the luxuries of the old world burned away, technology of the old world survived very well through the invasions. 

You can eat porridge and pickles for breakfast, lunch and dinner, yet, one can only use a smartphone for communication and payment. 

A message arrived as soon as she opened the cellphone. 

' Did you catch the child ? ' 

' yes ' , Claire typed the later answer. 

' Tie him up, send it to the I - city port. ' 

' You can clock out. ' 

The next message read. 

Claire remembered the I - City port is about fifty kilometers from their village. In pre-apocalyptic days, it was a gigantic transportation hub. They know it as well, because even now, after multiple dungeon breaks, the buildings are still standing. It's a perfect place for outlaws to use as their base. 

She scrolled up, following the habit of the man, and sent a single word in answer. ' Roger. ' 

Then, she stuffed him into one of the fitted sheets, put it in the corner. This man will heal soon. 

She deleted all the messages both to and fro, save for the message about clocking out. 

Then, she put the wallet and phone where she found them, on his body. 

Should she go to the school to inform and rescue Zayne ? or should she pack the luggage, take it to the children ? 

After a moment of thinking, Claire decided to do both. 

She called Zayne first. 

" Is your awakening anytime near, by chance ? " She asked him. 

" No. Claire, are you alright ? " Zayne asked her in reverse. 

" I am. What happened ? " she asked curiously. 

" A few minutes ago, they announced a student is missing from the awakened. They are doing a roll call. " Zayne told her. 

" Can you deceive them by giving my attendance ? " Claire asked, despite not feeling very hopeful about such a thing. 

" Probably not. Did you escape the school ? " Zayne asked. 

" Yes. Zayne, the officer who interviewed us, is among the awakening officers. Do not let down your guard. " Claire told him. 

" Sure, I will not. " Zayne promised her. 

" He might target you for something weird. Be alert and cautious. " Claire warned him. 

" So, will you come back or not ? " Zayne asked. 

" I will come back after I send supplies to the children. " she answered. 

" Alright. Take care. Don't worry about me, I will just deny any friendship with you. " Zayne told her decisively. 

" Just so. Beware that police officers might pull tricks. " Claire warned him once more. She has too little idea about the modus operandi of police at this stage of the tutorial. 

Then Claire hung up her call. 

She retrieved a garbage bag, started stuffing in the children's clothes, bedding and bed sheets down the package. She started moving the supplies frantically to the Island base. Fortunately, their house did not have much in the first place, and she herself did not collect a major amount of supplies from any dungeon for fear of not having a place to store them. 

So, there are only a month's supplies out there in the kitchen. 

In no time at all, all these items were packed, including their containers, and were taken away to their island base. Now, the house looked half bare, with only major furniture, and major electrical appliances in the home. 

Claire wished she could pack away even those, but the storage ring is with Zayne, not her. While she could totally store dungeon drops, she can not do the same for the household appliances. 

With that all set, she went to the forest to create a replica for the teddy bear in her neck. She had no idea how well she could manage it, but she will wear a fake teddy bear necklace and join Zayne at the school. 

If push comes to shove, she will just brazenly lie and say the necklace had always been like this. Not everyone in the world had an ability like mirror eyes which can see through lies. 

If she toughs it out, what can the police officer say ? 

He can't acknowledge her and Zayne as errors now that he already gave a report saying they are alright. 

With that thought, she went back to school, after fastening the new teddy bear necklace on her neck. 

Like that, they waited for an entire day. 

Surprisingly, when Claire lied, saying ' wanted meat for dinner, so I went into the mountains to hunt ' was very easily accepted. 

So, she sat in the audience once more, kept her eye peeled for the elemental runes of Zayne. It seems that the library is copying every firebase skill in the arsenal of the awakening stone. 

Only, suddenly, this process stopped stock still in the middle, with progress bar not moving forward at all.