Ron just leisurely stood on his place as he watched all five of them readying each of their attacks to attack him.
Liam, being the strongest, charged headfirst towards Ron, channeling as much Mana as he could and covering his whole body with Lightning. This time, he had his weapon, a sword, in his hands.
Chloe too followed right after him, each of her two shortswords imbued with the elements of wind and fire.
Noah too channeled his mana as a sphere of water appeared in his hand. He quickly changed it's shape and converted it into a blade made of compressed water, launching it towards Ron.
As the trifold attack approached Ron..
Shine.
A dazzling light appeared in the area, blurring the view of everyone present.
At a distance, Fiona was standing with a bright sphere of light in her hands, it's radiance reaching the whole of facility. It's aim was too take away Ron's line of sight.
Just as the attacks were about to converge on him, Ron raised his hand with a calm, unbothered expression. With a simple, almost casual motion, he swung his hand through the air as if shooing away an annoying fly.
Swish.
But that simple movement of his hand produced a massive wave of Mana which surged towards his attackers and assaulted them with overwhelming force.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
The sheer impact flung the four combatants into the walls of the training hall, their bodies hitting the hard surface with resounding thuds, leaving them with notable injuries.
The figure of Ron just stood there unbothered, his hand holding a black haired boy with grey eyes.
"H-How? I made sure to attack as discreetly as possible!"
The boy in question, Mateo, complained. He couldn't understand how Ron managed to locate him this easily. Ron just throwed him in the same direction as others.
Bam!
And he too slammed into the wall.
All five of them were now sprawled on the ground, groaning from the impact.
'This should gave them a wake up call.'
Ron thought inwardly. He could see that all of them were getting a little bit arrogant after getting stronger.
They needed to realise that there were much stronger opponents out there against whom they currently don't stand a chance.
"Ou.. Ou.. Leader, there was no need to go so hard on us!" Chloe complained.
"Try saying that to a Monster. I will like to hear it's response."
"Ugh" She had no counter to Ron's words.
"Leader is as strong as always. Your control over mana always amaze me. I really can't hope to compare to you in that regard, even after 10 years!" Liam said in admiration.
All of them couldn't help but once again be reminded who exactly their trainer was.
"Okay, that's enough. Stand up. I didn't hit you so hard that you will be unable to move. I have some important things to talk about." He ordered and all of them immediately complied.
All of them stood in front of Ron, awaiting his words.
Ron took a breath and started giving them a summary of as to what was happening on the surface and the stampede they were about to face. He didn't hide too many things as he knew it won't be good for the children.
As he spoke, the expressions of the group drastically changed from anticipating curiosity to that of horror.
"So that's the reason for the signal... "
"How horrible..!"
"Those DAMN MONSTERS!" All of them reacted differently but there was something else in the mind of a particular boy.
Liam stepped forward and spoke. "Leader, please take me with you. I can assure I will prove to be useful in batt- ah!?"
He stopped abruptly as Ron flicked his forehead.
"You're still too young, idiot. Leave it to the adults like me."
"Also, a stock of raw monster corpses will be sent here in a few minutes. It should be enough to last for everyone in this facility for atleast 3 months, assuming you are frugal with the consumption."
"You are banned from going to the surface for the next two months. And after that, all of you will be on your own to search for food and survive."
"It's unknown if you will see me again but I will try my best to make it happen."
Ron explained and Liam immediately spoke up in opposition.
"But teache-
"It's not a request, but an order." He spoke with his authoritative voice, leaving no room for denial.
All of them couldn't help but hung their heads low, thinking about their families who will now be lost in this stampede.
Ron gave them directions and orders on a few more things then got ready to leave.
"That's all. It's about time I took my leave. Make sure none of you dare to go against my orders...oh! " He suddenly remembered something as he reached out his hand in his inner shirt's pocket and took out a orb.
Approximately the size of a large grapefruit, the orb emitted a faint, pulsating light that shifts between deep emerald and vibrant crimson, indicating the immense and volatile mana contained within it.
A General Rank Monster core!
This was the core Ron harvested from the 4-metre class monster he defeated during his investigation. Not all monster cores are left intact after a battle and many just dissipate after a monster dies.
For such reasons, a core from a 4-metre class was incredibly precious. Even Generals might start up a fight in order to claim it.
Ron offhandedly throwed the invaluable treasure toward the group and casually remarked, "Use it for your training and get stronger. It should be enough for all of you." He gave the core away just like that.
All of them were stupified at his actions. Liam hurriedly moved forward and caught it, treating it with extreme care; although he had never seen something similar before, he could tell what it was from the Mana it contained.
They didn't have the time to thank him as Ron started moving away.
"Teacher!" Suddenly, Fiona called him out with a shout.
Tears were threatening to fall over as she spoke in a low and emotional tone. "Won't you be spending the New year with us?"
Ron was taken aback for a bit as she heard Fiona's words. But soon a gentle smile appeared on her face as he moved towards her and ruffled her hair.
"You have been keeping up with the calendar? I thought only the likes of Kenny had the guts to take on such a tedious task.." He spoke with sarcasm.
Fiona didn't reply and just watched him with teary eyes. Ron took back his hand and started leaving for real this time.
He paused for a bit and replied to Fiona's question in an unfittingly emotional tone.
"If fate allows it."
He didn't stop for a reply and started moving away towards the other end of the facility. The entry and exit to the facility were different.
Just as he was about to climb the stairs ahead, he looked back once again; locking his gaze upon a black hair boy with grey eyes.
'If there's a space element, I wonder if there also exists.... ' He didn't complete that thought and climbed up the stairs.
After reaching the end, he pushed open a sliding door similar to the one at the entrance.
He got out, only to find himself inside an inconspicuous space. He moved out of the cave and started heading towards the Central stronghold.
On closer look, one could recognize this cave as the same one which Ron laid his eyes upon when he first entered the forest.
...
In the Central Stronghold.
On the roof of the bunker.
More than six hours had passed and all the Generals, according to Ron's command, were now gathered on top of the central bunker after informing their strongholds and completing the relevant duties.
The atmosphere was tense, each passing second closing them on the time the stampede would descent.
"Are we really sure about this?" Ria asked in a low and worried tone. She was still having reservations about this whole scenario.
'Is this really the right choice?' She would think to herself.
"There's no point thinking about it anymore. It's not like we can change Ron's mind. We won't be able to survive in this landscape without him anyway." Kenny replied in a casual tone. You won't think he's about to face a horde of monsters from his attitude.
"But what about the supplies? You distributed almost all of them to the public, right? There won't be enough left for our trip!" Nash said in an annoyed tone. He was only thinking about their escape to the Southern Continent and nothing else.
"Just so you know, I not only distributed a month worth of supplies to the strongholds but has also prepared a secret batch to be sent to the facility." Kenny informed Nash, who widened his eyes in surprise.
"What? Just where did this amount of supplies came from!?" He asked in confusion.
All of them couldn't help but release a helpless sigh. Nash was a bit eccentric and impatient so he wasn't aware of many details that they were.
"Sigh, for your information, only Ron is aware of the exact amount of reserves in our possession. Even I and Connor aren't aware of it." He informed, leaving Nash dumbfounded. Others too raise their brows. They didn't know it was to this extent.
"Just how many monsters do you think he has hunted?" Ryuto interjected. He spoke in a low and solemn tone.
Hearing his words, Nash couldn't help but think about Ron's area of activities.
The fact that he was respected by all the Generals wasn't without reason.
Other than helping them all out in time of need, managing the facility and focusing on his own training, he spend all his time hunting monsters; alone. This allowed them all to focus on their own respective duties.
"Well, whatever. I am just glad we will finally be leaving this place and moving to the Southern continent. With Ron guiding us, I am sure it will be a breeze.. " He said and others couldn't help but gave Orville a subtle glance.
'He didn't tell him everything.' They thought at the same time.
They were aware of the talk between him and Sir Orville and knew that there was more to it than what Orville informed Nash about.
Step!
All of them snapped their heads and saw the figure of their leader standing at some distance.
His imposing presence and piercing black eyes befitted his role as the leader along with his cold and authoritative mask.
"It seems everyone has gathered. I shall now start explaining the plan I have come up with."
He didn't waste any time and said to everyone who focused on his words with rapt attention.
They didn't know what awaits them at the end of it all but weren't willing to let it all go without putting on a fight.
...
Somewhere on the Northern Continent.
A massive chasm, carved into the earth like a wound, stretched endlessly beneath the darkened sky. The air was thick with the stench of decay and blood, the atmosphere oppressive and suffocating. The ground was littered with remains of past battles, bones, and entrails scattered like grotesque decorations.
In the chasm, an unsettling cacophony filled the air—growls, snarls, and hisses echoed off the walls. Monsters of all shapes and sizes swarmed the area, from the smaller, under one-metre fiends with razor-sharp claws to the towering four-metre behemoths whose roars shook the very earth.
Their eyes glowed with a feral, insatiable hunger, and their bodies were twisted with muscle and sinew, each movement exuding raw power and aggression.
Slime-covered, writhing creatures squirmed on the ground, while winged horrors flapped above, their screeches piercing the night. The monsters moved in a grotesque dance of chaos, their movements jerky and erratic, driven by an insatiable bloodlust.
In the center of this grotesque assembly stood a large, black, eerie-looking tree. Its gnarled branches reached out like skeletal fingers, casting an unsettling glow over the surrounding area.
Before this tree, three monstrous figures knelt. Unlike the chaotic throng around them, these three exuded a controlled, terrifying power. They were not as large as the towering behemoths but their presence was far more menacing.
Their forms were lean and sinewy, covered in scales and coarse fur, their eyes burning with an eerie intelligence. One had a body covered in jagged, metallic scales, another had limbs elongated and twisted, with spines protruding from its back, and the third was shrouded in a shadowy mist, its features barely discernible.
Despite their terrifying appearances, these three monsters displayed a disturbing reverence towards the silhouette of a creature partially obscured by the shadows of the tree. The silhouette was not large, but its presence exuded an aura of pure malevolence and dread. It sat perched within the branches, its form indistinct but undeniably powerful.
".e ha.. co.fi..ed... t..t o.. s.ou. .as k.l.e.," one of the kneeling monsters growled, its voice a guttural rumble, broken and irregular.
"T..y .pp..r .... to .e a..re o. o.r at..c. ," another hissed, its speech fragmented but laced with a cruel intelligence.
"Th.. r nu.b..s ... a..n't gr.a. ," the third monster reported, its tone laced with a mixture of disdain and anticipation.
A heavy silence followed their reports, the oppressive atmosphere growing even more suffocating. The other monsters ceased their growling, a palpable tension filling the chasm.
Suddenly, a low, eerie, and dreadful voice emanated from the silhouette. Unlike the broken speech of the other monsters, this voice was clear, deliberate, and dripping with malevolence.
"Kill them all."
The command was simple, but it carried a weight of finality and doom. The chasm erupted into chaos, the monsters' ferocity intensified by the order. Their growls turned into deafening roars, and the ground shook as they moved with renewed purpose and bloodlust.
The scene ended with the monsters preparing to unleash their full fury, the sense of impending doom hanging heavy in the air. The eerie tree stood as a dark sentinel over the chaos, its sinister energy a constant reminder of the terror about to befall humanity..