"What the h.e.l.l was that?" I gasped, blinking in confusion. Reaching for my gla.s.ses, I glanced around and saw that everything was still normal. My clothes were on, I had the blanket pulled up above me. On top, Rossetti was peacefully snoozing atop her bunk, her breathing steady and rhythmic. Not on top of me, but on her own bed above mine.

…yeah, the whole thing was a dream. Well, what did you expect from a chapter t.i.tled "Wet Dream"? Sorry for trolling you guys, readers, but I just couldn't resist. Also, I was a healthy young man who currently possessed a teenage body. It was only natural to have dreams like this from time to time.

Speaking of which…ugh…looked like I was going to have to wash my underwear later. This was embarra.s.sing. Fortunately, we staff had been provided with our own private showers, allocated bathrooms that we didn��t have to share with the middle school students.

Since my alarm clock had chosen to go off at this moment, it was time for me to wake up. Kicking off the blanket and gingerly hopping out of my bed, I went to wash up. As for Rossetti, I left her where she was. if she couldn't wake up on her own, I wasn't going to bother with her.

*

"Why didn't you wake me up?!" Rossetti complained as she rushed out of the dorm room, still frantically tying her long, auburn hair into a side ponytail. I shrugged as I strode down the corridor, unable to meet her gaze or even look at her.

"Sorry."

"Don't sorry me…" she paused to stare at me curiously. "You know, you've been acting strangely since this morning. What happened?"

"Nothing," I insisted stubbornly, but I was still unable to make eye contact. Seriously, what was I supposed to say? Tell her that I had a wet dream about her last night? That would make things a lot more awkward between us.

"Hmm…��� Rossetti regarded me suspiciously, but thankfully she didn't press the issue. Most probably because she knew I wouldn't say anything even if she persisted. Really, she didn't have to know. She would regret ever asking me about it if I told her every single detail of the stupid dream I had.

"Sensei!"

I smiled when I caught sight of Melina, and then Adrian beside her. The middle school students were already preparing their meals, having to cook their own breakfast. I was ready to help, of course, which was why I woke up so early. Actually, I already helped earlier, and was sent back to wake Rossetti up when the camp manager realized that one of the security staff was missing.

"You didn't do anything weird to her, right?" she had asked me sternly, and I vehemently denied it. It was the truth, after all. I really didn't do anything to her in reality. Dreams didn't count. And besides, in the dream it was Rossetti who came on to me.

Honestly, I doubted she was that bold to approach me like that in real life. Another reason why I should have realized that it was a dream. It was one thing if it was Miura La Noir, but Rossetti Picket? Nah. Surely not.

By the time I had returned, with Rossetti in tow, the students had already finished prepping their meals and were distributing them out. Rossetti and I stood in line to receive our share, and I noticed that I had a larger portion than Rossetti's. Not because I was a guy and she was a girl, which generally meant she ate less, but because…

"You didn't help out," the girl handing out portions told poor Rossetti bluntly.

"Ah, ha ha ha…" Rossetti could only laugh sheepishly. "Sorry, I overslept."

"That's not an excuse!"

Yeah, especially since the middle school students woke up earlier than she did…plus, she didn't join the training like I did yesterday, yet I somehow woke up before her.

Anyway, we joined Adrian and Melina at their table, along with their friends Iris, Ivan, Edward and Isabella. Iris watched me and Rossetti curiously, her eyes curious. Even as she poked at her bacon with a fork, she opened her mouth to ask.

"Are you two…?"

"No," I said immediately, simultaneously refusing to remember last's night dream and knowing what she was referring to.

"What do you mean no? You didn't even allow her to finish asking her question!" Rossetti protested. I rolled my eyes, but didn't say anything. Rossetti then turned back to Iris with a friendly smile. "Sorry, what were you about to ask?"

"Are you both dating?"

Rossetti almost spat out her orange juice when she heard that, her face turning very red.

"Of…of course not! What kind of question was that?"

"See?" I muttered, rolling my eyes. "I was trying to save you the awkwardness, but you had to go and trample on my kindness."

"A…anyway…" Rossetti hurriedly wiped her blus.h.i.+ng face with a napkin. "There's nothing of that sort."

"Then why are you sharing a room?" Ivan asked innocently.

"Because there aren't enough in this camp," I replied wearily. He nodded in understanding.

"That's too bad."

After we finished with our breakfast, we gathered on the huge field outside the building, when Xun Lian Jia took center stage. He clapped his hands to draw our attention over, and swept his stern gaze across the middle school students who had gathered.

"All right, you worms!" he shouted. "We have a full-day combat course for you, so make sure you don't fall behind! And it's going to include night training! I'm sure you've seen the schedule – if so, you should have expected this. If you didn't, then too bad! Now, warm up! Time to run!"

There were groans and complaints from the middle school student, but they knew it would be futile, so they just went along with it. Just like yesterday, I joined in and ran with them, and then accompanied them as they went through obstacle courses, combat with actual monsters from the wilderness. As promised, the camp staff only lured weak monsters toward the camp – monsters that the middle school students could actually handle with their current level. I stayed back during combat – it would defeat the purpose of the training program if I went and killed all the monsters for the trainees. Besides, Mandrakes and Mini Boars weren't that big a threat. I watched proudly as Adrian and Melina got high scores.

The two of them had faced Cyclops Rats in the past. Mandrakes and Mini Boars were nothing compared to those. Not only that, it seemed that these F-ranked monsters had been nerfed heavily, which was good for the other middle school students. I guess.

The day dragged on, and after dinner, there was some simulated combat against Night Owls and Forest Moles. Again, they didn't pose much of a challenge…or shouldn't have, but since the trainees were middle school kids, they had a bit of trouble. Nothing they couldn't overcome through sheer tenacity and perseverance, of course.

"They're shaping up well, aren't they?" Rossetti asked as she stepped up beside me, watching the students cast spells to fire off into a flock of fleeing Night Owls. The both of us had continued doing our duty, keeping a vigilant eye out for any stronger monsters that might have somehow bypa.s.sed our security and barriers and snuck up on the students. So far, there were none.

"Yeah," I agreed with a nod. "It's different from Jing Tian Academy."

I recalled the training camp held during the summers when I was still a middle school student. They were more fun than training, and usually involved ranking matches and the like. Lots of compet.i.tion. Apparently Saint Teresa Academy had done the same last year, for a long time, but the changing curriculum and needs of the present had caused the schools to revise their training programs and summer camps.

Before I could remark on the change to Rossetti, however, I suddenly sensed an ominous presence. The atmosphere changed, and a swell of darkness expanded over the horizon, filling the entire s.p.a.ce with dread.

The monsters took off even faster than before, and even the middle school students paused in the midst of their attacks, realizing something was amiss. One of the training staff raced toward Xun Lian Jia and whispered urgently to him, and he strode hastily to the center of the field.

"Everyone, stop what you're doing!" he bellowed. Not that he needed to. Everyone had literally abandoned their current tasks at the sudden transformation of atmosphere. The trainers were hurrying about now, taking charge of the scattered groups of students and bringing them together. "As of right now, all training sessions are cancelled! The trainers will be bringing you to the shelter shortly. You will remain there until I say it is all right to leave! All trainers, do a head count and make sure no one is missing! We will be heading to the underground shelter immediately!"

"What's happening?"

"What's going on?"

"I don't know, but there's something scary coming. Can't you feel that?"

"Yeah…is it a monster? Are we under attack?"

As the students gossiped and chattered amongst themselves, the trainers got into their midst and hurried them along.

"All right, everybody! Follow us! This way! Don't fall behind!"

I joined Adrian and Melina, as well as their group, and gestured for them to go. Adrian glanced at me, his nose wrinkled.

"Do you know who is attacking, Brother Richie?"

"No idea." I shook my head. "But whoever it is…it's not good."

The air of malevolence was so stifling that it was beginning to suffocate me. Around me, the students were panicking, unable to withstand the heavy air of dread that emanate from the opposite side of the lake. Glancing at the large body of water, I saw ma.s.sive, gray clouds roiling above it. Mana was taking the form of violet lightning, striking and swirling around the surface of the lake, which began to boil viciously.

"The lake! Did you see that?!"

"Something's coming!"

"Mommy! Save me!"

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

"Move it! All of you!" Xun Lian Jia roared. He waved the students along and barked instructions to his trainers while he proceeded toward the lake. His device beamed to life, a glowing sword that crackled with blue lightning. At that moment, the middle-aged camp manager showed up, and he turned to her, his voice filled with urgency. "Contact HQ, tell them to send reinforcements. We have a rank A mage here."

"The enemy is human?" the camp manager asked, her eys wide. Xun Lian Jia nodded, his eyes still on the lake.

"Unfortunately…yes. Now go!"

She hurried off, while ushering more of the middle school students toward the camp buildings. As for me, I patted Adrian and Melina's shoulders.

"You guys go head and seek refuge in the shelter." I turned to Rossetti. "I'll be counting on you to look after them."

"What do you plan to do, Sensei?" Melina asked worriedly.

"Don't tell me…" Adrian's eyes widened. "Brother Richie, you plan on fighting the enemy?"

"Yeah," I confirmed. "That's what I'm best at."

"Are you serious?!" Rossetti demanded, glaring at me. "You can't! Let the adults handle it! I'm sure Chief Xun Lian Jia will…"

"He won't last longer than a few minutes." I pushed my gla.s.ses up and sighed. "Don't you sense the immense amount of power coming from this…person? He's no ordinary mage. And look…Chief Xun Lian Jia's hands are trembling violently. He also understands the strength of this person very well."

"All the more…" Rossetti began, but I shook my head.

"If I don't delay the guy until reinforcements arrive, he'll break into the shelter and slaughter everyone in there. Besides, you know what kind of magic I use. I'll be more useful out here in the open than in confined s.p.a.ce."

Rossetti gave me a look, and she finally conceded my point with a nod.

"Be careful," she told me.

"Yeah! Watch yourself, Brother Richie!" Adrian added. I could tell that he really wanted to join me, but knew he would be nothing more than a burden. I couldn't fight as well if I had to protect him from the enemy as well.

"Please don't get hurt, Sensei," Melina pleaded as well, her eyes s.h.i.+ning with worry. She then smiled, and I realized that she trusted me enough to believe that I would win. "Good luck, and kick that guy's a.s.s for us."

"Heh. I will do my best." I nodded and sent them running toward the shelter before I turned around to join Xun Lian Jia and face the impending threat.

"You shouldn't be here," the chief trainer told me, but he didn't order me to fall back.

That was a good sign, at least. He was aware as I was that he was no match for the enemy, whoever it was.

"Can you hold the guy off by yourself?" I asked as I placed my hands on the hilts of my two swords. "I don't mean to doubt your abilities, but…yeah. Besides, having an extra hand around will increase our chances of victory."

"Victory?" Xun Lian Jia threw his head back and laughed. "You're considering the possibility of victory? I'll be happy if we're somehow able to survive until the frontline military mages arrive." He then grew solemn. "Until they come, it's just you and me against…that thing, boy."

"Yeah." I didn't put on any false bravado this time and watched the lake. By now, the storm had calmed, and a single gigantic bolt of purple lightning struck, vaporizing the water into steam. A dark sihoutte appeared to materialize above the boiling surface of the lake.

The enemy had finally chosen to show itself.

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