Villainous Instructor at the Academy
Chapter 90: Vanishing Act

Chapter 90: Vanishing Act

"Professor...?" Felix’s voice was barely a whisper, his body tensed, eyes locked on Kellan.

"Quiet," I muttered, my mind already racing.

This was bad.

Kellan’s wind magic was no joke. I could feel the pressure in the air, the mana twisting unnaturally as he prepared to tear through us.

"Stay back," I ordered again, my voice sharper this time.

"But—"

"Shut it."

I didn’t have time for arguments.

Options.

I couldn’t take him head-on. Not like this.

My mana reserves were low after the scavenger hunt, and Dream Mist wouldn’t work again.

Kellan wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice.

But...

There was another way.

My hand drifted to my utility pouch, fingers brushing over the smooth surface of a small rune stone.

Smoke Rune.

"Professor..." Mira’s voice was low, her dagger steady but her eyes uncertain.

"On my signal," I murmured, barely moving my lips.

"Signal for what?" Garrick’s tone was tense, his grip on his sword tightening.

"You’ll know," I muttered.

Kellan’s eyes narrowed.

"Stalling, Drelmont?" His voice was cold, a flicker of wind swirling around his feet. "Not like you."

"Me?" I smirked, fingers closing around the rune. "I’m just giving you a chance to walk away."

His jaw clenched.

"I’m done playing games."

Mana surged.

Wind roared around him, swirling with dangerous intensity.

"NOW!"

I slammed the rune to the ground.

BOOM!

Thick, black smoke erupted instantly, engulfing the entire clearing.

"Cover your mouths!" I barked, already moving.

The smoke was dense—an alchemical concoction that not only blocked vision but also disrupted mana perception.

Kellan’s wind howled, trying to blow the smoke away—

But I was faster.

"Move!" I hissed, grabbing Felix by the collar and shoving him toward the treeline.

Mira and Garrick followed, moving silently despite the chaos.

Cassandra glided like a shadow, her movements eerily precise.

"Go, go, go!" I urged, leading them deeper into the forest.

Kellan’s voice echoed behind us.

"DRELMONT!" His roar was furious, but the smoke was too thick.

He couldn’t see us.

"Find them!" I heard him bark orders to his students.

But they wouldn’t.

Not with the smoke.

And definitely not with what I left behind.

A decoy rune.

The moment they tried tracking us, it would lead them the wrong way.

"Professor..." Felix gasped, his voice strained as he stumbled beside me.

"Not now," I snapped, pushing them forward.

We had to move.

The smoke wouldn’t last forever, and Kellan wasn’t an idiot.

If we didn’t put enough distance between us—

We were dead.

"Keep moving," I hissed, ducking under low branches as we tore through the underbrush.

Garrick kept pace beside me, his expression grim but focused.

Mira was silent, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of pursuit.

Felix...

Well, Felix was tripping over every damn root, but at least he was still on his feet.

"Almost there," I murmured, my senses stretching outward.

A cave.

Perfect.

"In here!" I hissed, leading them toward the small opening barely visible through the foliage.

One by one, they slipped inside, their breathing heavy but controlled.

I was the last to enter, pressing my hand against the cool stone.

Illusion Rune.

I traced the pattern quickly, pouring what little mana I had left into the runes.

The cave vanished.

To anyone outside, it would look like nothing but a solid wall of rock.

"Now we wait," I murmured, leaning against the wall and exhaling slowly.

"Professor..." Garrick’s voice was low, his eyes flickering with concern. "Will that hold?"

"Long enough," I murmured, feeling the strain in my limbs.

The rune wasn’t perfect.

But it would buy us time.

"Professor..." Felix finally spoke, his voice trembling. "Is... is he going to find us?"

"Not if I did my job right," I murmured, my eyes closing for just a moment.

The smoke.

The decoy.

The illusion.

Layered defense.

"Professor..." Mira’s voice was quiet, her eyes watching me carefully.

"Rest," I murmured, my tone softer now.

"We’re safe... for now."

But deep down—

I knew this wasn’t over.

Kellan wasn’t the type to give up.

And when he found us again...

It was going to get worse.

The cave was silent.

No one spoke.

Garrick stood near the entrance, his eyes scanning for any sign of movement beyond the illusion. Mira knelt beside Felix, checking his scrapes and bruises, while Cassandra sat silently, her expression distant as always.

I kept my breathing steady, feeling the drain of mana weighing down on me. The illusion rune was holding, but barely.

"Professor..." Garrick murmured after a while. "Nothing."

"Good." I pushed myself up, feeling the ache in my limbs. "But we can’t sit here forever."

Mira looked up, her expression wary. "Are we going back to camp?"

"Not yet." I shook my head. "We still have crates to find."

Felix groaned. "Seriously?"

"Yes, Felix." I gave him a pointed look. "Unless you enjoy losing."

"I enjoy not dying," he muttered, but he didn’t argue further.

"We don’t have much time," I said, glancing toward the illusion. "Kellan will regroup. And if we’re still here when he does..."

No one needed me to finish that sentence.

"Alright," Garrick muttered, cracking his knuckles. "Where to, Professor?"

"Follow me."

We moved quickly.

The forest was still dense, but with the chaos Kellan had caused, most of the other students were scattered.

Perfect.

"Professor," Cassandra’s voice was calm, her eyes flickering toward the left. "Crate. Bronze lock."

I turned, spotting the faint glimmer beneath a cluster of roots.

"Good eye."

"On it," Garrick said, moving to pry it loose.

The crate was small, the bronze lock indicating basic supplies. Nothing extravagant, but better than nothing.

"One down," I murmured.

"Professor," Mira called out from a few steps ahead. "Over here."

Another crate.

This one had a silver lock—intermediate rewards.

"Grab it," I ordered.

Mira knelt down, carefully lifting the crate.

"Professor."

Cassandra’s voice again.

I turned to see her pointing toward a thick patch of vines.

Something glimmered beneath them.

Gold lock.

Advanced rewards.

"Damn." I moved toward it quickly, pulling the vines away with careful precision.

"Garrick, help me."

He was by my side in an instant, using brute force to clear the debris.

Another crate.

"Three," I murmured, a satisfied smirk tugging at my lips.

Felix, surprisingly, wasn’t lagging behind for once. He was scanning the area, eyes darting between the trees.

"Professor!" His voice was louder than necessary, but I wasn’t about to complain.

He pointed toward a small hollow at the base of a tree.

I crouched down, brushing dirt away—

Another bronze lock.

"Basic supplies," I muttered. "Better than nothing."

"That’s four," Garrick said, his expression focused. "One more."

Five crates.

That was the maximum.

"We need one more," I murmured, scanning the area.

Tick, tick, tick.

Time was slipping away.

"Spread out," I ordered, keeping my voice low. "We’re close."

Mira moved to the left, Garrick to the right.

Felix... tripped over a branch and nearly faceplanted into the dirt.

"Felix," I hissed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "How do you even function—"

"Wait!" Felix scrambled to his feet, his eyes wide. "I think... I think I saw something!"

I sighed. "If this is another hallucination—"

"NO!" He pointed frantically toward a dense patch of brush.

I frowned but moved toward it anyway.

Pushing aside the leaves—

There it was.

A crate.

But...

Black lock.

Unknown.

"Son of a..." I breathed, feeling a chill run down my spine.

"Professor?" Garrick asked, his voice tense.

"A black lock," I murmured softly. "Not on the map."

Felix blinked. "Is... that good or bad?"

"Depends."

I didn’t like it.

But I wasn’t leaving it behind.

"Grab it."

Garrick hauled it up, his muscles straining.

"That’s all five," Mira said softly, her eyes darting around.

"Good." I exhaled slowly.

But we weren’t done yet.

"We need to move."

No way in hell was I getting ambushed with these crates in hand.

"Back to the cave?" Garrick asked, already adjusting his grip.

"No." I shook my head. "Too risky."

We needed a new hiding spot.

"Professor..." Cassandra’s voice was calm, but there was something in her tone that caught my attention.

I followed her gaze—

And felt it.

Mana shift.

My jaw clenched.

"Move," I hissed.

We ran.

Silent. Swift.

Felix didn’t even trip this time.

Closer.

Closer.

And then—

<TIME IS UP!>

The blue bird’s voice echoed through the forest.

A pulse of mana swept over the area, signaling the end of the event.

I skidded to a halt, breathing heavily.

Mira, Garrick, Felix, and Cassandra were right behind me.

"We did it," Felix panted, a shaky grin plastered across his face.

"Barely," I muttered, but there was a hint of satisfaction in my tone.

Five crates.

We had them.

And now—

<ALL TEAMS, RETURN TO CAMP IMMEDIATELY!>

The blue bird’s voice echoed again, its tone commanding.

Game over.

"Let’s move," I murmured, eyes narrowing.

The scavenger hunt was over.

But something told me...

The real challenge was just beginning.