Archaeologists in a Magic Cultivation World

Confinement Part 2 Situations Change

Fighting against the Mana Beast for so long had him worn out and downright fed up with the situation. The creatures used pack mentality and a ravenous hunger instinct that came at him hard. More than the cunning of the Striped Hyena, they looked like. No matter how many were cut down, more would appear; they seemed almost endless.

"Tch!" William cut down two more that jumped at his back with a turn. The ground was turning sloppy from all of the blood. William's footwork was not good enough to make up for this at all. "Dammit!" Collapsing to a knee was the worse of the matter.

He was starting to feel the effects of the Dungeon a little more now. Dizzyness and paranoia turned higher with each scratch taken from a Mana Beast.

A Ghoulish Striped Hyena Mana Beast stalked out, dragging chains. In its mouth, a Discipline Student was currently getting eaten. Where it picked the student up from didn't matter to William.

"So how crappy is the security in this Dungeon?" William asked to know one in particular. The student in the mouth of the Mana Beast spasmed a little but was already a goner after a gusher of blood shot out. The Ghoulish Mana Beast actually stopped to lick the blood up like it was an elixer of some sort. "Well.. that's an option."

William cut the bodies of the Striped Hyenas to cause more of their blood to gush out all over. Moving slowly to conserve energy and keep the beast in his eyesight. Seeing the chains dragging along defintely made the situation worse.

If it broke out of restrains and killed a Discipline Student, then odds are it wouldn't be taken down by him and a backup would not arrive.

So far, he determined it didn't really detect him yet.

*Squeak! Squeak!* Two small cries went out in the room. William barely looked over to the location but didn't see anything. It came at the right time as a few more Striped Hyenas ran out and attacked the Ghoul Beast.

The first one that made it within an inch was cut down by a turn of a chain when the head whipped around. The Ghoul Beast was actually capable of using its restraints as weapons.

"Hi Hii!" The Striped Hyena let out a more painful whimper than a cry out. The chain cut across its face and broke the bottom jaw. "Hi.. Hii..." The whimper was even lower as the blood that seeped out went towards the chains.

'Ok.. bad idea to touch those maybe.' William stepped back from circling around. The chains were taking up to much of the area to allow it to be safe. 'I just need the time to recover and make a full dash for it.'

Before he could formulate the rest of that plan, the Ghoul Beast was tackled to the floor by several of the Striped Hyenas. Quantity won out as they tore into it. Even ignoring the chains that dried them up.

Despite this, it was clear enough of them would not arrive to take it down. But the sound of more crying out could be heard in the distance. Surviving against the Striped Hyenas was somewhat viable by running and jumping nonstop maybe.

"Vermin..." William's blood ran cold as the Ghoul Beast actually spoke in a way. The Realm it would have to be at to do that would need to be really high. "... my "Home" is infested with Vermin.."

If William were in a better condition, he would be able to act better and think more about what was just said. 

*Squeak!* A Rat popped out of a hole and scurried across the way under the fighting Mana Beasts. The Ghoul Beast was just close enough to smell its scent. It took a bite at the ground catching its decaying jaw in some stone when missing.

Caught and pinned down further, its neck was exposed for a strike. 

'Best chance!' William made a slight mistake in his actions. He circled all of his reserve Mana to dash across. 'I should be able to make it pass its reach!' The Ghoul Beast had a gold glow spread in its eye socket as it changed directions. "Shit!"

William was caught by his back leg at the last moment. With a swallowing capacity of a snake, the mouth unhinged a little and bit back down enough to catch his upper thigh.

"AHHHH!" William's cry was filled with so much pain and anguish it made him sick to hear it. 'It's saliva!' A burning corrosive type of liquid sent constant pain through his side. Only the use of his Body Cultivation kept it from going anywhere else. "LET GO!" 

Attacking it wildly without restraint, William was no different than the Striped Hyenas. In fact, the mana beasts bit and chomped in ways to get him free.

To any onlooker that came up, they would assume William was just some Feral Cultivator fighting with his Conclave. But that would be silly with the Akademy not having those courses taught anymore.

With a bite, William bit the eye out of the Mana Beast and chewed it out. Its fangs sunk deeper into his leg before swinging him into a wall with such force, his bones broke and his skull cracked in the back.

Knowledge System: Multiple External Hardrives detected. Extensive damage to Cooling Fan..

"Grr!" William let out a snarl ignoring the notifications. A bit of his Mind still allows him to go for vital areas thanks to the coupling information of the Striped Hyenas Pack Mentality acting as a guide. "Grooo!"

With a grind of the teeth, William devoured the eyeball and lunged at the Ghoul Beast with the Hyenas. The movement of each of them improved thanks to one thing, Williams Soul conveyed Military tactics to the Pack Mentality.

"Vermin...." The Ghoul Beast eyed William as the main threat, but the improvement to the other Mana Beast tipped the scale further. "..get out of my home!"

A Striped Hyena came from underneath. Latching on to the throat and pulling at the throat muscles and a vast majority of its jaw. Another latched on to the back and pulled it back down. With two more going for the hind legs ignoring the chains completely.

*Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!* The Rat moved around out of its hiding place once more. Its smell baiting the Foul Beast and causing the chains to pull towards the side. 

Lead that way, it was opened to counterattacks once more. William stabbed into the side of the Foul Beast. Stabbing with such blows his skin peeled back further and allowed the acidic type blood to seep into him.

"Grrrr!" William growled in little recognition to the pain, but not enough to wake him from the haze. Sword Intent grew stronger naturally from this and carved up the creature's insides. "Grroo?"

A piece of fastened metal was felt against a bruised knuckle next to the lungs. Like the chains, it burned and absorbed Williams Blood.

With a clutch of the fingers, Mana wrapped around like little daggers on William. A swipe and wild kick from him missed the creature's nose and head. It hit the wall. William damaged his body even further. His arm was mangled and dangling in the socket.

*Rumble!* The fighting shook enough of the already weakened wall to cause a problem. A piece came down forcing William to the ground. The Foul Mana Beast looked at him with more recognition than a creature should have.

A Striped Hyena cut path across the air. Delivering a cut to the nose and splitting it in two. 

The Foul Mana Beast could no longer smell William and could no longer see him like the others to well. It stomped about striking all over wildly with the chains whipping about causing more damage.

*Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!* The sound of the Rat came out. The Striped Hyenas pulled back listening to the command. The influence William was under weakened enough for him to regain control of himself due to the proximity change.

The Rat was not the only one observing of the situation. A figure Astral Project themselves out of range of William and the Mana Beasts while watching. With a wave of the hand tucked into its coat, the rumbling of the Dungeon and its aftershocks completely stopped.

.

Faculty Room-

.

Several Coordinators were gathered in a meeting before a noble burst in with several family guards in tow. The symbol of their house, a two-headed Falcon showed brightly with a defiant look in its gaze. The dark brown feathers are the same colors as the family's main line eyes. Members of House Amalienburg very rarely did anything without cause.

The Vice-Dean addressed the situation with poise and a taciturn mood. Showing himself to be more in control than he actually was.

"This is a closed meeting, how dare you barge into our chambers. You best have a good reason for this."

"Of course." A young man of house Amalienburg responded carefully. "This is a signed Writ by the Marquess to bring Student-Teacher William before the Duchy to answer for the Life & Death Duel that took place recently."

The document was brought forth just a tier lower than that of the King. The Marquess of Amalienburg was a long-standing Duchy with power beyond its station some would say.

They wouldn't say it to the members' face of course.

 "This says he is to be rewarded for acting with the Pride of a Loyalist!" The Vice-Dean read the writ over three times to make sure this was true. His old mind was very aware of the possible power game that could be at play. "Correct me if I am wrong, but William if of the Lancaster Duchy, surely the.."

"Student Teacher William was already removed from the Main Family previously." A sweet voice said from among the Amalienburg members. He needed know real introduction as one of the 10 Vice Roys of the Duchy. "To discard such a prominent student and member.. is such a foolish move on their part."

"Be that as it may," The Discipline Coordinator would not allow any real disruption to settle in. "Currently, Teacher William is serving a punishment in the Dungeon."

"On what grounds!?" The young man of house Amalienburg baring slipped a little. A few of his house gave a look but it was ignored by the obvious youth's inability to pick up on the situation. "First this filthy excuse of an institution allowed him to get hurt, now this!"

"Forgive the young lord Barnabus truly," the Vice Roy grabbed the youth and pulled him back. Covering his mouth with a playful smile. "please indulge us on what William has done to get sent to the Dungeon. It's not to much to ask for an Inquiry yes?"

Those of the School Board shifted nervously. Those who would be implicated in regards to a formal inquiry into the matter.

"An Inquiry can take place after we finish." The Student Coordinator said cooly. All eyes were on him to see what he planned to do about the situation. "Right now, this takes precedence. Health Coordinator Bailey can take of that no issue."

As the Student Coordinator, he was supposed to take point on something like this. A Health Coordinator would be a secondary choice for this kind of matter. 

Basically giving respect to the Duchy but also controlling the situation a little by not doing it himself.

"That will be fine, won't it?" The Vice-Dean followed up with a sense of bravado. 'If the Student Coordinator department wants to cause an issue or take over this mess by golly they can have it. Where is the Dean when he is needed most? He should have been back by now.'

The Dean left on some urgent matters not to long ago. Something about visiting the old Sealing Grounds. Which suited the Vice Dean perfectly well to not go and deal with that mess of business.

"That is fine, the Health Department has no input on any other matters anyway." Health Coordinator Bailey and the other Coordinators that sat in the upper areas got up to leave. "As for the Inquiry, it shouldn't take to much time really."

"The History Department and Occupation Department are dismissed as well." The Discipline Coordinator had made a small motion to remove a few of the other Loyalist groups from the room. "The budget changes do not affect either of their departments after all."

No one argued at this. Simply because it was the truth and they didn't want any trouble.