Squad Seven did not waste any time. They used a high-tier teleportation scroll that Felix had modified with his runic tools. In a flash of bright blue light, the four cadets vanished from the outskirts of the Academy and appeared right outside the massive gates of Valoria. The moment they stepped out of the light, the smell of burning metal and sulfur hit them. The air was thick and hot, choked by a heavy blanket of red ash that fell from the sky like a slow, silent rain. Massive stone buildings were on fire, their wooden roofs collapsing into piles of bright orange embers. Columns of thick black smoke rose into the mountain sky, blocking out the sun and turning the daytime into a dark, eerie twilight.Suddenly, a small shadow detached itself from Quinn’s boots. Bell, the ancient shadow spirit, materialized in her human-like form next to him. She immediately let out a loud sneeze from the floating red ash, rubbing her small nose with a look of deep disgust. She looked around the burni

THE NEXT DAYLord Malakor stood at the head of the stone table, his chest puffed out as he addressed the crowded room. He gestured wildly with his fat, ring-covered hands, painting a vivid and horrifying picture of the Crimson King. He called the beast a bloodthirsty demon from the darkest depths of the underworld. He claimed it had awoken from a century-long slumber with the sole purpose of slaughtering every human in the valley and burning their homes to ash. He described the beast as an unthinking, cruel force of pure evil that could not be reasoned with, using his loud voice to drown out the panicked murmurs of the remaining Vanguard commanders. He insisted that if they did not kill the creature immediately, the entire kingdom of Valoria would be erased from history before the week was over.Darius scoffs loudly from the back of the dark room, his boots resting carelessly on a broken wooden chair. He looked directly at the sweating noble, his face filled with pure disbelief. He lo

Quinn stood firmly at the edge of the smoking basin. He looked down at the three third-year noble students who were still shaking in the grey mud. Their expensive silk cloaks were ruined, soaked with dirty water and covered in thick black soot. The leader of the group was trying to pick up his silver magic staff, but his fingers were trembling so much that the metal kept clinking against the rocks. The other two upperclassmen were weeping silently, their faces white with absolute terror. They had never seen a real Calamity-level beast before. They had spent their entire lives reading clean textbooks in comfortable classrooms, believing that noble magic could easily conquer any wild monster in the world. Now, they were face-to-face with a mountain of fire, and their pride was completely gone.Quinn looked at them with cold, unforgiving eyes. His voice was sharp like a piece of ice when he spoke."Get up," Quinn said. His voice was not loud, but it carried a heavy weight that made the s

Quinn stood over the dark volcanic ash, holding the heavy iron weapon in his hands. The metal was cold and jagged, designed with nasty ridges that were meant to tear flesh apart when pulled out. He took a clean piece of white cloth from his medical pouch and wiped away the thick, dark blood that covered the hilt. The green poison runes on the metal were dead now, turning a dull grey color because Quinn’s anti-mana had broken their flow. He turned the weapon over slowly, his sharp eyes examining the fine craftsmanship of the blade. This was not a weapon made by a poor blacksmith or a common foot soldier. It was made from expensive, high-tier reinforced steel that only the wealthiest people on the continent could afford.Darius stepped down into the center of the sunken nest, his boots sinking a few inches into the soft white soot. He walked past the massive, curled tail of the Crimson King, his emerald eyes narrowing into tight slits as he looked down at the iron weapon in Quinn’s hand

The oak doors of the Valorian command center did not just open. They shattered inward under the raw, explosive weight of Quinn’s kinetic kick. Splinters of thick wood flew across the polished marble floor, scratching the long, golden war table where the highest military minds of the kingdom sat in silence. The room was cold, lit only by the faint blue glow of a massive tactical map that detailed the mountain passes. The high generals and Vanguard captains jumped from their velvet chairs, their hands flying straight to the hilts of their ceremonial swords. Their eyes were wide with a mixture of shock and fury as they stared at the two young cadets standing in the ruined doorway. Quinn’s dark blue cloak was covered in thick grey ash, and his dark eyes burned with a terrifying, unyielding light that made the nearest guards freeze in their tracks.Quinn did not say a word at first. He walked slowly into the center of the room, his boots leaving dark, wet footprints of volcanic mud on the