Awaiting soft rains(An extra's novel)-Chapter 86: Ten

"The skinwalker is gone."

I found myself repeating the phrase robotically as I shakily withdrew my hand from the corpse.

’How the hell is the skinwalker gone?’

It was hard to even wrap my head around the fact. The monster was a Rank D skinwalker; they couldn’t transfer bodies just because they wanted to.

’Unless...’

Unless their original host died. It was a procedure that weakened the monster, but unlike Rank E skinwalkers, they could survive their host’s death.

And if there was a suitable host nearby...

"It seems to have switched hosts."

As though reading my thoughts, Alice’s words only validated my theory. But even she sounded somewhat unsure.

It was downright insane considering how skinwalkers, at least low-ranked ones, behaved. They wouldn’t voluntarily kill their hosts, especially when it was sure to weaken them.

There had to be something else at play here.

’Could it be because of the Terror?’

Although that monster’s host had stepped out of the Academy on ’official duties,’ it was likely still in contact with the weaklings it left back here.

I couldn’t be sure of anything, except that somewhere along the line, something had changed. And right now, there was a rogue skinwalker roaming the Academy.

’Shit.’

Turning to Alice, I found her by Ramona’s bedside with a solemn look on her face.

Disregarding the smell, she laid Ramona to rest properly, head comfortably placed upon her pillow, before draping a blanket over her corpse.

It was then it finally registered in my mind that I was looking at a corpse. The corpse of a formerly living, breathing Cadet.

It wasn’t just her. There were four more now. Being infected by a Rank D skinwalker was a fate as good as death.

The bodies would only pile up the longer we stayed without acting.

Alice placed her hand on the shrouded head before looking back at me.

"What do you think?"

I wrangled my scattered thoughts as best as I could to give her a proper response.

"I... I can’t say much. It seems like the skinwalker escaped. As to how and why it used such an obscene method to do so? I don’t know."

Alice nodded, lowering her head in contemplation. Meanwhile, my brain kept running in circles, and circles around, trying to map the possible implications of this change.

I ran my fingers through my hair.

’Calm down. I have to calm down.’

Panicking wouldn’t help my situation in any way or form; for now, I had to deal with the current situation. I asked Alice,

"What do we do now?"

I needed to know her plans. It really depended on her now.

She didn’t answer me immediately, still contemplating for a few more moments. Then she looked at me.

"The parasite’s new host is likely among the Cadets that entered her room on Friday."

It was only logical to think so. With the stench of rot emanating from her corpse, it’d clearly been a while since she died. Most likely Friday.

Still, I couldn’t help but find myself speaking.

"There were at least ten cadets in that footage."

Whoever Ramona had been before dying, she’d been very popular.

"I am well aware of that, Cadet."

"Are you planning on locking down the Academy?"

Even though kidnapping one or four students was a problem, it was still something that could be done discreetly and somewhat covered up by the school management. Kidnapping another ten on top of that without setting off alarm bells was impossible.

It wouldn’t be long before panic set in.

Locking the whole school down to investigate was the next obvious alternative.

To my surprise, Alice shook her head.

"No. Not yet."

"Then how—"

"How effective is that ability of yours in detecting skinwalkers?"

’Why bring that up now?’

Still, I answered her promptly.

"It works well against Rank E skinwalkers. I can’t say exactly how useful it is against D ranks, though."

"Let’s put that to the test, shall we?"

I couldn’t bottle my confusion or frustration up anymore.

"What about the suspects? There’s a skinwalker roaming out there that could possibly strike at any moment. Why are you testing my abilities instead of locking down the school?"

The room fell silent immediately afterwards, save for my slightly exasperated breathing.

’Now, I’ve gone and done it.’

Yet surprisingly, Alice paused, looking not at all offended by my sudden outburst. Instead, she gave me a rare, earnest look.

"For now, the suspects will be tracked by guards. Any suspicious or irregular activity will result in immediate capture and imprisonment. As to why I cannot just kidnap them all, or lock down the school..."

A difficult look appeared on her face.

"...there are forces, forces beyond the power of this skinwalker, that restrict my actions. There will be consequences for whatever action I take here, but I will make those decisions if it does come down to it."

Her words were like water, dousing off the fire that was my panicking brain.

’That’s right...’

In my confusion, I’d forgotten something.

Although the Academy was in itself a neutral and independent institution, there wasn’t any lack of entities trying to undermine that independence. Particularly the nobles, and perhaps the Church of the New Mother.

With its main backer, Lady Evanka, practically lost in another realm, and the Academy currently hosting what was essentially humanity’s golden generation, the nobles would use any incident as justification to place their own agents within the Academy. Of course, it was all for the ’safety’ of the students.

In reality, it would only further drag the students down into the brewing civil war and serve to make the Academy more dangerous and chaotic.

This had sadly been the case in the original novel, right after the midterms, as a result of the massacre caused by the skinwalkers.

Alice was likely acting cautiously to make the situation appear under control.

Unprivy to my thoughts, she looked me straight in the eyes and continued.

"I tell you this because you have been chosen by the Lady. I have a plan, Cadet, and it requires your assistance."

There was only one possible answer to such a request, especially one coming from a paragon.

I let out a small sigh before giving a slight bow.

"I appreciate your trust, Lady Alice. I will help to the best of my abilities."