151 Chapter 151: Jing Tian Magic Academy, Besieged (1/2)
During the first few hours of the attack, when Director Violet was away, the school fell under the command of the discipline master, Ji Lu Da Shi. He made the decision to have all the students and staff form a defensive perimeter around the school to break the siege of the monsters and hold them off. At first the strategy paid off – with over a thousand students and a hundred magic teachers, they were able to wipe out the first wave of Lycanthropes that assaulted Jing Tian Academy.
However, that number was deceptive. Less than fifty Lycanthropes attacked, and only a dozen students joined a handful of teachers in fighting. Most of the students never had any experience in fighting monsters, and they would most likely freeze up or hesitate during actual combat. Only those who regularly participated in missions such as Theodore Hammond, Craig Carlson, Dong Fang Yue Chu and a handful of Black Rose members, including Alicia, had the necessary experience and nerves to combat these monsters. The rest ended up cowering in the gymnasium, crying and praying for the ordeal to be over soon.
Many of them just wanted to go home.
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Teacher Ruff Fielding had never seen such a pathetic sight in his life. These were the students that the academy was supposed to train for the future of the Federation, to serve as the first line of defense against monsters, and most of them couldn't even stand up straight. The last time he had seen them was when a group of girls huddled together, sobbing and wailing about wanting to go home. A couple of guys were wandering quite some distance away, looking as if they had pissed their pants. From the stink emanating from them, Fielding was quite sure they did.
”We can't continue like this!” he exclaimed when he met the other teachers in the staff room. ”We have to evacuate the school immediately! Protocols dictate that if a catastrophic-level crisis like this occurs, when a city is attacked by hordes of monsters, we move the students and staff toward the emergency shelters in the city center! The academy is not built to withstand a siege! We do not have the supplies or manpower to defend the students here! Sooner or later, it will fall!”
”I concur,” Teacher Mary Cure agreed as she raised a hand. ”The casualties are mounting. That reckless defensive charge that Teacher Ji Lu led against the second wave of Lycanthropes are leaving the school's infirmary and healing staff overstretched. At this rate, we will not be able to move the casualties if any more of them increase.”
”Are you saying it's my fault?” Ji Lu Da Shi growled furiously.
”No one is blaming anyone,” Cure replied sternly. ”I'm just giving you the figures and the scenarios. I do not think we'll be able to hold off another assault.”
”Yeah. Many of the students are too inexperienced,” Fielding agreed heavily. ”They freeze up I the middle of combat. Most of them have never participated in actual monster extermination missions before. It makes you wonder what they have been learning so far.” His lip curled cynically. ”The ones who skip classes the most to participate in missions have proven to be the ones most effective in fighting off the monster horde so far.”
In other words, there was an urgent need to revise the curriculum. If he ever survived this crisis, of course.
”But we held, didn't we?” Ji Lu argued. ”We drove them back and exterminated them! We can keep doing this until reinforcements arrive. The military from the northern fortress…they should be here soon!”
”The military will have to rescue the whole city. We would be low on their list of priorities. Furthermore, the first places they will establish contact with would be the city's emergency shelters. If you really want to get rescued by the military, we should be heading there.”
”Oh? And how do you propose we do that?” Ji Lu growled as he gestured toward the enclosed walls. There were no windows, probably to keep the teachers' meeting concealed from prying eyes and eavesdroppers. ”Are you suggesting that we lead a thousand plus students through those monster-infested streets and fight our way to the city center? We might as well put lights on us and a sign, 'all you can eat buffet' if you want to draw their attention!”
”Yeah, moving through the city is too dangerous right now!” a female teacher agreed vehemently.
”We can't! The students probably won't want to move from here!” another teacher added.
”Teacher Ji Lu has a point. Moving in such a large group will only attract the monsters to us.”
”No one said that we have to move as a large group,” Fielding said impatiently. ”I suggest that we split up in squad levels. Maybe class levels. Groups of ten to twenty, each led by a teacher. I will take the first group and serve as a vanguard. We'll clear a route for the rest of the school to follow. It might take some time, but if we can mark out a path where there are least dangers and we can avoid monsters, the majority of us will be able to make it to the shelters safely.”
”Why can't we just wait here for help?” another teacher asked. ”We still have power here. Our food supplies should last us for another day or two. Surely the Global Federation will send an entire army to respond by then.”
”Will we last that long against this number of monsters, though?” Cure demanded.
”We've been doing very well so far” Ji Lu insisted stubbornly.
That was when Teacher Lin Dong rushed into the staff room, panting heavily. He had been posted as one of the sentries, keeping an eye out on the outskirts of the school. Ji Lu rose to glare at him.
”What's the matter, Teacher Lin?”
”The monsters! They are coming!” Lin was heaving heavily, his face bright red from exertion and fear. ”An entire pack of Dire Wolves over a hundred strong! They're led by three rank C Thunder Wolves! Elemental class!”
The faces of most teachers in the room turned pale. Earlier, they had suffered significant casualties just from fighting rank E Lycanthropes, and now an even more powerful and massive wave of monsters were heading straight for them?
”How long until they get here?” Ji Lu asked, trying his best to stop his trembling.