Let me be a mob! - Chapter 28- Field trip?
The class representative is a job delegated to two responsible candidates among the top five ranking of each class. There are several duties of class representative in which, organization, and working as a medium between students and professors were the major jobs.
Along with obligations, Class Reps are given a surplus of points as well whenever a group project takes place or whenever they perform their duty well. The total count of points are being added after observing a class representative’s work, and points are allotted at the end of the month.
It was like wages and considering the burden the class representatives take upon themselves, it was understandable.
In order to achieve the esteemed designation of representative, a challenging task is presented to the top five students. Specifically, they must secure a position in the top two spots if they wish to earn the coveted honor of having a shining star adorn their chest, symbolizing their elevated status as a representative.
Each team would be divided with five members in each unit and a group leader belonging from rank one to five. They would be given the task to cross a small jungle and reach the finish line before others.
Since the starting point of every team would be different, it wouldn’t get chaotic.
There would be several flags in the way one has to collect as well, to make an impact on the overall result. Each flag would reduce a team’s prevalent time by one minute and thus, creating an opportunity for everyone to ace the task if they are good at adventuring.
‘How did I end up with them… ‘
Glancing his back to where stood his team, Jin muttered in his head while lamenting the time when he was evaluated as ranked five which eventually got him into this position.
There were two girls and two boys on his team. The long blue-haired girl was looking a little older than her age and seemed like someone who could be caring toward others. Stood beside her was a tall and broad boy who had short navy-cut hair and a stern look on his face which screamed unapproachability.
But those two were not Jin’s main focus of stress since the other two members of the team were enough to consume all his attention.
To the left of Jin stood a familiar blond figure, who was shooting hostile glares at him with such intensity that Jin could sense the piercing gaze even without turning around. It was none other than Brad, who had been “coincidentally” assigned to Jin’s team. Jin harbored no illusions that the aristocratic young man was going to be a source of disruption during the trip, but he had already given considerable thought to how he would handle any potential issues that might arise.
Jin’s profound concern stemmed from the presence of Princess Dia, one of the main heroines, who appeared to be perpetually grinning at him. Her inscrutable expression gave Jin an uneasy feeling, as he couldn’t discern what schemes or mischief the royal highness might be plotting. Nevertheless, perhaps her mere presence would serve as a temporary deterrent to Brad, which Jin dearly hoped would be the case.
“Okay, team Red. If you face any kind of emergency and need my assistance then flare up the torch and I would come. But know that your participation would come to an end if that happens. And if I find the torch being lightened up needlessly, then all the team members would have their every point deducted, understood?”
Despite already knowing the rules from his previous life, Jin still gulped down his dry saliva in fret as he nodded and took a narrow cylindrical artifact that was plainly made to make an ‘SOS’ flare.
Jin, just like the others was wearing adventuring clothes which were put in the school lockers as an extra for students to save time. It consisted of a plain shirt, high waist pants, and a pair of boots with a utility belt around the waist. It was the same for both genders except for some added necessities which students prefer to carry.
There was a red band tied around Jin and his teammate’s arm which signified the flags they have to search for. All set and done, Jin once glanced at Lisa who brought them here through her skill [Teleprotation], before he faintly commanded his team.
“Let’s go.”
****
The jungle was a tangled labyrinth of dense foliage, its canopy stretching upwards toward the sky like an impenetrable fortress. Sunlight struggled to penetrate the dense layers of leaves, casting the jungle in a perpetual shade that was both eerie and mesmerizing. The air was thick with humidity, and the damp earth squished underfoot as the characters made their way through the undergrowth.
A cacophony of sounds assaulted the senses, with the incessant chatter of unseen creatures providing constant background noise. The calls of exotic birds echoed through the trees, while the rustling of leaves and snapping of twigs hinted at the presence of larger animals lurking in the shadows.
Vines snaked their way up the trunks of trees, interweaving with branches and creating a natural canopy that shielded the jungle floor from prying eyes. Moss clung to everything in sight, and the occasional splash of color from blooming flowers served as a reminder of the beauty that could be found amidst the chaos.
Just like Jin, others could also feel the wave of thick mana leaking from different sources and the profoundness it carried, signifying that they were indeed in the heart of nature yet not in a position to entirely enjoy the peacefulness because of the dangers which lurked in the shadows.
‘The immersion users would find it difficult…’
Due to the faint sunlight which was unable to pass through the natural shed, Jin concluded that Aiden would indeed face problems facing the calamity that must be approaching him at a ferocious pace.
If not for the flags then having two Levitators in the team would have been enough to carry the whole team to the endpoint but Jin didn’t offer such a resort knowing full well what response the team would have.
Winning this contest would not only grant the team leader the title but also provide the team members with decent points which no one wanted to miss out on.
Glancing at the blue-haired girl, Nemura, and the bulky guy, Glaston, Jin could figure out how desperate they were for points since their head was not halting at all, as the two continued to search for flags all around.
“Nee~Why are you being regarded as a traitor, by your family?”
Jin sighed in slight exasperation since against his expectation, the girl was not able to keep silent for even five minutes before she chirped in, picking the topic about which Jin really did not want to talk about.
But knowing her personality and how she would keep him pestering if he doesn’t answer right now, Jin chose to give her a faint response.
“I bashed my brothers.”
“Oh, so you are a bully!”
Jin’s brows twitched as a wry smile lifted the corner of his lips as he remembered the bullying he did and what his brother has faced all those years in the past. Well, taking blows by them either verbally or physically was a kind of bullying from his side, then he indeed was a bad guy.
Jin didn’t clear out the misunderstanding and let the girl think whatever she wanted. Even though he wanted to fasten his pace and get rid of the girl, she was persistent and matched his pace, crossing over the hurdles with ease.
Not to talk about that now she has hooked her arm with his as well.
“So Jin, tell me. Do you like Fiona?”
Jin had to watch out for the fallen tree log so he doesn’t flip over after he heard Dia’s sudden conception he was never actually a part of. How could she even assume that he was interested in the silver maiden when he actually has never even talked to her? Well, not after entering the Academy, and the last time she didn’t know he was Jin.
“I don’t know what-”
Jin’s voice broke in between as his feet came to an abrupt halt. The same for others as well but they felt the change just a second after and widened their eyes in shock altogether. Even the smiling Dia also had a severe expression as she glanced at her surrounding.
Jin, who had his perception heightened more than the others, could feel the approaching mana presence though not entirely, but still, he knew that this thing was not supposed to be here.
“Watch out!!”
Jin jumped on Dia and pushed her away with the momentum to dodge something which was about to hit the girl.
Jin turned toward the source who threw the thing before his eyes shrank to replicate a needle and blood exhausted away from his face to see the entity which suddenly appeared in front. The singularity which was never meant to be here was now glaring with murderous intent and currently, Jin had nothing other than one thought in mind.
‘It’s fucked up…. ‘
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A/N: – It would be a struggling battle and I will do my best to detail it and make it interesting. Drop a comment.