Chapter 68: Ambush

After digging through further research online about the latest dungeon updates, Mark pulled up a platform containing information about his sister, Tasha, including details tied directly to her career. A photo surfaced of her posing cheerfully alongside Precious, flanked by twenty patients she’d personally helped save.

A short documentary segment about her hobby of preparing different daily meals in her limited spare time also appeared in the feed, though Mark’s expression stayed hard and resolute the moment he thought about the actual conditions she endured during her endless overtime shifts, alongside the mounting stress of constantly managing her own summon.

She hadn’t even had enough time left over to sit with their mother during some of her most critical moments, all because she’d chosen instead to pour herself into caring for strangers who would likely discard her the moment they recovered, exactly like something no longer needed. Meanwhile, those same patients got to walk straight back into the arms of their own friends and families the instant they were healthy again.

This was the path Tasha had inevitably ended up walking, and it wasn’t doing her any favors, not for their mother, and honestly, not for Mark either, at least not emotionally, even though her sacrifices had ultimately given him the chance to stand where he currently did. Not so long ago, this same reality had felt like genuine hell for him too. Nothing about it had fundamentally changed today, not really, except that he was already fully caught up in the fight himself now.

"Don’t worry, Mom, Tasha. I’m coming to pull you both out of this. I’ll make you proud, I’ll get stronger, and I’ll actually make it happen," he muttered, fists clenched tight, before powering down his tablet and setting it aside on the desk.

He turned, pulled off his shirt, left wearing only his undershirt, and dropped straight down to the floor, launching into a steady set of push ups, his mind circling back through everything he’d already accomplished, using it as fuel to push his workout even harder.

Just then, the door burst open with enough force that it might as well have been kicked in by a SWAT team. Mark paused mid rep, looking up to find three familiar students standing in the doorway, each wearing an expression that promised nothing good.

Jack, Victor, and Roman.

"Well, well. Knock knock. Got a special delivery for you," Jack sneered mockingly.

Roman cracked his neck loudly. He carried dark hair, an average build, and a sharp, edgy jawline.

Jack had brown hair paired with a leaner frame, while Victor stood as the largest of the three, his hair cropped in a low, tight cut.

Victor’s expression stood out the most, thanks to the obvious hesitation flickering behind his eyes. It traced directly back to his earlier encounter against the barbarian Amazon, a lingering sense of dread still crawling faintly down his spine like some persistent ghost he couldn’t quite shake.

Before Mark could react, Victor unleashed a burst of thick vines and roots straight at him. They snaked tight around both arms and his entire torso like living serpents, pinning him completely in place.

With that, Jack summoned his slime beast, sending it surging toward Mark next. In an instant, Mark found himself fully engulfed within the creature’s shifting body. He fought hard against the trap, straining desperately, but it made no real difference as the slime hardened into a semi solid state around him, crushing steadily against his ribs and squeezing the air from his lungs, each breath growing shallower and more labored than the last.

Before long, his vision blurred at the edges, consciousness slipping away as his body finally went slack. Jack dismissed the slime summon, leaving Mark restrained entirely by the thick plant bindings still wrapped tight around him. He and Victor turned together toward Roman.

"Alright, that’s your part of the job now. Lift him up and carry him. We can’t afford to waste any more time here, or this whole thing falls apart," Jack ordered, Victor’s expression remaining rigid and unreadable beside him.

Roman only shrugged. "Whatever, man. Didn’t need to get so aggressive about it. I already know exactly why I’m here. This is purely for Kai’s approval, nothing more."

"Obviously. Like we’re not doing the exact same thing here for Mia’s sake too. Now get him up onto your shoulders already, let’s move," Jack pressed.

Roman let out a tired sigh before hoisting Mark’s restrained body up over one shoulder like little more than dead weight, falling into step alongside the other two as they set off.

***

The sky stretched out in deep shades of dark crimson and fading purple as dusk settled fully in, the sun already dipping below the horizon. A noticeable chill crept steadily into the evening air, an early sign of the coming cold season settling over Wland. Most student activity had already wound down for the day, leaving only a scattered handful of people still wandering outside.

The three of them made their way along a paved footpath, Jack and Victor walking ahead while Roman trailed behind, Mark’s restrained body still slung over his shoulder. Those who happened to glance their way treated the scene with the same casual indifference they might show a bag of garbage being hauled off somewhere, while plenty of others didn’t bother sparing them a second look at all.

Jack smiled at that particular detail. It was one of the things he genuinely appreciated about life on school grounds. Everyone stayed firmly in their own lane, letting others do whatever they pleased without worrying about anyone stepping in or reporting it. That was simply how the wider world worked, so why not practice living by that same rule now, while they were all still students.

Still, that same rule turned life into something considerably closer to hell for anyone insignificant, vulnerable, or weak within the school’s social order. And that vulnerability wasn’t strictly limited to the weak either. Mark had already proven he could climb from weak to genuinely strong, and yet here he was, still falling victim to a plot this simple.

This particular arrangement worked best for those backed by real squads, teams, and connections among the wider student body, groups like the student council, Mia’s circle, Kai’s circle, and plenty of others besides. Mark stood alone, and that isolation alone was exactly what had left him exposed to a plan this straightforward.

"So where exactly are we headed right now? What’s the next step?" Roman asked, following a few paces behind Jack and Victor.

Jack glanced back briefly over his shoulder. "Good question, actually. This next part’s just for the two of us to handle. We’ll find somewhere properly secluded to keep him hidden from the rest of the student body, somewhere he’ll stay put until tomorrow’s final round wraps up entirely. He won’t wake before then, and once he does, he’ll barely remember any of this, not once Vic and I get a special sedative into his system."

Victor’s pace slowed suddenly, eyes narrowing as he caught sight of someone in the distance ahead.

"Wait, isn’t that Mark’s roommate? The upperclassman? I heard he’s genuinely strong, strong enough that he actually went up against Lionel, one of the higher ranked enforcers under the King’s own domain. Are we really sure this is a good idea right now?"

"Relax. It’s just his roommate. Honestly, he’ll probably back what we’re doing here without a second thought, considering he’s been one of Mark’s longest running bullies," Jack said, waving off the concern without much thought at all.

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A/N: I hope you had a nice read. And I’ve been saying it, but if you’ve reached at this point, don’t forget to leave a review.

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