CHAPTER 67: FISH SCALE

The forest was different here.

The air was heavier, the mist thicker. Every step felt like it was dragging us deeper into something ancient.

"Are we close?" Julien murmured, his sword low but ready.

"Should be," I muttered, scanning the area.

Phantom Fish didn’t stay in one place for long. They lingered in mana-rich areas, feeding on ambient energy before vanishing like smoke. If we didn’t get there soon...

"We’ll miss our chance," I murmured.

"Great," Felix mumbled, shifting Leo’s weight on his back. "Chasing after ghost fish. What’s next? A dragon?"

"Don’t jinx it," Mira muttered, her eyes sweeping the trees.

Wallace was lagging behind, but he was moving. Barely.

"Wallace," I murmured softly.

"I’m fine," he rasped. "Keep moving."

I didn’t believe him, but we didn’t have time to argue.

"Professor..." Mira’s voice was tight.

I followed her gaze.

The ground ahead sloped downward, leading to a shallow, mist-covered stream. The water was still, almost unnaturally so.

"There," I murmured.

The glow was faint, but I saw it—rippling beneath the surface.

"Phantom Fish," Julien murmured, his eyes narrowing.

"About damn time," Felix muttered.

"Stay alert," I murmured. "They don’t stay in one place."

"Wallace," I said softly.

"Already working," he rasped, sinking to one knee.

His fingers traced a quick rune into the dirt, sending a pulse of mana outward.

A shimmer flickered across the water.

"Found them," Wallace murmured.

Three.

No—four.

Phantom Fish, barely visible, their scales reflecting light in distorted patterns.

"Now what?" Julien murmured.

"We take them," I said softly.

Phantom Fish Scales were on the list for a reason. They absorbed mana, made excellent conduits for enchanting, and—most importantly—could stabilize unstable arrays.

We needed them.

"Julien," I murmured.

"On it," he said, moving toward the edge of the stream.

Mira followed, her dagger already drawn.

"Felix, keep Leo back."

"Obviously," he muttered, but he was already moving to a safer distance.

Wallace stayed close, his eyes narrowed as he kept the detection rune active.

"Wait for it..." I murmured, cane at the ready.

The Phantom Fish moved like liquid shadows, slipping through the water with barely a ripple.

"Almost..."

The moment their glow intensified—

"Now!"

Julien struck first, his blade slicing through the water in a clean arc.

But the fish moved.

"Fast—!"

Mira was already there, her dagger flashing as she adjusted mid-motion.

"Got one!" she hissed, her blade cutting clean through one.

The glow dimmed instantly as the body dissolved, leaving behind...

"A scale!" Mira scooped it up, her expression sharp.

"Three more," I murmured, cane glowing as I traced a quick rune across the water.

A pulse of mana echoed outward, forcing the Phantom Fish into view.

"Julien!"

"On it!"

His sword was already moving, cutting clean through another.

"Two!"

"Wallace, lock them!" I barked.

"Trying!"

His rune flared, creating a brief shimmer that slowed the remaining fish.

"Now!"

Mira moved—

But before she could strike—

Snap.

"Stop!" I barked, sensing it before I saw them.

Mira froze.

The air shifted.

And then—

They stepped out of the mist.

"Son of a..." Julien muttered, his grip tightening on his sword.

Class B.

Six of them.

The second search team.

"Professor Drelmont."

The voice was smooth, cold.

Elias Verdane.

Tall, lean, and too damn smug for his own good. His brown hair was slicked back, his uniform pristine despite the chaos of the forest.

"Elias," I murmured, keeping my tone even.

But my grip on my cane tightened.

Behind him, five more students fanned out.

Class B elites.

Damn it.

"Looks like we’re after the same thing," Elias said casually, his eyes flicking to the glowing Phantom Fish.

"Imagine that," I murmured.

"Small world," he said with a smirk.

"Too small," I muttered.

"Professor," Mira murmured softly, shifting closer.

I felt it too.

The air was charged.

They weren’t here to negotiate.

"Elias," I murmured softly. "Turn around. Walk away."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why would I do that?"

"Because you don’t want this fight."

He smiled.

"I think I do."

Shit.

"Julien," I murmured softly.

"Already ready," he murmured, his sword shifting.

"Wallace."

"Trying to keep them locked," he rasped, his mana barely holding the Phantom Fish in place.

"Felix, Leo—stay back."

"Not moving," Felix murmured, his voice tight.

Elias stepped forward, his own weapon glowing faintly with mana.

"I’ll make this easy, Professor," he murmured.

"Doubt it," I muttered.

"Hand over the scales," he said softly, "and we walk away."

I didn’t answer.

"Or..." His smile sharpened.

"We take them."

"Try," I murmured softly.

For a moment, the clearing was still.

And then—

Chaos.

"Move!" I barked.

Julien was already there, meeting the first blow with a clash of steel.

Mira slipped through the shadows, her dagger flashing as she engaged another.

I moved toward Wallace, keeping him protected as he struggled to maintain the rune.

"Professor," he rasped, his face pale.

"Hold it together," I murmured, cane raised.

"Julien!"

"Busy!" he barked, his blade locking with Elias’s.

Elias wasn’t just fast. He was damn good.

But Julien was better.

"You’re slowing down, Verdane," Julien growled, pushing forward.

"Not slow enough," Elias hissed, his mana flaring as he pushed back.

Mira was holding her own, but two of the Class B students were double-teaming her.

"Felix!" I barked.

"Got it!"

A burst of mana erupted from him, forcing one of them back.

"Wallace!" I murmured.

"Almost... there..."

The rune flickered.

"Julien!"

"Now!"

Julien twisted, his blade cutting through the air—

Elias barely blocked in time, but it left him open.

Mira’s dagger found its mark.

"Gah!" Elias staggered back, clutching his side.

"Professor!" Wallace gasped.

The rune pulsed—

The Phantom Fish froze.

"Now!" I barked.

Mira moved.

One clean slice.

The last fish vanished—leaving behind two more scales.

"Got them!" Mira shouted, snatching them up.

"Fall back!" I barked.

"Not so fast!" Elias growled, his mana flaring—

But Julien was already there, his sword locking with Elias’s once again.

"Move!" Julien barked.

We didn’t need to be told twice.

"Mira, Felix—cover Wallace!"

"On it!"

I grabbed Leo, hauling him to his feet.

"Wallace!" I barked.

"Moving!" he rasped.

The scales were ours.

Now we just had to survive.

"Run!" I barked.

We tore through the mist, shadows closing in behind us.

But I knew one thing.

Elias wouldn’t forget this.

And he sure as hell wouldn’t forgive it.