The three idiots and one goddess woke up lying side by side on the ground like corpses that failed at synchronized sleeping.
They all jerked upright at the same time—
And immediately shoved each other away.
Clard got sent flying by Uzakia's reflexive goddess-swat.
**Benjamin & Ivan:** "CLARD NOOOOOOO—"
**Clard:** "WOOOHOOO I CAN FLY!!!"
**Ivan:** "BENJAMIN QUICK, CAST SOMETHING! I'M OUT OF MANA!!"
**Benjamin:** "3rd Circle Magic: *Targeted Levitation!*"
Clard slowly drifted back down like a depressed balloon.
**Clard:** "Aww… I can't fly anymore?"
Sad. Crushed. Emotionally devastated.
**Uzakia:** "Well… sorry about that."
She actually sounded sincere.
Benjamin blinked.
**Benjamin:** "Soo… why did *you* fall asleep too?"
Uzakia sighed deeply, like she was tired of existing.
**Uzakia:** "It's a law for goddesses. We're not allowed to directly interfere in hero battles."
Ivan's eyes widened so hard they almost fell out.
**Ivan:** "THERE'S A LAW FOR GODDESSES?!?"
**Clard:** "What's a law?"
All three turned toward Clard.
**Benjamin, Ivan & Uzakia:** "What?"
Benjamin sighed and stepped toward him.
Ivan and Uzakia looked at him like "bro please save us".
**Ivan (whisper):** "Idon't wanna explain, please help."
**Uzakia (also whisper):** "Same."
Benjamin patted Clard's shoulder.
**Benjamin:** "A law is something you abide by and follow."
**Clard:** "What's abide? Is it like… ordering someone to do evil things?"
Benjamin hesitated half a second.
Then smiled mischievously.
**Benjamin:** "Yes."
**Ivan & Uzakia:** "NOOOO—"
They whispered angrily, but Benjamin didn't hear.
Uzakia rubbed her temples.
Then decided he needed the REAL explanation before he accidentally taught Clard terrorism.
She crossed her arms.
**Uzakia:** "Alright, listen up. The Divine Law of Intervention exists because if a goddess helps a hero too much, the world gets… wobbly."
**Ivan:** "Wobbly?"
**Uzakia:** "Yes. As in: destiny collapses, timelines get scrambled, the universe becomes paradox spaghetti. TRUST ME. You don't want paradox spaghetti."
**Clard:** "What flavor?"
**Uzakia:** "CHAOS FLAVOR, YOU PEANUT."
She continued:
**Uzakia:** "Anyway, every time I use high-level magic directly in a battle, the law drains my divinity, mana, stamina—everything. The stronger the spell, the longer I get forced to sleep."
**Benjamin:** "So if you used a 10th Circle spell…"
**Uzakia:** "Instant shutdown. Divine low-battery mode. Goodnight-me."
**Clard:** "Why don't you just turn off the law?"
**Uzakia:** "BECAUSE IT'S. A. LAW."
Clard nodded like he understood.
He absolutely did not.
---
Suddenly, the fake dimension Sil'Varion created shattered like broken glass.
The group found themselves standing on the road beside Laura, who was still unconscious.
**Benjamin:** "Uhh… why is she STILL asleep? The spell should've lasted minutes."
Uzakia stared at him with a deadpan goddess face.
**Uzakia:** "What spell did you cast?"
Benjamin paled.
**Benjamin:** "Uhm… Sleep Paralysis?"
Uzakia instantly smacked him.
**Uzakia:** "WHY WOULD YOU USE THAT?! THAT ISN'T A SLEEP SPELL, THAT'S A *CURSE*, YOU DUMBBELL."
**Benjamin:** "I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST REGULAR SLEEP MAGIC— NOT SLEEPING BEAUTY SYNDROME!!!"
Uzakia groaned and raised her hand.
**Uzakia:** "4th Circle Magic: *Sleep Breaker.*"
Laura shot awake—
Except she awoke… in her classroom?
She blinked rapidly.
**Laura (thinking):**
*My head hurts… Was that dream real? If it was real, I'm going insane. Magic is insane. These idiots are insane. Everything is insane.*
She turned around.
She saw the three idiots sitting together.
They were sweating bullets.
**Benjamin (whispering):** "She doesn't KNOW, right?"
Sweat level: waterfall.
**Ivan:** "NO. SHE DOESN'T. BELIEVE."
His entire body trembled like a dying phone on 1%.
**Clard:** "Why are we whispering?"
Still clueless.
---
The math teacher called out:
**Math Teacher:** "Benjamin. What's the answer to 2x + 4 = 20?"
Benjamin jumped up like a trained soldier.
**Benjamin:** "8, ma'am."
**Math Teacher:** "Why?"
**Benjamin:** "I subtracted 4 on both sides, got 16, divided both sides by 2, isolated x, got 8."
**Math Teacher:** "Correct. Give me another reason."
Benjamin froze.
**Benjamin:** "Uhh… equality in the formula?"
**Math Teacher:** "Also correct. Now tell me why equality matters."
Benjamin: dead inside.
**Benjamin:** "…I don't know, Ma'am Mary."
**Math Teacher:** "That's your homework. Class dismissed."
---
School ended.
The world-ending event was still fresh on their minds.
The three idiots silently followed Benjamin home.
To rest.
To think.
To plan.
To question their life choices.
---
# **End of Chapter 16**