A Call From Ley (1)

Following the indications of the teacher, I headed in the direction of the next berserk student.

On the way, I pondered about the current circumstances.

"Demon, don't you think it's strange?"

[Hm?]

"The situation is obviously abnormal. Normally, this kind of disturbance should have been enough for the instructors to interfere, however, judging from the behavior of the teacher just now, although they are reluctant, they don't plan to involve themselves."

[… That is odd.]

I nodded and my expression became heavy.

If my guess was right, someone powerful enough to influence the instructors had ordered them not to interfere.

And there was a highly likely chance of that person being the host of the 'piece'.

[If your guess is true, then our current situation is very bad.]

I agreed.

In the worst case, the owner of the piece could be powerful enough to corner me using influence once he discovers that I own a piece too.

"… Wait." I thought of something and became flustered. "I remember that the academy's sponsors can watch the live transmission of the dungeon dive. He must be watching everything right now. Shit, what if he noticed something?" 

[Don't panic. The situation should not be that bad yet. Although you showed an outstanding performance just now, it's not enough to raise suspicion.] The demon's thoughtful voice calmed down. [I think you are still safe.]

"Are you sure?"

The demon nodded.

[It sounds bad, but the strength you showed just now is far from enough to qualify you as the host of a piece. The only remarkable ability you showed was Understanding, but that kind of ability can't be detected through a screen.]

I sighed in relief.

[Even so, you should be careful.] The demon's tone was grave. [You must not show any other of your cards during this dive. The chances of the owner of the piece discovering me will increase greatly as you show more of your power.]

I nodded and planned to do just that. Right now, any wrong move could significantly increase my chances of dying.

[Also, this dungeon dive has a couple of unnaturally talented people. Even if he suspects that there is a piece owner among the students, you won't be the first suspect.]

"You mean Sylvia and Andrew. Wait, does it mean that they are in danger?"

[Now is not the moment to worry about them.]

I hesitated before agreeing.

I can't guarantee my own safety, so there is no point in worrying about them.

Just then, Understanding detected something. I changed directions and moved toward the anomaly detected by understanding.

When I arrived, I found two students lying unconscious on the ground.

Judging by the fact that they had not been taken out of the dungeon yet, they had not been defeated for long.

[They have been contaminated too. The person who defeated them is contaminated by a seed.]

I nodded and activated Understanding again.

Thanks to it, I soon found another unconscious student.

Just like the previous ones, this one was contaminated too.

"Is there a way to remove the contamination?" I asked.

[I have a couple of ideas, but I advise you against it. If you remove the contamination, the other piece will immediately find about me.]

I clicked my tongue and continued tracking the berserk student.

But even after ten minutes, I failed to locate him.

I came across unconscious students a couple of times more, but I did not find traces of the one behind it.

"Something is wrong." After finding the seventh student, I stopped. "Did you notice, demon? There is no trace of battle. Almost as if…"

As if they were defeated in a hit.

When that thought appeared in my mind, I felt a chill on my spine.

A sense of danger greater than anything I had sensed today invaded me, almost like needles were piercing my back.

I activated Understanding instinctively as my muscles tensed up and mana surged out of my body.

'Behind me!'

Opening my eyes wide, I turned around, sweeping my surroundings with my spear.

*Clang!*

The sound of something clashing with my spear echoed as a powerful force hit my arms.

'Ugh!'

The attack was so powerful that it pushed me several steps back. My entire body felt as though it was hit by a car. 

I managed to hold on using my mana. Only then did I identify the attack.

'An arrow? It looks like it's made of mana. Is it a skill?'

The arrow vanished just after hitting my spear, but before I could sigh in relief, another arrow came flying toward me.

This time I was prepared. Instead of receiving it head-on, I leaned to my right to evade it before dashing toward the origin of the arrow.

Simultaneously, I used Understanding to identify my assailant.

But to my surprise, I failed to find anything.

Moreover, no more arrows flew toward me.

I stopped in my tracks and frowned.

Did he run away?

No, although I cannot identify where it's coming from, the feeling of danger has not disappeared.

"Demon, any ideas?"

[You should not depend on me for everything.]

I clicked my tongue and focused.

The swamp was eerily silent, making even my breathing feel loud. My senses sharpened in an attempt to find the slightest clue to the attacker, but besides my breathing and the sound of the wind, I heard nothing.

Understanding failed to find anything too. Most likely, the enemy was outside the range of the skill.

'Maybe I can direct Understanding in a specific direction to amplify its range? But if I'm attacked from another direction at that moment, I won't be able to react.'

After considering my options, I decided just to wait in place.

The enemy is someone affected by the piece, and the people in these conditions show signs of losing control of their emotions. I doubt the assailant can remain patient.

As long as I wait in place, he will show an opening sooner or later.

But just then, a faint but familiar fluctuation of mana swept through my body.

Following that, a voice sounded in my head.

[… Brother, can you hear me? Come quickly… Something... Something is wrong with me…]

'Ley!?'

I was shocked.

And just at that moment, an arrow flew toward me.