An Otherworldly Scholar [LITRPG, ISEKAI]

Zealots didn't learn skills like other classes. The System gave them the right tools to accomplish their Quests, which made them highly dangerous.

I pushed Rup behind my back, wondering if the Zealots would get a power boost if I were deemed an obstacle to their Quest. There was only one thing I could do if the System decided to issue a hunting order against me: pray.

'If you are listening, I really need your help,' I thought, focusing my mind on the figure of the System Avatar.

The Zealot right in front of me channeled mana into his dagger and lunged. His weapon broke the first layer of my mana barrier. It felt like a punch to the gut. Although the Zealot was far below my level, I didn't want to make the Quest subroutine my enemy by attacking them. Having wave after wave of Zealots coming after me wasn't in my future plans.

The Zealot tilted his head and attacked again. His movement was a perfect copy of the first attack. My barrier endured the hit, and [Mana Mastery] violently pulled energy from my pool to regenerate the damage. Rup was frozen behind me.

"She will not turn," I shouted.

"Don't interfere, Instructor Robert Clarke. We are carrying out a Quest," the Zealot replied with a monotone voice.

The Zealots phased out of sight, and an instant later, I was surrounded by two white and golden blurs stabbing my barrier. [Foresight] had difficulties following their movement. Mana was drained from my pool at a dizzying speed. Cold sweat fell down my back, but I didn't dare to move a finger against them.

"I already extracted the Red Corruption from her body!"

The assault continued.

The Zealots didn't care about the Corruption. As long as Rup was on their Quest, they would attack. They couldn't avoid it. They felt the voice of the System in their minds, every day and every night since they got their Classes. Astrid described the sensation as ants skittering on her brain, and the only way to scratch the itch was to complete their mission.

"Hang on, Rup," I whispered.

I waited for an opening, turned and grabbed Rup, and shot into the sky. The girl clung to me like a scared cat. Thankfully, her nails were cut short, unlike Astrid's.

Regardless of the level difference between me and the Zealots, my mana pool wasn't going to last forever.

I looked down. One Zealot retreated, knelt on the ground, and summoned a phantom bow from thin air. A black mana arrow materialized in his hand, and he aimed. [Foresight] slowed the world around me as the Zealot shot. I grabbed Rup firmly by her jacket, and [Minor Aerokinesis] got me away from the arrow's path.

I looked at the Zealots from high above the ground, but suddenly, the arrow turned and shattered my barrier.

A shiver ran down my spine.

The attack was stronger than I had expected, and a huge chunk of my mana pool was depleted with that single strike. I landed a few hundred meters away, panting. It wasn't a lie when Astrid told me that Zealots always had the right skillset for the job. Piercing spells were my greatest weakness.

"We got this," I grunted.

[Minor Aerokinesis] threw me across the forest. I didn't have much of a plan, just the hope that the Zealot's Quest would be updated before I had to resort to more desperate means. Rup was extremely light, and she clung to my side in silence. I couldn't tell if she was exhausted or frightened. She was probably both.

I felt the presence of the Zealots behind me and realized I wasn't gaining any distance on them.

Could I even draw the chase until they ran out of mana, or would the System just increase their reserves until I was nothing but a sitting duck?

The bush to our left exploded, and a Zealot built like a house charged into me. The barrier held, but I was violently pushed against a tree. My ribcage creaked. [Foresight] didn't warn me about his presence, which meant he was using a powerful concealing skill.

Soon, I was surrounded by five Zealots. Other than the big one that had tackled me, I could barely tell them apart. Their robes and masks made them all the same.

"Don't interfere. We are carrying out a Quest," the huge Zealot said.

I used [Silence Dome] around Rup's head and covered her eyes with my hand. She struggled to free herself, but I was considerably stronger. Then, I summoned my Character Sheet and turned it around.

Name: Robert Clarke, Human. (Light-Footed, Night Vision)

Class: Runeweaver Sage Lv.45.

Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Consultant Detective, Researcher of the Hidden, Headmaster, Classroom Overlord, Golden Sage, Silver Runeweaver, +15 others.

Passive: Lv.6 Swordsmanship, Lv.1 Polearm Mastery, Lv.1 Riding, Mana Mastery, Foresight, Master of Languages.

Skills: Identify, Magical Ink, Silence Dome, Invigoration, Stun Gaze, Intimidate, Mirage, Runeweaver Encyclopedia, Rune Debugger, Rune Identification, Minor Aerokinesis, Minor Pyrokinesis, Minor Geokinesis, Minor Hydrokinesis.

"I'm a Runeweaver!" I shouted. "The System chose me! You may not interfere with my mission. I'm telling the truth!"

My Character sheet was enough to pique the Zealot's interest, at least for a moment.

However, the answer remained the same.

"Don't interfere, Runeweaver Robert Clarke. We are carrying out a Quest."

I thought about jumping, but the archer Zealot had an arrow on the bowstring. Before I could plan my next step, the Zealots attacked my barrier. My mana dropped below half of my reserves.

There was no more room for doubt.

Dismissing the [Silence Dome], I focused on the scene before me.

Every problem has a solution.

I wasn't going to let them touch Rup.

Five heads had to roll.

Ebros might have made me a better killing machine than a teacher, but maybe it was for the better. There was no universe in which I'd let one of my students die. If that meant to make enemies with the Church of the System, so be it. I just had to show them how destructive a human from Earth could be.

I channeled my mana, and the Zealots froze for an instant.

[Foresight] helped me to trace a battle plan. The archer had to go first. Charger and Daggers could wait for last, as close-quarters combat was my strong point. I couldn't give them time to adapt to my movements. [Stun Gaze] should stop one, and [Intimidate] would slow down the rest.

A mana blade appeared in my hand, but just in that moment, like automatons who had completed their tasks, the Zealots stopped moving. They exchanged a knowing glance and disappeared without looking back. Rup and I remained stuck in place, trying to make sense of what had happened.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

I felt the prompt coming.

You can thank me later, Cowboy.

"Are you done buying milk now, huh?" I grunted, lying on the ground.

It wasn't the amount of mana consumed that got me, but the rate of consumption. [Mana Mastery] wasn't designed to serve as a barrier, which made it really inefficient compared to other defensive spells.

"Excuse me?" Rup asked, confused.

"Oh. Ignore me. I was talking to myself."

The prompt was replaced by another.

I hate to bring bad news, but I sensed a peak of Corruption just like the Lich's.

Things aren't looking good here in the back end.

If things continue this way, the System will become inoperative soon.

Find the source and destroy it.

If you don't, our two or three decades will become two or three months.

I stood up and examined the surroundings. No more Zealots came nearby.

The System Avatar's words made me feel uneasy.

'Why didn't the Zealots help deal with the Lich?' I mentally asked.

Alexander technically performed an attack from inside the System.

That's my domain, so I called you for help.

The Quest subsystem is designed to deal with attacks from the outside.

This is an outside attack.

'Is it Byrne?'

I don't know.

I can't see him.

He's not part of the Fractalis System anymore.

'What do you mean? He showed me his Character Sheet the first time we met… oh.'

Oh?

My mind fit the pieces of the puzzle, and I didn't like the picture.

I believed I had taken the initiative in our first meeting, but what if I was mistaken? My assessment of Byrne had been constructed based on our first encounter, where I assumed I had surprised him. I had assumed he had his guard down, and he was too surprised to come up with a lie in the moment. I had assumed my reading was true because [Foresight] had told me so.

What if he was ahead of all that?

What if he had prepared for [Awareness], [Foresight], or any detection skill?

If Byrne was invisible to the System Avatar, he might be invisible to detection skills as well.

I stood in silence.

Robert?

Why was I even trusting the System?

'What is the Red Corruption?' I asked.

The System didn't respond this time.

'Are you there?'

Yes, but I have little time.

Eliminate the Corruption. Understand the runes. Become stronger.

And please… trust me.

No. I wasn't ready to believe anyone anymore.

Byrne wasn't trying to fix the Corruption Cycle. It was a natural occurrence like the seasons, not something men could stop. I was starting to suspect that the System Avatar couldn't do it either.

'Will fixing the System stop the Corruption Cycle, or are you just planning to fix the System for the survivors?'

Like a shadow leaving a room, the presence of the System Avatar disappeared. I opened my eyes, wanting to curse everything under the sun. Just when I thought I had stopped being naive, I found a whole new basement of naivety.

The silence extended until Rup spoke.

I had forgotten she was by my side.

"Instructor Clarke?" she said in a little voice. "Can I say something strange?"

"I don't think you can come up with anything more strange than what Fenwick says on a daily basis. Tell me."

Rup looked away, embarrassed.

"I think you might be one of my favorite teachers."

New title acquired!

Favorite Teacher (104): Going to school isn't that bad with you at the blackboard. [Identify] You have not only managed to teach your students but to earn their respect and affection.

Reward: Slightly increased mana pool (104).

"Thanks, Rup."

The little mana boost made me feel better.

"Should we go back and get Wooden Rup?" I asked.

"She can return on her own."

"Let's go, then. We don't have time to lose."

Rup climbed my back, and I shot into the air.

For the next six hours, I traveled through the exam area, exterminating Corrupted monsters of all sizes and shapes. The only common point was that everyone was vaguely humanoid. Those recently turned were weak enough for a regular Lv.30 to deal with, but the more time passed, the more they evolved. Of course, none were a challenge for me.

Firana relayed the message to the main camp faster than I expected, and the third-year cadets and instructors poured into the valley. Harsh terrain meant very little to high-level combatants. Even if they lacked movement skills, their physical growth alone was enough for them to cover hills in only a few jumps.

From the air, I saw Ghila cutting a cliff in two with a single movement of her sword.

While Instructors and Zealots focused on combat, the Wolfpack, Rosethorn, and Black Basilisk squads combed the area for survivors.

Before sunset, most cadets and dropouts had gathered at Station Six, which was the nearest to the mouth of the valley. I only stopped moving when every member of Cabbage, Basilisk, and Gaiarok squads was accounted for. The comms array made it so we had perfect coordination, but despite our success, the mood was somber.

Station Six had turned into an emergency camp. The ground had been flattened, and several tents had been erected. I noticed a few soldiers with the golden stag stamped on their surcoats. Royal soldiers hadn't been with us at the caravan.

Fatigue was stronger than my curiosity, so I sat on a corner and weaved Fountain mana to refill my depleted mana pool.

A familiar voice

"Please hydrate, Robert."

I turned around to meet Byrne's eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Remember that I said I would market the portals to make people familiar with them? Well, it happened sooner than I expected. The High Priest of the System Church needed Zealots here, so I opened a portal for them," Byrne said with a tired voice. "Thirty-two people to be precise, between Zealots and escorts. Now I see why. It's a shame the occasion wasn't a jolly one."

I grabbed the waterskin but didn't drink despite my dry throat. My mind was elsewhere.

"Don't blame yourself, Robert. It is not your fault. We, as a kingdom, failed to protect our youth," Byrne said, but his words slipped over my skin.

"Maybe, but we as individuals have the duty to reflect on our mistakes," I replied, standing and handing him the waterskin. "I have to return to work."

It was time for me to control the flow of information.

I found Wolf in one of the tents, tending to the wounded cadets. He was easy to notice. Not only was he green and huge compared to the other healers, but he was the only one using a face mask and gloves.

Wolf grabbed the shoulder of a wounded cadet and put it back in its socket. The cadet bellowed in pain. Then, Wolf immobilized the area with a tightly tied bandage. The cadet asked for a potion or a healing spell, but Wolf ignored him.

Triage was a cold endeavor.

"Instructor Clarke? Are you wounded?"

I felt Wolf's mana already circulating into his hands.

"I'm leaving the radio backpack with you. When Ilya arrives at the camp, give it to her and tell her to take charge of comms," I said, putting my backpack down.

"Are you going somewhere?"

I grabbed Wolf's shoulder and pulled him near me. Not even a Lv.50 Sentinel could hear us among the moans and cries of the wounded.

"I'm returning to the capital. There is something I need to check while the cat is outside," I said, surreptitiously signaling with a movement of my head towards the other side of the tent.

Wolf raised his eyes and watched Byrne help a wounded dropout to drink water.

"Want me to entertain him?"

The offer caught me off guard.

"Entertain him?"

"Yeah. If you need a distraction, I can make a scene. I'm not as good an actor as Ilya, but I think I can pull out a credible performance. People will buy it if I reproach him for being an absent parent."

Although it was completely inappropriate to laugh in a hospital tent full of people in pain, a giggle almost escaped my lips.

"Do you want to do that?" I asked.

"No? As I said before, I would rather remain no contact with him."

I gave Wolf a playful shake and smiled.

"The Teal Moon orcs are lucky to have you," I said. "I don't need a diversion. Just give the backpack to Ilya and keep your eyes peeled. There is something strange about the Zealots running around."

Wolf's green skin disguised his blush.

I rummaged through my potions pouch and put everything except for a Health Potion and the corrupted potion in Wolf's hands.

"Keep up with the good work."

"I'll see you soon," he replied.

Although Astur wasn't responsible for the Corrupted monsters, he was the one who had to ensure the safety of the exam participants. To say the situation was a disaster was an understatement, but only time would tell the political repercussions of the attack. If Astur played his cards well, all the guilt would be placed on the shoulders of the anti-nobility rally.

I walked to the edge of the camp. The Cabbage class was gathered near the monolith around a small campfire. All eleven of them were safe. Leonie and Odo had been the ones who had been most injured, but their wounds had been superficial.

It was a shame I had no time to offer them comfort or company.

As soon as I crossed the tree line, I channeled my mana and used [Mirage] to hide my presence. I traveled west for half an hour and then made a sharp turn to the south. Using [Minor Aerokinesis], I aimed towards Cadria and shot up, above the trees.