Chapter 220: Preparing for a Battle

Madam Rizenne was struggling to support her weight. Her arms trembled, almost failing to prop her body. She was now on all fours. Her right leg dragged forward, seeking to curl up and land her foot on the floor, struggling to even move.

Finally, with great effort, her right leg landed. Now free after obtaining support from the leg, she pulled out the spindle lodged in her left hand. She panted hoarsely, heaving deep, but ragged breaths. Sweat covered her body, drenching her clothes. She looked weak, on the verge of collapsing.

Some students directly jumped onto the stage, planning to rush to her rescue. They were confused as to how Madam Rizenne had fallen to such a state, unable to comprehend the situation. But they all knew one thing; the bodies of Espers were as weak as regular humans. They were prone to mortal danger with the slightest of injury.

The Spindle Bee glanced at the rushing crowd, deciding to deliver the finishing blow before escaping. The moment it focused on the neck of Madam Rizenne, a psychic arm surrounded the stage, stopping the students in place. It was silent; the Spindle Bee hadn't detected it.

It strained its stinger, now hovering just a metre above Madam Rizenne. It wanted to preserve most of the force of its ejected spindle, thereby closing in as much as possible. Suddenly, Madam Rizenne's left hand buckled, causing her upper body to lean forward, increasing the stress placed on her right leg, causing it to lose balance.

The Spindle Bee adjusted accordingly, its aim unwavering. Just when it was about to shoot its spindle, it felt pain. A spindle had pierced its abdomen; it was something it had created.

The Spindle Bee had hovered in the air a metre above Madam Rizenne's neck, positioned 10 centimetres back to aim better. This put the area on her back under its blind spot. When her upper body bent forward, as a result of her limbs giving in, her plan finally took form.

Lodged half-way into her back was the first spindle. Madam Rizenne had been controlling the surrounding muscles, storing power, firmly holding the spindle. She first freed the muscle tissues surrounding the spindle, ensuring its position remained unchanged. Now, she began to stress it from all sides, applying pressure.

The spindle was lodged perpendicularly into her back. It pointed to a spot behind the Spindle Bee. When her upper body bent forward, the spindle's line of action moved upwards, forming an arc. The moment it pointed at the Spindle Bee, her back muscles convulsed.

Thanks to the applied muscle pressure, the spindle shot forth like an arrow, lodging itself in the Spindle Bee's abdomen. Thanks to it being positioned in its blind spot, with the attention of the Spindle Bee split between its focus of attack and the students that had jumped onto the stage, it failed to react.

Despite its Tier 1 Skill sensing the spindle, it couldn't react in time. It was thanks to the spindle's speed, and the short distance of travel, making the reaction time necessary less than what its attention-split brain could process and execute.

A planned action, built upon a series of steps, all conforming to an overall effect. Unless the foe possessed wisdom rivalling the plotter, it was bound to end up with defeat. The spindle lodged itself into the Spindle Bee's abdomen, disorienting it for a moment.

The spindle was sharp, the damage inflicted significant thanks to their relative sizes. The spindle spanned one-third of the Spindle Bee's body length. Madam Rizenne's right hand—carrying the spindle she had pulled out from her left—flashed to her back, throwing the spindle.

The spindle pierced its eyes, damaging the brain. Madam Rizenne pushed forth with her hand, using the force to spring back to her feet. She used her index and middle-finger, sending a jab at its wings, damaging it.

The Spindle Bee lost its balance, no longer able to maintain its flight. Two hands slapped its head, bursting it into flesh and brain matter. Madam Rizenne's voice resounded, plain, lacking any emotion, "The laws of nature work in tandem to balance everything."

"The shrub a poisonous snake coils under is the cure to its venom. Similarly, the pointed end of the Rigordile's tail is the weapon that can pierce its scales." She then pointed at the spindle of the Spindle Bee, her intent obvious.

"Wisdom is humanity's greatest weapon. We also use this wisdom against one another, to strive for benefits, acting based on personal notions, pride, beliefs, working to better oneself while sometimes, seeking to pull down another."

"Our weapon is also a counter against our brethren." She looked at the faces of the students, noticing their morphing expressions at the brutal reality, "The case is the same among all races. Infighting is present in every sentient race. To counter their tough scales, the Rigordiles sharpen their tails. To pierce them despite their senses, the Spindle Bees make their spindles more discrete, but lethal."

"The poison secreted in their mandibles allows the Floating Spider to easily bite through their web. Every race is similar. Use their countermeasures to deal with them." She then pulled out all the spindles pierced in her body, "My example is somewhat risky but it is one of the methods to use if your surroundings give you zero advantage."

"Your scheme begins with the first blow you receive." Madam Rizenne concluded.

She waved her hands once, watching a small hole form on the One-horned Rhino's back. The Life Leech flew out, carried by her psychic arm. It was soon thrown into its respective cage. Having drunk a lot of blood in the time being, the Life Leech was now thrice its initial size.

"I wanted to continue today's session but unfortunately, time's up." She glanced at the time once, shaking her head, letting out a deep breath. "We will continue where we left off in tomorrow's classes. Now that we have entered the battle-preparation phase, we will be having more classes dedicated to training exercises just like today."

"The details of the Labyrinth of Frenzy will be open to you in the Portal. Do make sure to go through them all. It is the place where you can score the most number of Credits. That's all, class dismissed." She waved her hands, motioning for the students to leave. Accompanied by her action, there was a faint rumble before the doors to the Red Building opened up, allowing the sunlight to seep in.

The students heaved sighs of relief; some of them sat on the floor, the adrenaline rush from before abating little by little. Many were emotionally overwhelmed, gazing at their surroundings with a blank stare.

The floor beneath them moved down, soon disappearing, allowing the students to land on the actual building floor.

Jyorta gazed at Haesha, watching the other party in deep thought, "What are you planning to do now?"

"I have the confidence now," Haesha made eye contact, "I will return and rest for the time being. What about you?"

"I'll stay," Jyorta glanced around, noticing the Frenzy Beasts within each cage. "I still need to practice a lot."

He then noticed the figure of Madam Rizenne flying overhead, soon exiting the building. Seeing her flying figure, Jyorta fell into a trance, longing for the day when he would be able to take flight. He saw his friends slowly walking towards the exit, each occupied with thoughts, their backs straight, their confidence brimming. Their gazes were the same as Haesha, having thought of something, intending to attempt it soon.

Jyorta waved at Haesha, watching her walking figure. He sat on the floor, seeing everyone slowly exit the Red Building. Soon, there wasn't the presence of any humans in his surroundings, albeit one.

A figure landed beside him, akin to a statue, the only proof of her being alive was her chest moving up and down, a sign of breathing. Jyorta glanced around, double-checking to ensure the absence of any people, especially the students.

He then heaved a sigh of relief, getting up before slightly bowing to Madam Mila, "Ma'am, when practicing here…"

His voice was cut short. Without any movement of her mouth, Madam Mila's voice resounded, obviously transmitted through her psychic energy, "You can't use your full strength here. Many students will be coming and going, so it is not wise to do so. But, you can use both your Trait and your full strength in the Labyrinth of Frenzy."

"Prepare first and return. It won't count as training if you suppress your abilities. In the Labyrinth of Frenzy, each path is exclusive for each student's use. So, you can freely use your full strength." Madam Mila gently floated a centimetre from the floor, turning her body around rigidly to glance at a couple of students entering the Red Building.

"Head to the Orange Building and equip yourself. Research the details of the Labyrinth of Frenzy in the Portal. When you are done, return here. Normally, I would advice everyone to first practice with the Frenzy Beasts here in cages. But, in your case, heading down the Labyrinth of Frenzy would be for the best."

Madam Mila flew towards the farther end of the hall, hovering beside a wall. A counter formed before her, created through her Unranked Skill. Stacks of papers, documents, lists, maps, etc. flew out from somewhere hidden, soon arranging themselves into a shelf that appeared behind her.

Some of the maps unravelled, plastering themselves on a bulletin board that had formed on her right. Soon, with a faint rumble, two massive paths opened on either side of her, leading down.

Madam Mila's voice resounded in his ear, "The same treatment that other students receive here, you will obtain it in the Labyrinth of Frenzy. Get accustomed to battling the Frenzy Beasts in the outer segments. Once I give you the pass, I will stop helping you. You can then begin your actual explorations. Until then, the Frenzy Beasts you kill will not net you any Credits."

"Thank you, ma'am." Jyorta bowed in her direction, turning around to walk towards the exit. Once he finished his preparations, he would begin his battle.