For a brief moment after the weapons were drawn, the entire training field became filled with a strange mixture of tension, disbelief, and barely restrained hostility.
Dozens of cadets stood with their blades unsheathed, spears lowered, and mana swirling around their bodies, yet none of them moved immediately because the situation felt so absurd that even attacking required a second of mental confirmation.
They stared at the man standing casually in the center of the field.
Instructor Austin.
The man with the cracked skull.
The lunatic who had just called them chickens and invited the entire group to jump him at once.
Several cadets exchanged glances filled with disbelief.
One of them whispered under his breath, loud enough for the nearby group to hear.
"Is this guy serious…?"
Another cadet tightened his grip on his sword and muttered.
"No… I think he's just a crazy shit-head."
A third one frowned.
