Chapter 347 - 347- Festival 78- Raid on a Rainy Night 17

Words : 1731 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

In the dark hallways of the Year One Hostel, footsteps echoed along the floors of the lobby. It bounced on the walls, reverberating with each step as two girls rushed through it. Their loud footsteps were followed by sharp thuds caused by the continuous opening and closing of the doors as they ran through them. There was no form of hesitation in their action, but subtle carefulness as they checked each and every room. One after the other, they opened and closed until they got to the end of the Hallway. There, a wall stood in place, blocking any further movement and halted their search. A window on the wall trembled with the falling raindrops while its glass panel banged with the tranquil wind. Elsie glanced through it for a moment, her arm stretched forward for the panel as she closed it shut. For a moment, silence descended, perfused only by the subtle sounds of rain. She sighed as she glanced back at Sophie, who had been standing behind her, her weapon kept close to her chest. They stared at each other for a moment, thoughts reeling in. "Shall we turn back?" She asked. Sophie nodded. "We didn't find anyone here, including Tiara Gold. Perhaps we should." Elsie sighed as she glanced away from her, her gaze landing on a particular door. It was the third to the last, just before the wall at the end of the Hallway. "She was captured as well." "Yes, that's the best conclusion but we will find out faster when we get to the others." They turned around and headed back to where they came from, walking leisurely compared to before. "I don't see Ciara." Elsie glanced at Sophie once more, before looking away. "Yeah, I haven't been able to sniff her out for a while now....and that was just a few moments after I picked up another scent." Sophie raised a brow in curiosity, her lips slowly opening as she turned towards Elsie. "Your nose must be pretty sharp.....your ears too, but it's impressive even for a wolf. It makes you akin to a dog, though." Elsie giggled at her statement, a wry smile forming on her face. "Well, we werewolves do have ancestral ties to the Dog Clan." "Oh really?" Sophie muttered, her tone laced with intrigue. "Hasn't the dog clan nearly reached its extinction? I heard they were down to only a few scattered members in the Beast people community." Elsie groaned slightly, tilting her head upwards as she glanced at the ceiling and then slowly nodded. "You could say that, but there are other beast-folks other than the Dog Clan that are undergoing a population crisis....." Her voice dropped slowly in the next statement. "...and Humans are the cause of most of it." A sigh escaped her lips and her eyes slowly closed on saying it. Sophie remained silent, speaking out only in her thoughts. Most were aware of the cruelty that Beastpeople faced when encountering Humans. They were regarded in most countries as a lesser species because of their akin nature to animals and beasts. 'But I beg to differ.' Life was all about evolution and survival. Naturally, the one best suited for survival will survive, while those who are not will have to evolve to survive. 'Beastpeople are one of those who simply evolved to survive.' Her gaze narrowed at the thought. 'Humans sometimes fail to realize a lot of things....and most of us...seem to have privilege issues.' "Well, it doesn't matter now. You have people like Raph. He's a human and he treats you better than most." Elsie chuckled. "Yeah, Raph. He's simply the best. Strong, skilled and handsome..." Her lips curled into a smile. "...and that smile...he's so cool! And literally cool since he uses ice and snow. Oh, my goodness, he looks so cool when he's using his traits!" A squeal suddenly escaped her lips, excitement palpable in her tone and expression as she clasped her mouth shut. Her gaze shifted towards Sophie, who had already been staring at her. An awkward giggle escaped her lips as she unclasped her lips. "So–Sorry, I sort of got carried away there. But like you said, Humans....some of them are truly wonderful people." She glanced away after that. 'Just, we, beast people tend to meet the bad ones most of the time.' Sophie giggled and looked away, raising her arms towards her face. She stared at her palms. "I'm glad. You're right about those qualities of Raph....he is strong. Strong people are reliable....and dependable and the fight with the Dragon was truly....it felt..." She froze, unable to complete her statement. She grabbed her chest, the right side, pulling it tightly as her vision grew blurry. A wave of emotions spiralled into her, pulsating, beating and flowing. The unnatural phenomenon grew slightly and further increased her confusion. Anger, sadness, anxiety and fear intertwined in a helix, further fueling it. She tilted her head slightly, stopping in her tracks as she attempted to decipher the complexity of her emotions. 'What is this....odd feeling I feel towards her?' Elsie stopped as well. Turning around towards her with an intrigued expression. "What's wrong?" Sophie looked up. "Oh, it–it's nothing. Just...." She stood up straight, shook her head and walked up to her. "Let's hurry and get to the lobby downstairs. There's no one here." Walking past her, Elsie turned around as she did. Slowly following after her lead. ***** A few moments later, with the duo increasing their momentum, they had reached the beginning of the Hallway. The stairway that led down and up the Floor series. Sophie still led the way with Elsie occasionally glancing around to observe the surroundings. This continued until a rhythmic thud caught their attention. It was a familiar sound, one of feet walking up the stairs. In an instant, the duo readied their weapons, only to be faced with an unexpected and unwelcome figure. In a fiery red nightgown, a crimson-haired rushed up the stairs, nearly tripping over the chairs as she met eyes with the duo. What the figure saw at first wasn't two girls in night dresses roaming around the Hostel like her but something far different. Mana poured out of their bodies in bits, like fumes from an exhaust pipe. With crimson bloodlust entwined within it. The duo were surrounded by darkness, with the magical lamps faintly lit, casting a dark shadow on the wall of the Lobby. For a moment, it felt like she was staring at two pairs of sinister eyes, one akin to a red moon and the other a mystical lilac hue. It was ethereal, yet malevolent and their striking features as they held out a defensive position sent a shiver down her spine. Her breathing hitched up before it ceased and an ear-wrenching scream shook the building. "G-GO-GHO-GHOOOOSTTTT!!!!" The duo stepped back in shock, nearly tripping over themselves as the girl fell to the ground. She curled her figure into a tight ball, holding up a longsword as she cried out. "St–Stay away! St-Stay away right now!" After regaining composure, the duo glanced at one another and the trembling girl, Elsie tilting her head with her eyes strained. "Ruth Balsey?" She muttered. The crimson-haired girl froze. Her head whips forward at the two figures once again. A moment of silence descended between the three, as Ruth slowly stood to her feet. Dusting her figure with utmost diligence. She glanced at the two girls again, opened her mouth, closed it, clicked her tongue, frowned and walked past them in haste. "Ruth?" Elsie called out as she grabbed onto her just before she walked past her while Sophie choked down a laugh. "Where are you coming from? Where are you going? Aren't the others downstairs, so why are you here?" Ruth slowly glanced back, her gaze narrowing as it met Elsie. She pulled back her hand, a sigh escaping her lips. "You Filthy Non-system users. I heard these attacks are because of you lots." Elsie tilted her head in confusion. "We are not the cause." "But they did come here to capture you, did they not?" "Well, yes but"– "But nothing! I could be in my room right now, sleeping but guess what? I'm busy dealing with your mess!" "if you just did a better job at not existing then perhaps we wouldn't even find ourselves in this situation!" Elsie took a step back, flabbergasted by her statement while Sophie remained silent and watched. She opened her mouth to speak only for a scoff to come out instead. 'Why do they discriminate even amongst themselves.' It seems that oftentimes, humans act as their own weaknesses. She shook her head in disappointment, her gaze slowly tracing away when it froze at a particular spot above the hallway. Her lips quivered, and her pupils constricted. 'What? Since when? I didn't even smell them coming...' She wondered as a palpable tension brewed within her. Ready to burst out at any moment as adrenaline surged within her body. For a moment, it felt like she was the only one who witnessed the scene before her, but no, at the same time, she noticed it, and so did Sophie. However, her reaction was different. While Elsie's adrenaline surged and powered her for what was to come, Sophie remained calm, cold as a snake. Their attention shifted back to Ruth as she rambled on. "You know, I heard they were only after you guys so I don't need to worry about myself. Serves you maggots right. Especially that bastard son of the Jun household. It's best if they kill you all, take you out of our hands." She panted slightly, exhaustion adamant by her expression as her gaze shifted between the two girls. She frowned, noticing their attention drawn away from her and focused on the ceiling. "How dare you...." She mumbled as she spun around to leave, enraged by their action, but just as she did, her body froze. Above them were masked figures watching in silence. They stood on the ceiling, their heads bent towards them. Their numbers were unclear, their presence imperceptible—yet their murderous intent was undeniable.

Chapter 347 - 347- Festival 78- Raid on a Rainy Night 17

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