Chapter 90: Clearing Out-1.

"What?"

A chorus of confused voices rang out. Everyone stared at Azhriel as if he’d lost his mind.

In a moment like this, surrounded by monsters, talking about splitting up... it sounded insane. Almost like asking for death.

"Did fear make you stupid?" Samuel said sharply.

"Yeah, Azhriel. If we separate, we’ll just get picked off one by one," Sydelle added, frowning.

Azhriel raised a hand, his voice calm and steady. "Listen to me. Just let me finish first."

The group went quiet. Despite their doubts, they knew Azhriel wasn’t the type to speak without reason.

He pointed toward the distant sky, where the strange glowing pillars stood tall, pulsing with faint magical energy.

"Those pillars are the reason we can’t contact the academy. They’re what’s blocking teleportation and outside interference. If we want any real chance of surviving this... we have to take them down."

The group listened carefully, still tense.

"But I’m not saying all of us should split. Only three people. From the looks of it, most of the powerful monsters are already gathered here, around the field. The rest of the island may still be dangerous, but not as bad. If we act fast, we can get it done."

Nyverra narrowed her eyes. "There could still be monsters on the way to the pillars."

"There might be," Azhriel admitted, "but compared to what we’re facing here... it’s a lot safer. And besides, we’ll pick the best people for the job."

Sydelle gave a thoughtful nod. "I see... yeah, that does make sense. The biggest threats are clearly gathered around us."

"Then what about the snake?" Sydelle asked again. "That thing alone could wipe out most of us."

Azhriel’s eyes sharpened, glowing faintly with power. "Raymond, Samuel, and I will take care of the snake."

Elizabeth’s breath caught. Her eyes widened. "Azh—"

He didn’t let her finish.

"It’s important, Eli. The rest of the students... they’re terrified. If someone doesn’t take the lead, they’ll all die. That’s why you and the others need to protect them."

Elizabeth’s lips trembled slightly. She didn’t want to agree... but she knew he was right.

"But it’s still a high-ranked monster!" she argued, concern clear in her voice.

"It’s fine. I have a plan." Azhriel answered softly, but with confidence.

Raymond and Samuel exchanged glances.

The sharp glint in Azhriel’s eyes... the calm way he handled the whole situation... they were both impressed.

He wasn’t just strong—he could lead. And his thinking was sharp.

"I’m in," Raymond said without hesitation.

"Me too." Samuel smirked, lifting his weapon. "Sounds fun."

"Tch, guess I don’t have a choice." Kevin added with a grin, rubbing the back of his head.

Within moments, everyone began nodding, agreeing with the plan.

"Alright," Azhriel began, looking at each person.

"Sydelle, Nyverra, and Kevin—you three go take care of the pillars. Destroy them or shut them down. Whatever it takes."

They nodded in unison, already preparing to move.

"Chloe," he continued, turning to her. "You stay close to Alicia. She’s badly hurt, protect her."

"You don’t need to say it twice." She gave a firm nod.

"The rest of you," Azhriel said, stepping forward, "you’ll fight with the other students. I’m not asking you to save everyone—just protect the ones who can still has the will to fight. The others... leave them if you have to."

His voice turned cold for a moment, almost harsh, as he continued.

"Honestly, I don’t even care about those who can’t hold their own. What’s the point of being part of this academy if you fall apart at the first real fight?"

That last part made some of them flinch—but it was the truth.

"Still," he added, his eyes narrowing, "I won’t let whoever planned this succeed. That’s reason enough to fight."

There it was again—that same cold, calculating tone.

Raymond noticed it, and he didn’t like it. Not one bit.

In the short time he had known Azhriel—barely a week—there was one thing he had clearly understood.

Azhriel didn’t care about how people felt.

He didn’t soften his words. He didn’t try to comfort.

It was always the truth, straight and sharp.

Unless he was speaking to Elizabeth... with her, there was something different.

But with everyone else, his voice stayed flat.

Distant. Almost emotionless.

Raymond opened his mouth like he wanted to argue, maybe to say something about it...

But he stopped.

Now wasn’t the time.

Instead, he turned sharply and marched toward the students huddled together.

His boots hit the ground with purpose. His eyes burned with determination.

And when he raised his voice, it cut through the fear like a blade.

"What are you all doing just standing there?!" he shouted.

"You’re students of the most prestigious academy on all five continents! Are you planning to die here like cowards?!"

Startled gasps spread among the students. As their heads lifted. Tears paused.

"Pick up your damn weapons and fight!" Raymond roared.

"You trained for this moment! If you can’t fight for yourself, then fight for your friends—fight for your dreams!"

The silence broke.

A few students gritted their teeth and reached for their blades. Others wiped their tears and stood up again.

One by one, they found their courage.

From a short distance, Azhriel watched the scene unfold.

His gaze was calm as always, but in his mind, he had a thought:

’Huh... is that what they call protagonist charm?’

Boom!

Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the air.

Everyone turned.

The monsters had started moving—and the fastest of them was the giant serpent.

Its massive body rushed forward, trees crashing behind it as its tail tore through the forest like paper.

Its eyes locked on the crowd. Its body twisted, ready to crush anything in its path.

Raymond and Samuel didn’t waste a second.

Without needing a word, they rushed forward in perfect sync.

The ground trembled as the giant snake clashed with Raymond and Samuel, but Azhriel didn’t move to join them.

Instead, he turned and rushed toward another part of the field—where Caelyn stood, fighting off a group of monsters on her own.

"Caelyn," Azhriel called out as his sword slashed through two monsters trying to sneak up behind her.

She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Hm? What is it?"

Instead of answering right away, Azhriel finished off another monster with a clean slash and stepped closer. "Do you know about buffs?"

That got her attention.

Caelyn stopped mid-attack and fully turned to him, her eyes narrowing with mild suspicion. "Why do you ask?"

"We don’t have time for a full explanation," Azhriel said quickly. "But do you know how to use them?"

Caelyn hesitated, then gave a small nod. "I... do."

"Great," Azhriel said. "Then how about this—cast a sensory enhancement buff on me. In return, I’ll get you as much cake as you want. From the best shop in First Town."

The moment she heard the word cake, Caelyn’s eyes lit up. The lazy expression vanished, replaced by sparkling excitement.

She blinked once, then twice, her lips parting in surprise. "Really?"

Azhriel gave a small smile. "Yup."

’Just like the game said... she’s a total foodie,’ he thought, thankful for the knowledge he had.

With that, Caelyn raised her hand and golden light surrounded Azhriel—warm and smooth.

His senses sharpened instantly. He could feel everything more clearly—the wind, the ground, the scent of blood, even the tension in the air.

Even with the buff, it wasn’t enough to keep up with the Advanced ranked monster. So, Azhriel tapped into something deeper.

Spatial Awareness – Activated.

The world shifted.

Time didn’t actually slow, but it felt like it did.

Everything became sharper. Clearer. He could sense every movement, every shift in the air, every faint sound within range.

That’s when he saw it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Samuel was flung through the air—slammed by the serpent’s massive tail. The hit sent him crashing through trees, his body rolling across the dirt.

Azhriel’s eyes narrowed. The situation was worse than expected.

---

Back at the academy, things weren’t calm either.

The instructors were gathered, standing before a giant magical display that showed the scene unfolding on the island.

They could see the students fighting, hear their voices through the scrying crystals. The danger was real.

But no matter how many times they tried, the teleportation magic wouldn’t work.

"It’s not responding," one of the instructors said, sweat forming on his brow as he pushed more mana into the activation circle. "It’s being blocked."

"Illiana, what’s going on?" another teacher asked sharply, his voice tense.

Illiana didn’t respond right away. Her eyes stayed fixed on the images of the battlefield. She saw Raymond holding the line. She saw students crying, others trembling, and a few rising to fight.

Most of all, she saw Azhriel.

Calm, calculating. Already taking the lead.

The instructors had already been mobilized.

Several of them, including the Professor of Combat, had left instantly and were moving toward the island through other means.

But that didn’t ease their concern.

This wasn’t a normal situation. Not a part of the test. Something far more dangerous was happening... and they were locked out.

They could only hope the students could hold on.