Villainous Instructor at the Academy
Chapter 82: Before the storm

Chapter 82: Before the storm

The air was still as we stood near the mouth of the cave. I kept the illusion rune active until I was sure no one was nearby. My students were quiet—too quiet.

"Alright," I murmured, breaking the silence. "We’ve wasted enough time."

The illusion over the cave flickered as I tapped the rune with my cane, dispersing it. The entrance returned to its normal, rough stone, blending seamlessly with the forest around us.

"Stay close," I said, my voice low. "We’re moving out."

No one argued this time. Good.

We stepped into the open, the cool breeze brushing against our faces. The forest felt... different. The tension that had weighed down on us was gone.

Too quiet.

I didn’t like it.

"Eyes up." I glanced at Julien and Mira, both of whom immediately fell into position, scanning the surroundings. Garrick took point, his massive frame moving with practiced caution.

Leo was sticking close to Felix, and Wallace was staying near the center of the group, his mana still recovering. Cassandra...

I glanced at her.

She was walking silently, her expression blank. But she was alert. Watching.

"Professor..." Julien’s voice was low, barely above a whisper. "No sign of them."

"That’s what worries me." I frowned.

Kellan wasn’t the type to just... let things go.

If he wasn’t here, that meant he was waiting.

"We keep moving." I tapped the ground lightly with my cane. "We’re almost out."

The forest stretched ahead, and I could feel the edge of the boundary approaching.

"Stay sharp."

The students moved carefully, eyes darting to every shadow. But there was... nothing.

Not even a trace of the other classes.

"Something’s not right," Mira muttered, her dagger gripped tightly.

"I know." I kept my voice calm, but the knot in my gut was tightening.

And then...

<Attention all participants!>

The voice echoed through the forest, sharp and clear.

My eyes narrowed.

<The Scavenger Hunt has officially concluded.>

The words hung in the air for a moment before my brain fully processed them.

"What?" Julien blinked, his sword lowering slightly.

<All items have been accounted for.>

"Wait..." Felix frowned, his eyes wide. "We finished?"

<Return to the designated collection point for evaluation and results.*>

A sharp chime echoed, and the blue bird from before appeared, its ethereal form glowing faintly as it hovered above us.

"No way..." Wallace muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.

"We’re... done?" Leo’s voice was hesitant, as if he didn’t believe it.

"Yes." I exhaled, my grip on my cane loosening slightly. "We’re done."

Relief washed over the group.

Julien’s shoulders sagged. "Finally..."

Felix actually sat down on the ground, letting out a long breath. "I thought we were gonna die."

"You almost did," I muttered dryly, giving him a pointed look.

He quickly shut up.

"Professor..." Mira’s voice was still cautious. "Why does this..."

"Feel wrong?" I finished for her.

She nodded.

"Because it is."

The hunt was over. But Kellan...

"We need to move." My tone was sharp, cutting through the brief moment of calm.

"But, Professor—" Julien began.

"No." I shook my head.

"We’re not safe yet."

Their relief vanished instantly.

"What do you mean?" Wallace asked, his voice tight.

"Kellan." I spat the name out like poison.

Mira’s eyes narrowed. "He’s not going to just let this go, is he?"

"No."

Kellan wasn’t the forgiving type.

"He’s not going to come after us now," I murmured, scanning the treeline. "Not while the hunt is over."

But later...

"He’ll wait."

"For what?" Garrick asked, his voice low.

"For the right moment." I glanced at them, my expression hardening.

"And when he finds it..."

"He’s going to try to end us."

Silence fell.

"So what do we do?" Julien’s jaw clenched, his eyes dark.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm.

"We go back." I gestured toward the clearing ahead.

"We regroup."

"And then..." My voice dropped, eyes narrowing.

"We prepare."

Kellan wasn’t done.

But neither was I.

And this time...

I wouldn’t be caught off guard.

The walk back to the collection point was unnervingly quiet.

No chatter. No jokes. Even Felix wasn’t whining for once.

Good.

They needed to stay sharp.

"Professor..." Julien finally broke the silence, his voice low. "What happens if Kellan tries something after this?"

"He will." I didn’t sugarcoat it. "The hunt’s over, which means he can’t make a move here. But back at the Academy?"

I let the implication hang in the air.

"So... what do we do?" Garrick’s voice was steady, but I could see the tension in his jaw.

"Simple." I glanced back at them.

"We make sure we’re ready."

"Ready for what?" Mira asked, her eyes narrowing.

"For whatever comes next."

Kellan wasn’t going to let this go. Not after what I did to him.

"He’s not just going to attack us outright," I murmured. "That would be too obvious. Too messy."

"So he’s going to wait," Wallace muttered. "For when we least expect it."

"Exactly."

I wasn’t just worried about Kellan.

Class A and B weren’t going to let this humiliation slide either.

"They’ll come after us," I said, my voice cold. "But not out in the open. Not where the Academy can see."

"Then how?" Julien asked, his brow furrowed.

"They’ll target us..." I glanced at them.

"Individually."

A heavy silence followed.

"Wait..." Leo’s voice was quiet. "You mean... like sabotage?"

"Or worse."

Mira’s jaw clenched, her eyes hardening.

"Cowards."

"They don’t care about fair," I said, shaking my head. "They care about winning."

"So what do we do?" Garrick asked again, his tone more serious this time.

"We prepare."

I glanced back at them, my expression hard.

"When we get back to the Academy, we’re going to train."

Julien blinked. "More training?"

"Yes."

"But we’ve been training non-stop—"

"And you almost got yourselves killed because you underestimated a professor," I snapped, cutting him off.

Julien shut his mouth, his expression grim.

"We’re not just dealing with other students anymore," I continued. "Kellan’s a professor. And there are others like him."

They weren’t ready. Not for this.

But they would be.

"We’re going to sharpen your skills until they’re second nature." I glanced at each of them. "No more sloppy mistakes. No more lucky breaks."

"What kind of training?" Mira asked, her voice cautious.

"Everything."

"Everything?" Felix’s voice cracked slightly.

"Everything." I repeated, my eyes narrowing.

"Battle tactics. Mana control. Weapon proficiency. Psychological warfare."

"Psychological warfare?" Wallace blinked.

"Yes."

"That’s... a thing?"

"It’s always a thing," I muttered.

"Professor," Julien spoke up again, his voice steady. "Why are we doing all this?"

"Because," I said, my voice cold.

"The next time Kellan—or anyone—comes after us..."

I met their gazes, one by one.

"We’re not running."

Silence followed.

Good.

They needed to understand.

"We’re going to survive," I murmured.

"And we’re going to win."

They didn’t speak after that.

They understood.

We finally reached the clearing, where the other classes were already gathered.

The tension was thick—unsurprising, considering the blood we spilled earlier.

Class A stood off to the side, their expressions cold and unreadable.

Class B was clustered together, whispering among themselves.

And Kellan...

I spotted him near the edge of the clearing, his arms crossed and his eyes locked onto me.

Even from here, I could feel the rage simmering beneath his calm exterior.

I didn’t look away.

I met his gaze head-on, my expression blank.

"Professor..." Mira murmured softly, her eyes flicking to Kellan.

"I see him."

Kellan didn’t move.

But I saw the promise in his eyes.

This wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.

"Stick together," I murmured to my students, my tone low.

"Don’t let them split you up."

"Understood." Julien’s voice was steady, his posture tense.

"Good."

The blue bird flapped its wings once, its glow pulsing.

<All teams accounted for.>

The air was thick with unspoken tension as the bird continued its announcement.

<Results will be tallied and rewards distributed shortly.>

A low murmur spread through the crowd, but no one took their eyes off each other.

Kellan’s gaze lingered on me for a moment longer before he finally turned away.

But I knew better.

This wasn’t over.

Not by a damn long shot.

"Eyes open," I murmured to my students, my voice barely above a whisper.

"This is just the beginning."