CHAPTER 37: FORMATION? FUCK THAT!

Inside the surveillance room, Russel stood beside the same redhead who had appeared unannounced that morning.

Before them, nine screens flickered—each one showing a live feed of students who had just entered their respective domes.

The extra one was reserved for any emergency.

Lancelot smirked as he turned toward the man standing quietly in the corner, eyes closed in deep concentration. "Quite the unique skill you’ve got there, Sir Bowman."

The man didn’t reply, only offered a faint smile. His focus remained steady, his ’eyes’—the magical projections—watching the students and feeding the images to the screens in front of them.

They were currently stationed on the mainland, roughly five rootmiles away from the island.

Watching the dome’s shimmering outline, Lancelot asked, "How strong are these barriers?"

Each dome was designed to keep the students confined within a set boundary. To complete the assessment, they needed to locate and disable the nodes powering the barrier. Once those were destroyed, the challenge would end.

"Strong enough to stop a horde of orcs in their tracks," Bowman replied calmly.

Lancelot hummed thoughtfully. "I thought these were made using sorcery?"

Russel shook her head. "No. The East Wind developed them. They were designed to shield civilians during large-scale crises."

"Hmm. As expected from the legendary creators," Lancelot said with a low whistle.

No one doubted the craftsmanship of the East Wind. They rarely released their artifacts to the market—but when they did, the world always took notice.

Then, his smirk widened. "Ah, here it begins."

On the first screen, movement erupted.

A swarm of monsters burst out of the trees, charging straight toward the students inside the dome.

....

William stood a few paces back, his lazy gaze fixed on the battlefield ahead. The four top-ranking students had taken the front, forming a quick defensive line.

A sudden shriek split the air—CRUAAAK!—as three crocties lunged from the treeline.

They were monstrous birds—two meters tall, balanced on three taloned legs, their long, jagged beaks gleaming like polished blades. Their feathers shimmered with a faint green hue, and their eyes burned with primal hunger.

"They’re fast!" Natalie shouted, already forming a spell circle beneath her boots.

The crocties circled, their steps erratic and birdlike, kicking up dirt and debris.

Then, one of them made the first move. It veered left—lightning-quick.

But Joseph was already there. Twirling his twin hammers with a confident grin, he leapt into the air. The creature screeched and twisted its body, skidding hard across the dirt to change its path.

Joseph landed and slammed both hammers down with all his strength.

CRACKLE!

A wide spell circle flared beneath him, brilliant violet lines scorching the ground. Sparks exploded outward, wrapping the area in electric fury.

Bolts of lightning lashed out, crawling along the dirt like serpents, locking onto the croctie’s legs.

Sensing the danger, the beast lunged through the lightning storm—directly at him.

Joseph’s eyes widened. Fuck!

He dove to the side, barely avoiding the incoming strike, but the creature’s razor beak grazed his ribs.

"Guh!" he gasped, pain searing through his side. The wound burned like acid as his skin turned an eerie green—the poison from its beak taking effect.

He gritted his teeth, dropping to one knee.

Before the venom could spread, a second spell circle burst to life beneath him, golden light radiating from the sigils. The healing magic coursed through his body, purging the poison and mending the torn flesh.

His breathing steadied. He rose again, lightning flickering around his hammers.

"Alright, you damn bird," he muttered under his breath, electricity dancing between his teeth as he grinned. "Let’s see you dodge this."

He slammed the two hammers together.

BOOM!

The impact sparked a vortex of crackling energy—electric winds swirling violently, pulling at the air with terrifying force.

"THIRD CIRCLE: FURY VORTEX!" Joseph roared.

The croctie shrieked and tried to retreat, but it was already caught. Lightning tore through its feathers, spinning it midair before the full storm engulfed it.

The world flashed white for a heartbeat—then silence.

When the dust cleared, the massive bird lay smoking on the ground, its body twitching faintly before going still.

Natalie faced the last two Crocties, their attention fixed on her after she’d drawn their aggro.

She raised her round shield, eyes locked on the darting shapes ahead.

"KRUEEK!"

One of the birds launched forward with its innate skill, Dart, closing the distance in a blink.

Natalie gritted her teeth, lifted her hand—

"Fourth Circle: Liberation!"

A surge of aether burst out, forming a towering barrier in front of her.

CLANG!

The Croctie crashed into it, its body recoiling like a coiled spring. Then, in a flash, it slammed its talons into the ground.

The impact rippled outward, shaking the earth.

Natalie staggered from the quake, her focus slipping—just as the second Croctie leapt high, aiming to smash into her with its thick hoof.

But it wasn’t the only one airborne.

Raven-black hair streamed in the wind, and sunlight caught on Kevin’s blade until it blazed like fire.

The strike came swift—one clean slash—and he landed without a sound.

THUD THUD

First the head, then the lifeless body hit the ground.

Natalie seized her moment. She swung her chained sickle, the blade biting into the Croctie’s head and pulling it down hard.

"KRUEEEKK!" it screeched, thrashing.

Her shield swelled with power, and she brought it down in one crushing blow.

Silence followed. Both enemies—dead.

Kevin let out a breath and turned to his teammates.

"Good work, everyone." He looked at Joseph. "You need to rethink your attacks. Watch your opponent’s moves and know what they’re best at before striking."

Joseph nodded. "Yeah, I understand."

Kevin glanced at Natalie next. "Nice job blocking that Dart, but remember—you can’t ignore other threats."

The short-haired girl gave a sheepish nod. "I almost messed up there."

Kevin hummed in approval before facing Emma. "Good job backing us up."

Emma stayed quiet, her silver hair catching the light.

Finally, Kevin’s gaze shifted to the last member of the team—but he just shook his head and looked away. "Alright, let’s keep moving—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Seven more Crocties stepped into view, feathers bristling, eyes burning with fury. All seven lowered their heads, ready to charge.

Kevin’s eyes narrowed. "Take formation!"

William froze, his face twisting. "You guys are going through all that again? Ain’t no fucking way."

Just then, a ripple of invisible force tore through the air. In an instant, all seven Crocties were ripped from the ground, thrashing and screeching in panic.

Then they slammed into each other—once, twice—until the sound became a deep, wet crunch. Feathers tore, wings snapped backwards, bones splintered like glass.

The second impact was worse. Flesh ruptured, blood sprayed in thick bursts, and the mass of bodies twisted together until shape and sound were lost in a sickening, crushing noise.

When it was over, what remained was no longer a flock—just a pulsing heap of meat, broken limbs curled and tangled, steam rising from what used to be living things

Every single being was stunned except for Emma who smiled lovingly at the man.

William sighed and said, "Let’s just continue now."

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Bro changed the genre real quick.