Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey

"Do you think you can ignore me? Do you have a death wish or something?" Samuel asked us, It seems that he is upset that we didn't pay any attention to him.

His face was full of anger, I could see that he was barely keeping his demon instinct down.

I turned toward him, I just had to buy time until reinforcement came.

"Of course not, how could a lowly rank hero student ignore you?"

"I see, you do have a death wish."

What...?

I thought I said something that a low-rank student said but it seems that my voice came out in a mocking tone.

Hmm, maybe I should practice more on my acting skills?... Nah too much work.

Samuel again used those tanticls of his.

"Get some distance away from me Isabella," I said to her, as I tried to distance myself too.

She did get away from the tentacle this time but I was late.

I protect myself with my sword as I deflect his tentacle. but Samual flew towards me using his tentacle. With his increasable D- rank speed he was near my face within a second.

'oh shit.'

"got you now, You little mouse," he said craziness in his voice.

I could not even dodge even if I wanted, as grabbed my neck with his tactical hands.

"Uuuk!"

It was an indescribable pain. As I was getting choked, I was deprived of oxygen. I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't talk. All I could do was struggle...

...My vision began to turn cloudy. I couldn't feel my limbs. My body felt numb, but I didn't see anything like my life flashing before my eyes.

My thoughts cut off and my pulse began to slow.

I closed my eyes. I was unfamiliar with the sensation of death.

—Let go, you bastard!

Like a bolt of lightning, someone's shout woke my consciousness from falling asleep.

Isabella was flying up behind Samuel's back.

She raised both of her hands in Samuel's direction and cast an earth magic spell.

"Earth magic:- earth bullet."

A large part of the earth ripped off into the air and transformed into three to five bullets.

It happened so fast that Samuel didn't have time to protect himself.

Earth bullets his head, tentacle hands, knees and back.

Samuel has to realise that after that.

-Thwack!!

-Boom

The impact of the earth bullet made him fly across the ground as he hit himself with a large tree.

"...Puhak."

As for me, I gasped for air on the ground.

This was the first time I felt so thankful to have oxygen.

Haa... haa... haa...

After three big pants, I leaned against a tree trunk.

"Thanks for the help." Then, I spoke nonchalantly while looking at where Samuel was thrown.

I know, that Basterd is not going to die that easily and I was right. He again rose to his feet.

"I need more time to gather mana, I poured every mana I had in that spell but even so he is not dead."

Isabella said to me as I looked at the rising figure of Samuel.

"How much time do you need?"

"I don't know maybe a minute or two?"

I took the sword in my hand and was ready to fight.

"We don't have time. Make it quick."

"Tsk, you said like it's easy," she said and sat down on the ground with the lotus position and started together Mana around her.

Samuel who just got back up to his feet looked at Lucas and Isabella with contempt in his eyes.

"That was a nice hit but it will take more than this to take me down."

"Oh don't worry about that, we will take you down no matter what," I said to him but instead of another reply, he laughed at me.

"Hahaha, you are a funny one you know that you said you would take me down but can you say that same when you face them."

My eyes widened as I understood what he was saying. I turned toward 10 girls who just standing there now and began to move.

"It's the worst possible outcome I had thought and now it's coming true."

"Hahaha, what happened to you Lucas? Can't say anything now can you?"

"You crazy sick bastard," I said, venom visible in my voice.

Samuel gave me one last glance with a smirk on his face.

"Kill him."

At his word, they started to run at me.

***

In a flash, Lucas rounded to another corner of the ground, he knew their target was and he didn't want to cause Isabella a problem as she was gathering mana in her surroundings.

He made eye contact with those cold, emotionless white pupils. They locked onto Lucas with a concealed murderous intent as though it was still slinking in the shadows.

It was the same girl who said want to be grouped with Samuel, with a shy expression. Now there is not any inch of emotion on her face.

'How unfortunate…'

Lucas braced himself as he clashed with her.

The girl's arm suddenly doubled in length shooting toward Lucas, but a step ahead, Lucas had already tilted his head to the side. He had already seen through this girl's skill, why wouldn't he be ready for such a change?

Lucas took a strong step forward. His sword spun in his hand, its butt rounding in a beautiful semi-circular arc and crushing the back of the girl's head.

Lucas didn't want to use any of his sword techniques because he knew that he could kill her if he used it.

So Lucas decided to use his swordsmanship level 2 to fight against them.

-Thud

The girl's body went limp with a thud she dropped onto the ground, she was unconscious now.

But there are nine more people under Samuel Mainupaltion's ability.

Lucas plans to fight one andwithne to all of them. He already knows that if he tries to fight all of them at once he will be killed in a minute.

Lucas didn't have much time to finish his thoughts as the fireball came. Lucas had already sensed it, so he jumped a few meters back.

-Boom

A blast occurred where he was standing. It was a powerful fire magic power, Lucas could tell at first glance, thankfully he dodged it.

After the dust settles down Lucas could see the face of a girl who had just launched an attack on him.

She has short brown hair with brown eyes she has above-average beauty but is not as beautiful as Evelyn, Isabella and Emma.

Lucas had a smirk on his face as he could tell that this girl was a mage.

Mageus always had a weak body but they also have toned off Mana at their disposal.

And since she is a mage all Lucas has to do is fight in close range.

Lucas took the sword backhanded position and channelled his mana to his movement Art.

"Stellar Stride's first movement:- Astral Dash"

Lucas uses Astral dash leaving behind a trail of stardust that momentarily conceals on his form. This sudden acceleration allowed Lucas to, catch off-guard a mage in front of him.

Before she could use any magic ability Lucas reached her and just like before he hit her on the back of her head.

-Thud

The girl's white pupils rolled back on her eye socket and with Thud she went unconscious.

Lucas took a deep breath, his mana also running low at very high speed. He doesn't know when but at this rate he will done for.

Lucas cast a glance at Samuel who was just sitting at Boulder and there was a smile on his face, for him this was some kind of show he was watching.

The question is why he didn't use this time to place Isabella under his spell. If he did that all of this end in an instant.

Lucas also knew why he did not use that Manipulation again. There are two drawbacks to Manipulation ability. First, you can only use this ability once a day and second feedback is Samuel can Manipulate ten people in a day.

Unlike the head of the Malic clan uses his ability without worrying about any drawbacks Samuel can't do that.

And he already uses this ability today, so he can't use it until tomorrow.

'If Isabella joins now we can finish this fast.'

Lucas glances at Isabella and he can see that she is still absorbing Mana.

'Two minutes already passed, just how much time does she need?'

Lucas thought as he glanced back to the approaching enemy.

"What happened Lucas? Don't tell me you are about to give up. Then who will take me down?"

Seeing Lucas's haggard figure Samual could not help but Mock Lucas.

Hearing Samuel's words Lucas could not help but grit his teeth, he looked at Samuel again with anger on his.

"shut up you son of bitch, after taking care of this mess I will cane for you."

"Oh nice, I like that sound but you should hurry up before I jump into action."

"I told you to shut up."

"Easy there man. Let me help you how to finish this mess."

Lucas doesn't like this conversation where it's going. Lucas also knows what he is going to say.

He is going to say

"Kill them all Lucas, it's an easy way for you."

Kill them all.