Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2336  Trapped

The situation quickly spiraled into chaos as Hall 33, already exhausted from hunting and the earlier fight, now faced overwhelming odds—40 against 12. A storm of spells and weapons bore down on the outnumbered Hall 33.

"Dammit, what a bunch of cowards! Fight us fairly if you dare!" Titus yelled, his voice strained with frustration as his ice golem shattered, crumbling to the ground.

"This can't be legit, right?" Ullong growled, "They can't do this!"

The atmosphere grew tense as Ha Ron scanned the horizon for their Magus handler, hoping for intervention. With two other halls involved, there should have been three Magus handlers present, but not a single one was in sight. The realization dawned on him—this wasn't just a random conflict.

Amid the mounting pressure, Hardy's voice rang out, cutting through the chaos like a blade. "Don't panic! Regroup!"

His command brought a brief moment of clarity to the Hall 33 acolytes, who quickly fell back into a defensive formation. But Hans wasn't about to let them escape so easily. His twisted grin widened as he saw the desperation in their faces.

"You're not going anywhere!" he sneered, giving the command to his allies. "All of you—attack! Crush them!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Hardy was ready for this. In a swift motion, he shouted a warning to his team. "Cover your eyes!" He tossed several small beads into the fray, and they exploded with blinding flashes of light. The sudden brightness disoriented the attackers, causing confusion and chaos among Halls 22 and 38.

"Now!" Hardy barked, leading his group in a desperate break through the encirclement. They dashed across the desert sands, using the precious seconds of confusion to put distance between themselves and their pursuers.

"Urrghh!! Don't let them get away! Chase them!" Hans's furious voice echoed behind them.

But Hardy knew this terrain better than anyone. His team followed him without question as he led them through the treacherous desert, weaving through dangerous beast habitats. The creatures stirred in the commotion, adding to the chaos and allowing Hall 33 to slip through the cracks.

For a moment, they felt relief. But that respite was short-lived.

Just hours after their daring escape, their relentless pursuers found them again. Hall 22 and Hall 38 seemed determined to sabotage Hall 33's exam success, chasing them without rest—even through the night. For two days straight, they were chased and harassed by two halls making Hall 33 points drop significantly, pushing them down to 13th place. Hardy made the call to retreat to a nearby mountain known as Titan's Rock, entering its caves for strategic defense.

"Hahaha, how stupid! They're trapped like rats now!" The mountain's dense, high-energy material disrupted even the most advanced sensory equipment, masking Hall 33's presence from both their pursuers and the academy itself. It was as if the mountain swallowed any trace of life within its deep, winding caves. Confident in their superiority, Hans led his 40 minions into the labyrinth with a smug grin on his face.

"Hahaha!! They must think they can hide in there. This is Perfect!! No one will know what happens inside. We can do whatever without explaining a thing," Hans sneered.

The 40 combines acolyes from two halls descended further into the caves, the damp, oppressive atmosphere growing heavier as they moved miles deep into Titan's Rock. Their pace quickened as they spotted the telltale signs of their quarry ahead. Finally, they arrived at a large opening, a natural amphitheater within the heart of the mountain, where they saw Hall 33 acolytes seemingly cornered.

The 40 combines acolyes from two halls descended further into the caves, the damp, oppressive atmosphere growing heavier as they moved miles deep into Titan's Rock. Their pace quickened as they spotted the telltale signs of their quarry ahead. Finally, they arrived at a large opening, a natural amphitheater within the heart of the mountain, where they saw Hall 33 acolytes seemingly cornered.

Hans's laughter rang out, loud and triumphant. "Hahaha! We've found you at last!"

But as he took in the scene before him, something didn't feel right. His eyes narrowed, scanning the room. The Hall 33 acolytes stood tense, but there was something off about their numbers. Hans's smug grin faltered. He counted again and realized, to his horror, there were more than just 12 acolytes in the chamber.

Ten more figures slowly emerged from the shadows, their silhouettes blending with the dim light. Hans's stomach dropped as he saw a familiar figure step forward—a girl with silvery hair, her presence commanding attention.

"What?!" Hans spluttered, his voice cracking with disbelief. "How… How are you here?!"

The girl smiled coolly, her calm demeanor a stark contrast to Hans's growing panic. "Hi, how are you all doing?!"

She was Shinta, her reputation as one of the academy's top 10 acolytes unmistakable, and now, she wasn't alone. She brought with her, half of her squad, their eyes trained on the Nephilim acolytes like predators sizing up their prey.

Hans stood trembling, his bravado cracking under the pressure. Still, his pride wouldn't let him back down completely. "Don't worry, we still have double their number!" he barked, trying to convince himself as much as his remaining followers.

Shinta eyes glinting with confidence. "Good, I was worried you all going to run," she smiled before giving the signal to fight.

In an instant, the cave erupted into chaos. Shinta moved swiftly, taking the forefront and unleashing her poisonous smoke. The toxic mist she conjured seeped into the air, weakening clusters of Nephilim acolytes at once. They stumbled, their movements sluggish as the poison took its toll, giving her allies the perfect opportunity to strike.

The half-bloods, each strategically positioned throughout the cave, launched coordinated attacks. Hardy followed, calling out to the rest of Hall 33 to join the battle. Both Hall 22 and Hall 38, despite their superior numbers, found themselves overwhelmed.

Realizing the battle was quickly spiraling out of control, Hans made a desperate attempt to flee, gathering a few remaining Nephilim acolytes to follow him.

"This is not a fair fight!! ...Let's go!!"

However one figure stood in their path, a fierce-looking tiger half-blood, Rajh had waited near the cave entrance with a predatory grin. His sharp claws slashed through the air as he pounced, his powerful form blocking any hope of escape.

It was a complete massacre.

The once-proud Nephilim acolytes, who had entered the cave full of arrogance, were now scattered across the battlefield. Their confidence had evaporated, replaced by fear and confusion. Some, trembling with terror, activated their emergency armors, hoping to escape the disaster by being teleported out of the battle. But to their horror, the mountain's dense material blocked the signal, leaving them stranded and defenseless.

Unfortunately, it wasn't wise to kill any of these acolytes; hence, other than those unconscious from poison and battle, the rest were finally captured upon their surrender. "Thank you for coming to our rescue, on such short notice," Hardy said, his voice filled with gratitude as the remaining Hall 33 acolytes regrouped around Shinta.

However, Shinta didn't relax. Her eyes remained sharp, her body still tense. "We're not out of danger yet," she warned, her gaze fixed on the cave entrance.

As the dust of battle settled, three figures appeared, stepping into the dimly lit cave. They were the three Magus handlers—the very ones who had been conspicuously absent during the skirmish. Their expressions were a mix of surprise and something darker, as if they hadn't expected this outcome.

"Well well... How should we go about this?"