The students’ expression changed after hearing those words. Nightwalker stared at them for a while before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"I’m just joking. I’m not going to kill anyone." He waved his hand dismissively, brushing off the tension he had just created.

Leo sighed and signaled to the students to get ready. Lucien helped in grouping the students, and after half an hour they were ready.

A total of fifty students were in the cave, and among them were twenty Echos, fifteen Chorus, ten Saga, three Oracles, and one Advent, or in other words, Bastard.

Lucien stepped forward once the group had fully assembled, with a calm expression.

"Final plan is simple," Lucien said while keeping his voice calm and clear so everyone could hear him properly. "We move in formation through Morva and avoid unnecessary separation under all circumstances unless explicitly ordered."

He paused for a moment to make sure the students were actually listening instead of just pretending to.

"If we encounter enemies, we don’t drag fights longer than necessary," he continued. "We eliminate threats quickly and move forward. The longer we stay in one place, the higher the chance something worse finds us."

Several students exchanged glances but did not interrupt.

"We will also be hunting for food along the way," Lucien added. "But only small targets and only when the opportunity is safe. If anything feels wrong, we ignore it and continue moving. Survival is the priority, not curiosity."

Nightwalker leaned against the cave wall nearby while watching silently. His expression remained unreadable, but he did not interfere with Lucien’s instructions, which gave the students at least some sense of structure.

Lucien then pointed slightly toward the group. "Leo and I will take the front. Nightwalker will secure the rear. The rest of you will rotate positions every hour so no one exhausts themselves in one role."

A few students nodded slowly after hearing that. Even if they were still anxious, the structure made sense.

"Move out," Lucien finished.

The group began to shift immediately, adjusting positions and checking equipment one last time before stepping toward the cave entrance. The sound of movement replaced the earlier silence, and soon fifty students were standing at the edge of Morva Forest, looking out into the dim light filtering through the trees.

Leo stepped forward first, scanning the forest carefully before entering. The ground outside was uneven and slightly damp. Behind him, the rest of the students followed in formation, maintaining distance but still close enough to react if something happened.

For the first two hours, nothing happened.

There were no attacks, movements, and no visible threats. Only the slow sound of footsteps and rustling leaves.

Leo felt uneasy with the silence. He just wanted something to jump out of the woods and attack them!

’Argh, what sort of mentality is that?’ he scoffed at his thoughts.

Well it wasn’t his fault, considering Morva was especially dangerous and the silence just kept making things worse.

Some students gradually relaxed, thinking the worst might have passed, but Leo did not share that feeling. His eyes constantly scanned the surroundings, and his Aura circulation remained active at a low level to detect any abnormal movement.

Lucien walked slightly behind him at an angle, also staying alert while maintaining formation discipline. Nightwalker remained at the rear, occasionally glancing around without speaking, his hand resting near his sword.

The deeper they moved into Morva, the more the forest began to feel structured rather than wild. Paths were not clearly visible, but there were signs of movement between the trees that suggested something had passed through recently. Broken branches, disturbed soil and much more.

As they continued walking a sound slipped through the trees ahead. It came in broken fragments of distorted speech, the same gibberish language Leo was very, very familiar with.

He frowned as his steps slowed immediately.

Lucien noticed it and leaned slightly forward. "What is it?"

Leo did not answer right away. His eyes narrowed as he focused deeper into the forest ahead, trying to isolate the source of the sound. He instinctively summoned the [Yielding Spine] and [Shell Of Dread] making others stay at alert.

The sound continued like a scattered group of voices, overlapping and aggressive, moving through the trees without coordination.

Leo exhaled slowly and clicked his tongue under his breath.

"Goddamn..." he muttered.

He tilted his head slightly toward the front of the group. "Those goblins again?"

The moment he said that, the students behind him immediately tensed.

Nightwalker’s voice came calmly from the back. "How many?"

Leo raised one hand slightly, signaling silence as he focused. The invisible Aura links spread outward in controlled pulses, trying to gauge movement through the forest. The response came quickly showing that multiple small signatures were converging from different directions, not organized but clearly aware of the group’s presence.

"Too many," Leo said simply. "Ah, I think they’ve noticed us."

Lucien narrowed his eyes. "Ambush formation?"

"Probably," Leo replied.

The moment those words were spoken, the forest around them shifted. Leaves rustled in multiple directions at once, and faint movement appeared between the trees. Short figures began emerging slowly from cover, their bodies small but aggressive, each one carrying crude weapons and moving with unnatural coordination.

The goblins were back.

But this time, they were not alone.

More shapes appeared behind them, larger silhouettes moving in uneven steps, forcing their way through the undergrowth. The students immediately shifted formation as fear and anticipation mixed together in the air.

One of the students at the back whispered nervously. "Tey are more ugly than I imagine."

Leo stepped forward slightly, raising his hand to halt the group from panicking. His expression remained calm, but his focus sharpened immediately.

"Front line ready," he said.

Lucien moved beside him without hesitation, his Aura already flowing through his body as faint golden light gathered around his stance. Nightwalker shifted at the rear, adjusting his grip on the sword as his eyes scanned the expanding threat.

The goblins did not rush immediately. Instead, they circled further, shortening the space around the group. The larger figures behind them stepped forward slowly, revealing heavier builds and thicker armor made from bone and wood.

Leo’s eyes narrowed.

The first encounter had been chaotic goblins relying on numbers and instinct against him and Yin Li. This time, their movement looked controlled, almost like they were being directed.

Then the first goblin screamed.

The sound triggered everything at once.

The goblins surged forward from multiple directions, breaking formation and rushing the students with sudden aggression. The forest erupted into movement as the clash began.

Leo stepped forward ready to attack with the [Yielding Spine] when Nightwalker suddenly stepped in front of him.

Everything slowed for a moment. The silver haired man cut his sword in a circular arc leaving behind a trail of silver light.

The goblins at the front of the team suddenly stopped, freezing in different positions as their eyes widened in horror. Cuts appeared on different parts of their body as crimson liquid sprayed out aggressively.

They fell to the ground lifelessly, their blood slowly forming a thick pool of blood all around.

Everything happened in less than three seconds.

The other goblins and the larger ones stopped for a second before raging towards the students and Nightwalker.

There was no time to glance at Nightwalker but Leo caught a glimpse of dangerous smirk on his face.

Leo expression darkened as he muttered to himself.

"C’mon show me what you got, Leo Atlantis."