The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy

Although much bigger than normal, the vent was still quite tight for too many people, and I was having difficulty carrying the slime girl.

Thwack!

Behind me, I could hear the faint sound of those guards hitting against the ice wall.

It wasn't going to break that easily.

I made sure to strengthen its fortitude.

'I brought a few potions, but they shouldn't do much help to my condition...'

Still, I ended up taking one of them, driving the liquid of the container to my throat.

"Ugh..."

A bland taste as always.

This past body consumed a lot of potions since he always ended up getting injured one way or another.

His training was hellish, and due to this care for his classmates, he ended up in a lot of trouble, especially against demon beasts.

So, he would get a lot of injuries, and now I'm pretty much addicted to potions.

"Ah..."

As I kept crawling forward, the vent sloped downward suddenly, and I lost my grip for a moment, sliding a short distance before stopping myself with my foot.

CLANG!

The sound echoed loudly, and I froze.

'Shit...'

I held my breath, straining to hear any noise behind me. But all I could hear was the faint hum of the machinery from the lab and the distant dripping of water.

No one was following me yet.

Eventually, I reached a junction where the vent split into three paths.

"Great..."

I took a look at each other.

None of them had any clear markings, and the dim light made it nearly impossible to tell where they led.

'If only the author described this a bit more...'

Instead, I closed my eyes and tried to feel the vibrations of the air. It was the only thing I could really do in this kind of situation.

'Left.'

The left path had a slight draft, a subtle pull of air that insinuated an opening. It wasn't much, but it was my best shot yet.

I entered the left part, dragging myself through the narrow space.

The vent grew colder as I moved, and the sound of rushing water became louder.

'Must be near the sewers again...'

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I saw a faint light ahead. A broken grate let in a soft, pale glow, probably due to the moonlight.

"Almost there..."

I reached the grate and then pushed it slightly.

It wouldn't budge at all.

So, I gathered mana in the palm of my hand...

CRACK!

The grate broke loose, falling with a dull sound onto the ground below.

Cool, damp air rushed in, and I leaned out, looking at where I ended up.

A large drainage tunnel stretched out in front of me, water running constantly along the bottom.

The smell was awful, but it smelled like freedom.

Carefully, I lowered myself down, landing with a splash in the shallow water before then looking around.

The tunnel was sparsely lit by some weak, flickering lights up along the ceiling. It was silent, except for the gentle rush of water.

I began walking, each step creating ripples in the dirty water.

Thankfully, after just a minute or so, the tunnel opened into a larger chamber. A rusted ladder led up to a hatch near the ceiling.

"Hah... finally."

I approached the ladder, shifting the slime girl in my arms once more. Climbing with one arm wasn't going to be easy, but I didn't have a choice.

Taking a deep breath, I reached for the ladder and started climbing as my muscles tensed up with every small movement.

'It hurts... damn it.'

I don't usually groan in pain and things like that because of my [Calm Mind] talent, however, it still hurts a lot.

It just means that I have a high pain tolerance.

Gurglee...~

After a few moments, I reached the top, and then I braced myself against the hatch and pushed.

Creack!

The hatch opened, and the night sky above greeted me. Cool, fresh air rushed in, washing away the stench of the sewers.

I climbed out, pulling the slime girl with me.

We were in an alley with tall buildings of the capital rising on either side. The streets were silent; only the hum of the city life came from some faraway distance.

I leaned against the wall, getting my breath back. My ribs hurt, my whole body was smeared with mud, and I was sure I looked like hell.

But we were safe.

For the time being.

I looked down at the slime girl in my arms. Her breath was steady as her chest rose up and down, but then, her eyelids quivered slightly.

Her green eyes flickered open briefly, meeting mine before closing again.

'This... what was that?'

I felt her arms suddenly enveloping my head more intimately, and then, her body's size suddenly decreased until she was the size of my hand.

Maybe even smaller than that.

"This..."

She opened her eyes once again and jumped to the small pocket on my shirt, peeking her head out.

And then closed her eyes once again.

'Weird...'

I have to go back to the hotel, I'll need a long shower...

...

The room was dark and elegant, almost like a private club. 

Black velvet coated the walls, while golden lights hanging from the ceiling gave everything a warm, rich glow.

A soft jazz tune played in the background, filling the air with a quiet rhythm.

There, Yara Devereux sat in the middle on a sleek leather sofa, her face impassive and cold, her dark eyes impassive as she swirled the glass of red wine in her hand.

The deep color of the wine seemed almost bloody, like the scarlet of her lips, and gave her a beautiful yet dangerous air.

Creak...!

The door in front of her opened slightly, and one of her subordinates stepped inside. He was visibly nervous, fidgeting his hands as he stood before her.

"Miss Devereux," he began with a quivering voice.

"There's been some sort of situation at the Ravenholm Laboratory."

Yara raised her eyebrow with a cold gaze.

"Go on."

The underling shifted uneasily.

"There was an intruder who got in earlier tonight. He… killed Dr. Estermont and some of the guards. Not just killed—tore through them like they were nothing. Reports say he used some sort of ice-based ability. It was fast, brutal."

Yara set her wine glass down on the table in front of her, the sound of the glass meeting wood echoing in the room.

"And the prototype?" she asked sharply.

"It's gone... he left with the slime girl."

The room fell silent as Yara leaned back, placing her fingertips on the arm of the sofa. Her face didn't change, but the weight of silence in the room took a darker turn.

"And the guards?" she finally asked.

The underling hesitated, then answered.

"The intruder fought alone, Miss Devereux. He handled all the guards himself, even while protecting the slime girl. Witnesses say he took down several B-rank fighters without much trouble. Dr. Estermont didn't stand a chance."

Yara's eyes narrowed slightly, but her face remained calm.

"How did he manage to escape?"

The underling's hands clenched nervously.

"He found the hidden vent system beneath the capsules. He used ice to block the others off and disappeared into the sewer system. We're tracking him now, but he's… slippery. Skilled."

Yara didn't reply immediately.

Her lips curved slightly as she picked up her glass again, her red nails lightly tapping the stem.

"And the cameras?" she asked, her voice soft yet laced with such weight that it sent a shiver down the man's spine.

"We're reviewing the footage now. We should have something soon," he stuttered, his head bowed.

"Good. Bring it to me as soon as it's ready."

"Yes, Miss Devereux," the man quickly replied before practically running out, closing the door behind him.

With him gone, Yara sat still, the glass in her hand as if lost in thought.

Something sharp, something dangerous glinted in her eyes.

Her lips curled into a faint smile, but it wasn't warm; it was sharp and deadly, like the edge of a dagger.

Her fingers tightened around the glass.

CRACK!

The wine glass shattered in her hand, shards tumbling to the floor, droplets of wine staining the expensive rug.

She didn't seem to care; her smile widened just a little as she muttered under her breath.

"Interesting."