Villainous Instructor at the Academy
Chapter 64: The thing that walks

Chapter 64: The thing that walks

The air thickened.

A heavy, suffocating pressure settled over the clearing, weighing down on my chest.

Julien’s knuckles were white as he tightened his grip on his sword, his stance shifting. Mira was just as tense, her dagger glinting faintly as she adjusted her position.

Even Felix wasn’t fidgeting.

Because we all saw it.

The figure emerging from the treeline.

It wasn’t... human.

Not anymore.

Tall. Gaunt. Its limbs were too long, its posture unnervingly off-balance. The skin was stretched too thin over its bones, pale and cracked, as if it had been left out in the sun too long.

But it was the eyes that sent a chill down my spine.

Empty. Hollow.

And yet... they saw everything.

"Professor..." Julien’s voice was low. "What the hell is that?"

"I don’t know," I muttered.

And I hated that.

In Sword of Radiance, I would’ve had a name for this thing. Some lore entry buried in forgotten side quests. Some hint from the devs that most players ignored.

But this?

This was new.

And I didn’t like new.

"Wallace," I murmured softly.

"I... I’m here," he rasped, his voice strained.

"Can you move?"

"Barely," he muttered. "But I’ll manage."

"Good," I murmured, eyes never leaving the figure.

Leo was breathing, but he wasn’t waking up. Whatever that thing had done to him...

It wasn’t over.

"Felix."

"Y-Yeah?"

"Stay with Leo."

"But—"

"Stay."

Felix swallowed, but he didn’t argue.

"Julien."

"Ready."

"Mira?"

"Ready," she echoed, her tone sharper than usual.

I tightened my grip on my cane.

"Wallace," I murmured softly.

"Seal?"

"Seal."

"Understood," he rasped, already dragging himself toward the outer ring of the runes.

The creature stepped closer.

The ground groaned beneath its weight, even though it didn’t seem that heavy.

But that wasn’t what worried me.

It was the pulse.

Faint. Barely there.

But...

It was coming from inside Leo again.

No.

"Professor..." Mira’s voice was tight. "I don’t like this."

"Neither do I," I muttered.

The thing stopped.

It didn’t speak. Didn’t move.

It just... watched.

But I could feel it.

Its attention wasn’t on us.

It was on Leo.

"Hell no," I muttered.

"Professor?" Julien asked.

"Wallace," I murmured softly, stepping forward.

"I’m almost there," Wallace muttered, carving the last of the new runes into the dirt.

Not fast enough.

The creature tilted its head.

"Stay away from him," I murmured, my voice low.

It didn’t move.

But I saw it.

The flicker.

The brief pulse of energy that rippled through the ground.

It was testing us.

"Wallace—"

"Done!"

The runes flared to life just as the thing moved.

Fast.

Too fast.

"Down!" I barked.

Julien barely had time to react, throwing himself to the side as the creature’s clawed hand swiped where he had been standing.

Mira’s dagger flashed, striking out at the creature’s side, but—

Nothing.

The blade barely scratched it.

"Shit!" Mira hissed, rolling away as the creature’s gaze snapped toward her.

"Wallace!" I barked.

"Sealing!" he rasped, pouring what little mana he had left into the runes.

The lines glowed brighter, forming a circle around Leo’s body.

But the creature...

It wasn’t stopping.

"Julien!"

"On it!"

Julien was already moving, his sword arcing toward the creature’s neck—

Clang.

The blade hit... and bounced off.

"Are you kidding me?" Julien hissed, ducking just as the creature’s arm lashed out again.

"Professor!" Mira’s voice was tight.

"I know!"

I didn’t have time to think.

Runes.

That was all I had left.

I slammed my cane into the ground, pouring what was left of my mana into the dirt.

Improvise.

If I couldn’t kill it...

I could bind it.

The runes responded, shifting and twisting beneath my will.

The creature sensed it—its head snapping toward me.

"Too late," I murmured softly.

The runes ignited.

Bind.

Chains of mana erupted from the ground, latching onto the creature’s limbs.

It didn’t scream.

But I felt it.

The rage.

"Hold," I murmured, my teeth clenched as the magic strained against the creature’s strength.

It was fighting me.

Hard.

"Professor..." Wallace’s voice was weak.

"I’ve got it," I murmured.

But not for long.

"Julien," I rasped, sweat dripping down my brow.

"Yeah?"

"Hit the damn thing."

"With what?"

"Figure it out."

Julien gritted his teeth, but he didn’t argue.

His eyes scanned the clearing—looking for anything, something he could use.

"Professor!" Mira’s voice was sharp. "It’s—"

Crack.

The chains splintered.

"Not yet," I hissed, forcing more mana into the array.

Hold.

"Julien!" I barked.

"Got it!"

I barely saw him move—

But I felt it.

Mana surged through the clearing as Julien’s sword flared.

"Move!" he shouted.

I released the binding just as Julien’s blade came down.

CRACK.

The impact sent a wave of mana surging through the air—

And the creature staggered.

For the first time.

"Now!" I barked.

Mira was already moving, her dagger slicing through the air.

This time—

The blade bit.

The creature screamed.

A hollow, echoing sound that made my blood run cold.

But we weren’t done.

"Wallace!"

"Seal’s ready!"

"Do it!"

The runes flared again, the circle around Leo glowing brighter.

"Bind it!" I barked.

Wallace didn’t hesitate.

The runes shifted, latching onto the creature instead.

The chains snapped back—

But this time...

They held.

"Now!" I shouted.

Julien didn’t need to be told twice.

His sword came down again—

And this time—

The creature didn’t get back up.

Silence.

For a moment, none of us moved.

Then—

"Is it... dead?" Felix whispered.

I didn’t answer.

Because I wasn’t sure.

But the pulse...

It was gone.

For now.

"Professor..." Wallace’s voice was weak.

"Rest," I murmured softly, my eyes scanning the clearing.

No more movement.

No more shadows.

Just...

Silence.

"Julien?" I murmured softly.

"Clear," he muttered, his voice tight.

"Mira?"

"Nothing," she murmured, her eyes still scanning the treeline.

"Felix?"

"Leo’s breathing," he whispered softly.

Good.

But I wasn’t celebrating yet.

Because whatever that thing was...

It wasn’t supposed to be here.

And I had a really bad feeling...

This was just the beginning.