Earthling in Uncharted Dimensions

Chapter 153: Drake's Trip Around Campus

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34 HOURS TO COMPLETION.

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A different panel popped up as Lee stepped into the second floor. It was barely translucent, and the black words on it were tiny, and in all caps. From the number of hours remaining, Lee guessed that he had missed one notification when he was exploring the academy. The words 'key upgradation' gave him an idea that the system might change to a great extent. But he suppressed his curiosity and focused on the sight in front of him.

The reading hall had about the same size as downstairs, but the number of tables was only 12. They were arranged in a manner that there is a lot of space in between them. The circular tables only had two chairs on either side. Those chairs next to the tables had cotton filled cushions for comfortable sitting. Only two females were sitting in the hall, and they sensed the duo arriving on the floor. Lee glanced at Drake at their response.

"They are professors of the academy. Their senses are more powerful than the restrictions of the Silent Birch wood furniture."

Drake whispered to Lee and he nodded in reply. The women sitting at the tables, away from each other, scanned the stranger from top to bottom. They took their gazes back to the books in front of them, as Drake was caught in their sight. One of them was even about to stand up in alertness.

Observing around, Lee found remarkable changes. The book shelves were entirely different. On the first floor, he saw large and wide shelves, each one of them housing ten of hundreds of books. But here, it was entirely different.

One metre tall rectangular wooden pillars on the ground had a 5 inch square face on the top. A half a centimetre thick sheet of unknown metal, with silvery grey colour, was on the wooden pillar and above it, were books. This unusual structure also had an unusual way of keeping books.

Five books were suspended in the air, vertically over another, with an inch distance between them. The books' front cover would face the person standing before the pillar, and the books would turn automatically if anyone else approached the pillar from a different direction. Tiny and barely visible sets of runes engraved on the Dusk Oak wood pillars were picked up by Lee, and he guessed the mechanism behind it.

Each pillar had an alphabet and a number on it, for distinguishing the position of the pillar. Lee walked to the nearest one to him, which was E18. As he approached the pillar with Drake following him, the five books suspended on the pillar turned towards them. Standing in front of the pillar, Lee observed that the books had a subtle halo around its borders and it was the floating mechanism. Curiosity built up in him, and he raised his hand to touch the book.

"Don't."

Drake restricted Lee from his actions, and caught his wrist. He shook his head in disagreement, and then pointed down to the innumerous sets of runes on the wood.

"There are offensive runes among them. They electrocute anyone without necessary clearance, and the criteria for even touching the book is the academy robe. A set of runes identify the robe and deactivates the electrocution rune. There are petrification runes and glue runes among them, which seriously harm the intruder. When anyone of the pillars recognise a theft, the books are immediately retracted to the space inside the pillars. Only the principal can deactivate the rune once it is in effect."

Lee retracted his hand, and took a glance around. The women were staring at them through the corners of their eyes. Lee felt uncomfortable and thus told Drake that he had seen the library enough. The professor was happy to guide him out. As they were leaving, Lee saw a spectacular sight through the spaces between the suspended books.

A door stood alone on a platform and that was at another corner of the floor. Lee caught a glimpse of the door, and derived information from it. The door had a threatening appearance, and had menacing serpent figures all over it. The snakes were arranged in a way from the top to bottom, so that their motion, in a peculiar manner, can open the door. Barely the height of a human, it's age can be recognised beyond centuries from the innumerous strike marks on it. Guess it had a not-so-good past.

Another set of stairs also caught Lee's sight, and it was rather narrow for a set of stairs. It had no railing and resembled a set of stones poking out of the wall. The metal door at the end of the steps was spooky. Lee memorised the strange set of details and quickly followed Drake, as the women were staring at him more intensely.

After descending the library and walking out of the main block, Drake led him toward the indoor training arena. As soon as the professor opened the door to enter, a red brick came flying at him. Lee saw Drake frozen at the sight of the approaching brick, and immediately stepped forth and caught it with his right hand. The collided brick began to crumble as Lee tightened his grip around it. The black face Lee had, concealed the pain pulsating from the palm. He relaxed the palm and opened it, and the slightly deformed red brick fell on the ground.

*thud*

Lee retracted his hand and left it hanging, as he waited for the pain to relieve. He stretched and closed his palm repeatedly and the pain easily subsided. Drake was astonished by Lee's reflex and his immense strength, which stopped the brick from crushing his nose bridge. Anger welled up in him for many reasons, and he shouted-

"Who threw this brick?"

Anyone inside the indoor arena would be unknown to the fact that Drake and Lee would enter via the door. But there were students who had the ability of clairvoyance and foresight. Though the Mana consumption is very high, these skills can change the tides of war. Lee derived the information and assumed the presence of potentially difficult enemies.

The students inside the indoor training arena went silent and turned to the source of the sound. Many showed signs of fear and disorder, as a head of department began to rage up. The students sitting on the sidelines, resting, also jumped up in response. More than 49 pairs of eyes were focused on Drake, who angrily glanced over each face for a culprit.

Silence was the answer. There were students from all classes of all departments since physical training was a necessity for Mana mastery, but none spoke. No one gave a verbal or non-verbal reply and Drake was further angry. Taking six steps forward, he casted a spell which amplified his voice.

"Since no one is speaking, I will have to use the Fire Spike interrogation spell."

Then, a hand rose from the back of a girl. A head poked from her behind, and Drake caught the culprit.

"Professor, it was me. I threw the red brick at Val Dimin of the Weaponry department, since she asked me to. She wanted to shatter the brick with her mace. Not only that it did not break, but it flew towards the door. Coincidentally, you came in."

The girl bowed her head and admitted her mistake. Val Dimin, whom she mentioned, came out of her hiding place and presented herself in front of the professor. She was carrying her mace behind her, and the bright red mark on it signified that the story might be true. Upon further investigation, Drake found the story true, and dismissed both without punishment. As the girls went away and the students began to concentrate on their activities, he turned to Lee to thank him.

Lee politely accepted his thanks, and exited the place. The indoor arena looked like a circular stadium from the outside, but was more spacious than it seemed to be.

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The time had turned evening, and the sky was orange with sunlight. After thanking Drake for the trip, Lee did not stay too long in the campus, and left the premises to go back to the inn.

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33 HOURS TO COMPLETION.

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As soon as he left, the notification popped up. The hourly reminder was replaced by the barely transparent display. It was difficult to catch it's presence due to its colourlessness that blended with the background. Lee observed his surroundings, and was aware that his system is temporarily unavailable, and that he had to help himself. The lack of Foresight and the Map made him alert to maximum. He was able to relax an extent, as he was conscious about his 'above-average' stats.

Hunger demanded food, and Lee pulled a half-drunk bottle of milk from the spatial ring. The milk disappeared in his mouth without spilling a drop and the empty bottle was all that remained in his hand.

As he was about to store it in the ring, A voice came from behind.