NOVEL WEB Chapter 44: Revealing Freya’s Secret [2]
Chapter 44: Revealing Freya's Secret [2]
Freya's Point Of View(POV):
Boom—! A loud explosion shattered the air as flames engulfed the cooking tent in a blazing inferno.
["It's done"] -I swiftly left a message for Myung Joon and proceeded to delete our call and chat history.
Cautiously scanning the area, I made sure there was no one else present.
I had to utilize a significant amount of mana to incinerate the food cause using one of my ultimate skills was out of the question.
'If it were anyone else in my position, they would have undoubtedly relied on their ultimate skills', I thought, a mischievous smirk tugging at the corners of my lips.
Using ultimate skills would leave behind a distinctive mana signature that any skilled supporter could easily trace back to the caster. But I was no fool, and I knew better than to leave such obvious traces.
Normally, it wouldn't be necessary to resort to such destructive firepower.
However, the MOLLE Packs, Dry Bags, and Vacuum-sealed containers of food were all fortified with powerful magical enhancements, making them resistant to typical fire or water which can spoil the food.
"No one in our class would have a clue that I was behind this, heh",I chuckled to myself, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
As I turned to head back, my footsteps resuming their rhythm, a sudden noise disrupted the air.
Chuck!—?A weird sound came, puzzled, lowering my gaze to the ground. The frown lines on my forehead deepened as I observed a peculiar sight beneath me.
My left foot was stepping on a mud pool.
This was weird because there shouldn't be any mud in this section of the forest.
??—'I think I heared something'
"What was that...?"
A sudden sensation washed over me, causing me to feel as though someone were watching my every move. I glanced around, my eyes scanning the towering trees surrounding me.
"Must have been the wind", I reassured myself, as I dismissed the eerie feeling.
Not wanting to waste any more time, I decided to make my way back before others could begin to detect any signs of my involvement.
***
Third Person POV(Point of view):
-"How did this happen?"
-"I'm already starving, and now I can't even eat?!"
-"Seriously, what is our leader doing?"
-"This is ridiculous! How could such a thing happen?"
Suddenly, Takahashi's thunderous voice reverberated through the crowd, forcefully silencing the murmurs. His stern gaze swept across the group, projecting authority and annoyance.
Indeed, the tent housing the precious food rations had burned down under 'mysterious' circumstances.
The absence of sustenance meant a lack of energy, a dangerous predicament when surrounded by monsters and other classes within the dungeon.
"You can't even figure out who the hell destroyed our food ration?" Takahashi's finger pointed directly at Aeravat, accusing him of incompetence.
"You're supposed to be our leader, but throughout this entire dungeon trial, we've constantly lost classmates due to your inept leadership. You fail to detect traps, to locate the dungeon entrance, and to adequately protect the team. And now this?"
Aeravat stood there, burdened by the accusations.
Aurora moved through the crowd, her face tense with worry. "The search team we dispatched earlier has been wiped out. I just received the report", she announced, her voice filled with disbelief.
"What?! How did that happen?" Aeravat asked, his voice echoing the collective shock and confusion of the class.
Murmurs of concern and doubt began to circulate through the group.
-"Can we really trust our leader?"
-"I feel like we're going to fail this dungeon trial"
-"This is such a waste of time," a frustrated voice chimed in.
Emily stepped forward, interjecting before Takahashi could add fuel to the fire.
"Fighting amongst ourselves won't solve the situation", she said calmly, attempting to diffuse the tension brewing within the group.
Meanwhile, Aeravat seemed lost in his thoughts, his mind racing to make sense of the troubling developments.
"I think I've figured it out",Aeravat suddenly declared, his voice drawing the attention of the entire class.
"What have you figured out?" Takahashi demanded, his tone sharp.
"Ever since this trial began, our team members have been mysteriously eliminated, and odd incidents have occurred that shouldn't have. Even the last search team I sent was somehow eliminated by another class. It can't be a coincidence. Someone must be leaking information about my decisions to the outside", Aeravat explained.
"What exactly are you suggesting?" Emily asked, her eyes narrowing .
Takaleshi's anger flared, and he forcefully grabbed Aeravat's collar. "So you're saying we have a spy among us! Is that what you're trying to say?!" he accused, his voice dripping with contempt.
Aeravat issued a chilling warning. "Let go of me", he said through gritted teeth, his voice tinged with a sense of danger.
"Don't you dare shift the blame onto others for your own incompetence!" Takahashi retorted, pushing Aeravat and gripping his collar tighter. "You're trying to sow discord among us, claiming there's a spy among us!"
"I SAID LET GO!" Aeravat's voice thundered, resonating with power as he unleashed his overwhelming mana pressure, enveloping the entire class.
The force of his aura caused silence to descend upon the crowd, effectively halting the escalating confrontation.
***
Noah's POV(Point of view):
"I SAID LET GO!" Aeravat's voice boomed, shaking the surrounding air.
Forced to kneel on one knee under the overwhelming strength, I struggled to handle the sheer power radiating from Aeravat.
"What the hell is with this strength?!"
I wasn't the only one affected; the rest of the class also found themselves in a similar position, unable to resist the immense pressure. Takahashi, taken aback by the sudden display of power, stood frozen for a moment.
'Is this what they mean by the strength of a main character?' I wondered, awe-struck by the force emanating from Aeravat.
[Sensing unknown force, electromagnetic field forming around the user.]
A stifled gasp escaped my lips as I felt the crushing pressure suddenly dissipate. I was able to move freely once again, the suffocating weight lifting from my shoulders.
"What... What just happened?" I muttered, trying to catch my breath.
"Damn, I didn't know Nano could do something like that."
Anyway here's the current situation: Our class discovered the presence of a spy within. This spy has not only tampered with food supplies but has also released the whereabouts of our search team to enemy classes. As a result, we have tragically lost hundred students. Despite the efforts of the main characters, the source of this problem remains unidentified.
As I stood up unbothered, the forest around me basked in the gentle glow of moonlight. The lush green plants and delicate moss created an enchanting scene on the forest floor.
'It's time'
I stepped into the scene.
***
"Hey! What's up?"— I greeted, my presence immediately capturing everyone's attention.
Aeravat, with a skeptical look on his face, asked, "Oh,you? What do you want?"
Before I could respond, a voice interrupted, "This isn't the time to be messing around, pal. Piss off",spoke a guy I had never seen before.
"Alright, alright, calm down, everyone", I said, giving a resigned look as I raised both my hands in a stopping gesture, attempting to diffuse the tense atmosphere.
Feeling the overwhelming pressure of all eyes on me, I let out a nervous laugh. "Haha, well, aren't things interesting?" I muttered under my breath.
Just then, Emily approached from the side, her expression curious. "What's going on, weirdo?" she asked.
"You guys mentioned there's a spy among us, right? Well, I think I can figure out who it is", I replied, my eyes focused on Aeravat.
I turned to him, silently seeking his permission, knowing that the rest of the main cast would simply brush me off.
"Oh really? And how do you plan on doing that?"— came another voice, surprising me.
It was Aurora, stepping forward with a quizzical expression.
I glanced towards Takahashi, who only shot me a vexing look for reasons known only to him.
Crisp-Crisp-Crisp
With each step, the grass beneath my shoes emitted a crisp sound, echoing in the vicinity as I walked towards Aeravat.
"Would you be willing to comply?" I asked, my eyes locked on Aeravat.
"What is your plan?" Aeravat asked, his expression void of any discernible emotion.
Feeling the overwhelming pressure of the situation, I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure.
'This is intense,' I thought to myself.
Taking a deep breath, I focused my gaze on the class.
Approximately one fifty students remained.
"We don't have all day here?", Aurora chimed in impatiently from the side.
Not minding her response I began,"I believe it would be best if the entire class gathered together. Perhaps this way we can better investigate and determine the truth"
Despite its unconventional nature, Aeravat surprisingly listened to my strange and random request, calling the entire class to assemble.
A total of one-eighty students stood before me as Aeravat brought them near the remnants of the burned tent.
I carefully scanned the faces of everyone present before declaring to Aeravat, "Now, this is just a theory, but consider this"—
"The cooking tent was burned without leaving any traces. It could be that someone may have planned this whole thing in collaboration with other classes long before the dungeon trial even began."
"Yes, what's your point?" Aeravat asked, his expression filled with confusion.
"Well, according to my hypothesis, the person who burned the tent should also be the spy. And that spy must have used fire magic."
I gestured towards the class while locking eyes with Aeravat, "It might be helpful if someone with expertise in support magic can check for any remnants or traces of fire magic in the tent", I said, hoping to shed some light on the situation.
Aeravat nodded in agreement and turned to Sophia.
After a few moments of investigation, Sophia confirmed, "He's right. Fire magic was definitely used here, but there are no mana signatures left behind. It's going to be nearly impossible to determine who the culprit is based solely on this evidence."
Sophia gave me a questioning look, as if to say she expected more from my deduction.
"Of course, we can't pinpoint the spy using just this information?"
"However, what we can conclude is that the person who burned the tent must be a fire magic user. And since I don't know fire magic, it's safe to assume that I am not the spy?", I stated expressively.
As soon as those words left my mouth, half of the crowd erupted in laughter, mocking my declaration.
-"Really? Is that his grand plan? To proclaim his innocence in front of everyone?"
- "Hahaha, bro, this is so stupid"
-"I highly doubt that. Even if you were the spy, you would crumble under the weight of such an accusation."
"Exactly! Just like I am not the spy, those who do not know how to use fire magic cannot be the spy!" I shouted above the laughter and sneering in an attempt to make my voice heard.
Aeravat, still confused, asked, "And what is your point?"
"My point is, let's separate the class into two groups: those who can use fire magic and those who cannot", I declared, hoping to bring some clarity to the situation.
When my point began to make sense and everyone understood my reasoning, Aeravat followed my instruction and devided our class into two groups.
One consisting of seventy students who could use fire magic, and the other consisting of one hundred-ten students, including myself, James, David Smith, and several others, who could not use fire magic.
I motioned for Aeravat to follow me as I stepped inside the remnants of the burned cooking tent.
Pointing towards the MOLLE Packs, Dry Bags, and Vacuum-sealed containers that remained relatively unscathed, I stated, "Take a look at these items. They are enchanted with fire-resistance. It's highly unlikely a fire magic user would intentionally set the tent ablaze. It's just pointless. "
Aeravat's expression shifted from confusion to intrigue.