"Hu…"
The supervising teacher finally let out a long breath, the tight knot in his chest slowly loosening.
His gaze settled on Neuvillette—tall and composed, one hand folded neatly behind his back, the other gently brushing Wang Dong's hair.
Here in the perilous depths of the Star Dou Forest, his presence was like that of a towering pillar, steady and unshakable, filling everyone with a profound sense of safety.
"Ten-thousand-year soul beast? Which one was it?"
Ma Xiaotao's beautiful face softened slightly, though her eyes still held curiosity.
"The Scarlet King," Neuvillette answered lightly, his expression unchanged.
"The Scarlet King!?" Wang Yan's pupils shrank, a chill racing down his spine.
One of the Ten Great Savage Beasts—such an existence didn't even need to attack. A single step, a mere ripple of killing intent, would have been enough to wipe them all out. If not for Neuvillette and Elder Xuan, they wouldn't even have bones left to bury.
And to think… it had been right there, within such close reach.
Instinctively, everyone glanced toward the shadowed depths below the waterfall. The pale glow of the moon barely pierced the ancient trees, shrouding the forest in even deeper mystery.
They could only sigh in silent awe—only someone like Neuvillette, a monster among monsters, could face such a beast head-on and emerge unscathed.
But just as the group was still reeling from this revelation—
A chorus of bestial cries erupted across the forest. The ground shuddered beneath their feet, as if endless herds of soul beasts were stampeding in every direction.
"A beast tide…"
The supervising teacher's eyes widened in horror as he pointed toward the woods behind the falls.
The beast tide was sweeping directly toward them.
Faces drained of blood, the students felt the oppressive pressure of countless chaotic soul beast auras pressing in from every side, endless and suffocating.
"What do we do, Neuvillette!?"
In that critical moment, Ma Xiaotao's anxious cry broke out.
Her years of experience had carved into her a deep, instinctive reliance on him. Almost without thinking, her gaze sought his figure.
"Neuvillette, what should we do!?" Wang Yan added anxiously.
Even the supervising teacher didn't speak, but his wide, desperate eyes told the same story.
"… …"
The corner of Neuvillette's mouth twitched slightly as he glanced sideways at Elder Xuan—still calmly chewing on grilled fish as though none of this concerned him.
Seriously? Wasn't Elder Xuan supposed to be the one leading this trip?
A living, breathing Rank 98 Super Douluo was right there, yet everyone was clinging to him instead?
He sighed inwardly.
Forget it. Best not to trouble the old man.
His eyes shifted toward the forest, where the tremors grew stronger, the tide of beasts crashing closer like a living flood.
In the distance, Shrek students rushed toward them in panic, abandoning tents and supplies, faces pale with fear.
"Heh…"
Neuvillette's gaze remained calm, unshaken as ever.
He tapped his staff against the ground.
In that instant—
A dragon's roar split the air.
The sound radiated outward in waves, centered on him, rushing through the forest in all directions.
"Th–That's… a dragon's roar!"
A Shrek student cried out, staring at Neuvillette in stunned disbelief.
"Dragon's roar? What's so special about it?" another asked curiously.
"No! This is no ordinary sound. Only those with pure dragon bloodlines can produce it!"
"My spirit is of the Earth Dragon—its bloodline is heavily diluted, but still counts as part of the dragon race. Dragons are innately mighty, shrouded in mystery. And a roar of this caliber… it should only belong to a true ancient dragon…"
By the time he spoke those words, the student's face was already pale with shock.
The roar struck him with a visceral urge to kneel, to prostrate himself in reverence. It was awe born not of choice, but of the soul itself—submitting to the authority of a higher being.
And then—
The forest fell into utter silence.
The ground stopped trembling. The chaotic cries of soul beasts were cut off all at once, as though time had frozen.
The Shrek students gaped in disbelief.
Eh!?
That was it?
One roar, and the beast tide—raging like a flood moments ago—had been silenced completely?
They couldn't have known:
From above the Star Dou Forest, the sight would have been even more shocking.
Vast stretches of soul beasts had dropped flat against the ground in submission. Others froze in place, trembling, not daring to move a muscle.
Even the powerful ten-thousand-year beasts cowered, shivering uncontrollably.
"I'm beginning to doubt whether Neuvillette-senpai is actually a human at all… perhaps he's a hundred-thousand-year dragon in human form…" one student whispered in awe, eyes wide with reverence.
"With just a single word, he pressed half the Star Dou Forest to the ground…"
"Huang Ming, what did he say just now? Can you translate it for us?"
Students buzzed curiously, unable to contain themselves.
Huang Ming pressed his lips together, his expression conflicted.
"Neuvillette said… 'Silence.'"
The word hung in the air.
Instantly, no one dared speak further.
To think he could command an entire beast tide into submission with a single utterance…
This was no ordinary genius.
This was a true monster.
Perhaps the title of Shrek's Monster Academy existed solely for someone like him.
Once again, their eyes turned to Neuvillette's calm, detached expression. To him, what had nearly driven them mad with fear was nothing more than a trivial event.
Some female students stole glances at him, eyes filled with admiration.
Handsome, unfathomably strong, only seventeen—just a few years older than themselves.
The very image of a white horse prince.
They silently vowed that when they returned, they would do everything in their power to draw closer to him.
Even mobilize their families' full resources, if need be.
Far away—
On the broad bough of an ancient tree, a small group stood, weapons in hand, exhausted but fighting desperately. They hacked down any flying soul beast that came near, trying to shield the two girls at their center.
Of their original dozen, only seven remained. They had already endured ten harrowing minutes, yet the beast tide pressed on without end.
Blood stained their clothes, their tidy uniforms now torn and tattered.
"Swish—swish!!"
Two pitch-black shadows darted past, swift as lightning in the night.
Two muffled groans followed.
On either flank, two young men clutched their shoulders, blood spilling from wounds so deep the bone was visible.
"Damn it—bloodwing bats again!" Beitang growled, cleaving down a swooping bird with his blade.