Vlad was clearly unsatisfied knowing Alex was leading the expedition."Renault, he is just a commoner and a big mouth. You cannot just accept what he says. I still think we should start by searching the house."Renault turned towards Alex and asked, "If we are going underground, where will we aim?"Renault took out the blueprint of the underground from his storage ring and spread it out on the big table.As the group studied the blueprint of the ancient refuge shelter that had eight floors underground, some struggled to understand it.But Alex easily pointed to potential locations where they might find specific hidden rooms. "We will try to check the storage rooms, armory, or command centers."He continued, "Looking at the blueprint, we'll enter from the west entrance. From there, we'll head to key areas like the storage rooms or command center. Can you help me check where they are?"Everyone leaned in, examining the map.Scarlet's eyes lit up. "Here! This is supposed to be the storag
Back inside the ruins, Alex and his companions faced new challenges on the second floor.A group of mutated apes—towering creatures with thick limbs—had been shadowing them.These beasts had transformed the storage area into their nest.Agile despite their size, these Silver-ranked creatures were biding their time.About five male apes were following them, watching for any sign of weakness."These apes are getting on my nerves," Renault muttered as they moved cautiously. "They're waiting for the right moment to attack."A sudden movement caught everyone's attention.An arrow whizzed through the air, threading through obstacles at an impossible angle.It struck one of the apes squarely in the chest.The beast let out a guttural roar before toppling from the high wall, landing with a heavy thud.Dust rose as it struggled but failed to stand.Without hesitation, Renault rushed forward and finished the ape with a swift strike of his sword.The group turned to see Alex emerging from the sh
Over twenty of the massive creatures now surrounded them, eyes glinting with hostility.A thunderous roar echoed through the air, causing the ground beneath them to tremble. The sheer volume made everyone's ears ring.Panic flickered across their faces."That's a Gold-rank demon beast!" Alex exclaimed, his voice edged with alarm.Their situation was dire.Alex's current abilities were insufficient against such a foe, and Renault's strongest team members were only at three-star Silver rank.The Alpha King Ape leaped onto a nearby wall, its fierce gaze locked onto them."Follow me!" Alex shouted, entering one of the dormitory rooms.Without hesitation, the group sprinted after him, entering the dormitory.It turned out that inside the dormitory room, it was connected to other rooms through connecting doors, and they used it to escape from the apes chasing them.The massive ape pounded its chest in frustration, its roar shaking the very walls around them.In response, the lesser Apes beg
As night descended upon the abandoned dormitory, shadows deepened across the fourth-floor corridor.Alex and Sofie raced through the dim halls, dodging and weaving to avoid the lurking lesser apes.The faintest glow filtered up from the atrium below, but darkness pressed in around them, heavy and foreboding."We should set up camp here," Alex whispered, casting a cautious glance at Sofie. "Moving around at night is too risky. There might be nocturnal ones out there."Sofie surveyed the area, her eyes settled on a closed door at the end of the hall, distinct among the other dormitory rooms."Do you think we could use that room?" she asked, nodding toward it.Alex followed her gaze, scrutinizing the door."Maybe," he murmured. "Let's check it out."Without hesitation, Sofie took the lead.They approached the door, which was sealed by an electronic lock—long inactive in the building's deserted state.Alex noted it was an emergency exit; theoretically, it should have unlocked when the pow
The outlaws were on the run, desperately fleeing from the wrath of the King of the Apes.In their haste, they stumbled upon a nearby camp where an inexperienced group had recklessly lit a roaring fire, its flames shooting skyward.It was clear their targets were either naive or foolish, as the blazing fire became the very beacon that drew the outlaws straight to them."Nobody move!" Viper, the leader of the outlaws, barked as he brandished his sword.His men swiftly encircled Vlad and his entourage, eyes gleaming with malice.Some began rifling through supplies, greedily devouring any food and water they could snatch."Why have you captured me? Who are you people?" Vlad demanded, his voice edged with defiance despite the fear flickering in his eyes."Shut up!" one of the thugs snarled, striking Vlad across the head before shoving him roughly toward Viper."Learn to bow your head to those more powerful."Viper chuckled, his gaze sweeping over Vlad's opulent attire. "Ah, a nobleman. You
When the giant centipede attacked, Sofie was paralyzed by fear.The monstrous creature lunged toward her, its venomous fangs gleaming menacingly.But Alex, seasoned by countless battles with beasts, sprang into action.He rushed forward, grabbing Sofie and pulling her away just as the centipede's fangs struck the ground where she'd been standing moments before.With lightning speed, Alex drew a photon gun from his space storage ring—one of the weapons he'd retrieved from the armory.He hastily powered it on and fired at the giant centipede.The photon blast hit its mark, burning a hole straight through the creature's body.Yet, despite the gaping wound in its head, the centipede refused to die, thrashing about in a wild frenzy.To Alex's horror, more centipedes began rushing out from the room—one after another, seemingly endless.Realizing the room had become their nest, he continued firing, his heart pounding.Each photon blast took down another beast, but his guns' batteries were de
Her indignation wavered as she realized he was only trying to help her.But that also meant Alex had seen her entire body while treating her injuries.Embarrassment gnawed at her, her cheeks flushing deeply."Thank you," she whispered, her eyes dropping to the floor.An awkward silence settled between them. Gathering her courage, Sofie finally asked, "Alex, do you... like me?"Alex knew that once he'd confided his feelings to his twenty-one commoner friends, the whole academy would soon find out.He looked at her earnestly."You are more precious to me than all the treasures on this earth. Your beauty shines brighter than any jewel."He took a deep breath and continued, "I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride."Her heart skipped a beat at his heartfelt confession. Though part of her had suspected his feelings, hearing him say it so directly left her flustered.Taking a steadying breath, she said, "We're still young. We don'
"Shut up, Jareth!" Scarlet's voice cracked with anger as she glared at him."This is the truth!" Jareth retorted coldly, his laughter mocking."His corpse has probably been devoured by beasts. You can't change what's already a fact!"Alex had swallowed his Mana Force, filling him with hatred.He had robbed him of years of painstaking effort. If Alex wasn't already dead, Jareth swore he'd kill him with his own hands."Get lost!" Scarlet snapped, fury radiating from her. "If you don't leave now, don't blame me for being rude!"Jareth opened his mouth to retort, but Renault interrupted, his voice edged with warning. "You'd better listen to her, Jareth."Regret gnawed at Renault's chest.He should have prioritized Sofie. Guilt weighed heavily as he prayed for her safety. Listening to Jareth's venomous remarks only deepened the bitterness in his heart.Jareth smirked, shrugged, and moved aside, his defiance lingering in the air.The group was down to just twenty-one people now. Some had al