Moments after the portal we entered was locked, the teachers, staff, and students panicked as they made calls to the Awakener Association. The Counseling Teacher, in a state of panic, ran toward the principal's office to provide information.
His fear stemmed from the fact that he had pointed the three students toward the portal, despite their firm refusals. Now that he knew the portal was an anomaly, he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.
"Mrs. Risma, calm down; it's not your fault. It's also not unusual for teachers to send their best students into the portal to enhance their combat experience. As for the anomalous portal, it's not anyone's fault; no one could have known that the dungeon would become an anomaly upon entry. What's strange is how the three students knew that the portal was an anomaly, which made them so certain it was truly a real anomaly."
"But don't worry; I've contacted the association chairman about the current situation. They will immediately send assistance in the form of Awakeners ranked A and above to enter the portal within the next 24 hours."
"We can only pray that they can survive for those 24 hours as planned."
The guidance and counseling teacher began contacting the families of the three students to inform them about what had happened to their children.
...
Within 20 minutes, reporters and association staff gathered at Omega Enfield Academy. The families of Fajar, Dimas, and Adji arrived in front of the portal, their anxious faces reflecting their worry. The mothers of the three students asked for information about what had really happened. They were not upset that their children had entered the portal; after all, their husbands or they themselves were Awakeners who frequently ventured into such portals. Instead, they wanted to know how an anomalous portal could manifest at a school.
Fajar's family remained the calmest in the current situation, as they were a world-renowned Elite Awakener family. His grandfather was one of the 12 Awakener Pioneers globally, his father was among the five strongest Awakeners in the world, and his mother was a researcher who had studied hundreds of monsters ranging from rank D to S+. This made their family the closest to the portal.
In contrast, Dimas and Adji came from ordinary families; however, their talent allowed them to associate closely with Fajar, the elite student at school. Due to their abilities, the three of them became known as the Three Musketeers of Omega Enfield Academy.
"Anomaly portal, huh? It's been a long time since I've seen one like this. What kind of monster could be inside?"
Fajar's father's question confused everyone, as none of them knew what kind of monster awaited them.
"I see. At least that bald guy, Surya, is with them. He will definitely ensure their safety, no matter the cost."
***
Fajar, Dimas, and Adji nodded in understanding as they received instructions from the Vice Principal.
After gathering their strength, Dimas and Adji moved forward again to face the remaining six Goblins. Dimas attacked the Goblin on the right while Adji targeted the Goblin on the left. Fajar prepared to provide assistance if his two friends encountered trouble, and Surya readied another talisman to weaken the Goblins with his cursed magic.
Of course, Adji and Dimas couldn't engage evenly with a formidable Hobgoblin wielding a specific weapon, as they were just ordinary school children—though their talents hinted at something more.
Unlike Fajar, who had been trained to fight various types of monsters before entering the Awakener Academy at the age of 12, Dimas and Adji had vastly different experiences. It was only natural that they would struggle against the Hobgoblin.
Seeing his two friends in trouble, Fajar moved forward to draw the attention of all the Goblins away from them, allowing his friends to retreat and receive healing from the Vice Principal.
Whether it's fair or not, there is no justice in the world, especially in a portal filled with mindless monsters like this; fighting one against six was not bewildering to me.
Two great swords and two machetes struck my shield hard, causing my leg bones to creak in pain from the pressure exerted by the Goblins.
As I searched for a weak point among the Goblins, I ultimately decided to resort to my last option.
"Body Strengthening!"
Reinforcing my body, I kicked one of the Goblin's legs, breaking his bones and allowing me to escape the difficult situation. But it didn't end there; one of the machete-wielding Goblins charged toward me with his massive frame, trying to slash me with his weapon.
"Fajar, close your eyes!!"
When I heard that scream, I immediately closed my eyes as a talisman exploded right in front of the Goblins wielding machetes, blinding them with the burst of light. The pressure from the attacking monsters dissipated, allowing me to save myself effectively.
After I retreated to the location where the Vice Principal and my two friends were, the Vice Principal asked, "Fajar, I want you to be honest: if I assign you the task of being a real damage dealer, can you kill them?"
"I can, as long as it's one against one. I can take them down, even though it might take some time. But I'm confident I can defeat them if I can isolate it to a one-on-one situation."
"One against one, huh? Okay, I'll trust you. Take all these talismans. This is one of the types of spell talismans I have; it can transport you and one enemy of your choice to the other side. I will hold off the rest of the Goblins here, along with Adji and Dimas."
After receiving ten talisman papers from the Vice Principal, I was about to leave but was interrupted again.
"Fajar, use this sword. It will be far more useful for hunting than a regular iron sword that's meant for training."
Accepting a fancy sword from the Vice Principal, I advanced toward the big Goblin with the already injured leg and prepared to carry him to the other side.