Chapter 75: The secret only two people knew.

The mysterious man’s dark magic struck one of the stone formations.

Cracks spread across its weathered surface before the entire pillar collapsed.

BOOM!

Stone fragments scattered across the clearing. A wave of mana rippled through the sanctuary, and the invisible force protecting its perimeter flickered. For an instant, the air shimmered like glass under pressure before the distortion vanished.

Everyone stared.

Then the undead at the boundary began pressing forward again.

Their bodies slammed into the invisible barrier, but they were no longer thrown several meters backward. Some stumbled, while others managed to remain standing, their rotting hands scraping against the unseen obstruction.

Kael’s expression tightened.

"He’s destroying the pillars."

’Of course he is.’

He glanced at the remaining formations. Their arrangement was too deliberate to be decorative. Each pillar appeared to serve as an anchor for the ancient restriction preventing the undead from entering the clearing.

The protection might not disappear the moment another pillar fell, but the result was becoming painfully obvious.

Destroy enough anchors, and the sanctuary would lose its only reliable defense.

Judging by the man’s expression, he had already figured that out.

"Interesting," the mysterious man murmured as he examined the fallen pillar. "The formation is connected directly to the protective rule."

He raised his hand again.

Dark energy gathered around his fingers, and another stone pillar began to tremble.

"Stop him!" A sensible student shouted from the defensive line.

Several students raised their weapons, but none of them could reach the enemy without fighting through the surrounding horde. On top of that, their weapons were useless against those undead.

The undead crowded the clearing’s perimeter, making a direct attack far too dangerous.

The mysterious man cast another spell.

A second pillar cracked down its center.

BOOM!

The protection flickered again.

This time, the undead barely recoiled when they struck the boundary.

A few students stepped back in alarm. Others, apparently mistaking the barrier’s continued existence for a sign that everything was under control, remained confident.

"They still can’t get in!" a Hero Department student shouted. "Keep wasting your magic, you red-robed coward!"

Several of his companions laughed nervously.

Another student pointed his weapon toward the mysterious man. "That’s right! Destroy every stone you want. You’re still not getting through!"

Kael stared at them.

’Are they seriously trash-talking the guy who’s dismantling our defenses?’

The barrier was visibly weakening, yet these people were treating the enemy’s failure to break through as proof that they were winning.

Apparently, some people needed the entire roof to collapse before they would consider the possibility that something was wrong.

Kael turned toward the students near the perimeter.

Kael glanced at Seraphina and wondered why she hadn’t commanded everyone what to do. But when Kael saw her expression, he realized something wasn’t right in her.

Kael gritted his teeth.

"Everyone, listen up! We need to reorganize before this thing gives out!"

His voice carried across the clearing, but most of the students barely acknowledged him.

Kael ignored their reactions and turned to his teammates.

"Team 37, stay together. Darius, cover the western approach. Don’t let the undead spread around the perimeter."

Darius tightened his grip on his greatsword and nodded.

"Got it. I’ll hold the western side."

"Elias, get to higher ground and watch for gaps. Prioritize anything that gets through the barrier. Don’t waste arrows shooting at a wall of undead that can’t reach us yet."

Elias hurried toward a rocky ledge, already preparing his bow.

"Understood. I’ll keep an eye on the openings."

Kael turned to Mira, who was still helping the wounded.

"Mira, gather the injured near the center of the clearing. Keep the other healers together, too. If the barrier collapses, I don’t want everyone scrambling to find them."

Mira nodded quickly.

"I’ll organize them right away."

She began directing nearby students toward the center.

Kael didn’t need to explain to his teammates that their weapons might be useless against the undead because Rinha already discussed it with them. His teammates already knew what to do. They just needed to obstruct the undead’s advance, if ever the protection barrier collapsed, as long as they could.

Kael then faced the others.

"Everyone else, stop crowding the boundary! Split into groups. Put the stronger fighters near the approaches, and have the rest prepare to move the injured. We also need a clear evacuation route through the northern side."

For a moment, several students looked at him.

Then one of them scoffed.

"Who put you in charge?"

Kael turned toward the speaker, a tall student wearing the white-and-blue uniform of the Hero Department. The student stood with his arms crossed, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

"You’re ordering us around as if you’re some kind of commander," the student continued. "Since when does a bottom-tier student get to give orders to the Hero Department?"

Another student snorted in agreement.

"He’s from one of the weakest teams, isn’t he? I heard his Hero Core was practically worthless."

"Exactly," a third student added. "What makes him think we’re going to listen to him?"

Kael looked at them, then glanced toward the barrier.

An undead creature slammed into the invisible boundary. Its hands forced their way a short distance through the distortion before the remaining force repelled it.

He looked back at the students.

"Do you have any idea what’s happening right now?"

"Of course we do," the first student replied irritably. "We’re defending the sanctuary."

"No, you’re standing around arguing about who’s qualified to give orders while the guy outside destroys the only thing keeping the undead out."

The student’s expression darkened.

"Watch your mouth."

Kael nearly laughed, though there was nothing particularly funny about the situation.

’Fantastic. We’re about to get eaten alive, but at least everyone’s protecting their social standing.’

He had never wanted recognition. He didn’t care whether the academy considered him talented or whether these students respected him.

He just wanted them to stop making an already terrible situation worse.

"Fine," Kael said, his voice turning cold. "Don’t listen to me. That’s your choice. But when the barrier collapses, don’t expect me to pause the undead invasion to explain what you should have done."

He turned away and continued helping the students who were willing to cooperate.

At least Team 37 and some other students he recognized were moving.

Darius had taken position near the western side, while Elias climbed onto the rocky ledge. Mira was gathering the injured and directing them toward the center of the clearing.

The senior students, along with Rinha, were busy guarding close to the perimeters. Each one of them knew their assignment and didn’t need to be commanded.

The students Kael had personally rescued were also following his instructions. Having seen how close they had come to dying in the forest, they had little interest in wasting time arguing over authority.

The others, however, remained divided.

Some watched the enemy, while others continued complaining about Kael’s orders. A few glanced toward Seraphina, apparently waiting for her to intervene.

Lilith finally stepped forward.

"He’s right," she said sharply. "The formation is weakening, and we need to prepare before it collapses. You can argue about authority after we’re out of danger."

Several students turned toward her.

Their expressions quickly changed.

"You’re giving us orders now?" a Hero Department student asked, looking her up and down with undisguised contempt. "Since when does someone from the Villain Department get to tell us what to do?"

Lilith narrowed her eyes.

"This has nothing to do with our departments. The barrier is weakening. Can you focus on that for five minutes?"

"Why should we trust someone from the Villain Department?" Another student demanded. "For all we know, you’re trying to take advantage of the situation."

Lilith stared at him in disbelief.

"You think I’d deliberately put myself in danger just to play some ridiculous game between departments?"

"How are we supposed to know what you’re thinking?"

"You bastards, if you want a fight just say so!" One of the villain department students suddenly shouted at the hero department students who mocked Lilith.

"Bravo! Now you’re showing your true colors!" Said one of the hero department students.

The argument escalated in the blink of an eye.

Kael briefly closed his eyes.

’Unbelievable. If stupidity could generate mana, we’d have enough power to rebuild the entire barrier.’

The enemy had already destroyed two stone pillars. The undead were pressing harder against the boundary, and the protection was growing weaker by the minute.

Yet these people were still arguing over department rivalries.

Kael turned toward Seraphina.

She stood near the center of the clearing, her weapon lowered slightly as she stared at the collapsed pillars. Her expression was distant, as though she could no longer hear the arguments or the growing commotion around her.

Kael frowned.

This wasn’t like her.

Throughout the crisis, Seraphina had remained composed. She had been decisive when people needed help and had taken responsibility when others hesitated.

Now, she looked as though she had forgotten what to do.

Leon noticed it, too.

He had been watching the perimeter, but his attention shifted toward Seraphina when she failed to react to the growing disorder.

His expression changed.

He knew that look.

He had seen it countless times when they were children. Whenever something went wrong and Seraphina believed she could have prevented it, she turned the blame inward. She would replay every decision, searching for the moment she had failed, until she could barely focus on anything else.

Leon had always hated that habit.

It was one reason he had opposed her decision to rescue the fleeing students earlier. He had known that if anything went wrong afterward, Seraphina would blame herself, even if the circumstances had been beyond her control.

And now the sanctuary has been discovered.

She had proposed the rescue.

The connection was obvious.

Leon sighed.

Of course she’s blaming herself.

Leon believed he was the only one who understood Seraphina pretty well.

He didn’t believe her decision had been wrong. The students they had rescued were alive because of it, and he wasn’t about to pretend otherwise.

However, the situation was deteriorating rapidly. Someone needed to take control before the students’ disorganization caused even more problems.

Leon stepped forward.

"Everyone, listen. We need to—"

"Seraphina!"

Kael’s voice cut across the clearing.

Leon stopped and glanced toward him.

Kael had already crossed the distance between himself and Seraphina, ignoring the confused looks from the surrounding students.

Seraphina didn’t react immediately.

Kael moved in front of her, making sure she was looking at him.

"Seraphina, look at me."

Her eyes shifted toward him, but her focus remained distant.

"We need you," Kael said firmly. "The students are not cooperating, the formation is falling apart, and the guy outside is destroying the pillars one by one. We need someone to take charge, and you’re the best person for the job."

Her fingers tightened around her weapon.

"I know," Seraphina replied quietly.

"Then do something about it."

Seraphina lowered her gaze.

"If I hadn’t insisted on rescuing those students, we might still be hidden. He might never have found this place."

Kael exhaled through his nose.

There it was.

She was stuck replaying an earlier decision while the current situation continued getting worse.

"Maybe," Kael replied.

Seraphina looked up, surprised that he hadn’t immediately denied it. Kael continued before she could get lost in her thoughts again.

"Even if our rescue gave him the opportunity, what exactly would you have preferred? Leaving those students to die in the forest?"

Seraphina parted her lips, but no answer came.

"You made a decision with the information you had," Kael continued. "You chose to save people who needed help. That doesn’t mean every bad thing that happens afterward is automatically your fault."

"But if the sanctuary falls—"

"Then we’ll deal with it. Preferably before we’re all dead, but one thing at a time."

The remark was blunt, almost flippant, but Kael wasn’t trying to make light of the danger. He needed her to stop treating an uncertain possibility as an already decided failure.

"Look around, Seraphina."

She hesitated before turning her head.

Students were scattered across the clearing. Some were preparing their weapons, while others continued arguing over. The injured were being moved toward the center, but without clear instructions, the evacuation route remained uncertain.

Meanwhile, the undead continued pressing against the weakening barrier.

"Those people are waiting for you," Kael said. "Not because you’re responsible for everything that happens to them, but because you’re the one who can help them get through this."

Seraphina’s expression wavered.

For a moment, Kael thought he had reached her.

Then another explosion shook the clearing.

BOOM!

A third stone pillar collapsed.

The invisible barrier rippled violently. Several undead were thrown backward, but the force was noticeably weaker than before. One creature struck the boundary and remained standing, its hands pressing against the invisible surface as it struggled to force its way through.

The students nearby recoiled.

Beyond the horde, the mysterious man laughed.

"How long do you think your protection will last?" He called, raising his hand as dark energy gathered around his fingers.

Kael’s stomach tightened.

’Three pillars down. Four left. And this guy looks like he’s just getting warmed up.’

They were running out of time.

Seraphina still hadn’t moved.

’Come on, Kael. Think.’

He couldn’t keep repeating the same argument while the enemy dismantled their defenses. He needed another way to reach her, something that could break through the guilt holding her in place.

Then he remembered something.

A scene from the original game.

It was a backstory scene that was only available to players who succeeded in conquering the heroine named Seraphina. The scene revealed a secret from her childhood, something she had never shared with her family and friends.

Kael hadn’t thought about it in a long time, but he remembered the details.

He also remembered that only two people knew what had happened.

Seraphina and the boy who had found her that night.

Kael hesitated.

Using that memory was risky. He had no idea how she would react to someone bringing up such a personal event, especially someone she barely knew.

But he was running out of options.

He leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"Seraphina, do you remember the little girl who used to sneak out of her estate at night because she wanted to see the stars beyond the northern wall?"

Her entire body stiffened.

Kael continued quietly whispering into her ears, making sure no one else could hear him.

Whisper. Whisper. Whisper.

Hearing it, Seraphina’s eyes widened.

Kael felt a pang of guilt, but he continued.

Whisper. Whisper. Whisper.

Seraphina stared at him, her eyes widened.

For several seconds, she seemed unable to speak.

Then she grabbed his sleeve.

"Is that you?" Seraphina asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kael neither confirmed nor denied it. He simply gave her a faint smile.

"Unless someone else knew," he replied.

It was a secret that only two people knew about. Seraphina studied him for a moment, her cheeks gradually turning red.

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

For Kael, it was a scene in a game.

For Seraphina, it had really happened.

And the boy in that memory had been someone she was hoping to meet.

The realization left Kael with an uncomfortable feeling. He had used something deeply personal to force her attention back to the present.

Another impact shook the sanctuary.

The fourth stone pillar began to crack.

Kael glanced toward it before turning back to Seraphina.

"Look, I don’t need you to stop feeling responsible," he said quietly. "I need you to stop letting that feeling make decisions for you."

He met her eyes.

"You wanted to save those students, and you did. Now there are more people who need your help. If you want to take responsibility for something, then focus on what happens next."

For a brief moment, Seraphina remained motionless.

Then her grip on her weapon tightened.

Her shoulders straightened, and the uncertainty in her eyes gradually gave way to the determination Kael recognized.

She turned toward the students.

"Everyone, listen to me!" Seraphina shouted.

Her voice rang across the clearing, cutting through the commotion.

The arguments stopped. Even the students who had mocked Kael and Lilith turned toward her.

Seraphina’s gaze immediately shifted beyond the sanctuary, where the mysterious man in dark red robes was gathering another surge of dark magic.

He was targeting the remaining stone formations.

"We cannot let him destroy another pillar!" Seraphina declared. "Mages, prepare to intercept his spells! Archers, aim for the caster whenever his magic is disrupted. Frontline fighters, hold the perimeter and protect the mages while they work!"

She raised her weapon toward the enemy.

"Everyone else, prepare to reinforce the defensive line! We must prevent his attacks from reaching the formations!"

The mages immediately began gathering their mana, while the archers repositioned themselves to obtain a clear line of sight. The frontline fighters tightened their formation, preparing to protect their ranged allies from any undead that managed to break through.

Kael moved toward his teammates, already considering how they could help intercept the incoming spells without leaving the sanctuary’s defenses exposed.

They had little time left, and the enemy was not going to wait for them to finish preparing.

"Kael..."

He suddenly heard his name getting called. He turned around and saw Seraphina staring at him.

"Let’s talk about it once we survive this."

After saying that, she flashed a charming smile before turning around.

Kael looked stunned.

He didn’t expect Seraphina could smile like that. One of the rarest things in the game was her smile after all.