"Monsters! So many monsters!"
"Run, quickly!"
"Don't—don't let them get me!"
As the tide of snake-shaped creatures slithered closer, panic spread like wildfire. The gruesome death of the girl moments ago remained etched in everyone's minds, filling their hearts with dread.
Nobody wanted to die in such a miserable, grotesque way.
But when they turned to flee, despair struck deeper—monsters were everywhere. They had already been surrounded.
"There's too many of them!"
"They're coming from this side too!"
"Don't push me!"
"Fenric, this is all your fault!"
The crowd descended into chaos.
"Om!"
At that moment, Fenric's palm flared with power, condensing into a glowing white sphere of energy—like a basketball-sized mask of light encasing his hand.
"Stand your ground!" he barked.
Then he slammed his fist into the earth.
"Crack!"
The sharp sound rang out like shattering glass. In the next instant, cracks spiderwebbed outward from the impact point, racing in all directions.
"Boom—!"
The ground trembled violently. A massive earthquake tore through the land, the earth itself sinking as though it might collapse.
Students screamed as the quake sent them sprawling.
Even the snake-shaped monsters recoiled, startled by the sudden upheaval. Abandoning their prey, they writhed across the black grass in a frenzy, scattering to escape the violent shaking.
"An earthquake?!"
"Impossible… how can an earthquake happen here?"
"No—that was Fenric. He caused it!"
"What kind of terrifying power is this?!"
Fenric ignored their gasps of shock, slowly withdrawing his fist. It had only been a casual test of the quake force, yet the result was satisfying. The fruit of seismic power did not disappoint.
"Follow me."
He took the lead, charging in one direction. The monsters, still panicked from the quake, were in no position to block them.
The others rushed after him. With each step, Fenric's mind flared outward, seizing and crushing the snake-like creatures that dared cross his path. Against his mental strength, they were nothing more than fragile worms.
Soon, under Fenric's lead, the group broke free of the encirclement and arrived at a barren stretch of land. No black grass. No monsters in pursuit.
Fenric stopped, scanning the survivors. When he saw Yuhan and Jitto unharmed, he felt a trace of relief before his eyes turned cold as steel.
The others avoided his gaze, trembling in awe. They had seen it clearly: one punch from Fenric, and the ground itself shook.
That kind of power—divine.
Surveying the group, Fenric noted the casualties. Aside from the first girl and a few unfortunate stragglers, most had survived.
He spoke, his voice sharp: "I heard someone blaming me just now. Step forward. Walk by yourself if you think you can do better."
Silence.
Not a soul moved.
"What? Dare to speak but too cowardly to admit it?" Fenric's eyes narrowed. "Did you think I wouldn't know who it was?"
He waved his hand casually.
"Ah?!"
Liang and another boy suddenly lifted into the air, suspended helplessly.
"W-why am I flying?!"
"Fenric! Put me down! It wasn't me—it was Liang! He said it!"
"Damn you! Don't drag me down!"
Fenric ignored their protests. With a flick of his will, he hurled the two screaming students back toward the black grass.
The air filled with their desperate cries.
"Help us!"
"Fenric! Squad leader! Don't leave us here!"
But already, the dark tide of snake-creatures surged toward them. The screams turned to shrieks of horror, then to silence.
Everyone else shivered, their scalps numb.
Fenric swept his gaze over them and said coldly, "If any of you think my decisions are wrong, stand up now. Go run on your own."
The crowd kept their heads low. No one dared speak.
They weren't fools. Only by clinging to Fenric's side did they have even a chance of survival. Alone? They were already dead.
Fenric's tone hardened. "Since no one dares object, then I don't want to hear any more complaints. If anyone questions me again, you'll walk—or I'll send you off myself. Remember this too: if monsters appear again, don't scatter. Follow my orders. Running blindly will only get you killed faster."
With that, he turned and continued forward. The group scrambled to follow.
"Jitto, wait."
The squad leader quietly sidled up beside him, lowering his voice. "Jitto, you're close with Fenric. Can't you persuade him? He's too strict with his old classmates… it doesn't look good, treating them this way."
Jitto sneered. "Squad leader, if you've got something to say, say it yourself. Don't try to use me as your shield. Don't blame me for not giving you face."
The squad leader's expression stiffened, anger flashing for an instant before he forced a strained smile. With Fenric's closest friend against him, he dared not push further.
Jitto ignored him and jogged forward to catch up with Fenric.
Meanwhile, some of the girls whispered among themselves.
"Yuhan, your boyfriend was really domineering just now…"
"Yeah, he scared me stiff. I didn't even dare breathe."
Yuhan's cheeks flushed crimson. "Don't talk nonsense. Fenric and I are just friends."
"Cut it out. He carried you through dungeons and even got you super-god evaluations. Who does that for 'just a friend'?"
"Exactly. Do you know how rare those are? Priceless!"
"Yuhan, I really envy you."
"Unless your beauty can rival a fairy like hers, don't even think about it."
Yuhan sighed helplessly, unable to stop their teasing.
Then, suddenly, a boy's voice cut through the chatter.
"Look—to the left! It's a flare!"