Qasim sat outside the infirmary in silence.
His elbows rested on his knees while his eyes stayed fixed on the scene in front of him.
"..."
"What are you thinking about?"
Kevin walked over and sat beside him.
Qasim didn’t look away.
"Nothing."
His eyes remained on Valen.
"I’m just watching him."
Kevin followed his gaze.
There, Valen stood behind the academy nurse. Both of them were covered in sweat.
"...He’s really a genius."
Qasim stayed silent.
...
A few minutes earlier.
"I don’t think this is fair!"
One of the teachers stepped forward.
"We still have over ten injured students! They can’t even run!"
Several others nodded.
Valen simply looked toward the nurse.
"Do you have healing ability?"
She blinked.
"Yes... Nahr’keth."
"The Great Life Rune."
"The previous academy nurse passed the connection to me before retiring."
Valen nodded.
"How long?"
The nurse raised her eyebrow.
"...To heal all of them?"
"Yes."
She thought for a moment.
"At least an hour... maybe more."
"And after that I will be completely exhausted."
Valen smiled.
"Then finish it in ten minutes."
The nurse frowned.
"...What?"
"I’ll boost you."
"...Boost?"
...
Back to the present.
The nurse whispered continuously.
Soft green light flowed from her hands from one injured student to another.
Behind her, Valen stood with one hand on her shoulder.
Unlike the gentle green light surrounding the nurse, Valen used his hands to like a weaver.
Her healing speed increased dramatically.
Cuts closed before everyone’s eyes.
Broken bones straightened.
Bruises disappeared one after another.
Only six minutes had passed.
Half the injured students were already back on their feet.
Qasim watched without saying a word.
"The Maker power system..."
He wounded what Valen see when his eyes turn white.
Kevin smiled before standing up.
"My turn."
"My injuries already healed quite a bit... You now, Beastkin regenerate faster."
Qasim nodded.
"Good."
A few minutes later...
The last injured student was healed.
The nurse collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily.
Sweat soaked her clothes.
"Twelve minutes..."
She whispered between breaths.
Valen stepped away.
"You have thirty seconds to rest then we’re moving."
Qasim frowned.
"You should rest too."
Valen shook his head.
"I’m Hilal-Awal."
"My recovery is much faster than hers."
During the healing process, Zerni hadn’t been just sitting around.
Metal clanged again and again.
By the time everyone was ready...
He had finished two modified versions of his invention.
Kevin’s blueprint had allowed it to use fire magic to shoot the bullets.
One was handed to Qasim and the other to Isac since only they use fire magic.
"Don’t waste the shots," Zerni warned.
"We don’t know how durable they are."
Qasim nodded while inspecting the weapon.
*It really does look like an old rifle...*
Valen gathered everyone.
"Our formation won’t be a straight line."
He drew it quickly on the floor.
"We move like an hourglass."
Teachers, guards, myself, and Qasim at the front.
The students stay in the center.
Isac covers the middle from behind.
"The front takes the first impact."
"The center is where people are most likely to get surrounded."
"So that’s where our strongest students stay."
Nobody objected.
...
The group finally left the infirmary.
As they passed the incubation hall...
Many students froze as they looked at the enormous eggs which were covered in cracks now.
Crunch...
Crunch...
Something inside them moved.
"..."
Nobody dared stop.
They simply walked faster.
After several more minutes...
They finally reached the academy gates.
Valen quickly explained the situation to the guards.
Unlike the teachers earlier...
The guards agreed almost immediately.
"We’ll protect the front."
"And the center if it collapses."
Valen nodded.
The final count...
Forty one students.
Eight teachers.
Three academy guards.
One nurse.
Valen and Qasim.
Silence filled the group.
Everyone stared at the massive gate.
Some prayed.
Some cried quietly.
Some simply closed their eyes.
Then...
The gate slowly opened.
BOOOOOOM!
The moment daylight entered...
Everyone sprinted.
No battle cries.
Only desperate footsteps.
Their only goal...
Run.
Help others only if helping doesn’t kill you.
It resembled a herd of animals trying to cross a river full of predators.
"AAAAAHHH!!"
A teacher screamed.
Something grabbed his leg.
He was dragged backward.
"You bastard!"
"It was you!"
"You’re the spy!"
Everyone turned.
Another teacher.
His face twisted into madness.
He laughed.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"You’re all going to die!"
Before he could say another word—
Another teacher attacked and pushed him.
"Die you piece of shit!"
Both men disappeared beneath dozens of monsters.
Their screams lasted only seconds.
Two deaths.
Immediately.
The monsters even fought each other over the bodies.
Qasim forced himself to keep running.
Valen was ahead.
Dodging.
Sliding.
Pushing monsters away with frightening physical skill.
*He’s this strong physically?*
Qasim had never expected it.
After all back at the village mission he didn’t do any high physical activities.
Qasim regain focus and aimed the new weapon.
Fire magic gathered inside it.
BOOM!
The metal projectile pierced through a flesh monster.
The creature shrieked in pain.
*This thing is incredible!*
"Careful!"
A teacher shoved Qasim aside just before a bone creature crashed where he had been standing.
"Keep moving!"
Qasim nodded.
So far...
They were surviving.
But everyone knew...
This wasn’t the dangerous part yet.
They had only met scattered monsters.
The middle...
That was where almost every creature had gathered.
...
Then they reached it.
Everything exploded into chaos.
A hundred monsters surged toward them from every direction.
The formation immediately collapsed under the pressure.
The first student died.
A beautiful girl disappeared beneath a monster with three heads, each filled with endless rows of teeth.
Her screams echoed...
But nobody turned back.
Everyone kept running.
They had already accepted it.
Stopping meant dying together.
More students fell.
Teachers.
First guard in the back.
As planned, the strongest remained at the front and rear.
Valen led the front.
Qasim naturally drifted toward the back beside Isac.
The remaining students protected the center alongside the nurse.
It reduced the deaths...
But only a little.
Qasim watched Chadi get caught by a slime’s massive tentacle.
He vanished into its body.
Then Sona stopped to pull up a fallen girl.
A giant monster crushed both of them beneath its feet.
One death after another.
Qasim’s breathing became uneven.
Then he looked left.
Kevin—
The owl Beastkin was barely keeping up anymore.
His movements had slowed dramatically.
*He’s reached his limit!*
Qasim’s eyes widened.
A tree-like monster lunged toward him.
"KEVIN!"
He threw himself forward.
SHOVE!
Kevin was pushed away.
Qasim landed where Kevin had stood.
He immediately loaded the rifle with fire magic.
BOOM!!
The shot blasted into the monster’s face.
It screamed and stumbled backward.
Qasim reached out.
"Come on!"
Kevin grabbed his arm.
Then suddenly shouted—
"BEHIND YOU!"
Qasim spun.
Two monsters charged him.
Click.
"..."
No shot.
The weapon was empty.
"Damn it!"
He immediately switched to magic.
Fire.
Wind.
Earth.
None of it worked since because these monsters have magic resistance.
Without hesitation—
He whispered.
A blue beam erupted.
The monsters were blown away.
But more immediately replaced them.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each beam forced them back.
Blood slowly flowed from Qasim’s eyes.
Kevin’s face turned pale.
"Leave me!"
"Run and save your life!"
Qasim ignored him.
*Think...*
*Think!*
Then—
A monster shot toward them at terrifying speed.
Everything slowed.
*Am I...*
*Going to die...?*
Again?
Just like this?
Qasim closed his eyes.
CRACK!!
Something shattered.
He opened them.
A transparent barrier had broken in front of him.
"The ring..."
He looked down.
One part of the black gem in the ring had turned completely white.
At that same moment—
BOOM!
A powerful blast cut through several monsters.
It was Isac.
He had opened a narrow path back toward the group.
Qasim didn’t hesitate.
He grabbed Kevin tightly.
There was only one thing left to try.
"Dead Pit Kask Speedrov Khakhfs Great Light."
Blue light exploded around both of them.
The world blurred.
They shot forward like a streak of light.
Straight through the opening Isac had created.
By the time the light disappeared...
They were back with the group.
Qasim stumbled.
His head spun violently.
Blood dripped from his eyes, noise and ears.
His vision turned red.
Still...
He forced himself to keep running.
Even adding wind magic beneath his feet.
When he finally looked ahead...
His heart sank.
They had barely made it halfway through the middle.
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