-

"What the f.u.c.k was that?"

Outside on the practise field the knight instructor Jessica was making some of her students sweat as she heard a strange sound coming from somewhere behind her and turned around. 

"That's Dax's golem right? What was it called… ICI?"

Ever since the start of the expedition Dax's drones had been patrolling the academy, night and day. After her and her boyfriend Finn got back from the expedition they even started running into those black smooth surfaced golems on their morning runs, and it seemed like there suddenly was a lot more of them about a day ago. While Jessica had gotten used to the strange sounds and behavior that came with the new groundskeepers, she didn't recognize the sound the one standing near them just made.

"ICI? Everything okay?"

Speaking out to the drone and getting no response, the knight instructor put a hand on her longsword that was strapped to her hip as she cautiously approaching the drone. She knew very well the destructive capabilities packed into the golem, having trained against one on multiple occasions. Now she feared it might have malfunctioned, as golems often did, which had kept them from entering large scale service in the central Kingdom. 

"Instructor is everything okay?"

"Yeah everything is okay, stay back please."

As her students also started noticing there was something wrong Jessica called out to the golem once more without getting a response, then reached out to touch it on the shoulder, making it fall to its knees before collapsing completely.

"That's not normal…"

"Is it dead?"

"It looks dead."

"It told you guys to stay back…"

Proving they were not really disciplined knights yet, the knightings Jessica was teaching all gathered around the malfunctioning drone to take a closer look at it, normally they would get a response from it for getting that close but it just laid there lifelessly. 

"Training is over."

"Instructor?..."

Hearing a different tone than they were used to, the knightings realized there was something wrong.

"This might be a serious situation. Stay close and stick together, this is not a drill."

Informing her students on the seriousness of the situation they all hardened up their expressions and made a note to follow their instructors commands to the letter.

-

"What the h.e.l.l is that sound?..."

As she started made her way back towards the academy with her slightly nervous students in tow, Jessica picked up some kind of faint popping sound in the eerily quiet academy. When she and her students had made their way halfway back to the academy grounds she picked up the faint sound of screaming, along with more pops and snaps.

"Change of plan, we're leaving."

Having realized there was something seriously wrong, the veteran teacher those to prioritize the students she had right next to her.

"What, leaving?"

"Yeah, you have all learned how to survive in the wild doing this years expedition, we will now put it to the test. Within 4 or 5 days we should reach the closest town, from there It'll be easy to gain information about what is going on."

"Wait a second. You want us to leave the academy? We can't do that, exam is in-"

While one of the students started complaining, Jessica picked up a group moving she didn't recognize. They didn't wear the teacher or student uniform, and more trubbeling she picked up signs of strengthening magic.

"Shut the f.u.c.k up, I gave you an order. We're moving now!"

(There is definitely something going on, something I can't handle alone. Therefore I should save the students directly in front of me, Finn will do the same and we'll see each other when this is all over.)

Unfortunately Jessica raised her voice when she shut up the complaining knightling, is she didn't it might have ended differently.

"Left, a teacher and 10 students."

"You people over there, stop!"

"f.u.c.k.."

When Jessica realized she had been spotted she could on curse quietly as time seemed to slow down for her, while she started channeling mana while stealthy building up a spell.

"Stop moving or die!"

As the group of elvers slowly closed in on the knight instructor and her students she realized what weapons they carried.

(Rifles.. How is that- No. That's not important, what is important is what I know of the weapons.)

Over the time when Jessica had known and talked with Dax and Lux, especially the times she had drank with them, Dax had told her quite a bit about his weapons and how they worked and she had realized that he was a subject matter expert.

Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

(I must not allow them to enter effective range..)

As automatic rifles were a new thing in the world, Jessica was sure that the elvers training must have been limited. Their separation was about 400 meters, closing in on 300 meters, with their limited training in mind and the fact that the elvers hadn't tried to kill them yet Jessica a.s.sumed that their effective range was within 250 to 200 meters.

"RUN!"

She knew immediately that killing those elvers were a pipe dream, even if she did, Jessica was sure that numbers she couldn't handle had already infiltrated the academy, therefore she went with her original plan, escape. Imeadiatly as she shouted and diorriented the elvers by enhancing her voice with magic Jessica crouched down and channeled mana into the ground. The result of her hastily constructed spell showed itself before the elvers got their bearings once more, and a wall of rock rose from the ground and covered Jessica and her students.

"f.u.c.k! Kill them!"

Outraged by having been led by the nose the 4 elvers opened fire, aiming to kill the knight instructor and her students, as they had done so many others.