CHAPTER 259: CHAPTER 259

Then I walked over to Angela and leaned against the railings, the cool metal pressing into my palms as I gazed out at the changing space. As expected, this was the best spot to watch for any Rogues that might ambush us—high enough to spot movement from afar.

"Wow, look what we’ve gotten ourselves into this time," Angela murmured, her eyes fixed on the horizon where the sun dipped low, casting long shadows over the rooftops. "These things keep happening to us, huh?"

A pang of guilt twisted in my chest. A part of this mess was written by me, the rest by that author who stole my work, twisting my ideas into something unrecognizable. "Don’t worry," I said, forcing a reassuring smile despite the uncertainty gnawing at me. "I know we’ll survive this..." and a lot of things will change after today.

This incident marked a pivotal turning point, and even in the original story, the main character’s life at the Academy was glossed over entirely after it unfolded, leaving a gaping hole in the narrative that I could only fill with speculation.

"Yeah, you’ll be leaving too," Angela said, her voice tinged with a mix of resignation and accusation, as if the words themselves carried the weight of inevitability.

"That... has nothing to do with it," I replied, a flicker of irritation sparking in my chest. These brats really know how to hold a grudge, huh? They kept harping on about me leaving, as if we wouldn’t meet in the future. "And please don’t ask why."

Angela pouted, her lower lip jutting out in that adorable way that always softened the edges of our arguments. "What would happen to us if you’re gone? You’re like the best walking dictionary whenever we don’t know the answer."

I chuckled, the sound light and genuine, and reached out to ruffle her hair—remembering how Raphael had once mentioned she liked it, a small gesture that always seemed to bridge the gap between us. "Don’t forget Cypher and Edge; they’re smart too, just not as sharp as me. Oh, wait, come to think of it, all our friends are pretty clever... except you," I said, grinning mischievously as her eyes widened in offense.

She immediately glared at me, her eyes flashing with that familiar mix of annoyance and affection, and shoved my hand away with a playful force that sent me stumbling back a step. "I just hate studying!"

I couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction, the sound bubbling up from deep within, amidst the chaos swirling around us.

"You know... you’re more like a sister than a friend," she said, her tone softening as she tilted her head, a wistful smile tugging at her lips. "If Raph was still alive, the two of you would surely make a perfect couple."

I froze, the words hitting me like a sudden chill, memories of Raphael flooding back in a rush—his easy grin, the way he’d always talk to me softly, the unspoken what-ifs that haunted my quieter moments.

"B-But don’t think that it’ll be easy becoming my sister-in-law!" she quickly added, her cheeks flushing as she tried to cover the vulnerability with bravado, waving a hand dismissively.

We bantered back and forth, our mock insults hanging in the air like old jokes. But then the gentle breeze that had been whispering across the rooftop suddenly turned fierce. It slapped against my face with sharp, unrelenting force, stinging my skin and whipping my hair into a frenzy.

From the distant East Sea, a waterspout erupted like a monstrous serpent rising from the depths—a tornado infused with raw, pulsating energy. Its ferocious currents shook the very foundations of the Academy, rattling the railings beneath my hands and sending tremors through the ground. The sky darkened ominously, clouds churning with an unnatural fury, and I gripped the edge tighter.

Angela’s eyes widened in alarm, the laughter dying on her lips, and in that instant, the fragile peace of the rooftop shattered. "Are you seeing this, Remillia?" she gasped, her voice cutting through the howling wind as she pointed toward the horizon.

"Is that a waterspout?" Aurora yelled, sprinting toward us from her post, her footsteps pounding against the rooftop like urgent drumbeats. Her hair whipped wildly in the gale, and she skidded to a halt beside us.

I forced myself to remain calm, though the sight of this supernatural phenomenon twisted my stomach into knots, and I couldn’t help but frown, my mind racing. ’Let’s see what you’re up to, Author,’ I thought bitterly.

With a deep breath, I activated my Gift as I gazed out into the distance, my vision sharpening unnaturally but before I could see what it was, the system interface materialized before me, glowing faintly against the stormy backdrop. [There’s a new update.]

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Story Update! The Kraken’s Awakening!

Who in their right villainous mind would just disturb a legendary sleeping monster? Might as well cause havoc while doing their main mission—so the Rogues fully awakened the Kraken, ensuring attentions are divided.

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My jaw dropped, the words hanging in the air like a death sentence. ’Is this Author crazy?!’ I raged inwardly, disbelief crashing over me in waves. ’They’re still students for fuck’s sake! This son of a bitch really wants to kill all the protagonists, huh?’

Speechless, I tore my gaze back to the monster emerging from the sea, its colossal form dwarfing the horizon. It was the size of the Eiffel Tower, tentacles thrashing like living thunderbolts, coiling and uncoiling with primal fury. Why did it have to be the legendary Kraken, of all things?

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Kraken

Grade: Legendary

An enormous cephalopod, which stands approximately 330 meters (1,083 feet) tall. Its body is covered in thick, rugged skin, mottled with dark hues of deep blue, black, and green. Its eight long, powerful arms are lined with rows of suckers and hooks, capable of grasping ships and pulling them into the depths. Two larger tentacles, often depicted with barbed tips, are thought to be used for crushing prey or damaging vessels.

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Glaring in our direction with eyes like fathomless abysses, the Kraken unleashed its fury, its massive tentacles thrashing wildly like the limbs of a colossal, enraged child throwing a tantrum. Each swing generated a colossal wave that surged across the land, a tidal force of raw, untamed energy that swept through the grounds, uprooting trees and shattering structures in its path. The air crackled with residual magic.

Aurora and Angela suddenly screamed in agony, their voices piercing the storm’s roar as their bodies convulsed violently, limbs jerking uncontrollably. I dropped to my knees beside them, my hands hovering helplessly as horror gripped me. Their veins bulged grotesquely, protruding from their necks and faces in twisted, pulsing lines, as if their very lifeforce were rebelling against an overwhelming invasion.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath, not knowing what to do.

Arcane Backlash.

Legendary monsters like the Kraken were masters of wielding immense magical power, their mere gestures capable of flooding the air with energies that lesser beings couldn’t withstand. Aurora and Angela, exposed to the Kraken’s simple wave of tentacles, had been overwhelmed—the raw magic surging into them without mercy, their bodies unable to contain or process such a sudden influx. It was tearing them apart from the inside, a cruel side effect of proximity to such a primal force.

I, however, remained untouched by the backlash, simply because I harbored no magic within my own body. Regret clawed at my chest; I never should have told them to accompany me up here.

"Calm down and slowly breathe in and out," I urged them, my voice steady despite the panic clawing at my throat, but they were lost in their agony, their screams drowning out my words as their bodies writhed uncontrollably, veins throbbing beneath their skin.

I glanced back at the Kraken. ’Well, fuck me.’ Even though it was just throwing a tantrum, its every movement spelled life or death for us. The colossal beast was gearing up for a devastating attack, its tentacles swirling like a vortex of doom as its magic power began to fuse at their tips, crackling with an ominous, blood-hued energy.

There was no way for me to dodge it outright, but running wasn’t an option either—that attack would unleash catastrophic destruction, leveling everything in its path. If the main characters perished here, who would carry the plot forward? I needed them alive to get out of this novel.

I quickly summoned my bow, the weapon materializing in my hand with a faint shimmer. Activating my Spectral Seal, I felt the familiar surge of power ripple through me, pulling the string taut as I visualized the coordinates in my mind. In an instant, arrows of pure energy shot forth, weaving a barrier into existence—but it was flimsy at best.

Gritting my teeth, I unleashed volley after volley, each arrow layering upon the last until at least five protective barriers stood between us and the Kraken’s attack. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I poured every ounce of my power into them, my body trembling from the exertion. My eyes began to glow brightly even the seal etched into my sternum flared with an intense, searing radiance.

I squeezed out everything without holding back a single drop, my reserves draining like a river into a bottomless void. The pain in my sternum sharpened to a razor’s edge, each pulse sending jolts of agony through my nerves, but I clenched my teeth harder, refusing to yield. Once the fourth layer of the barrier solidified, the Kraken’s tantrum descended upon us.

Blood splattered across my mouth as I gritted my teeth even tighter, the metallic tang flooding my senses, but I forced myself to ignore the searing torment, my focus laser-sharp on maintaining the barrier.

A mere tantrum, nothing compared to a full-on assault, yet it felt as if my body were being bent in half, every muscle screaming in protest against the overwhelming pressure that threatened to crush us into oblivion.

Enduring the relentless barrage, I glanced down at Angela and Aurora, their forms still convulsing faintly but only Angela was looking up at me, her gaze fixed with an eerie intensity. To be precise, she was staring at the golden seal shining through my clothes, its radiant glow piercing the fabric like a star in the night. Her eyes were hollow and out of focus, vacant pools that mirrored the void of pain and magic tearing her apart from within.