Chapter 25: What the hell is going on?

Aurora patted her stomach and sighed as she watched Alice walk by while eating her chips.

Her entire group was extremely full, but she looked like a bottomless pit and kept eating.

She had eaten over three different plates of food, but here she was devouring a bag of chips.

Like the other ‘normal’ members of the group, Aurora walked slowly to enter the hotel.

Erica and Joslyn were highly full.

As a day when they would have fantastic food created by a Terra nova person, neither of them had dieted, and both enjoyed eating.

Of course, they filled up on the first course.

“Finally they arrive. I thought they would stay and sightsee all night,” Professor Villacrés said and then, with a smile, nodded. “Well done for respecting the rules.”

All groups had a maximum arrival time.

Although it was a student trip for an adult group, it was an academic trip, so they were prohibited from certain things, and being late was one of them.

“If you want, they can go to the restaurant to order dinner,” Professor Villacrés commented.

“No... Thank you,” Andrés murmured as he rubbed his stomach affectionately.

He seemed to want to get to his room and take off his clothes to free his belly.

“We went to a restaurant and we have leftovers,” Erica communicated, trying to maintain her elegant composure, but seeing the interested look on the Professor’s face, she added. “I’ll go back to the room.”

With those words, she quickly escaped, and Joslyn followed her.

Aurora, Andrés, and Alice quickly left as well.

Erica had fled before they received too many questions and asked her for a portion of the ‘leftovers’ Urfin had given her.

Actually, those ‘leftovers’ were plates of well-prepared food that she had stored in her space rings where the meals were kept just as they were when they came in, without spoiling.

No one in the group was willing to share that delicacy.

After a long walk that only seemed to extend because of their completely full state, Alice and Aurora arrived at their room.

Alice went to the small sniffling and grabbed two drinks.

“What time tomorrow do we have to go to church?” Aurora asked as she received the drink.

“Early. The Temple of Knowledge keeps thousands of books in its library and has small churches of other gods under its care. I think it will take us a long time to give it a full tour,” Alice replied simply.

—The organization of the group is ready at 7 am.

Her system quietly informed her of the schedule she herself had forgotten.

With a slightly exhausted sigh, she prepared to sleep.

******

Aurora opened her eyes with a sleepy look and listened to the surroundings.

She had heard some footsteps and a presence from outside the room.

She felt as if someone had lingered at the door of her room for a few seconds.

To some people, it would seem like overkill to be awakened by that, but Aurora’s senses were well-trained, and as someone who had slept in dangerous places, she had an outrageous sense of security.

She looked at the time on her holographic clock, and after discovering that she had only slept for an hour, she sighed and got up.

“Do you know who it was?” Aurora asked as she reached the room.

The room was dark, and her question wasn’t directed at the system, but rather.

“I think Professor Villacrés,” Alice replied from the doorway of her own room, and looking across the doorway, she commented. “She’s probably checking to make sure all the students are asleep.”

“Are we children?” hesitated Aurora with a hint of amusement; still, she understood that she might be checking that all the students are present and haven’t escaped.

“I’ll go check,” Aurora said after a moment’s thought.

She felt her surroundings strange, as if something was about to happen.

It was hard to explain it to Aurora, but she called it instinct.

Those instincts could just sense the environment and pick up something from the surroundings; even though sometimes she picked up something completely different from what she expected, Aurora followed her instincts.

“I’ll go to the dining room to order more drinks...” Alice said, and before Aurora could leave, she pointed. “You look cute in those pajamas, but I think you’d better not show so much.”

“...” Aurora froze at her friend’s joke.

Her pajamas weren’t revealing or anything like that, but were focused on comfort and were chosen by Aurora because of that reason... That they had a cute design wasn’t her problem.

With flushed cheeks, Aurora used the ‘quick change’ form that allowed her to change clothes instantly, using her space ring.

It was a vital skill for dangerous cases where one was helpless, but also an essential skill for those who didn’t want to waste time.

Aurora stared at her gluttonous friend, whose smile was quivering, and went in the opposite direction of Alice.

When she noticed that Alice had already taken the elevator only by one floor, Aurora slowed down.

Perhaps because it was midnight, but the surroundings felt extremely quiet.

Aurora paid attention to listen to the surroundings.

From some rooms, she could hear snoring or just some chatter.

“Alice invited us to important restaurants, and we met a Terra nova dwarf... Although they say she’s a ‘Gourmet’ and an A-Rank Mercenary, I think she’s someone more important than that.”

Aurora could catch those words that seemed to be Erica’s; the problem was...

“She’s extremely cool. Did I tell you what she did in the square with Marc?”

Erica seemed to be spreading the fanaticism to the other companions in the group, as every word referring to Alice seemed to be spoken with excitement.

Aurora’s lips quivered, and she only continued her journey, feeling calmer.

Willing herself to go down the stairs, she heard footsteps on the balcony of the apartment, and Aurora stopped as she noticed the figure on the balcony.

“The kids have fallen asleep. You can come now... No, no, they won’t wake up so easily. They are teenagers and have done a lot of sightseeing. I don’t think they will wake up,” Professor Villacrés said through her holographic clock.

Aurora couldn’t pick up the conversation entirely, as it seemed to be that the other person’s words were directed only to the Professor, but she felt it strange.

“Well dear, I’ll wait for you. I’ve missed you so much and have wanted to see you for months now.” Professor Villacrés commented with a loving tone.

The strangeness took an even stranger turn.

Had she arranged this trip to Greece to see her lover? Yes, if that wasn’t strange; Aurora didn’t know what was.

She was about to return to her room, sighing at having overheard extraneous conversations, when a shiver ran down her back.

Aurora quickly reinforced her body with magical energy and dodged to the side.

*BOOM!

The window she was standing in exploded, and glass flew towards her.

Aurora also heard the same explosions coming from another part of the hotel, but she didn’t have time to analyze the situation.

Two men wearing red demon masks came through the window.

Aurora moved immediately.

A normal person could feel their malicious intentions, and Aurora didn’t hold back when she saw them equipped with dangerous weapons.

*Bang*

Using a vase from the hallway, she threw it at the man holding a gun, forcing him to shoot at another direction.

As she approached, the other man, who had a short sword, drew a line down in a hurry, but Aurora dodged by taking only a step to the side without losing speed.

*Crack*

She grabbed the swordsman’s hand and, using her body reinforced with magical energy, broke it, getting him to drop his sword.

“AHhhh...”

The shriek of his partner startled the gunslinger, and Aurora pushed the swordsman’s body against the gunslinger.

“¡!”

The gunslinger threw to the side his partner’s body, looking to have free space to shoot, but when he got the free space he was looking for, Aurora’s fist was in his face.

Aurora did not hold back at all.

She punched his face, stomach and ended up kicking him in the crotch that made the gunman’s eyes roll back as he fell unconscious.

Then with a severe expression, Aurora kicked the swordsman, making him hit the wall and vomit blood, falling unconscious.

“What’s wrong?” Professor Villacrés asked with a panicked expression.

Aurora looked at the two men and heard the screams coming from the floor below.

“From the demon masks, they could be cultists or terrorists. They’re B Ranks, with decent training,” Aurora analyzed quickly, and with a serious look, stated. “Either way, the hotel is in danger.”

Whether they were members of a cult that worshipped demon gods or terrorists, they were just as dangerous... People willing to murder and do crazy things if they were desperate enough.

“Gather the students!” Aurora ordered as she saw that Professor Villacrés was frozen.

“Ehm... Yes,” replied Professor Villacrés, just as stunned as before, but headed for the rooms.

She only seemed to be an academic and not someone with decent training, so it was normal for her to be stunned like that.

Aurora took out some collars from her space ring and threw them at the masked men, and immediately these collars moved, adjusting to their necks.

These collars served as a method to suppress them for a few hours, whether they used psionic energy or magical energy, and in cases of fighters or swordsmen with great natural strength, they would give them an electric shock that would paralyze their muscles.

—Report. —Aurora ordered in her mind to her system.

—According to security cameras, all floors have been attacked. The security members are in a standoff, but they may lose. The remaining assailants are rounding up hostages and taking them to the dining room, where they trapped the others.

Aurora, reading those messages in her mind, was about to move to stop the situation before it got out of control when she noticed through the window two students running into the garden, looking to escape.

Before they could escape, two masked men shot them with tasers and took them away unconscious.

Contrary to what her system said, these were led away from the hotel...

Aurora remembered the old man who had infiltrated the academy and the mastermind who wanted something from Director Vincent, and her expression turned solemn.

“They want to take students hostage,” Aurora muttered and immediately jumped off the balcony to follow the group that had taken the students.

She activated her holographic watch and ordered. “Alice, take care of the hotel. I’ll take care of following the others.”

After that, her figure disappeared into the darkness of the night.

******

“Open the door!”

A shout came from down the hallway, and Erica froze with her group.

“What the hell is going on?” one of the young ladies asked.

“I don’t know...” Erica replied, pulling her wand out of her space ring.

The explosions had sounded in unison, and now there were screams and sounds of battles.

“Open the damn door!”

“We’re officers!”

The shout seemed to come from two slightly hoarse grown men.

Erica didn’t respond and signaled for her companions to be silent and get ready.

Using magical energy discreetly, she prepared several spells in case of danger.

*BOOM*

She was about to check her holographic clock to see what was going on when they kicked the door hard, breaking it in the process.

“I recommend that you...”

“[Ice Shock]” Erica shouted as calmly as she could.

From her wand, a shockwave spread out with alarming force.

It froze everything in its path, and when it hit the men in demon masks, they were sent backwards, slamming into the wall, spitting blood in the process.

Erica’s expression shook with panic as she saw the two men spitting blood, but she tried to contain her panic and prepared another spell.

“[Ice cell]” Erica chanted, and a web of ice spread around the men.

It looked like chains trapping the bodies of those two men, restricting them completely.

“What’s happening?” shouted one of her companions in panic.

How could Erica know?

Men in demon masks were forcing their way into her room!

Erica was about to order the authorities to be notified when a message came in.

“The hotel has been attacked. Andrés is on the third floor will take care of going down securing the area. You take care of the people on the second floor. I will make sure no one goes up. If you are afraid, just hide in your rooms. I have already alerted the authorities.” -AliceSacredChips

Alice’s message was very direct and concrete, but it generated quite a bit of confidence.

Erica felt as if she was really working with an A-Rank mercenary with a great deal of experience and skill.

She gained the confidence to support Alice herself.

“The hotel has been raided. We need to move fast and regroup and then support Alice.” Erica ordered with a serious tone that left no room for a negative answer.

Her companions, who, minutes ago, were chatting happily, only opened and closed their mouths in panic and fear, but in the end, they nodded.

They were heroes... And just as in the test when they defended themselves without knowing the truth, here they were prepared.

Seeing her classmates arming themselves, Erica walked out of the room, and the first person she encountered was Professor Villacrés.

“We are under attack... We need to...”

“I know,” Erica replied, and looked at the men being held with her spell. Noticing that they were alive, she commented. “We’ll look to rejoin the others and then head down.”

Professor Villacrés nodded with slight fear.

Erica moved carefully; she could not hide, as she lacked those skills and had no decent spells in that area.

Since some of the girls had rooms near them, they pulled their classmates who had already woken up, and together they headed to the other rooms.

This was the ‘history’ class, and while there were some who had entered the combat class, individuals who had chosen theory classes were also present.

They were heroes who would be tasked with helping in other subjects, not just referring to combat.

The noise from downstairs grew louder, and then a man came out of a room carrying a student on his shoulders.

Erica recognized it was her friend Joslyn, who had been left resting in her room and had not accompanied her.

“Joslyn!”

Professor Villacrés shouted in panic, but since she was not someone with combat skills, that was all she did.

Erica and the group’s expression quivered as the man in the demon mask looked at her.

She didn’t want to attack for fear of harming Joslyn...

“UGhhh...”

Suddenly, the man went into convulsions as lightning flashed through his body, paralyzing him completely.

White foam erupted from his mouth and then hit the floor, knocking Joslyn, who had been knocked unconscious, to the ground.

“Sorry!” Andrés shouted, and pulling back the drone that was on the man’s back, he muttered. “I did my best to lessen the impact on Joslyn, but I recommend you get her treated.”

His words carried a mixture of regret and helplessness.

“Healing mages do something to stabilize her.” Erica ordered and, channeling her magical energy, cast the same spell she used to restrain the previous criminals.

The companions who knew healing magic approached Joslyn and cast spells.

One retracted the electrical energy from her body, another healed any wounds or damage done, and in the end, they woke her up.

“It’s okay... You’re okay...” Erica said as she saw Joslyn’s wet eyes.

Psionics and mages, if taken by surprise in a quick attack, it was easy to catch them... Joslyn was the same way, even though she could generate excellent barriers.

Also, if she attacked, it was hard to tell if she could hold back or not... Wounding an enemy was fine, but murdering them?

It wasn’t something they wanted to do; Erica was the same way, so she didn’t use her best spell, the Ice Spear.

The group of males on the second floor descended, with Marc leading them.

“We are all here, and even though there were several enemies, we could stop them,” Andrés reported with a tired expression as he handled three drones flying around him.

“Joslyn was the last of us,” Erica said, and seeing Andrés looking intently at his group, she commented. “We didn’t find Aurora, but she must be with Alice... They’re always together.”

Andrés nodded as he realized that only the two of them were missing.

Looking at the group of students, Andrés stated. “Alice was downstairs. I don’t know how the battle ended, but I’ll go help.”

“Me too. Those who wish to go can go with us. The rest of you hide in a room,” Erica added in a serious tone.

The sounds of battles coming from below could no longer be heard, but Erica wanted to help.

She knew there was a big difference between Rank B and Rank A, but she could support her by fighting less dangerous enemies.

The attackers seemed to be Rank B and C, who had greatly underestimated her and could use that to their advantage.

“I’ll go with you.” Marc said solemnly.

“Me too.” Commented a companion of Erica’s.

Erica nodded to Vanessa, who, despite being a fully dedicated healing mage for support, had joined in case Alice or anyone else was in danger.

Joslyn opened and closed her mouth, but Erica smiled and commented. “Stay and create a barrier in the room. That will be best for everyone.”

Erica had noticed the previous event had affected Joslyn, so that was the best option they had.

With their barrier, they could protect themselves and go unnoticed; that’s how good Joslyn was at that task.

Leaving the students and Professor Villacrés behind without giving her a chance to object, the small group of four went down the stairs.

The stairs were near the dining hall, so the group headed there first.

When they entered, they noticed the destruction, but also the ten or so bodies lying everywhere.

They all looked alive, but one could tell that their bodies were pretty badly wounded.

Some with arms and legs in strange positions, others bleeding deeply.

Each individual had a demon mask on their faces.

In the middle of that scene was a young woman frowning as she looked at her holographic watch.

“How far do you intend to go?” muttered Alice with an annoyed expression.

When she heard the noise, Alice looked at the group of four for a second and then noticing something from the holographic clock reported. “Hotel security left to chase an A-Rank guy.”

“Wait here,” Alice ordered, and walked in the garden's direction that was attached to the dining room.

When she was outside, she looked at the trees and the dark walls and ordered. “Go outside and take care of the students. I have things to do.”

With those words, four black arms came out from behind her back, and she used them to leap out beyond the hotel.

Erica and her group were stunned at what was happening, but shadows jumped out of the darkness and revealed several figures.

“Area security officer, we’ll take care of the situation,” said one of the men, revealing his badge and identification.

His expression looked disturbed and embarrassed, perhaps be

0cause they had been discovered by that young woman.

“What the hell is going on?” asked Andrés, as spokesman for the group.

Since they had come down, they had understood absolutely nothing.