First Lesson (2)
—Shiiik!! The black tentacles surrounding the cadets lunged at them all at once. Their speed whipped up a whoosh of air. The ferocious intent to rip apart anything in front of them was just like that of a demon beast.
The cadets' faces drained of color at the sight of the menacing tentacles closing in fast.
"Everyone! Gather more toward the center!"
A voice rang in their ears then. The cadets quickly huddled together, and soon a massive hemispherical barrier enveloped them all. It was Ayla, a second-year from the Tactical Combat Department.
—Crunch! Boom! The sharp tips of the tentacles slammed into the barrier. Cracks like spiderwebs spread across its surface from the impact. Fortunately, it held without being pierced.
"She blocked it! We're good for now!"
"Isn't that cracking?! Is it really okay?!"
"Ayla! You alright?"
Ayla gritted her teeth instead of answering. She had no time for that.
—Rumble— Boom! Boom! The tentacles, denied entry, pounded the barrier in rage. Each hit made Ayla's body jolt. Finally, a drop of blood trickled from her nose.
She braced her trembling legs and squeezed out every ounce of strength to shout, "…I can't hold it much longer! It's too… strong!"
The cadets gasped at her words.
—Rrrumble. The barrier's cracks widened under the tentacles' merciless assault.
"Ah! Call for help!"
The cadets instinctively reached for the smartwatches on their wrists. They needed to alert the academy. If they could just contact the department office, professors and guards would rush here immediately.
Beep—
…But all that came back was an ominous warning tone and silence.
"No! Communications are down! Signal's blocked!"
"No way—this is the academy, how can comms be out?!"
The fact that Noble Academy's ironclad security system had been neutralized right in the heart of the campus was enough to terrify the students.
Meanwhile, Lien, who had drawn her sword, stared at the black tentacles writhing beyond the barrier. Up close, they seemed vaguely familiar somehow.
…I've seen these somewhere before. Or maybe not?
She thought that for a moment but soon shook her head. These tentacles were too big, too numerous to be his ability. And far too savage. The Han Seongjin she knew wouldn't do something like this.
—Groooar!
"The ground! They're burrowing underground!" Rakna shouted.
At the same moment, the ground inside the barrier trembled faintly. While the outer tentacles battered the barrier, others were infiltrating from below.
To find the barrier's weakness so quickly—did these things have intelligence?
—Boom!
"Kyaaak!"
Finally, one tentacle burst through the ground and shot toward them at threatening speed. Its target was the source of this annoying barrier: Ayla.
The tentacle weaved through the cadets and closed in. Its tip headed straight for Ayla's chest.
"Raaah!!"
—Thud! A massive blond male cadet—the first-year runner-up, Leo Grant—darted in and seized the tentacle.
His academy uniform was now encased in golden armor reminiscent of a medieval knight.
The captured tentacle thrashed wildly in Leo's grip.
"Ngh! Incredible strength!"
"Hold it tight, big guy!"
Alice Hayes—the original ice princess with sky-blue hair, Cecile Urnia—shouted. Blue energy extended from her hand, wrapping the tentacle, which froze solid in an instant.
"Hraaah!!!"
Leo smashed his elbow down on the frozen section, shattering it. The severed tentacle retreated into the ground.
"Got it! One down!"
"Don't let your guard down! More are coming from underground!"
—Groooar. At the cadets' perimeter stood first-year top student Ethan Miller. He summoned a sword of blue mana and watched the tentacles beyond the barrier. His mind raced.
The barrier was on the verge of breaking, tentacles were tunneling in, comms were dead, and they were in the open middle of the training field, exposed on all sides.
Damn, did I misjudge? Should I have bolted for the edge right away? No, regretting the past is pointless. Focus on what to do now.
Desperately scanning around, his eyes caught the academy building in the distance beyond the field—the closest one. Guards would be there. They had to reach it.
He glanced back. About thirty cadets were inside the barrier, unable to flee or fight effectively. This stalemate wouldn't cut it.
"Everyone! Listen to me!!"
Ethan shouted, drawing all eyes to him. He pointed at the nearest academy building.
"Let's head for that building first!! There's hope if we make it there!"
"Are you crazy? Break through these tentacles? Better to hold here and wait for backup—"
"The barrier's about to shatter! We stay, we all die! We have to move!"
The protesting cadets reluctantly nodded at Leo's follow-up. Ethan flashed Leo a grin, then shouted to Rakna beside Ayla.
"Rakna! The moment the barrier drops, carry her and run! Senior, drop it on my signal."
"Got it."
—Nod.
Confirming their intent, Ethan turned outward. Rakna had top-tier physical abilities among all first-years. Even carrying the girl, he could outrun those tentacles.
Six tentacles battering the barrier. One down, originally ten—so three underground.
Ethan's eyes narrowed, seeking an opening. With only six surrounding them now, there had to be space.
His scanning gaze stopped. 10 o'clock direction. Widest gap between tentacles.
There. He pointed and shouted for all to hear.
"On my signal, everyone run there! One! Two!"
The target tentacle headbutted the barrier.
"Three!"
—Whirr! The barrier vanished, and the cadets surged out.
Now, one task remained.
"Run!!!"
All thirty cadets bolted toward the building Ethan had indicated.
About ten seconds after they started running.
The cadets who glanced back couldn't help but be puzzled.
"The tentacles…"
They had all vanished in the blink of an eye.
A third-year cadet staring intently at where they'd been shouted.
"They're not gone! They're coming from underground!!"
Cracks approaching the cadets spiderwebbed across the field, proving him right. The momentarily relieved cadets freaked out and ran like their lives depended on it—which they did.
Meanwhile.
Hah, hah! If only Windy were here, this would be easy!
Alice glared at the green mark on her wrist. With her wind spirit's power, she could levitate and skim low to the ground—twice as fast as running. But not now.
Her wind spirit, Windy, wasn't responding to her calls at all anymore. Earlier, it at least answered; now it straight-up ignored her, cowering deep inside out of fear.
What the hell is up with those tentacles anyway!
…Tentacles?
Suddenly, questions flooded her mind.
This is weird if you think about it.
She hadn't noticed amid the panic before, but the oddities piled up. This was the academy's heart. Sure, it was a dirt training field, but still part of the world's top high-tech facility. Academy buildings and the monorail towered just beyond. So why was it so quiet with an enemy here? Why no academy response? Where did that TA go? Comms never glitch here—how'd they go fully dead?
The more she dug, the more suspicious it got. Doubt snowballed, overwhelming her thoughts.
And finally.
Maybe this is part of the class? The subject is practical response training. They put us in a crisis on purpose to test us.
The academy's inaction, the missing TA—all evidence pointed to it. She felt like she'd gone from blind to sighted among the blind.
—Boom!
"Gaaah!!"
Until she saw the male cadet next to her get launched by a tentacle bursting from the ground.
"Kyaaaa!!!"
Her eyes slammed shut again.
No way it's fake, people are flying, this is real, we're dying, gonna die!
"Snap out of it!"
Lien, running beside her, grabbed the panicking Alice's hand and pulled her forward.
"Ah! We have to save him—!"
"I'll get him."
—Crackle!
Izuna, with a rare serious expression, zipped to the flying cadet and caught him midair. She rejoined the group at eye-blurring speed.
"I'll carry him!"
"Here."
Leo, at the front, took the unconscious cadet.
—Groooar!
Then, a tentacle erupted from the ground to their left, lunging menacingly.
"Not on my watch."
Izuna extended her left arm palm-out, drew back her right like nocking an arrow, and lightning gathered in her hand. She released, and a powerful bolt shot out.
—Crackle! Boom!
The tentacle from the left was blasted back. Power worthy of an active S-rank hero's daughter. If her written scores were average, the top first-year spot might've been hers, not Ethan's.
The cadets ran relentlessly across the field. The academy building loomed closer.
"Yes! Almost there!!"
"Just a bit more! It's right ahead!"
They neared the field's edge. Ethan, leading, glanced back. Injuries, but no stragglers. All thirty alive. They could make it.
Black tentacles pursued from behind—utterly terrifying.
Who the hell is doing this… No, focus on escape.
Ethan planned ahead. Reach the building, alert guards, professors, students. Evac injured to the infirmary, then hurry to the main building. Announce a full emergency there.
But reality wasn't so kind.
Somewhere on the field, a voice leaked out, barely audible.
—Activate.
—Yes.
And at that moment—
—Groooar!
—Whirr! Clank!
—Thud! Boom!
"Wha—!"
"A wall?! What the hell!! It's blocked!!"
"Blocked?!"
Screams erupted among the cadets at the news. The wall before them was an emergency bulkhead—usually a sturdy shield against threats. But now, it was a massive prison barring their path.
Ethan pounded it, but it didn't budge.
"Ah… b-behind, behind us…"
At one cadet's voice, the rest turned.
—Groooar— Rumble.
The black tentacles chasing them amid dust stopped before the bulkhead, then slowly pierced the ground and rose, as if mocking the trapped cadets.
Nine tentacles. They swiftly encircled the cadets, writhing in the air.
Surrounded on all sides. An impregnable wall ahead, mystery monster behind. No escape.