Chapter 262: [Freedom Dove] - Nerio’s part (14)
"Bullied, and yet the teacher didn’t side with him—then maybe he should reflect on himself too!" one artificial esper suddenly said.
Bella immediately frowned. "That’s victim-blaming. Why don’t we start by questioning the character of the bullies and the teacher instead? Ridiculous—some people are bullied for no reason at all!"
Her face went cold. Even though she usually looked cute, she could be downright intimidating when she turned serious.
The artificial esper swallowed hard, dissatisfied yet unable to say another word.
But Bella didn’t seem ready to let him off just yet.
"Bella." At that moment, Luis suddenly called out to her.
She looked slightly startled and gasped as if ready to say more, but in the end, she said nothing. Instead, she folded her arms and turned away, feigning a sulky pout.
By now, it was clear that the morale of the artificial espers had dropped considerably. At first, gaining power made them feel everything would fall easily into their grasp.
But that wasn’t the case. Faced with the monster just now, they had no means of resistance.
Thomas furrowed his brows, his deep eyes carrying a hint of thought.
He turned toward Susan and asked: "When you were outside, did you see anything?"
Unlike Bella, Susan smiled gently as she replied: "Not at all. Everything looked normal the moment we arrived."
They had followed after Thomas’s group as soon as they left, but by the time they reached the sports field, everything appeared ordinary.
Thomas’s group had been standing there with Alat and the others, showing no signs of conflict.
But when Teacher C arrived, they belatedly realized two people were already dead—dead without leaving behind the slightest trace, not even a drop of diluted blood.
Thomas wasn’t sure what to think, but he began sharing information: "The moment the monster attacked us, it circled to the edge of the boundary. We couldn’t get out. Even all our abilities were sealed—we couldn’t use them at all."
Hearing this, Susan also frowned.
They still weren’t sure of Alat’s true identity, but that ability of his was heaven-defying. This dungeon seemed more dangerous than any they had encountered before.
Bella chuckled. "Maybe it’s because those powers are artificial—that’s why they got sealed."
She didn’t believe that but had no qualms about making this group uncomfortable.
Thomas and the others frowned, seething yet unable to refute her.
Luis lifted his glasses and spoke slowly: "We’ve learned some basic information. Students who break school rules will be dragged away for punishment. The nature of that punishment is still unknown. However, there are exceptions—like Alat and his gang. Teacher C doesn’t drag them away. In fact, he seems to tolerate them, maybe even fear them."
Aria said softly, "Could Alat and his lackeys be the main bosses?"
Luis shook his head. "It’s only the first day. Too soon to draw that conclusion."
Susan said, "Alright, it’s almost time for class. Everyone, let’s head back. Remember to follow the rules exactly. And of course, if you plan to take risks, do so carefully—ensure you survive. We are the most valuable resources here."
"That’s right, don’t die in vain." Bella smiled, narrowing her eyes at the artificial espers before turning to leave.
Damian couldn’t help scratching his head. "Bella doesn’t seem very happy."
Luis said nothing, simply quickening his pace to catch up with Bella. The others also departed one by one. Nerio skipped along hand in hand with Leonard, not sparing Thomas’s group a glance.
Thomas clenched his fists. They had come here seeking clues, yet they found nothing significant in the end—and even lost two members!
"What does the path that brought us here signify?" Thomas asked Luther in a deep voice.
Luther lowered his eyes, answering softly: "The higher-ups only said this was the path leading to the clue."
Thomas said, "Then it must be a clue that can’t be seen at first glance. For now, focus on Alat and Tom."
Liora nodded, showing she understood.
By then, the classroom was already full of students. After the lunch break, many seemed listless, and with the fans blowing, they were nearly dozing off.
Just then, the sharp ringing of the bell suddenly resounded, startlingly loud, like a clap of thunder.
Damian clutched his chest. "I can never stop myself from flinching—are the bells at this school always this loud?!"
No one answered him. Not that Damian expected anyone to; it was just a casual remark.
Immediately after the bell, the same scene repeated—the entire classroom fell silent, students sitting up straight as though some unseen clamp had locked them into place.
Teacher Smith walked in, rubbing his brows, and began the lecture.
The humans also studied very seriously. Part of their mission included passing the exams—even if they weren’t sure such exams would happen, they still had to prepare for every possibility.
As for the secrets of Dove High School, there were far too many clues. Teacher Smith—the only teacher among those who had appeared so far with an actual name.
Alat and Tom were the only two students they had met with names.
When they returned, Damian had tried striking up conversations with other students.
The teachers were identified by letters, while numbers called the students. It was truly bizarre.
Moreover, this school was where they couldn’t find a single reflective surface—not even a mirror. What consequences might come from facing something like that?
It sounded dangerous, but danger always awaited those who sought it out.
"Alright, that’s all for this afternoon. Take a rest and prepare for your self-study period tonight. Transfer students, come with me."
The thunderous bell rang out. Time itself seemed to have lurched forward suddenly—in the blink of an eye, the afternoon lesson was already over, and Teacher Smith was calling the transfer students to stay behind.
He glanced briefly at Nerio before leading the way, heading straight down toward the schoolyard.
At this moment, the whole school again fell into that strange silence. Just a moment ago, the students had been pouring out of the classrooms like a swarm of bees, yet now, along the long corridor, only the humans and Teacher Smith remained.
The sunset glow streamed through the balconies, stretching their shadows long across the floor. Instantly, they seemed to see Teacher Smith’s silhouette twist and warp—like some strange wisp of smoke.
Aria’s eyes widened in alarm.
By instinct, she lowered her gaze to look at her own shadow.
Under the twilight, she saw her shadow lengthen, twist, and shrivel—turning into a desiccated outline, like nothing but bare bones.
It writhed slightly, then suddenly twisted its head. Yes—twisted its head!
She saw it open its hollow, gaping eyes, staring straight at her. The shadow seemed to be taking form, becoming more and more real—until it began to peel itself from the ground and lunge toward her!