The sound of the break was unlike anything Rian had ever heard before.
Not merely an explosion, nor a simple echo—
it was the sound of the sky being forced to tear itself open.
The air trembled. The ground beneath their feet resonated with it, and several Class B students who had been fighting only turned around when it was already too late.
A second fracture split the air directly above the first. The thin line widened, leaking an unstable gray light. From within, something moved—large, slow, and heavy with presence.
It emerged with a sound like bones being dragged across stone.
Its body resembled a gigantic lizard plated in cracked black hide, faint red light glowing from the fissures across its form. Its eyes were not wild like the smaller monsters below.
They were focused. Observing.
"Formation! Reform the formation!" a Class B student shouted.
But their coordination had already broken apart. Smaller monsters kept pouring out of the first fracture, disrupting their concentration. Then the large creature landed with a thunderous impact that sent a pressure wave in all directions. Two students were thrown back, and another collapsed unconscious on the spot.
Rian didn't move.
He simply watched. And felt.
The creature's aura wasn't wild. Not random.
Its pattern was stable—far too stable to be coincidence.
"It's not an accident," Rian muttered.
Mira turned sharply. "What do you mean?"
"It wasn't dragged out. It came out with a purpose."
Kael clicked his tongue. "Great. So now we've got a monster with an agenda."
Dax lifted his sword. "Whatever it is, we can't leave Class B alone."
Lyra bit her lip. "But we're not an official unit…"
Rian finally stepped forward. This time, there was no hesitation in his voice. "If we wait for the instructors, someone will be dead first."
All eyes turned to him.
The monster opened its mouth. Red light gathered in its throat. At the same moment, Rian noticed a fracture on its left shoulder—a real one, physical. The creature's hardened hide hadn't fused perfectly there.
"Dax, if it attacks, hold it for two seconds. No more."
Dax nodded instantly.
"Mira, don't use a big blast. There's a crack on its left shoulder. That's the weak point."
Mira narrowed her eyes. "You sure?"
"Yes."
"Kael, don't go frontal. Circle from the right and force it to tilt."
Kael gave a faint smile. "Finally sounding like a leader."
"Lyra, prioritize Dax. Don't transfer everything. Only half."
Lyra nodded softly.
The monster fired a stream of red energy toward Class B. Dax leapt forward, bracing against the blast with a booming impact that shook the ground. His feet slid backward, but he held his stance.
"Now!" Rian shouted.
Mira released a focused jet of flame—not a massive fireball, but a thin spear of fire that struck the monster's left shoulder. The crack flared brighter. Kael moved like a shadow from the right side, forcing the creature's body to twist to regain balance.
That movement opened a larger gap.
Rian saw it in a split second. "Dax, low!"
Dax slammed into the monster's left leg just as its balance faltered. Lyra shifted part of Dax's injuries onto herself; her face paled, but she stayed standing.
The monster roared—not in rage, but almost in shock.
It staggered back one step.
For the first time, Class B realized something, the rhythm of the battle was now being led by Class F.
"Hit its left shoulder!" one of the Class B students shouted.
A barrage of attacks struck the weak point. The fracture spread, and the red light inside the monster flickered unstably. A moment later, its body burst from within. A small explosion of energy scattered before vanishing along with black particles dissolving into the air.
Silence fell across the field.
The remaining smaller monsters retreated, then evaporated as the first fracture slowly began to close. The air felt heavy for a few seconds before finally returning to normal.
The Class B students stood panting. Some looked at Class F with mixed expressions—confusion, irritation, and reluctant acknowledgment. One student stepped forward.
"You… who gave you orders?"
No one answered.
All eyes slowly turned to Rian.
Rian didn't feel proud. Instead, a chill crept down his spine. Because before the second fracture opened, he had already known it would happen. And when the monster appeared, there was something else only he had noticed.
Behind the red light inside its body was a symbol—thin, a circle split by a vertical line.
The same symbol as the faint engraving he had once seen in the Tower of Aura.
The evening wind blew from the direction of the now-sealed fracture. Ironcrest stood firm in the distance—too firm, as if unaware its defenses had just been tested. Rian looked up at the sky. No lines. No visible fractures.
But he knew this wasn't an accident.
This wasn't just a minor tear.
This was a test.
And someone—or something—was watching how Ironcrest would respond.
For some reason, Rian felt that observation was focused on him.
For the first time since arriving in Ardent, he wasn't just seeing the gaps.
He felt… watched from beyond them.