The students immediately turned their attention toward him.
Zeus stood before them with his hands resting behind his back, his weathered face calm and composed.
"Your first quest is... Observe the monsters, study their movements, and do not engage unless Master Magnus instructs you."
A murmur spread through the students. For many of them, this would be their first time seeing a real monster outside the pages of a textbook.
Magnus scanned the crowd and selected ten young shamans, including Kyle and Harley. The rest of the students in his group were also men.
Beyond the Aegis Barrier lay an entirely different landscape.
The green fields of the safe zone were gone. Instead, a vast stretch of barren land spread across the horizon. Cracks ran through the hard ground like thin veins, while loose sand gathered in shallow waves beneath their feet.
