The undead students' bodies cracked and contorted unnaturally as they moved. One of them suddenly took notice of the group.
"Grrtt…!!!" the undead student growled.
The others immediately reacted, turning their heads sharply before charging at the group in an unnatural sprint.
"Sh-shit! EVERYONE, RUN!" George stammered, his voice cracking as he commanded the others.
Without hesitation, the group bolted away from the approaching undead.
While running, Gorrath spoke in a calm but urgent tone. "Lloyd, use your eyes. Check if these are real students or just magic tricks."
[Innate Trait Activated: Sight of Aura]
Lloyd glanced back. His vision sharpened as he analyzed the undead students. Instead of aura, he saw magic energy swirling inside them.
"They have magic in them, but I don't see any aura!" Lloyd reported.
Gorrath had already formed a theory. "It's hallucination magic. They used the students who were disqualified earlier as a base to create these illusions. That means they're perfect copies
not just in appearance, but also their personality, fighting style, and memories!"
"So, don't fall for anything they say," he warned.
George, still running, gave Gorrath a surprised look. "Wait how do you even know this?"
Gorrath kept his pace. "Back on the frontlines, the generals encountered this type of magic before. They didn't hesitate to kill the illusion, even when it had the real warrior's body."
"I… see…" George swallowed nervously, his fear growing.
"So, what's the plan?" Jack asked.
"Simple." Gorrath's eyes sharpened. "Kill them, even if they beg."
The group nodded grimly, their resolve hardening. They kept running until Jack suddenly stopped.
[Personal Trait Activated: Flashy Step]
In an instant, Jack vanished from sight. The next second, heads flew through the air severed cleanly from their bodies.
"We're just wasting energy if we keep running!" Jack shouted.
George hesitated but ultimately agreed. "Fine… Let's end this."
The group turned and faced the undead head-on.
Gorrath swung his bo staff, knocking down multiple enemies at once. Amidst the chaos, he locked eyes with a familiar face one of the students from earlier, the same one who had insulted him.
"Y-you… It's you! Because of you, I got disqualified!!" the undead student roared, lunging forward with sharpened claws.
Gorrath's expression darkened.
His right arm gripped the bo staff tightly. Aura exploded from his body, spreading across the staff like wildfire. His muscles hardened. His veins pulsed.
At that moment, he combined all his techniques—Shattering Booster, Muscle Enhancement, and Aura Infusion.
"I'M NOT A DEMON!" Gorrath roared, his veins bulging.
The instant his staff connected, the student's body disintegrated into ashes, carried away by the icy wind.
Meanwhile, Lloyd stayed at the back, carrying the unconscious Lix on his shoulder. Shin stood beside him.
"Don't be a coward, Shin," Shin said. "Use your fists to fight, just like George and Sir Bajar taught you."
Shin clenched his fists, his mind flashing back to his training.
— Memory Recall: Training with Bajar —
"Shin, I'm going to teach you an important technique. Keep this a secret it's called Martial Core."
Shin nodded. "Martial Core?"
"I've already taught you Shattering Booster and Muscle Hardening. Both rely on your physical body, allowing you to unleash powerful strikes, but at a cost your body suffers damage in return."
"Yeah, sir. My right arm was sore all day after using it yesterday."
Bajar nodded. "Exactly. But Martial Core is different. Instead of just brute force, you spread your mana core evenly throughout your body creating the perfect balance between power and endurance."
— End of Memory Recall —
Shin inhaled deeply.
As mana surged from his core, spreading through his limbs, his body felt lighter stronger.
His fists clenched.
"Shattering Straight!" Shin roared.
His fists blurred as he launched forward, punching every undead student in sight, their heads snapping back as they collapsed one by one.
The undead's heads flew through the air as Rayden quickly dispatched them with precise strikes. Their bodies crumpled to the ground, and though it wasn't as tough as fighting the White Azure Monster, it still felt challenging partly because it seemed like they were killing their own classmates. Breathing heavily, George spoke first.
"That's quite challenging," he said, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Heh, not really," Jack responded, crossing his arms.
"You only killed four, idiot!" Lloyd retorted, glancing at Jack with a smirk.
"What did you say?" Jack shot back, frowning.
"Both of you, stop. Let's continue," Gorrath said nonchalantly, interrupting their argument.
The group nodded and continued their journey through the icy forest, trudging through the thick snow. After a while, they came across a rickety bridge.
"Everyone, be careful. This bridge looks dangerous," George warned. The others nodded in agreement.
Each of them stepped cautiously onto the old wooden planks, which creaked ominously underfoot. The bridge looked like it could collapse at any moment, but they managed to cross safely, one by one.
After a few more minutes of walking, they spotted a cabin up ahead.
"That might be it," George said, pointing toward the structure. The group nodded and approached it.
A wooden sign above the door was carved with the words "Safe Cabin." They pushed the door open and entered, finding other students already inside, resting and eating. The cabin was much larger than they'd expected. To the left, there was a section with training equipment, and to the right, a table laden with food. Mats were spread out on the floor for students to rest.
The group settled in, eagerly digging into a hearty soup made with hot meat and a variety of vegetables. Meanwhile, other students began sparring with dummies. Gorrath and Shin, however, continued their silent training. Shin threw a barrage of punches at his sparring dummy, his focus unwavering.
Gorrath tested the durability of his broken staff, swinging it forcefully against the dummy. He hoped it wouldn't snap again. "It seems the way I tied the rope is holding up well," he thought to himself, a small hint of satisfaction passing through his mind.
As he trained, a familiar face approached him a confident grin spread across Eclid's features.
"Hey, half-demon," Eclid teased. "I didn't know you were going to participate in this year's festival~"
Gorrath remained silent, locking eyes with Eclid. The air between them grew thick with tension, their auras clashing as if they were silently fighting, each one waiting for the other to make a move.