Chapter 29: Lessons
[Chapter 28 Comment]
[Seby_Spina: sir Teo I'm a huge fan of his since his rise to god of trickester I've always been excited by his every great trick and I can't wait to see more but if you allow it can make the plot a little more sci-fi I love the… see more.]
[Xinhuan: The creativity that can come from kids are often the wildest.]
[Twin_dragon13773: Yikes, those traps sound like they're gonna be a real pain. XD Good luck Sir Theo.]
The group made steady progress, moving quickly through the villages. While the houses seemed ordinary at first glance, the concentration of essence gradually increased as they approached the center of the village. They had also defeated over a hundred skeletons along the way.
During their advance, Theo paused momentarily to catch a glimpse of the comments. He kept a portion of his attention on ensuring the safety of his students. In his mind, he projected his response to Seby_Spina's comment. "Welcome, Seby_Spina. You mentioned the God of Tricksters, which seems to be a story from my past. There was only once I got called a trickster. That was my first world. As for the sci-fi aspect, I don't have much control over the plot, but I will do my best within the author's story."
Theo agreed with Xinhuan, recognizing the boundless creativity that often emanates from children's minds. As he read the third comment, his expression turned grim. "Hmm?"
Nana glanced at him, sensing that the students were doing well, which allowed her to relax slightly. However, Theo's reaction concerned her. Despite his limited knowledge of exorcism, he was a teacher in the academy, and his strength should not be inferior to hers.
"Is something wrong, Mr. Theo?" Nana inquired.
"I have three questions. I hope you can provide brief answers. First, how are talismans produced, and what is their source of power?"
"Talismans are created by the master talismans, who draw them and infuse them with essence. Depending on our affinity, we use talismans that align with our elemental affinities," Nana explained.
"Can ordinary people create talismans?"
"I don't believe so. Talismans are crafted with great precision, making it impossible to replicate them."
"Last question, what types of talismans do you carry? Are there any that can annihilate a large number of enemies?"
"There is one talisman that can achieve such an effect. Additionally, I carry holy enchant talismans, fire and water talismans, and a holy barrier."
"Be prepared to use your holy barrier talisman. Is it a form of shield or defensive measure?" Theo asked.
"Yes," Nana replied, perplexed by the sudden line of questioning.
Suddenly, they sensed a fluctuation of essence coming from their path.
"Hmm? We've encountered unique skeletons... two... no, three unique skeletons!" Maya exclaimed, sensing the danger they posed. She quickly activated her entire exoskeleton.
Li Wei raised his sword, ready to engage one of the skeletons, while Oliver hesitated as his abilities seemed ineffective against them.
"They... they are close to being Destroyer Rank supernatural beings. How is this possible?" Nana trembled, taken aback by what she witnessed.
Theo took out his Lumina and realized there was no signal. He asked, "Can you communicate with people outside the barrier?"
Nana was momentarily puzzled as she attempted to make a call, but to her surprise, the line was filled with static. "No."
Oliver, who had stepped back, observed their actions and asked, "Teacher, is something wrong?"
Theo sighed. "Things are about to become troublesome. I fear we might lose communication with the outside world. It seems it's time for your lessons."
"Lessons? We don't have time for that. We need to return and inform..." Nana began to protest, but Theo raised his hand to stop her. He pointed towards the front, prompting her to observe the unique skeletons.
Left skeleton raised both hands like a skilled boxer, the right skeleton wielded a sword, while the middle skeleton exuded a significant amount of essence.
"Things are spiraling out of control. If we lose you as well, the situation will worsen," Theo cautioned Nana.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Nana asked, "I understand. What would you like me to do?"
"Prepare to protect the children. You'll know when the time comes," Theo explained before moving towards the front.
"Teacher?" Li Wei glanced at him while keeping an eye on the skeletons. Surprisingly, the skeletons remained motionless, as if they wouldn't react unless provoked.
"It's time for your lesson. I will give you a brief explanation of what you need to do here," Theo pointed at Li Wei. "You will face the one with the sword. However, this time you are forbidden from using your essence."
"Without using my essence?" Li Wei was confused and sought further clarification, but Theo had already moved on to Maya. "Maya, face the boxer without your exoskeleton. The answer to this lesson lies within your partner."
Li Wei and Maya exchanged glances, not comprehending the purpose of the lesson. They had nothing in common, so they struggled to understand what they were supposed to discover.
Meanwhile, Theo approached Oliver. "You can face the one in the middle."
"But, Teacher, I lack the essence necessary to defeat them. So..." Oliver hesitated.
"If you believe yourself to be useless and have nothing to gain from this experience, then I would not have chosen this mission. Do you truly think your power is limited to what you've demonstrated?" Theo smirked.
Oliver's body trembled. It seemed that Theo, once again, saw something within him that Oliver himself had yet to realize.
This time, he had to believe it. "Understood."
"Apologies, gentlemen, for keeping you waiting," Theo waved his hand nonchalantly toward the skeletons, as if he were familiar with them.
Surprisingly, after Theo uttered those words, the skeletons charged forward as if they understood it was time to engage.
"Tsk." Maya and Li Wei clicked their tongues, attempting to intercept the advancing enemies.
Cling!
Li Wei and the sword-wielding skeleton clashed with each other. Due to the imposed restriction, Li Wei couldn't push the skeleton away.
"This one is different," Li Wei frowned. "He is stronger, and his movements..."
As he spoke, the skeleton deftly slid his blade against Li Wei's sword before ducking down, attempting to deliver a sweeping kick to Li Wei's ankles.
Caught off guard, Li Wei leaped to the side, narrowly evading the attack when he noticed the skeleton trying to stab him from below.
"Kh." Li Wei gritted his teeth, realizing that the skeleton had been a warrior in life. He fought with all his might to secure victory. "I suppose I have to go all out."
Li Wei wrapped his blade, not with essence, but with Sword Intent to enhance its sharpness.
Sensing the power contained within the blade, the skeleton adjusted its approach. This time, it struck Li Wei from the side, aiming for his waist.
Li Wei's eyes gleamed as he rotated his hand in a clockwise motion, executing a blade swing that intercepted the incoming sword from below.
The skeleton's blade was deflected upward. Li Wei seized the opportunity and closed in on the skeleton, ready to shatter it. Even without using essence, as long as he willed it, his sword should be capable of cutting down the skeleton.
Yet, the skeleton had another trick up its sleeve. It suddenly tripped backward, causing its body to fall to the ground. Then, from this position, it swung its blade upward.
"!!!" Li Wei's eyes widened in shock. Due to his position and momentum, dodging the attack was impossible. He had to abandon his own attack and quickly shifted his blade sideways to parry the incoming strike.
Unfortunately, his posture lacked strength. When the skeleton's blade struck his sword, the force was enough to send Li Wei flying to the side.
To his surprise, the skeleton unveiled yet another move. Another skeletal hand suddenly emerged from the ground, grabbing hold of Li Wei's foot.
With his foot firmly anchored, Li Wei's upper body swung to the side, causing him to crash to the ground.
"What?!" Li Wei was dumbfounded.
Taking advantage of this, the skeleton rose to its feet, raising its blade high, prepared to strike Li Wei while he was down.
Li Wei attempted to raise his blade, but with his body already in contact with the ground, several more skeletal hands emerged and bound his arms, body, and legs, rendering him helpless.
"This is bad." Li Wei gritted his teeth. At the last moment, he couldn't help but wonder what Theo meant by Maya being the answer. She was physically and spiritually weaker than him, yet he acknowledged Maya, who had managed to defeat Avalon. "It was only because of her..."
He fell into silence. Even as he watched the blade descending towards him, his mind remained surprisingly calm. It seemed he had picked up on the hints that Theo had dropped earlier.
...
Meanwhile, Maya fought against the skeleton without her exoskeleton.
"Tsk." Maya clicked her tongue as she dodged the skeleton's punch and struck its bone, only to find that it remained unscathed.
The skeleton boxer raised both hands, enveloping its body with essence, which provided ample protection against Maya's ordinary strikes.
"The talisman's power has been depleted by the exoskeleton... I have nothing left to enhance my attacks with essence," Maya frowned. "How can I defeat this opponent without relying on the machine's power and talismans?"
Maya glanced at Li Wei, who was also struggling against the skeleton.
Before she could process her thoughts, the skeleton lunged forward, aiming a punch at her face.
"I sensed you coming." Maya swiftly ducked, effortlessly evading the punch. In response, she kicked the skeleton's femur, intending to shatter it. However, the essence made it incredibly sturdy. "Kh. This won't work."
Seizing the opportunity, the skeleton grabbed hold of Maya's foot.
"Not good!" Maya twisted her body and delivered a powerful kick to the skeleton's face, causing it to toss her into the air.
As she descended, Maya sensed imminent danger from the side. It approached like a projectile but followed a parabolic trajectory.
"What?!" Maya tried to identify the incoming object, and to her surprise, it was Li Wei's sword. "Hey, Maya! Use that!"
Bewildered, Maya caught the sword, and as she did, she felt as though something was being drawn out of her body. "Huh? What's happening?"
There was no time for Li Wei to explain. Hurriedly, Maya brandished the sword to strike the oncoming skeleton. Astonishingly, the sword effortlessly sliced through the bone and eventually reached the skeleton's head.
"What? It died just like that?" Maya was completely astounded, finding it surreal. But then she heard Li Wei shout, "Hey, Maya! How do you predict your enemy's movements?"
"Predict?" Maya instantly grasped what Li Wei was getting at. "My senses are heightened because I'm a mutant. But what about you? Can't you sense the changes with your essence? I could feel the dangerous feeling that your body's faintly emitting."
"Hmm?" Li Wei leaped backward, creating some distance between himself and the skeleton. He closed his eyes, focusing on the essence emanating from his body. This essence differed from his usual manipulation. It was a natural release of essence, akin to metabolic processes, unaffected by Theo's restriction.
The essence flowed in all directions, including towards the skeleton. Surprisingly, Li Wei sensed how the bones deflected his essence.
Applying this newfound awareness to his surroundings, he realized there were multiple bones buried beneath the ground.
Without hesitation, he placed his palm on the ground, channeling his Sword Intent. "Sword Palm."
Suddenly, a cross-shaped mark materialized on the ground, radiating a brilliant golden light. Sword Intent surged forth, exploding with force, cutting through the ground along the marked pattern.
Bam!
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone