By Zephyria 
The kids who left the lobby scattered in all directions at once.
I glanced at the kids scattering in a different direction from me, and quickly went down the mountain path and hid my shadow among the trees.
This time, we weren’t acting in groups of three, and the goal wasn’t to go to the cave, so Cloud would have no choice but to worry about who to chase first.
Of course, it’s uncertain how much time we’ll be able to buy with this operation either.
After all, we don’t have a way to escape from someone who links Space Transition and Sense Perception. From the beginning, Polargehen may not have thought that we would buy time from Cloud.
His real purpose may have been to improve the children’s teamwork and basic physical strength. After all, that was also one of the elements to prepare for actual combat, so it wasn’t strange.
At that time, I heard a familiar voice along with static noise from the makeshift Video Orb bracelet I was wearing on my wrist. It was Hawkrun’s voice.
-Target found in the southwest direction.
I stopped for a moment and raised my arm.
This makeshift Video Orb bracelet is a creation that recognizes the children’s Mana and transmits the voices carried by the Mana to each other.
It has a similar principle to the Video Orb and was a kind of communication tool created by Clona, who is of the Creation System.
I didn’t know because she didn’t usually reveal herself well and her achievements weren’t outstanding, but Clona had quite a high level of skill.
That was proof that she had practiced a lot beforehand.
It may have been the influence of her strict parents.
Anyway, this Magic tool was good. There was no one here who knew how to use Sense Perception Magic, so we couldn’t know Cloud’s location. It was erasing one of those disadvantages.
‘If it’s southwest… I’ll be safe for the time being.’
Because I’m coming down in the northeast direction.
Currently, Cloud is in the exact opposite direction from me, and he wouldn’t choose the exact opposite direction to use Space Transition, so it would take time for him to come here.
Now that I know his location, I’ll hide my presence from now on.
As planned, I used the Eight-sided Command to suppress my Mana presence as much as possible and started moving. The other kids would be the same. From now on, the key is Hawkrun, how long he can tie Cloud’s feet, and how far the kids near him can scatter….
I was turning my head like that when it happened.
Thump… thump… thump…!
A deep and heavy rumbling sound coming from somewhere.
That foreign noise pulled me out of my thoughts, and it was only a few seconds before I thought about where the source of this sound was due to a sense of tension for some reason.
Clang!
A sharp breaking sound followed.
“……!”
It was a reverberation as if glass was shattering into pieces. Startled, I stopped and turned to look in the direction of the sound.
And there… I saw something unbelievable.
The sight of a ‘crack’ starting to form in the void beyond.
It was as if there was a crack in the middle of the transparent sky.
‘The Barrier!’
That meant that a part of the Barrier protecting this entire training ground was being broken by something, and that was no different from a ‘danger signal’ indicating an external attack.
Kaang!
As a sharp noise echoed once more, the crack in the Barrier deepened, and eventually, it was seen in real time that it was breaking into several pieces and scattering.
All of that happened in a matter of tens of seconds.
I held my breath as I watched the cracked Barrier.
‘Is it Balkan’s doing again this time? If so… why?’
Suddenly, I remembered that Balkan’s identity, who had used Cycle Shackling Space during the practice, had not yet been revealed.
If I think of it as Balkan’s doing related to that incident, then this time the purpose is….
‘It might be the same as then.’
Following that, the Fiend’s scream was heard on the wind. Judging from the fact that the vibration sound rumbling on the ground was quite heavy and irregular, there was a high possibility that a large number of Ramble were approaching.
The problem is that it is difficult for Ramble, who have strong instincts and low intelligence, to enter the Barrier with such a clear purpose.
Unless something is commanding them.
‘…There is a leader of the Fiends….’
A leader who commands the Ramble from behind. If so, it would mean that at least a mid-level Balkan is included. Because only mid-level Balkan or higher could subdue and command the Ramble.
‘Mid-level Balkan or higher.’
I swallowed dry saliva without realizing it.
There are currently 7-Star Achiever Polargehen, Black Class Hunter and 8-Star Achiever Cloud, and a large number of healing-focused Hunters who were here as helpers for this camp.
There shouldn’t be any problems under normal circumstances. But depending on the enemy’s situation and numbers, I had a feeling that the situation might become more serious than expected.
What should I do?
While I was contemplating, I heard a voice again along with static noise from the makeshift Video Orb bracelet. It was Ibelia’s voice, which felt urgent.
-Emergency situation! Everyone gather in front of the mansion!
It seemed that the kids located in other places were also recognizing the situation one by one. Polargehen and Cloud, and Ardian and Zeon, who I don’t know where they are, would definitely be aware that it was an emergency.
They would also start moving on their own.
‘I should go back to the mansion for now.’
I turned and stood in the direction where the mansion was visible. Since an actual Fiend attack had occurred, the training to deal with Cloud’s attack was stopped here.
☠
Herman is climbing back up the mountain path that he had been going down for a long time to return to the mansion. Herman, who had been stunned for a moment after witnessing the Barrier shattering into pieces, was still more calm than the other kids thanks to having experienced something similar once before.
‘I need to join the professor quickly….’
It was then.
Startled by the scream heard nearby, Herman quickly turned his head. Judging from the fact that a mixture of bustling noise and screams were heard, it was clear that Ramble were together.
Herman was scared.
But Herman couldn’t run away because he knew that if he turned a blind eye, someone might die right away, so he ran in the direction of the sound.
There were Clona and Derek, who had fallen and were frozen in place.
And a Ramble, which looked like a dark and murky mass of liquid, was staggering in front of them, stretching out something like an arm. It was trying to grab the two and swallow them.
If left like that, they would really die.
Herman used Magic as his body led him without thinking. It was an action close to instinct, stemming from the need to save the two people in front of him.
“Ammonium Nitrate Explosive!”
Immediately after, an explosion occurred in the Ramble’s body. While the guy was screaming and struggling, Herman forcibly pulled up the two people who were trembling after falling.
“We have to run!”
But it was faster for the Ramble to come to his senses and chase after them than to run away with them.
“……!”
It’s true that Ramble are especially vulnerable to Fire Magic, but it’s useless because they will eventually regenerate unless the internal core is destroyed.
“Kkieeeeee!”
The Ramble rushed in in an instant.
In the moment of crisis.
A ray of light leaked into the field of vision, which was covered with shadows. He blinked once. When he came to his senses, the light was the moonlight shining through the Ramble, which had been cleanly cut off.
“Kkihieeeik!”
While the Ramble was struggling painfully, the sound of the core crumbling was heard. Immediately after, the Ramble disintegrated into Mana dust and disappeared.
Standing in that place was none other than Zeon.
“Are you alright?”
He has a calm face, unlike the three people who were surprised and stiffened.
Herman’s tension was completely relieved when he saw that face.
At the same time, it was the moment when Herman realized once again that Zeon’s achievement was different from that of ordinary students.
“I… I thought I was going to die….”
Derek soon wiped his tear-stained face with the back of his hand. Clona was still not calm, and she was holding her trembling hands tightly with a pale face as if she was not calm yet.
It was necessary to return to the mansion quickly to calm these two people down, so Herman encouraged them.
“Let’s go to where the professor is. It’s safe there.”
“Yeah… yeah. Let’s do that.”
“We… we’re going to be okay, right?”
Clona and Derek get up with support. Zeon, who had been quietly watching them from behind, was also about to follow. After all, he had to join Raymond.
It was then.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to fall asleep for a while.”
A stranger’s voice was heard nearby. It was a heavy voice as if crawling on the floor. Herman, who had become agile, quickly turned his head.
And he saw it.
A man with black eye sockets and cloudy white eyes.
“……!”
Balkan.
Herman’s heart sank in an instant. The events of the previous practice came to mind, and goosebumps rose on his spine.
“U… Uaaaaa!”
Derek, who was terrified, screamed and turned his body in the opposite direction.
But none of the people in this place succeeded in escaping.
This was because Balkan quickly caught up with Derek, Herman, and even Clona, who were running away, and knocked them all out one by one by striking their vital points with his hand. The only one he couldn’t knock out was Zeon, who blocked him in time.
“……!”
When he failed, Balkan stepped back and distanced himself. Zeon glared at him with cold, lowered eyes. He was exuding killing intent, and it was completely different from the way he usually looked in front of Raymond.
“What’s your purpose?”
Balkan doesn’t seem to have any intention of answering that question.
Just as Zeon was wondering what to do.
“Seo-jok. It’s too much for your strength. Step back.”
He felt a presence approaching from behind.
A voice that was as cool as a gentle breeze and pleasant to hear….
Zeon narrowed his eyes slightly and turned around.
Ardian was walking out of the shadows.