Chương 181: Chapter 167-Chosen Beach Volleyball

When life gives you coconuts… make lemonade? Huh, I guess it doesn't work when I just mix in random words. Let me try that again. When life gives you coconuts, make coconut water. Yeah, that just doesn't flow as well as I was hoping. I'm going to have to think on this a bit more. Maybe theory-craft a little here and there. Hmm. What else can I use instead of lemonade? Danger suddenly pings from above. My eyes snap to the volleyball heading straight towards me.

Without hesitating, I lock my hands together, straighten my arms, and bump it straight back over the net. Hopper hops up, intercepts my pass, and spikes it down towards the sand. With all hope lost, I watch as Ruby glides through the sand, hitting the ball back up into the air. Talon, who is flying, slams it straight into the ground against the opposing team, or at least that's how it seems. The ball hovers mere inches away from the ground as Garus uses [Telekinesis] to fire it right back at us. Oh no, you don't.

Before it can hit the ground, I [Throw] a pebble at the ball, causing it to spin higher into the air. Now we have it. Talon will be able to send it back to the opposing team, and nobody- Talon suddenly falls out of the sky as the draft of air he was riding on suddenly disappears. The ball falls firmly on our side.

"Hey, we said no [Skills] against other players," Ruby says with a hint of anger. Julian walks up to the net with his elegant walk.

"Exactly. No [Skills] against other players, but we never said anything about the game area," he points out.

"You're being pedantic," Ruby says as she walks up to the net.

"Pedantic or not, he is right. Not to mention you have a literal flying teammate. Had to make things even somewhere," Garus says with a hint of superiority. These little shits. I couldn't be prouder. I mean, bending the letter of the law is exactly up my alley, okay maybe it's just the rules of volleyball, but still, you get the point. Now, I say that, but these guys are a hundred years too early to be challenging me in this kind of stuff.

"Ruby, don't worry. They can have that point," I say with a wink. Ruby looks at me, confused before nodding along.

"Okay. Let's go again." Ball in hand, I cut my thumb on my sharp teeth and wipe a little blood on it. With a swift serve, the ball flies across to the other side. Hopper goes to hop, but before he can, I [Throw] a pebble at the sand below his feet. The subsequent explosion of sand blinds him. Instead of leaping straight for the ball, he hits the net and is sent stumbling back to the ground. The ball lands on their side. Garus and Julian look over at me with worry.

"What? That was the game area, right?" I ask with a devilish smile. Hop spits out some sand as he stands back up.

"Ah, shit." Garus floats the ball up and then sends it flying to us. Ruby sprouts a vine from the sand and whacks it back towards Garus. Before he can float it back, it disappears from view. Everyone looks around in confusion as the ball appears on the ground behind Garus. Nothing like a little [Disguise] to really confuse people. Julian grabs the volleyball and goes to serve, but right as his hand meets the ball, I [Taunt], "Be careful not to trip, Julian."

Before he realizes what happened, he hits the ball too hard, sending it out of bounds. Hopper looks around at Garus and Julian with a simple look of defiance. As Hopper goes to serve the ball, I [Throw] a rock that is stopped in place by Garus's magic. The ball flies over to our side. Ruby slides through the sand, barely hitting it before it hits the ground. A rogue wind funnels the ball away from Talon and straight towards the ground. Starting to catch on, are we?

You're going to have to do more than that to get one over on me. After all, I know your [Skills] like the back of my hand. Bounding towards the ball, I pass it- The ball is suddenly covered in a thin sheet of ice. If I wasn't expecting this, it would have been game over, but thankfully, I'm just that good. Before it can slip out of my grasp, I pass it straight into my horns, shattering the ice. The ball then bounces off and flies over the net, right past Garus, leaving a small crater in the sand.

Hopper scratches his bunny ear.

"I think we can call that game." Everyone moans in agreement. With a small laugh, I turn to see a judgemental Penelope.

"What can I help you with, Penelope?" I ask as I lean on a palm tree.

"You do understand that this isn't a vacation, right?" she asks.

"I know, but class doesn't start for another minute or so. Doesn't hurt to have a little fun, right?" I ask as I hold my hand out to the side. With no rhyme or reason, a coconut falls right into my hand. Gods I love this island. Beautiful beach, plenty of time to play, and I don't even have to wear shoes. Penelope looks me up and down.

"What happened to your uniform?" This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Lifting up my shaded glasses, I see my sandals, swimming trunks, and a button-up shirt with a bunch of colorful flowers on it.

"It's in my room. These are my vacation clothes."

"We're not on vacation," she reminds me as she pulls at the collar of her uniform.

"Don't you feel hot in those?" I ask as I gesture to her uniform.

"Not at all. We must look presentable if we wish to learn. We can't all be like you," she says with a sweet smile. Professor Stargazer pops out of Daisy Hall with a large brimmed hat, shaded glasses, a shawl, and a long white dress.

"Hmm. You know what, Penelope? I think you're right. We should look presentable." Penelope gives me an odd look.

"Good to see that you're coming around to reason."

"Yes. Reason. You know, maybe we should take after how our Professors are presenting themselves. They are the highest authority on this island, right?" I ask, setting the bait.

"I suppose."

"Good. Oh, Hi, Professor Stargazer. Enjoying the sun before classes start?" I ask with a knowing smile. Penelope whispers something to herself as the Professor walks up to us.

"Yes, this part of the year is my favorite time. I get to enjoy the sun and teach magic circles. A specialty of mine. Oh, Princess Penelope, you don't have to wear the uniform if you feel uncomfortable," Professor Stargazer says without a hint of malice.

"No, that's okay, Professor. I'm perfectly fine the way I am," she says, staring daggers into me.

"But Penelope, we just talked about this. Don't you remember? We need to look presentable," I say with a devilish smile. She gives me a death glare.

"I will remember this, Charlatan," she whispers as she walks away.

"Is everything okay?" Professor Stargazer asks as she lowers her shaded glasses.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Just a little fun between Penelope and me," I say as I watch her walk away.

"Don't have too much fun. The two of you are still young, and even if you are The Chosen One, it would be best not to anger the one you are courting," she says as we walk towards the beach.

"Courting? Whose courting? I'm not courting anyone." Professor Stargazer gives me a curious look.

"I see. Well, if one were to be courting a lady, perhaps it would be best to be more… upfront with your intentions. You never know when things might change."

"I can agree to that at least. Things can change in the blink of a second," I say, remembering the past.

"How are you doing? I heard about Carina," she says as we stand at the edge of the water, looking out at the horizon.

"That's supposed to be a secret," I say coyly.

"A secret like that quickly finds itself in the public eye, trust me. Even when the names are obscured," she says. With a small laugh, I scratch my horn.

"I knew Ilota, and I should have come up with better names before releasing his article about Ashfall." A small wave blows in from the sea, wetting my feet. Warm, but still a shock nonetheless. The sea foam bubbles away at the sand.

"So, how are you?" she asks again.

"Weird. I thought I was alone all this time. The only one who carried the memories of Ashfall. I had made my peace with it. Yet, in the blink of an eye, that all changed. I was happy. I am happy. Carina and I spoke on and on about the people we knew. The village, the festival, and just memories of before."

"Yet?"

"Yet, it also reminds me of what I lost. Of who I lost and why it happened. Did you ever wonder why it happened?" I ask her.

"Why did the forces of evil attack the Village of Secrets? Yes, I wonder all the time. I spent quite a while trying to figure that out. It wasn't as if we were near the Blight. In fact, we were on the whole other side. So, why would they go out of their way to attack us? Many thought it was because of the knowledge we held, but I found that too convenient. The question of why is what eventually allowed the Wrathborn to take over my mind. CJ, don't let yourself get caught up in the past.

It may just eat you up," she says with a soft smile.

"I suppose it could, but if you leave things in the dark. They might just come back and stab you when you least expect it," I say as I kick the sand. Looking past the horizon, I imagine the rest of the Southern Isles. Smelly Doug is out there, and I just know he holds the answer that is gnawing at the back of my mind. Why did the Greedborn care so much about The Loom of Fate to attack a small village like Ashfall? And why did he think Smelly Doug had it? Professor Stargazer might be right.

This line of thinking could lead me straight into places I don't want to go, but if I learned anything on my time on the streets, it's this. You never leave a shadow unchecked. Not unless you're hoping to die. Professor Stargazer looks back at Daisy Hall with a smile.

"Try not to be too surprised," she says as she pats me on the shoulder. Surprised? About wh- Penelope stands there with a long shawl wrapped around her shoulders, along with a two-piece swimsuit that has frills on it. For a second, I find myself staring before I eventually compose myself.

"Fashionable as always, Penelope," I say with a smile, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Of course. One must look their most presentable at all times. This is just…," she looks down at what she's wearing, "What is necessary to wear at the beach. That's all." A faint tinge of red graces her Half-Elf ears as she kicks the sand. Almost as if she's expecting more. No, I know exactly what she's expecting. I'm just trying to find the words to say. Ah, fuck it.

"You look beautiful, Penelope." A small smile fights to break out from her smirk.

"Of course I do. Blue is my color. Come on. Classes are about to start." As she walks away, I let out a long sigh. Damn it. I'm fucked, aren't I? Pulling down my shades, I chase after her.