Enchanted University of Magemenos

Chapter 69:Injured heroine

"Oh yeah, right, it went completely out of my... oh my god! Where are we? A new game?" I exclaim as our surroundings suddenly shift. We're now in a room bathed in soft yellow lights, with a beautiful fountain at the center. Food stalls line the walls, and in the corner, there's an impressive chocolate tower that looks almost too good to eat.

"Wow, this place looks like it's straight out of a fairytale," I say, my eyes widening at the sight.

"We're in the break room," Nathan says, looking around.

"The game is over? The bell never rang," Keith protests, and I nod in agreement, still trying to wrap my head around the sudden change in scenery.

"You guys were too busy to concentrate... it rang," Nathan replies, rolling his eyes at us.

I hear sobbing and crying everywhere, accompanied by loud screams that cut through the air like a knife. People are devastated after the game, their faces etched with disappointment and frustration. They mutter amongst themselves, calling this the most difficult level yet. But I can't help but disagree; I found this level pretty easy, perhaps because our chain was so small.

While everyone else seems ready to throw in the towel, I reflect on our little adventure. Sure, we fell into an animal pit and had our fair share of chaos, but it felt more like a comedy than a catastrophe. Maybe I've just got a different perspective on things.

Suddenly, I start feeling very uneasy. Scorching pain radiates from everywhere—my jaw aches, my leg throbs, and my elbows feel like they've been hit by a freight train. Just when I think it can't get worse, I look down to see my palm gushing with blood. Unable to stand any longer, I crash to the ground with a large thud.

I scream in agony, the sound echoing off the walls like a horror movie moment.

"What happened?" Keith bends down beside me, his expression shifting from playful to concerned as he spots the cut in my palm.

"As in the non-illusion world, it's been only four hours," Nathan explains, his voice steady despite the chaos around us. "So the wounds that healed in those so-called seven days of illusion are still here in real time. All the injuries we sustained are present."

He hands me an iced bottle, and I grasp it tightly, grateful for the cold relief against my throbbing palm. I take a deep breath, trying to focus through the haze of pain.

"Great, so not only do I have to deal with you two clowns, but now I also get to enjoy this delightful array of injuries," I groan, trying to inject some humor into the situation despite the throbbing ache in my body.

"How come you are hurt this bad?" Keith says, eyeing my hand as if I just showed him a magic trick gone wrong.

"Just this and that," I reply, trying to downplay it.

"Don't expect a handsome boy to carry you around if you keep pretending like this. No one here would even think about you," Keith remarks, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Of course I'm not pretending!" I shoot back, mockingly. "This is my new dramatic persona. The injured heroine, doomed to wander the halls of Peculous in search of a prince charming. Spoiler alert: he's probably running away."

"Well, you know what they say—" Keith leans in, "if the prince won't save you, maybe the jester will at least entertain you while you bleed out!"

"Thanks for the pep talk, Keith. I feel so much better knowing my life's in the hands of a wannabe comedian," I reply, rolling my eyes but unable to suppress a smile.

"Hey, humor is the best medicine! And if that doesn't work, I hear chocolate fountains are good for injuries too," he adds, gesturing dramatically towards the food stalls. "We could dive into one and hope for a miraculous recovery!"

"Hey, no pressure or anything, but if I don't make it out of this level, I'm blaming you for all those ridiculous movies you haven't seen," Keith calls over, a teasing grin on his face despite the seriousness of the moment.

"I am off to have food. Goodbye again! And don't go around telling people—or rather, showing off—that you were with me this entire time. I know you can't withstand this beauty, but next time I'll give you a better treat if you at least try," Keith says, winking exaggeratedly like he's the main character in a rom-com.

"You wish," I reply, dabbing the cold bottle on my palm and wiping away the blood with the doormat on the floor. Classy, I know.