The Novel's Professor

A rough and familiar face exited the corners of the wooden houses. The man looked at the surroundings, his eyes moving around the place in search for something.

Rio looked at the walls surrounding the village. There were several good spots to exit on, however each every one of them were tightly guarded.

He stared at his body. His body was still in an minor illusion, a small trick to fool them. He didn't have the time to change clothes with the man he was copying, so he figured he should settle for this.

The only problem, or biggest problem was, the illusion was a beginner skill. Any average or half-decent Miracle Invoker on the Sorcerers path would easily notice it.

Maybe luck blessed him for once, since the two people that he encountered were Miracle Invokers on the Martial Artists path. They didn't notice a thing, even if they did notice something he was prepared to knock them out.

Though, it was a good thing it didn't resulted to that. Or else, he would have a tougher time to escape here. More fights produce more noise. More noise would expose him. That itself is self-explanatory.

"This is tough..." Rio complained as he looked at the exit spots that were each tightly guarded. There was a single Sorcerer admist the guards at every exit.

He couldn't go near them or else they would easily spot the illusion that he casted on himself. Now what to do..? While he was at a state of deep pondering, a large and rough hand suddenly slapped his back.

Alarmed, Rio instantly turned his back and was greeted by an intimidating sight. A face full of scars, however most notably was the scar in the man's eye.

"So," Dallas said, smiling as he continued. "Are you just going to stand there?"

"...No." Rio replied, his eyes staring at the man in front of him.

"Oh?" Dallas exclaimed in suprise, his hands tightly clenching as he stood up, "No boss to me, Dallas? And you even look at me directly in the eye? Hey, what's your name?"

'I made a mistake,' Rio thought as his body froze in suprise. The other man was egoistic, and bossy to the core. He must be the leader. Stay calm. No, the opposite. Panic instead. Act scared and terrified.

"So-sorry boss! I'm a bit out of it lately, haha...haha.." Rio spoke as he averted his eyes and scratched down his head awkwardly.

"I asked for your name." Dallas said putting his hand over Rio's shoulder, adding weight and power to his palm.

Force suddenly erupted at Dallas hands, making Rio stagger in the sheer power. Dallas inserted more force his hand, pressing it down to Rio's shoulder.

He would've rebelled and attack. But he was no fool. Rio fell into his knees, trembling from the sudden power. He bowed his head as he replied with difficulty, "G-Ganbu....boss!"

"Good, good." Dallas spoked as he clapped his hands in approval. He turned his back and retreated, leaving behind few words, "Don't make the same mistake twice, Ganbu."

"Yes, boss!" Rio replied while his head was bowed down.

Once the man was gone, Rio raised his head. He stood still as the wind blowed his clothes. Suprisingly, the expression on his face was neither anger nor terror.

It was indifference. Uncaring and unfeeling of anything.

"I guess there are some semblance of similarity between earth and here." Rio muttered as he sighed. He knew people like Dallas too well. He had a lot of experience interacting with people like him.

People that were filled with arrogance and narcicissm at stepping at the weak. People that were too drowned on their power and authority. He had a fair share of encounter with many of them.

Rio shook his head, removing useless thoughts from his mind. He needed to focus at getting out of here. Then, he would plan out on what he would do.

Suddenly, an idea popped out in his mind. That could work. No, it was his only option. He needed it to work. He visualized the plan as he started walking to the corners of the village again.

As he took cover from the wooden houses, he looked at the surroundings. Checking if there were any people that were around. Confirming there were none, he ran his hand down to his face.

Instantly, his appearance changed. His skin turned into black, his face were filled with scars and his eye had a intimidating large scar.

"Step one, succesful." Rio nodded as he proceeded to the next step. This was the idea that appeared in his mind. Imitate Dallas and escape this place.

"Step two.." Rio muttered as he exited the corners, he looked at the surroundings searching a person. He found one. A man with a muscular body and a knuckles covering his arm. There, a Martial Artist that wouldn't be able to see through his illusion.

"Hey!" Rio shouted with impatience as he waved his hand to the person.

The man was shocked to say the least, he nodded as he approached Rio. He asked, "Your orders, Boss?"

"Go call the Sorcerer there," Rio ordered as he pointed at a person holding a staff from one of the nearby exits.

"Uh—" The man confused, looked directly at Rio.

"Are you questioning me?" Rio asked as he 'smiled'. They said that a smile could look threatening if given the right expression.

"Ah, no, no. Sorry boss, got it!" The man hurriedly nodded as he retreated and ran off to the call the other person.

Rio nodded, satisfied of the response. He walked to the corners of the wooden house once more. Taking cover from the wooden houses and hiding from others.

He walked through the darkness and corners, as he little by little make his way to the exit.

After several minutes, the man finally returned. However, this time he was not alone. He was accompanied by a thin middle aged man holding a staff.

"So what was it again?" The middle aged man asked in annoyance.

"Look, the boss is looking for you." The muscular man replied as he shrugged.

"The boss? Where is he then?" The thin middle aged man stretched his hands as he complained.

"I don't know really," The muscular man shook his head in resignation, "He was here a moment ago."

"Ugh for sure that arrogant bastard is just fucking with us." The middle aged man grumbled as he stomped his foot in anger.

Nobody liked the narcicisstic bastard much. He would even go as far everyone hated him. But they couldn't do anything. The man was far stronger than them, and he gave them money.

For them who had sunked in the deepest layer of greed and malice, that was enough. It was all about gains more than pride. If they could get money just by obeying the narcicisstic bastard, no one would complain.

Ignorantly, as the two were unaware. The 'boss' they were looking for silently approached the exit as he talked to the guard, easily letting him pass through without much identification.

—

At the middle of the village, a black skinned man with a scar on his eye stood still with veins bulging on his forehead. The atmosphere was in an unnerving silence.

"So, you're telling me," Dallas said, anger filtering his voice as he stare at the surrounding people, "With all of you...none. Not a single, fucking one. Found the person?!"

The others were quiet as air, too terrified to respond.

Dallas looked at each member, scrutinizing their behaviors and movement. He noticed two people seemed to be far more nervous than the others. He approached them.

"Hey," Dallas said quietly as his hand dropped into the short man's shoulder.

"..Eee!" The short man shivered when he felt the rough hand touch his shoulder. He raised his head, staring right into Dallas. He asked as he gulped, "Ye-yes boss..?!"

"Speak." Dallas ordered.

"W-what do you mean boss...?" The short man replied, averting his eyes.

"Do you want to die?" Dallas threatened, his hands ran to his back, holding the handle of a thin long sword.

"...Boss!" The man beside the short person suddenly intervened.

"What?" Dallas asked, removing his hand from the handle of the sword as he looked at the other man.

"Uh, Ganbu encountered the person..." The man said awkwardly as he scratched his head.

"Then where the hell is Ganbu?!" Dallas shouted as the veins of his forehead bulged further. Goddamn, incompetetent lot. For that matter, the name was quite familiar.

Ah, he remembered now. It was that little incompetent fuck that stood at the middle of the village.

"Uh...about that," The man said, averting his eyes from the maddened man. "You see...Ganbu is dead."

"Uhuh." Dallas nodded 'understandingly.' He should've known better to expect something good to come out of the man. Really, what should he expected from Rank D lots.

"S—" The man sighed, and was about to say something however before the words came out his mouth he flew to air. Blasted into one of the wooden houses, crashing and falling unconscious.

"What do you mean he was dead?!" Dallas shouted with unfiltered fury as he powered his fist. Dead? Are they fooling him? He had just saw him alive, "Don't lie to me bastard!"

"Boss!" The short man suddenly kneeled, tears pouring out his eyes in panic, "I'm not lying boss, we even know where his body is at!"

"What..?" Dallas exclaimed in suprise, his eyes filled with confusion as he remembered the man he talked to earlier, "I encountered Ganbu earlier. Alive."

"Th-thats impossible!" The short man shouted as shock filled his face. He continued, "We were even at the scene when he saw him slowly die!"

Dallas slightly bowed his head and turned quiet at that statement.

At that moment, everyone felt the fury and anger that was close to erupting. It was like a heated volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.