"Look to the left—it's a flare!"
At the shout, everyone turned their heads.
Sure enough, in the distant void, a blazing signal flare arced upward, exploding brilliantly against the sky.
Fenric's voice cut through the air. "Faster! Follow me!"
Without hesitation, he led the charge toward the flare. He knew what it meant—the moment a flare appeared, it would draw countless monsters like moths to a flame.
In other words, Aurora was already surrounded, her position becoming the center of a gathering storm. The sooner they reached her, the sooner they could ease the pressure.
The group sprinted at full speed.
Any monster that appeared on the path was effortlessly dealt with by Fenric, as though swept aside like weeds.
After nearly ten minutes, the sight of another team came into view—a squad of heavily armed soldiers, locked in desperate battle with a tide of monsters.
Among them, a single figure shone like a beacon.
A woman in emerald light.
Hovering above the battlefield, green radiance encasing her hands, weapons of light shifting fluidly at her command, she cut through the horde with lethal grace. Blades, hammers, and arrows manifested and dissolved in an instant, tearing apart the monsters that threatened the defensive line.
Fenric's sharp eyes immediately recognized her.
Aurora Morwyn.
The last time he had seen her was during their battle against Golden Sage King—clad in a stiff military uniform, her form only vaguely discernible. But here, with the green light of the ring molding itself against her body like a second skin, her figure was revealed in sharp, breathtaking detail.
A narrow waist, long legs, the curves of her chest and hips outlined with startling clarity—her silhouette was enough to catch any man's breath.
Fenric's expression did not change, but inwardly, he acknowledged the truth: Aurora in combat was stunning.
"It's my cousin!" Yuhan exclaimed.
Fenric gave a curt nod. "Let's move. We'll join them."
The students' faces paled at the monstrous tide ahead. Yet they had no choice—this was their path to survival. And with Fenric already striding forward, none dared fall behind.
But when Fenric was still less than three hundred meters from Aurora's group—
"Boom—!"
The earth beneath his feet shuddered violently, heaving upward.
Fenric's eyes narrowed. Only now did he realize the truth.
They weren't standing on ground at all.
They were on the back of a monster.
A colossal beast, its shell-like surface stretching for nearly two kilometers. Judging by its texture and movement, it was something between a tortoise and a lizard.
And it was awake.
The creature bucked violently, trying to shake free the "insects" clinging to its back.
"What's happening?!"
"We're on a monster!"
"It's going to throw us off—!"
"If we fall from this height, we'll die!"
"Fenric, help us!"
Panic erupted.
Aurora, spotting the upheaval, immediately turned and sped toward them—but she was too far.
The giant beast began to roll in place, intent on crushing everything on its back.
Fenric's expression hardened. He pulled Yuhan close with one arm, and with his mind power seized Jitto, Yuhan's friends, and several others.
"Aurora—catch them!"
His psychic energy surged, hurling the screaming students across the void toward Aurora.
Without hesitation, the green light around her hand transformed into a vast net, sweeping up the flailing figures safely.
As for Fenric—he kept Yuhan in his arms, lifting himself aloft with sheer mental force. His body strained; flight was possible, but far slower than Aurora's effortless movements.
Hundreds remained on the beast's back. For them, there was no salvation.
"Help! Save us—!"
"Fenric, don't leave us!"
Their cries echoed, but Fenric had no power to save them all. The monster completed its roll, and with a deafening crash, bodies were hurled skyward before being crushed beneath its mass.
Fenric looked down from above. For the first time, he saw the creature in full.
Its body was vast, its shell ridged like jagged mountains, yet it moved with terrifying flexibility. Every shift of its weight made the very earth quake.
He tightened his grip around Yuhan, then flew to join Aurora.
"Sister!" Yuhan cried, relief flooding her voice.
Vivienne only nodded, her gaze falling on Fenric. Surprise flickered in her eyes—such overwhelming power, from someone so young.
There was no time for words. The crisis was not over.
The monster's massive eyes locked onto them.
With a roar, it opened its maw and belched forth a torrent of flame.
Heat seared the air, rushing toward them.
Fenric's expression sharpened. He could withstand the blaze himself, but the girl in his arms could not.
At once, his mind power surged, erecting an invisible barrier between them and the inferno.
Aurora's response was no less decisive. She raised her hand, the green ring flashing. A towering wall of light appeared before her squad, absorbing the flames with ease.
But the beast was relentless. Seeing its fire ineffective, it lunged forward, charging straight at them.
Fenric's gaze turned icy.
"Aurora," he barked, "take Yuhan and the others. Leave this to me."
With a swift motion, he pushed Yuhan toward her cousin.
"Fenric, wait!" Yuhan cried, pressing her palm against his chest before she was taken away.
Warmth surged into Fenric's body. Power flared within his veins, his strength doubling in an instant.
Ah. He had almost forgotten—Yuhan's gift. The power to enhance others.
"The effect lasts half an hour," she called out.
"I know."
Fenric gave her a rare smile before turning back.
Aurora didn't hesitate, seizing Yuhan and retreating with the others.
Fenric hovered alone in the sky, facing the towering beast. His fist clenched, white energy condensing once more, forming that familiar gas-like mask around his knuckles.
His eyes were cold, steady.
"Come."