Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem

Zach stared at the three leg-length corpses Yanael had brought back with his hands on his hips and a frown on his face. Even if it wasn't for the creepy, sticky air around the corpses and their dark clothes that hid their appearances, Zach could guess what they were based on their size.

They were tiny humanoids out for his life. What could they be if not assassins from the Underworld?

'I wonder what layer they're from.'

Zach knelt and poked one of the corpses with a stick. They were powerful and stealthy. If they had waited for Zach to fall asleep or close his eyes, they could have injured him, if not outright killed him if they were lucky.

The three assassins certainly weren't from the first layer. But Zach couldn't decide if they were from the second or third layer. They seemed more powerful than the tasker. But they were made for combat. The tasker wasn't. It was a difficult comparison to make.

The others wondered what Zach was looking so closely at about the three corpses when he hadn't been noticeably surprised or confused when Yanael brought them back. They also wondered what the three corpses were since monsters didn't use daggers or weapons at all for that matter.

The three assassins weren't monsters. Or were they? The others couldn't tell.

However, Dukiel recognized the air from them. It was an earthy, damp smell. It was stronger and a little different, but it smelled like the Giupusta Locale.

"Zach, are they…?" Dukiel hesitantly asked, unsure of how to phrase the question. He was needlessly worried about what Zach had told the others regarding the Underworld. But since it seemed like he hadn't told them anything, Dukiel figured he might want to keep it secret for whatever reason. So, he intentionally didn't finish what he was saying.

Zach stood up and turned around. He looked at Dukiel.

"Yup. Assassins from the Underworld. They're after me, but I don't think they'll get any stronger than this, so we should be fine. For now." Zach shrugged and glanced at the assassins again.

If the Great Ugor could have, he would have sent subordinates that could guarantee Zach's death. For whatever reason, there was a limit to the troops the Great Ugor could assign to kill Zach right now.

Zach narrowed his eyes and looked in a random direction he imagined was the Academy.

'The Great Ugor made it seem like he was in a stand-off against the surface's great beings. Maybe the principal or Kami noticed the Locale?'

It was far-fetched, but Zach didn't think it was impossible. Instructor Kami was one thing, but the principal was old, powerful, and mysterious. Zach wouldn't put noticing what happened inside the mountain past him.

Of course, it could also be related to the underworld energy the tasker had talked about. Maybe the beings of the Underworld needed underworld energy to survive just like humans needed oxygen to breathe.

Or all other troops were busy elsewhere, engaging in a cold war against the surface.

Zach had no idea. He did know it wouldn't be the end, though. Hopefully, the Great Ugor would try to save resources or remain as covert as possible and send more weaklings Zach and Yanael could handle.

'Maybe wait a few days, though.'

Zach was busy with the tiger. He would prefer it if the Great Ugor didn't send any more assassins.

Anerias, Violina, Rierdan, and Nessa just looked at Zach in even more confusion. So, he did know what was going on?

"What kind of fucking mess have you dragged us into this time, Zach?" Anerias couldn't even be bothered to glare this time. His brow was tired from doing it every time he spoke to Zach.

Zach glanced over his shoulder at Anerias. He shrugged.

"I doubt you'd believe me even if I tell you."

"Try me."

Zach tried him. He told Anerias and the others about what had happened in the mountain and what the Great Ugor had talked to him about. He also shared some of his own thoughts on the matter.

"Did you eat shrooms or something?" As expected, Anerias didn't believe a word of what came out of Zach's mouth.

Violina raised her hands and stopped Anerias from continuing to make a ruckus. She pointed at the three assassin corpses.

"What you're saying is that there'll be more of those, right?"

"Yeah."

"Can you handle them and the tiger at the same time?"

"Well…—"

"Yes or no."

"Yes."

"Good. That's all I need to know. Let's find better shelter before it gets too dark."

No one protested against Violina's words. They had gotten sufficient rest during their break and then when Yanael ran a circle, grabbing the assassins, who, while stealthy, weren't great escapists.

Dukiel, Rierdan, and Nessa's millipede were still tired. But they made it work by ignoring their fatigue.

Finally, the group found a clearing with a protruding cliff that offered them complete cover in one direction. Unless the tiger learned to fly, the night watch only needed to keep their eyes in one place.

And since the light from a fire would make it hard to see anything but darkness, they braved the night's chill without one.

Zach and the others huddled up close and shared body warmth and comfort.

They could die this night.

If the familiars or any of them didn't catch the tiger's presence or the assassins, they wouldn't see the light of dawn again.

It was a grim belief that made sleeping hard. Fortunately, exhaustion made sleeping easy again, and everyone but Zach fell asleep almost instantly.

Zach looked at the stars.

It was a late realization, but life was hard. He hadn't expected the life of a student at the Academy of Summoners to be this dangerous. He had thought it would be filled with boring classes, friendly friends, stressful exams, and romance.

Well, the exams were stressful and the friends were friendly, so it wasn't completely wrong.

But fearing for his life only a matter of weeks and months after starting didn't bode well for what would come next.

'And what's the deal with my luck?'

For someone with an innate skill called Divine Luck, Zach felt like an incredibly unlucky person.

But there had to be a reason. An explanation.

He just had to level up and gain the authority to receive the answer he wanted.

'How do I even level up?'

Zach sighed and decided to look at his interface for the first time in a long while.