Isekai No Gakusei: Students From Another World
Undead Project

"We call it: Time in a Bottle."

Ravenna furrowed her brows. "Time in the bottle? Accelerating time? What's that supposed?"

Darren. "I mean, this is an object capable of controlling time," Makes it sound like a statement rather than a question.

In his home world, this kind of thing was just a science fiction that only appeared in films. In the real world, this kind of thing doesn't exist. Even so far, there has never been any definitive proof of what time it really was. Either it is an entity, or it is just an illusion that pervades human life.

"Technology like this should be impossible to create. But considering that the world is full of endless possibilities through magic, I believe enough in her words." Inner Darren. "In that case, it's good that I make sure it goes deeper."

Darren took his eyes off the necklace, and glanced at Serina. "Did you make this device yourself?" His question.

Serina shakes. "My strength is space, not time."

"So who made it?"

"A God."

Hearing that, Darren and Ravenna gasped. A deity? Isn't it a bit strange if a Demon King's subordinate holds a God-created object? Unless it turns out that the God was killed and plundered his artifacts.

"Raiko?" Ravenna gave the signal. Followed by a slug from the wolf.

"There's no lie."

Darren looked back at the necklace. In the pendant, there is indeed a piece of sand in the container in the form of a classic hourglass capsule. And apparently, almost half have fallen to the side of the capsule below.

"Does this mean he used it?" Darren wonders. "If that's true, I think now it all makes sense. I feel like this city is growing so fast. Too fast, though. Is that because of this necklace effect?"

"From your face, it looks like you managed to deduce something," Slashed Serina suddenly, as if she was reading Darren's thoughts. "Indeed right. I've used that thing before."

Darren gritted his teeth. "What have you done?"

"Isn't it clear? To speed up the turn of time in this city" he replied. "You should have been aware, right, of the cursed disease that had spread?"

Darren and Ravenna flinched together. So all this time they had already fallen into the Demon King's plan.

"T-No way." Ravenna doesn't seem to believe this.

While Darren clenched his hands with a furious face. "The Demon King - You son of a bitch. What's he planning?"

Serina put on an indifferent look. "Well, that must have turned the whole town into an undead. But I don't know. He always kept a lot of secrets."

Darren didn't expect this interrogation session to be like this. He expected information about the Demon King's whereabouts or information about him. But he was instead overwritten with a bad reality that could endanger his friends.

"Damn. Is there any way to reverse the effect?" Shouted Darren to Serina.

But the succubus just came back. "That thing is only able to advance time. Not rewind. There's no turning back" he said.

"How is this, Darren-kun?" Ravenna looked at Darren. Awaiting response. "I hope it's a lie. But Raiko said the opposite."

Darren could only growl while gritting his teeth. He's confused. The Demon King was once again one step ahead of him. And the danger, this concerns the safety of everyone in the city.

The time acceleration of the device has stopped. But the effects of everything that has happened will not go away. The disease will only continue to grow. Slowly but surely. And in the end, the worst possibility is that people's lives will be threatened.

"In that case, we only need to treat the disease, right?" Darren said suddenly. His gaze was glued downwards, a moment later lifted with a confident look.

Ravenna looked surprised. "Maybe-No, Darren-kun. You can't do it!" He approached Darren and pulled his shoulder. "Forcing yourself to treat everyone? You're crazy, aren't you?

"But that's the only way. If I don't do it, people can die."

"So are you. You're the only one who can solve this. So don't let you die a fool for what you did!"

Ravenna's approaching Darren. His hand reached over Darren's shoulder while looking at him deeply.

"Darren-kun, you might not know. But you are precious to me. You're the one who gave me and my sister a second chance at life" he said. "I know you want to help everyone. But that's not how it works. Let's think about this together, and don't rush."

Darren was silent in Ravenna's gaze. His words just now subconsciously touched Darren's heart. He realized that he had almost made the same mistake. He should think more about himself too.

Serina suddenly chuckled. "Basic crazy. Why did you get that far to risk your life for someone else?" Her speech. "Want to be a hero? Want to be someone that people respect? It's naive."

Also true. If you think rationally, this is just a stupid idea. He knew that this disease would be impossible to destroy with his own strength. Even if he managed to treat everyone, his life would be threatened. When he died, was there any guarantee that the disease would not return? The creator of the disease, the Dark Demon King, is still wandering around and can do whatever he wants.

"Hey, Serina. Tell me, do you know about the Demon King's undead project?" Darren asked suddenly, as if he did not care about Serina's words just now.

"Tch, you didn't listen to my taunts just now. Well, whatever. I'll tell you what I know" Reply Serina. "I heard this from the demon generals."

"Demon General?"

"Yes. They were groups of powerful beings working under the direct command of the Dark Demon King. I was one of them."

"Then what did you hear?"

"If not misheard, one of them was entrusted in a massive production on the undead project."

"Massive production?" Darren. He thought the threat in this city was already dangerous. But it turned out that his scale was far above his expectations.

Serina nodded with an indifferent expression. "Ahh, I don't know more than that. After all it's just bird news from among the generals."

Darren instantly drew his sword and pointed it towards Serina's face. Serina was instantly stunned under the threat of that sharp sword.

"Say everything. Don't hide a single one!" Darren said once again, in a serious tone.

"I-yes, yes. Relax a little bit" said Serina. Then continued, "The Demon King is preparing for war. From this alone you should have understood, what the purpose of mass production is."

"Making the undead a weapon of war," Ravenna concluded while standing dumbstruck behind Darren.

Darren thrust his sword further and further. "Say, do you know the production site?"

"It should, if it's not wrong, be on Steinfen."

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"I don't want to believe what the Succubus said. But if what he says is true, then we're in big trouble." Darren said as he sat folding his hands on the table. "Do I have to go check it myself?"

From behind the bookshelves that loomed like a wall, Ravenna's voice echoed while accompanied by some rubbing paper.

"Eitherway. It's a hard choice" he replied. "If this is a trap, then your arrival there will only make their plans more smoothly. But the succubus denies about the charge."

"Do you think this is a trap?"

"Raiko can't be lied to. So, everything he said might not be a lie" Ravenna replied as she then pulled up a chair and sat down.

His hands began to open the newspaper. One by one he explored the pages. A few seconds later, he found what he was looking for.

"This is some newspaper that was printed a few days ago." He thrust the newspaper in his hand while showing a page that looked striking. "Try reading this."

Darren picked up the newspaper, with the other hand making sure the page wasn't covered. Then his eyes began to move following the words on the top of the page.

"The Ghost of the Way of the Rat" he read.

"Read this one too." Ravenna pointed at another sentence below her.

"The Steinfen Country Blood Trail."

"And this one too."

"Mystery Post Ronda Angker."

Somehow these news titles sound like the title of a horror novel made by Junior High School. But apart from that, all this is loaded by a fairly reliable newspaper source. If everything is true, then it is unmistakable, something is indeed happening in Steinfen.

"What do you think?" Ask Ravenna.

Darren put the newspaper down and then pensive. "If it's been this much, it's not a trivial matter anymore."

Ravenna pulls up her newspaper and starts reading, but does not let go of her conversation with Darren. "Most of the sources of this paper come from adventurers. Quite reasonable, since adventurers often roam dangerous places."

"Adventurer, yes. Earlier in the hospital, I had heard the same thing from the adventurer group that I treated," Darren said. "One of their friends contracted a curse disease as well. They claim they just got back from Steinfen because of graduation."

"Hm, graduation? Ah, it turns out that the academy is still standing huh until now."

Darren glanced at it while raising his eyebrows. "You know about the adventurer academy?"

Ravenna lowered the newspaper from her face, so that now the eyes of the two of them could exchange glances. Then he nodded.

"I used to study there. But it was a long time ago. That's why I can be a diamond adventurer."

"so yeah. I don't think the rumors about the great adventurers of the academy graduates are wrong."

Ravenna put down the newspaper. Then I looked back at Darren.

"So, what's your decision? Are you going to Steinfen?" His question.

Darren breathed a long breath. He was actually afraid to go there. The risk he could not have foreseen. It feels too smooth. He can immediately find out the location of the target just by asking. People in general must immediately consider this a trap. But on the other hand, everything he said was the truth.

He has no choice. The fate of the world may depend on its decision today.

"Yes. I'll go, and I'll destroy whatever they plan."

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[Previously.].

"Steinfen?" Darren asked Serina. "Is there a reason?"

Serina replied nonchalantly. "Where I know. I told you it was just bird news. After all, the Demon King didn't tell me much about the project."

Darren looked suspiciously at Serina, as if indirectly accusing her that she was secretly hiding something. Serina realized this, and she became disturbed.

"There's no trap. I swear," he said. "If so, why would I lead you to Steinfen? If ordered, I could have finished you here," he said in a threatening tone.

Raiko seemed to sniff it, and again she shook her head. "He wasn't lying at all."

Darren's against Serina's threat. "You sure? You have been defeated and captured like this? Trying to bluff will only embarrass yourself."

Serina didn't care much about Darren's talk. But in simple terms he said. "Tomorrow you won't see me again."

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[A few hours later.].

The sun has drowned. But the basement hasn't changed that much. A dark feeling had indeed enveloped the place from the very beginning. The only source of light was just a row of lanterns hanging on the wall.

But there is one room that looks darker than the other room. A room where a dangerous prisoner is being chained. A succubus who had just been defeated by the Emerald Green.

"Why is it so long, anyway" Serina grumbled in the middle of the darkness of the room. He wanted to stomp his feet to drive away boredom, but he just remembered that his legs had not grown back. Both of his arms are still puffed up. There was almost nothing he could do to get bored.

Suddenly something touched his shoulder from behind. A large finger that is rough, but the touch is so soft. Very turned.

Serina almost shouted in surprise. But quickly the hand silenced his mouth until no small sound came out.

"It's me" Whispered Hioni who slowly came out of the portal on the cell wall.

Serina exposed her face, throwing Hioni's hand away from her face. "No need to play in shock at everything!" Whispers slowly. But his tone could still be heard clearly.

Hioni also touched the chains that bound Serina. Then quietly he broke it as if tearing a paper.

Sreekk~

"New abilities?" Serina said when she saw him do the action.

"Yes. But just for a second. We better get going now."

Without any sound, without anyone noticing it, Serina and Hioni managed to escape. Leaving broken chains on the cell floor. And just have to wait until someone finds it and then get confused.

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To be continued...