After speaking with Safa and feeling their nerves finally calm, Chiba and Yolden watched her walk away. She continued weaving through the crowd, checking on other students, even those who hadnât suffered any injuries.
A few boys shouted out after her, calling her
Saintess
as she moved from group to group, her gentle aura leaving a trail of comfort behind.
"I know Raze is special," Chiba said thoughtfully, watching Safa pause beside another student. "We could all tell when he taught us, but... they really
believe
in him, donât they?"
"Yeah, Iâve been thinking the same thing," Yolden replied. "If the teachers canât deal with something... then why do they think
Raze
will be able to? The way they talk about him, itâs almost like they think heâs one of the Grand Magus or something."
She paused and glanced at Chiba.
"But the way Safa said it... I really think she
meant
it. Like, deep down, she honestly believes he can protect us."
"Well, thatâs probably because theyâre brother and sister," Chiba added with a small smile. "Itâs kind of cute, actually."
While the students continued recovering, the teachers were busy reviewing the situation based on Dianaâs report. After hearing about how the students were feeling, and everything they had gone through, the four instructors gathered to make a decision.
They hadnât been in the dimension long enough to fully evaluate its risks or structure, so rather than push deeper, they agreed it was best to stay put, for now.
The shrine area where they currently resided was relatively safe. Exploring further could trigger another encounter like the last, and if something stronger appeared... it wouldnât be worth risking the studentsâ lives.
If a similar beast appeared again, they would reassess. But if anything stronger showed up, theyâd retreat immediately.
Just then, a voice called out, hesitant and soft.
"Umm... Teachers?"
They turned around, surprised by who was approaching. Out of everyone, it was the one person who
shouldnât
have been walking.
"Liam?" Diana blinked, stepping forward. "You should be resting. Safaâs healing magic is powerful, but your body must still be in shock from that hit. Donât worry about what happened, and let the teachers solve the issue."
Despite their concern, all three teachers bowed their heads to Liam, showing genuine remorse.
However, It felt like Liam was about to be shoved away, before he really got to say what he wanted.
"But I need to speak about something." Liam asked.
"We owe you an apology," Redrick said solemnly. "It was our decision to have you scout that small chamber. Weâre the ones who put you in danger."
"Itâs really okay," Liam said, flustered. He barely had a scratch left on him, but he understood the gravity of what had happened and why they were acting this way.
"I actually... I wanted to talk to you about that," he said, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no other students were listening in. "Thereâs something I need to show you."
The teachers tensed. Even without using magic, Liam could feel it, the shift in their breathing, the way their hearts sped up slightly.
"When I found the beast... I also found a piece of an eggshell," Liam explained. "I think the creature hatched from it. But thatâs not all. Thereâs something else I think you
really
need to see for yourselves."
Redrick and Panla exchanged glances, then nodded. Luka stayed behind to supervise the students while the two teachers followed Liam down the hall and into the chamber where the eggshell had been discovered.
When they reached it, Redrick bent down and picked up the jagged fragment.
"This is massive..." he murmured.
"You really think the beast we fought came from this?" Panla asked.
Liam nodded. "The size matches. It has to be from the same creature."
"But if that thing was freshly hatched..." Redrick trailed off, the implications dawning on him. "Then it
wasnât
fully grown. That wasnât even its full power."
"And it wasnât the dimensional beast either," Panla added. "Which means... itâs not the strongest thing in here."
Their decision to stay was rapidly unraveling. The situation was starting to look more dangerous than theyâd anticipated.
"You did the right thing telling us this," Panla said, placing a hand on Liamâs shoulder.
But Liam shook his head and pointed toward a broken hole in the far wall, the same one the beast had burst through earlier.
"No," he said. "Thatâs not what I wanted to show you."
The three of them walked to the hole, carefully stepping forward to peer through the gap. On the other side was a field. Another section of the shrine... but vastly different from the one they were in.
And littered across the field?
Eggshells.
Dozens of them.
At least thirty shattered, curved fragments scattered across the grass, each one the same size as the shell theyâd just examined.
Panlaâs face paled.
"Are these all from the same species as the one we fought?"
"If they are," Redrick said grimly, "then... where are the beasts? The shells are
already
broken."
His eyes narrowed, his expression growing darker.
"I remember reading about something like this once... in a report from another dimension. A cluster of beasts hatched at once. When that happened, the strongest one would stay behind to guard the nest... while the rest went out on their first hunt."
Panlaâs eyes widened in alarm.
"You mean to say... the one we fought wasnât hunting yet? That it was just the
guardian
?"
Redrick gave a sharp nod.
"If thatâs the case... the others,
twenty-nine
of them, are going to come back."
He turned away, his voice rising.
"We have to get out of here. Now!"
****
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