Chapter 1343: Burn The Place Down
For a moment, the entire room felt frozen in time.
Everyone had heard it, the sharp, explosive crack of a powerful lightning spell. The air itself trembled as the echo faded.
The ranked students hadn’t yet stepped into the portal. Only they and the transfer students remained at the tail end of the group.
Heads snapped around toward the sound, eyes wide. All they could see was Raze’s back as he calmly extended his hand forward.
A faint shimmer of dispersed mana floated in the air above them.
What was that just now? Am I seeing this right? Panla thought, her heart skipping a beat.
She had already been on high alert ever since the earlier incident, watching more carefully than usual. But even so, she hadn’t expected an actual attack, not this sudden, not from someone like him.
Panla was too far away to intervene, but she wasn’t the only one reacting. One person had managed to respond in time.
Somehow, the transfer student, Raze, had not only sensed the attack coming but had also reacted before anyone else could move.
And yet, that still wasn’t the most shocking part.
What stunned them all was how effortlessly he had stopped it.
Raze had reached out with his bare hand and blocked
it.
A thunder strike, one of the fastest forms of elemental magic, had been reduced to nothing more than a wisp of dissipated mana. It wasn’t just that he had blocked it… it looked as if he had crushed the spell entirely with his palm.
Did he use some kind of hidden spell to counter it? Panla wondered. Even if he did… Bronto is a Six-Star Mage. To stop his lightning like that, with nothing more than a flick of the wrist,
Her train of thought was interrupted by something more urgent:
What was Raze going to do now?
“What… did you just try to do?” Raze asked calmly, though his tone carried the weight of a storm.
Bronto, still frozen in place with his hand extended, couldn’t even deny it. The guilt was all over his face. He had launched the attack, and now, he was caught.
“Wait… did that guy just try to attack Safa?” Chiba blurted, his voice laced with disbelief.
“Quiet,” Yolden whispered, eyes darting nervously. “You’ve seen his temper already. Calling him ’that guy’ is just asking for trouble.”
“Everyone stay alert,” Piba added, glancing between the teachers and the guild members. “I honestly don’t know what’s about to happen, but if he loses it… not even the staff might be able to stop him.”
“Haha! It was just a little test,” Bronto said with forced laughter. “Like I told you all before, you have to be ready for attacks from any direction. Looks like you’re alert, good job. You’ll need that inside the dimension.”
“Hey! What the heck, did that guy just try to attack Safa?!” Liam shouted, running over to her side. He was surprised to see that she was completely unharmed, not a single burn or scratch. Raze had blocked everything.
“Calm down,” one of the guild members said, stepping in. “No one else is hurt, and you students need to stop acting like you can do something here. Just go into the portal and enjoy your outing. That’s all you’re supposed to do.”
“If you keep escalating this, then we’ll be forced to act.”
Bronto looked like he was about to speak again, but there was a reason he hesitated.
Raze’s stare.
It hadn’t left him once.
And it was fiercer now than ever, sharp enough to cut through steel.
Bronto could feel it pressing on him, and it shut his throat before he could make a sound.
“I’m waiting,” Raze said, his voice deadly calm. “Waiting for an answer that doesn’t make me rip your whole body apart, limb from limb.”
The room went still.
Even the ranked students, who had held their ground until now, shifted nervously. No one expected Raze to respond like that.
“Hey,” Chiba whispered. “Maybe we should, you know… just head into the portal now?”
“I get where Raze is coming from,” another student replied. “He didn’t start this. But you gotta know when to win… and when to walk away.”
Among the ranked students, one still hadn’t stepped into the portal: Londo.
He stared at Raze in silence.
Is he seriously about to act here? If he uses that type of magic… he’ll expose himself. And if he thinks I’m going to help him, he’s completely wrong.
Then,
“Wait!
” Panla shouted, stepping forward and placing herself between the students and the two powerful figures.
“Bronto, you’ve gone too far this time,” she said, trying to steady her voice. “These are students we’re talking about, and there’s no reason for this situation to get any worse than it already has. Let’s leave it at that, enter the portal, and move on, please.”
Bronto finally lowered his hand and let out an exaggerated shrug.
“Miss, I think you’ve got it wrong,” he said. “I have no intention of fighting anyone. The one you should be calming down is him.”
Panla didn’t want to turn around. She didn’t need to. Even without facing him, she could feel it.
Raze’s mana was swirling, dense and volatile like a storm waiting to break free.
And there was something else.
Another pressure, an unfamiliar energy, pressing against her back like an invisible force. Something not even she could identify.
“Raze… I’ll make it up to you,” Panla said quietly. “Let’s just leave it at this.”
Words she never thought she’d say, especially not to a student.
Especially not one who hadn’t even been the target.
But she could feel the truth: Raze wasn’t someone she wanted to test.
And then, another figure stepped up beside him.
It was Dame.
With a small smile and calm defiance, he said:
“If you want to burn this whole place to the ground… I’ve got your back.”
****
*****
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Chapter 1344: Breaking Away
On the other side of the portal, the students and teachers finally arrived at their destination.
Grouped together, they took in the strange new world around them. The air itself felt different, heavier, denser, yet oddly clean. The smells were foreign, the atmosphere thick with unfamiliar energy, and even the gravity felt slightly off, pulling at them in a way that made walking feel both lighter and harder at the same time.
Redrick and Diana stood near the shimmering portal, glancing back toward the gateway with growing concern.
It had been several minutes since anyone else had come through.
“Do you think something’s gone wrong?” Redrick asked, tension creeping into his voice. “It shouldn’t be taking this long, right?”
“I’m a little worried too,” Diana admitted, folding her arms. “But Panla and Luka are still back there. They should be able to handle things… right?”
Redrick gave a dry chuckle. “Against an entire guild? Unlikely. Maybe if the Academy sent all of its teachers, we’d stand a chance. But with just those two? No. I’m honestly glad Luka convinced me to come through first. That’s not a fight we want to start, not now.”
Back in the portal chamber, inside the Underfang Guild’s base…
Dame hadn’t exactly whispered his bold words. His voice echoed loud and clear for everyone to hear, students, teachers, and guild members alike.
And the reaction was instant.
Fury lit up the faces of the Underfang members. Their bodies stiffened, hands inching toward weapons, magic already beginning to stir. They were ready to act, waiting for an excuse.
Seeing this, Betrax subtly tightened her grip on her weapon, while Liam stood ready to summon his from the ring at his side. One move from Raze, and they’d all follow.
Every single one of them had made up their mind.
If this turns into a fight… we’re not backing down.
They didn’t believe for a second they’d lose. Not with Raze leading them.
The ranked students watching from the sidelines, however, were having very different thoughts.
“They’re all seriously crazy! Like, completely out of their minds!” Chiba exclaimed. “Is this what it takes to get that strong? You have to be insane? I thought nutjobs like this usually died before they could even level up!”
At this rate, even Panla and Luka, two of the Academy’s most composed instructors, weren’t sure they could stop what was coming.
Maybe this is just how it was always meant to be, Luka thought grimly. I didn’t get to witness his full strength during the entrance assessment… but if we’re going to perish today, at least I’ll die knowing what he’s truly capable of.
Then a softer voice cut through the tension.
“Raze,” Safa said gently, placing her hand on his arm. “I appreciate you standing up for me, I really do. But even if that attack had landed… it wouldn’t have done much.”
She gave him a knowing look before continuing.
“And I know what you’re about to say. That it’s the intent that matters, and you’re right. It is. But think about this. These people here? They’re not the ones you really want revenge against.”
Her voice lowered, but the fire behind her words didn’t fade.
“If you act now, if you burn everything down in this moment… how will it affect your plans for the future? I’m not even hurt. You’ve already given these fools a scare they’ll never forget. And when the time is right… we’ll come back. Thenwe’ll deal with them properly.”
Safa herself was furious. She hadn’t done a single thing to deserve being attacked by some arrogant fool.
But she understood how this world worked. These people only lashed out when they thought they were stronger. They bowed before true power, but preyed on those they believed weaker.
She hated it, but she also knew this wasn’t the moment to feed that fire.
Not for Raze.
She’d already made her choice, she would be the one to pull him back when the storm in him started to rise.
Raze closed his eyes for a moment. Then he turned to the group.
“Everyone,” he said, his voice level and composed. “Let’s… head into the portal.”
One by one, his allies relaxed. Weapons were lowered, shoulders loosened. They took a breath, and obeyed.
The same couldn’t be said for the Underfang guild. Their eyes still burned with tension, flicking toward Bronto, waiting for an order.
But none came.
Raze turned his back to them all.
Just like that.
As if they weren’t even worth his time.
As if no attack could touch him anyway.
It was another insult, silent, yet loud. A declaration of dominance without saying a word.
He dared them with his silence… try it.
But nothing happened. No one moved.
With that, Raze walked into the portal, his group following behind. The ranked students quickly trailed after them, leaving only the two teachers behind.
Panla turned, bowed her head toward the guild members, and spoke calmly.
“Please remember… these are students. And the Academy still wishes to maintain a good relationship with the Underfang Guild.”
With those parting words, Panla and Luka stepped through the portal, heading toward the others.
Just before entering, Raze felt a wave of quiet disappointment in himself.
He had used Qi to stop the lightning attack. That’s how he’d neutralized it completely, without injury.
And now, ironically, he might be the one to blow their cover, when all along, they had tried to stay hidden.
But things were different now.
He wasn’t just protecting himself anymore.
He had people he didn’t want to lose, just like before.
Back in the portal room, audible grumbling broke out among the Underfang members.
“What was wrong with those students?” one muttered. “Did you see the look in their eyes? I really thought they were going to fight!”
“Same here,” another replied. “I was ready to call in the whole guild. I just needed one excuse.”
“Honestly,” a third added, “it doesn’t matter anyway. Especially with what’s going to happen to them in there… right, Bronto?”
Bronto turned to them with a cold, confident smile.
“Right. When we proceed with the plan… we already know exactly who to target first.”
He chuckled darkly.
“Assuming they even survive in that place.”
*****
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Chapter 1345: The Students Noise
The students had finally crossed over, they’d stepped into another dimension for the very first time.
Their eyes widened, heads craning in every direction as they tried to take in the strange, new environment. It was unlike anything they’d ever seen in Alterian. For starters, the entire area was covered in rich, vibrant greenery. Even the ground beneath their feet was a mossy green, a stark contrast to the familiar orange, red, or even jet-black terrain of their homeland.
Stranger still, the mud itself seemed to shimmer with a faint green hue, almost as if the very soil was alive. The plants around them stretched high and wide, each one sporting colors that didn’t seem to belong in nature, blues, purples, and oranges that clashed and danced together in a chaotic beauty. A thick layer of humidity clung to the air, making it feel heavy and dense. Within moments, many of the students found themselves sweating and shifting uncomfortably, already affected by the oppressive heat.
“Hey, do me a favor, will you?” Yolden groaned. His hair was sticking to his forehead, and his shirt clung to his back. “Can you cast an ice spell or something? Just enough to cool us down?”
“What?” Chiba replied, scowling. “Do you have any idea how much mana that would take? I might as well empty my whole core right now. I need that mana for when we actually fight whatever beasts are hiding out here.”
As the students gathered, the teachers moved along the group, doing a quick headcount. The latest arrivals were filling the others in on what had happened back at the guild. But with every passing minute in the suffocating heat, fatigue was beginning to sink in.
“Why do you guys all look completely fine?” Chiba asked, panting like a dog, her tongue practically hanging out. “Are you using magic or something? Seriously? You’re wasting it just to stay cool?”
The group didn’t immediately answer. At least, not until Dame spoke up.
“We’re used to hotter climates,” he said casually.
Some of the others glanced his way, slightly surprised. Normally, Raze would be the one to speak in moments like this. But Dame had stepped in. The reason was simple: they couldn’t always expect Raze to handle every situation. If they relied on him too much, people would start getting suspicious.
Yolden tilted his head. “I mean… I guess that kind of makes sense. But you’re not even sweating. Not one drop.”
Still, there wasn’t much time to press the issue further. They were already moving again.
The group of twenty students walked together in formation, with Redrick and Diana bringing up the rear, while Luka and Panla led the front. Luka had the most experience with interdimensional travel, which was why he’d been given point for this exploration.
“Did the guild mention anything about safer zones or dangerous areas in this dimension?” Panla asked.
Luka shook his head. “The deal was made at the last minute. And let’s just say, the guild wasn’t exactly cooperative.”
As they trekked through the unknown landscape, Luka subtly activated his wind magic, sending small currents ahead to feel for disturbances. That’s when he felt it.
To the right, nestled just beyond a curtain of overgrown grass, was a swamp-like area. The water was dark and murky, thick with muck and strange growths. But more importantly, Luka could sense movement, beasts lurking beneath the surface.
’Swamps usually serve as nesting grounds,’ Luka thought. ’Which means there’s a high chance of large numbers… and bigger threats.’
“Alright, students,” Luka called out. “Prepare to engage. We’ll observe how you handle the situation, but we won’t interfere unless necessary. And if we do step in, it won’t affect your evaluation, as long as you’ve shown what we’re looking for.”
The students nodded. Emotions ran high: excitement, fear, anxiety, all written clearly on their faces.
As they approached the swamp, their feet began to sink slightly into the soft earth. The mud clung to their boots and crept up the sides of their legs.
“Eww! Eww, gross!” one student shrieked. “The dirty water, it’s all up my leg!”
“Then cast a cleansing spell, you idiot!” another snapped. “Or better yet, you should’ve brought gear for this!”
“It’s just mud,” someone else muttered. “Some of you are so spoiled. Born in the city, huh? Ever touched dirt before in your life?”
The loud chatter and splashing had an unintended consequence, it attracted something.
Without warning, a long, thick tongue shot out from the tall grass. It coiled tightly around a female student’s wrist, yanking her forward. Her body slammed into the mud with a splash before she could even scream.
She was being dragged fast, too fast to react, until a sharp gust of wind sliced through the air.
A wind blade struck the tongue clean off, severing it. The creature’s grip vanished instantly, and the student collapsed back into the swampy muck, gasping for air. Her heart was racing, her limbs trembling. She didn’t even care that she was covered in grime anymore, she was just relieved to be alive.
“T-Thank you…” she breathed out, looking around. Her eyes landed on Piba, who gave her a small, confident smile. He had managed to cast the wind spell just in time.
“All of you need to be far more alert!” Panla shouted, her voice cutting through the noise. “We’re deep in enemy territory, and you’re acting like we’re on a school field trip. You’ve made so much noise, I’m shocked this is the first thing to grab you!”
“Wait… what do you mean?” one student asked nervously.
“That we’re already surrounded,” Panla said grimly.
The tall grass swayed ahead, and from between the trees, glowing amphibian eyes began to peer through. Strange frog-like beasts, thick-skinned, bloated, and hanging from branches, started to emerge.
Then, from the very mud they were standing in, massive creatures began to rise. Frogs the size of rhinos pushed up from the earth, their slimy bodies glistening as they croaked low, threatening growls.
Redrick cracked his knuckles.
“Well then… it’s time to see what these students are made of.”
****
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Chapter 1346: Not Preforming Well
The beasts the students were facing… were unlike anything most of them had ever imagined.
Towering frog-like and toad-like monsters loomed over them, some thick and bulky with bloated bellies, others leaner and more agile, but all of them massive by Alterian standards. Compared to any regular creature they had studied or seen before, these things were nightmares made flesh.
For many of the mages, it was their first time encountering beasts of this scale, and understandably, fear struck deep. The fear wasn’t just of their grotesque appearance, it was the realization that these creatures were actively trying to kill them.
“What are you idiots doing?!” Chiba shouted, panic and frustration in her voice. With a swift motion, she hurled a fireball toward one of the larger frogs. It landed with a crackling boom, igniting the creature’s slimy body. The beast let out a terrible croak, flailing as flames danced across its skin, until, maddeningly, it lunged toward them despite the fire.
Reacting fast, Chiba swung both arms forward. Two tornadoes shot up from the earth, spiraling into the air with violent force. They caught the flaming frog mid-leap, striking it in the belly and launching it skyward. The winds twisted and churned, slamming the beast down to the ground with brutal speed. As the tornadoes dissipated, their wind blades shredded through the toad’s thick flesh, leaving behind nothing but a ripped, tattered corpse.
Chiba had acted fast, and effectively. In an instant, she had killed one of the beasts, and for a moment, it seemed to shake the rest. The other frogs hesitated, wary of her overwhelming power.
But the pause didn’t last.
With guttural croaks and booming splashes, the toads charged. Some leapt forward with powerful hops that shook the ground, while others stayed at a distance, launching their long, whip-like tongues.
In a panic, the students began casting whatever spells they could muster. Fireballs, lightning strikes, water spears, magic filled the air. But many spells missed their targets entirely. Some students fumbled their incantations, messing up formations or misfiring entirely.
A few weren’t able to react in time. They were struck, pulled, or entangled. Some toads spat out strange, sticky material, thick globs of mucus that latched onto students and glued them to the swampy terrain. Each move was a struggle. Every breath felt like a fight to survive.
Yet, amid the chaos, something remarkable was happening.
Despite the mistakes… the panic… the overwhelming pressure, the students were beginning to work together.
Without needing to be told, they were naturally helping those around them. They weren’t thinking about grades or rankings anymore. They were thinking about survival. They were covering for one another, protecting each other’s backs, reacting instinctively like a real team.
Because in that moment, they weren’t competing, they were fighting to live. And they understood, even unspoken, that if the person next to them fell, they’d be next.
“See anyone that stands out?” Redrick asked, arms crossed as he calmly observed the battlefield. “Anyone surprising you… or is it the usual suspects?”
Luka let out a slow breath, watching closely. “There have been a few surprises,” he admitted. “But as you said, the ones who stand out most… are the ones we already expected to do well.”
“The top-ranked students were the first to react,” he continued. “They didn’t freeze up, they assessed, adapted, and started helping those around them. They’re giving commands, calling out spell combinations, and coordinating defenses. They’re leading.”
Panla nodded in agreement. “They’ve become natural leaders in this situation. And the others… they’re listening. They know that advice right now could be the difference between life and death.”
“It’s not just about raw power,” Luka added. “Take Moze for example, he’s barely in the top five. There are others with skills close to his, but they’re frozen. Can’t move. Can’t think.”
“I was worried at first,” Luka admitted. “The number of beasts… the chaos… it could have derailed the entire assessment. But it’s turning around. Some of them are truly showing their potential.”
Still, not everyone was performing well.
“There are those who are excelling,” Redrick muttered, narrowing his eyes. “And then there are the disappointments. What about the transfer students? Have they even moved? I haven’t seen any of them lift a finger. They’re just… standing there.”
Panla let out a soft laugh. “Maybe they’ve got incredible luck. They’re positioned perfectly, out of range of the beasts and not in anyone’s way. No one’s noticed them. Yet.”
True enough, Raze and his group hadn’t made a single move. They hadn’t cast a single spell. While others fought for their lives, they simply watched.
“Hey,” Liam whispered, “shouldn’t we do something? Aren’t we being assessed too?”
“There’s no need right now,” Raze replied, calm as ever. “The beasts we’re seeing… they’re probably the weakest ones in this entire dimension.”
He glanced at the carnage unfolding. The muddy battlefield, the screams, the explosions of magic, it was only the beginning.
“If that’s the case, then the others need this experience. If we stepped in now, we’d only rob them of the growth they need. And besides, I’m confident, we’ll make it to the cultural exchange.”
But even as he said that, something gnawed at the back of his mind.
’These beasts… they’re weak. But there’s far too many of them clustered this close to the portal.’
In Alterian, when a portal opened into a dimension, it was customary to clear the surrounding area. Beasts would either be hunted quickly or avoid the entry point altogether. Over time, most would instinctively stay away from the portal zone.
There were usually a few stray creatures, yes, but not this many. Not an entire swarm.
’So why are they here? Has this place… never been cleared before?’ Raze wondered.
His eyes narrowed.
’We entered through the portal with the dispersed mana… If this place has been opened multiple times before, and beasts keep returning… then maybe… just maybe…’
A chilling thought crossed his mind.
’Are they using us? Are they testing this dimension through us, seeing what lies beyond the portal, without risking their own people?’
****
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Chapter 1347: A System of Beasts
After a tense back and forth, and more struggle than expected, the students finally managed to pull through. The horde of beasts that had surrounded them was defeated.
There were injuries, of course. Scratches, bruises… even a broken arm, which might have been considered serious, if not for the fact that both Safa and Diana were present. With the two of them tending to the wounded, recovery was quick.
Once the immediate danger had passed, the group split into two. One half began the task of extracting beast crystals from the fallen monsters, cracking them open and carefully collecting the energy-filled shards. The other half sat in healing circles, where the teachers offered guidance and commentary based on what they had observed.
The evaluations weren’t just to score performance, they were survival lessons. This wasn’t a classroom simulation. In a real battle, mistakes could cost lives.
That’s why it was critical for the students to understand what went wrong and how to improve.
“Thanks for your help, Safa,” Diana said, glancing at her while healing a student beside her. A short line had formed in front of them.
“The teachers said your support will count toward your evaluation,” she continued. “But honestly? If you ask me… they’ve already made their decision. You’re going to be one of the chosen students. Out of everyone here, you have to go. You’re meant to be a pillar of support, like you are now.”
Safa gave a quiet nod, comforted by the words. She didn’t say anything, but hearing that lifted some weight from her chest. The truth was, thanks to the Orb and her other powers, she could even heal students in the middle of a fight. Not that she had planned to, only if things got truly desperate.
Elsewhere, Redrick was finishing his evaluations of each student one by one. It seemed they were wrapping up, until suddenly a hand shot up.
“Sir,” Piba said, “you haven’t given any of the transfer students an evaluation. Is that because they did everything right?”
A small drop of sweat ran down Redrick’s face. He glanced at the other teachers, silently pleading for a save.
The truth? It wasn’t that the transfers had performed perfectly. It was quite the opposite. There was nothing to evaluate.
During the chaos, most students had been too focused to notice, but the transfers had barely done anything. They hadn’t caused trouble, but they hadn’t contributed either. They simply moved to avoid danger. It was impressive in its own way… but there wasn’t much to review.
“At this point in time,” Panla stepped in, her tone neutral but firm, “they haven’t done enough to conduct a full review. But rest assured, we are
observing their performance. If they continue to underperform… it will absolutely affect them negatively.”
Liam nudged Dame with his elbow. “Told you. We should have done something.”
But Dame only shrugged, unfazed. “Doesn’t matter,” he said. “Just like Raze said, there’ll be plenty of opportunities for us to show what we’re made of.”
Still, part of Dame’s mind was drifting… thinking the same thing Raze was.
Did the Guild lie about the summoning threshold too? Raze wondered. If this portal has never been explored before, then they have no clue how many beasts need to be defeated to summon the dimension boss.
And even more worrying, those beasts from earlier? It was hard to tell just how powerful future ones might be. Things could escalate fast.
I’ll just have to stay alert from now on, Raze told himself.
Once the group had healed and recovered some of their mana, thanks to various tools and consumables, they pressed forward. The air was thick and humid, clinging to their skin like a second layer.
They had decided to avoid the swamp-like areas nearby. Swamps were dangerous, ideal hiding spots for beasts. Only the water mages would have been able to traverse those regions safely.
Instead, they climbed, choosing a wide, winding hill path to continue their advance.
The top of the hill wasn’t visible yet, hidden by mist and thick foliage. But every so often, they could hear something, creatures rustling along the slopes beside them, hidden from view.
“Should we, like, deal with the beasts that are following us?” one student asked nervously, glancing to the sides.
“Although most beasts are predators and naturally hostile to humans,” a teacher explained, “some are more sensitive. If they’re not attacking, it likely means they’ve judged us to be too strong for them to risk it.”
Still, Liam wasn’t convinced.
Activating his system, he scanned the area around them. The creatures on either side of the hill were small, reptilian, walking on two legs. They didn’t pose much threat individually.
But there were a lot
of them.
He didn’t say anything at first, choosing instead to quietly count and track the numbers. Yet with each passing minute, the total increased.
“Hey,” Liam said finally, “can I just say something real quick?”
“What is it?” Beatrix asked.
“I know the teachers don’t seem too worried… but I am,” Liam said. “About the creatures following us up this hill.”
Beatrix narrowed her eyes. “Yeah… I’ve noticed that too. If they weren’t going to attack, wouldn’t they have backed off by now? It’s starting to feel weird. Maybe even the teachers don’t realize what’s happening.”
Liam kept glancing over his shoulder, head on a swivel. The peak of the hill was finally coming into view, the summit just up ahead.
Dame rolled his shoulders, letting out a breath. “Alright, fine. I’ll bite the bullet. Just how many of these little creeps are following us?”
Liam swallowed hard.
“My system can track their numbers,” he said, eyes locked forward. “There are… at least three hundred of them.”
The group froze.
Raze halted mid-step, his entire posture shifting.
“Three hundred…” he repeated slowly. “That’s not good. That’s really not good.”
*****
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