Letting a smile creep onto his face, Ren also released his body, allowing himself to fall onto the soft...and quite hot sand of the beach.
Lying down in the middle of Raven and Zeng, Ren sighed and recalled the messages he had received from Ruby.
Originally, in a worst-case scenario, the two were supposed to just walk out, claiming that their shift had ended or something like that.
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Of course, the main cast, two recruiters, and the student council president wouldnât trust this and send people to make sure they hadnât stolen anything.
And, since Alya owed me one for helping heal Zach when he had gotten hurt, Ruby convinced her to help escort Raven and Zeng out of the vault.
From there, they could just escape through the tunnel in the underground space and swim back towards the capital.
However...it seemed like Raven and Zeng had a mine of their own.
Before even asking them about their actions, Ren sighed and recalled a very particular message.
Turning to the two boys, Ren said.
"Ruby is part of a group and is trustworth-"
Immediately flicking his head up and off the sand, Raven interrupted.
"But, boss...she was attacking you with the other guys, forcing you to fall into that lava."
Flicking the top of Ravenâs head and still laying down on the hand, Ren continued.
"You watch so many movies, yet you donât know what a double agent is?"
"...ah, I see."
"So, next time, you can listen to her and even ask her for help."
Finally showing some sign of life, Zeng cupped his hands and picked up a handful of sand before replying.
"What do you mean, ânext time?â "
"..."
Was there even going to be a next time?
Recalling the plan he had made with Ruby when they had been in the underground space alone, Ren smiled.
"So youâre planning on taking on all of them at once...just so you can expose the actual intruder."
Seeing Rubyâs eyebrows contorting as if she were struggling to understand his plan, Ren replied.
"With so many spells and attacks flying around, itâll be almost impossible for him to not get hit in the crossfire."
Shaking her head, Ruby instantly responded.
"And, how will you be able to avoid all those spells and attacks!?"
Manifesting pitch-black clothes made of corruption to cover his body, Ren replied.
"Do you have another idea? We canât just camp here all day and all night, waiting for him to do something."
"But we can...in your own words, the principal will be arriving soon. Sheâll be able to take care of him, wonât she?"
Shifting his gaze to the right side of the underground space, where the original entrance was located, Ren said.
"What if he acts before then? What if heâs already acting and doing something to destroy the seal without our knowledge? And what if the principal doesnât even have the ability to see through the intruderâs invisibility."
While it did seem crazy to say that the principal would be outsmarted by a mere djin intruderâs ability, Ren did believe it was a possibility.
After all, he possessed the best set of eyes in the entire world, and for some reason, he couldnât discern the intruder.
Realizing that Ren wasnât going to give up on his plan, Ruby sighed and responded.
"So, what do you need me to do?"
Hearing Rubyâs quick submission and willingness to help, Ren flinched and turned around to hide his expression.
He felt terrible... and sick as if he were about to throw up.
Here he was again, using Ruby as a pawn in his plans.
Forcing her to betray her friends again...what type of person was he?
Ren...he knew he didnât deserve someone like her.
Someone so willing to help and assist him...for no reason.
He hated it...but he still did it.
Because if he didnât, the monster would be released from the vault and kill millions of people, destroying the entire academy and capital city.
As the memories of Rubyâs happy expression when they played in the snow flooded his head, Ren desperately tried to calm himself down.
Regaining his composure, Ren simply looked at the ground, afraid to even see Rubyâs expression, and said.
"Spot me and convince the others that Iâm the intruder. Lily and Alya might be hesitant to attack, but follow them."
After a moment of silence, Ren finally heard Rubyâs voice sound from above him.
"What about you? What happens when the real intruder is exposed? You think you can just take off your mask and say, âOh yeah, Iâm on your team! This was all part of my plan.â "
"..."
Seeing Ren go completely silent, Ruby continued.
"You think theyâll just let you off the hook. Do you think that all those attacks coming at you will just suddenly disappear? What about you? Whatâs going to happen to you? Youâre not facing amateurs...youâre outmatched both in strength and numbers."
"...Iâll manage."
That was all Ren could see in the face of Rubyâs harsh but necessary reality check.
The reason he was standing here today was because he had managed in all those past scenarios.
All he had to do was do it one more time.
Hearing Renâs pitiful words that he didnât even seem to believe himself, Ruby simply turned around and faced the gap that led into the vault.
"Trust the lava."
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With those parting words, Ruby ducked down and crawled through the gap, disappearing from Renâs sight.
Returning to reality, Ren got up and leaned his back against a nearby rock before turning to Zeng.
"As long as Iâm alive, theyâll always be a ânext time.â "
Pausing for a moment, Ren stared upwards at the descending sun, which lit up the sky a bright orange color.
"Of course, youâre free to exclude yourself from missions and only do paperwork at the warehouse. I wonât take it personally. I know after...that, you may have some doubts about risking your lives for stupid shit like this."