The wolves were already on them.A pack of them rushes through the trees, their claws tearing into the ground as they surround the group. Their growls echo through the forest, and Adrian instinctively takes a step back, his eyes darting from one wolf to another as they close in.“Stay behind me.”Darius steps forward, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. Before Adrian can even blink, he disappears, and four wolves collapse almost at the same time. Adrian barely sees what happens. One moment, Darius is standing beside him, and the next, he is already several meters away, his sword dripping with blood.This is Darius, an S-Rank combatant and the strongest person on their team, probably one of the strongest students in the entire academy Adrian thought. His speed is so ridiculous that sometimes Adrian wonders if his eyes are even capable of following him, and somehow, despite being an E-Rank healer, Darius is the one who asks him to join his team. Adrian still doesn't unders

Adrian keeps his eyes fixed on the massive goblin outside the barrier, his mind racing as Marcus's question hangs in the air. He takes a slow breath and points toward the walls around them. “The traps. They were all deliberately set.” His finger moves toward the dead goblins scattered across the chamber. “And look at those bodies. They weren't simply killed. They were eaten.”Marcus follows his gaze, his expression becoming more serious.Adrian continues, his voice steady despite the fear tightening his chest. “There are three kinds of goblins. Most of them stay weak, but one of those three types can evolve. When they do, they become stronger by eating their own kind. That's why there are so many dead goblins here. This thing killed them and consumed them so it could evolve.”Selene's eyes move from the bodies to the goblin outside the barrier. “You know all that?”Adrian nods. “I've studied monsters.”Darius turns toward him, his expression changing slightly. “How?”Adrian looks at h

Adrian eyes quickly scanned the cave. His vision had changed, and the darkness no longer concealed anything from him. Blue crystals embedded in the walls illuminated the chamber, revealing bones scattered across the ground alongside broken weapons, ruined armour, communication devices, and other belongings that had clearly belonged to students who had entered the dungeon but never returned.Adrian scurried over to the remnants and started gathering what he could use. He collected bits of metal, broken boards, straps, anything that looked strong enough to hold together, trusting his new eyes to tell him what was useful and what was worthless junk. In a few minutes he had made a rough carriage that would aid him for his goal. It was ugly, but it didn't need to be pretty either.Adrian turned toward the pregnant goblin. "Come on." He moved beside her and carefully tried to lift her, but she didn't respond. After examining her face and checking her body again, he confirmed that she was st

The academy hospital was much quieter than Adrian expected. The moment the doctor finished checking the wounds, he ordered several scans, blood tests, and other examinations before Adrian was allowed to leave. Adrian sat on the edge of the examination bed while a machine passed over his body, its soft mechanical hum filling the room as images appeared on the screen beside the doctor. After several minutes, another nurse came in to take a blood sample, and then the doctor checked the results before looking at Adrian again."Why all these scans and tests?" Adrian finally asked, glancing at the equipment around him. "You already checked my wound, and it's completely healed."The doctor adjusted his glasses and looked at the scan in his hand. "Nothing important. We're just making sure you're still human and haven't mutated."Adrian raised an eyebrow."Mutated?""You've heard about it before, haven't you?" The doctor asked.Adrian nodded slowly. He had heard the rumors. Whenever a party en

One..Marcus leaned back in his chair, his smirk growing as he raised a finger toward Adrian, he was clearly enjoying the situation, and the fact that Adrian hadn't backed down made it even more entertaining for him."Two..."The students gathered around the table began whispering again, some leaning toward their friends while others openly watched the confrontation. "Has Adrian gone mad? He's actually challenging an S-Rank combatant in public!" one student whispered, shaking his head. Another folded his arms and scoffed. "Maybe surviving that dungeon made him think he's invincible. He should be grateful he escaped with his life instead of looking for trouble."But what if he found something in the dungeon? a student sitting nearby interrupted. "I've heard that an SSS-Rank Dragon Gem can help an awakened evolve their power. If Adrian found one, maybe his rank has changed."His friend immediately shook his head. "That's impossible. This was supposed to be an A-Rank dungeon. SSS-Rank Dr