The monsters immediately shifted their attention toward Shin. The pressure he released alone was enough to make several beasts hesitate instinctively.

Zoe didn’t waste the opportunity.

"Move!" she shouted at the girls while grabbing Arlo more firmly over her shoulder. "Run to the castle now!"

The group immediately obeyed.

The girls sprinted desperately through the forest path while battle sounds echoed behind them. Even without looking back, Zoe could tell Shin was massacring them.

Her ears twitched constantly, catching every distant scream. A monster howled in pain. Another roar suddenly cut off halfway through.

"He’s... absurd... I can’t believe he is being tested just like us," one of the girls muttered while running.

Zoe silently agreed.

She had already seen Shin fight before, but every single time it felt even more ridiculous than the last. The monsters that had pushed her into despair moments ago were nothing more than fodder in front of him.

He was so incredible, smart, and beautiful... her heartbeat quickened slightly at the thought. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Tch..." Zoe clicked her tongue softly, trying to calm herself. This wasn’t the moment to think about that.

"We’re almost there!" she shouted.

The castle walls rapidly grew larger ahead of them. The gate was already partially open. Just as the girls approached, several more monsters suddenly emerged from the forest from another direction.

"There too?!" someone screamed.

Zoe immediately stepped forward again despite her exhausted body. But before she could attack...

Several sharp ice spears erupted from the ground, piercing straight through two monsters instantly.

Even while barely conscious over her shoulder, the man still had one hand raised weakly.

"Keep moving..." Arlo muttered tiredly.

The girls looked at him with renewed hope. Zoe herself smiled faintly.

"See? I told you idiots he was still useful." Arlo snorted weakly while blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

The group finally crossed the castle gates moments later.

"Close it!" Zoe ordered immediately.

Several girls pushed the heavy gate together while others hurried to drag broken furniture, weapons, and debris closer to reinforce the entrance.

BOOOOM!

The gate trembled violently from something crashing against it outside. Other monsters tried to climb the walls, but this turned them into easy targets. And most of the creatures preferred to look for another target, leaving the group of girls in peace.

"Don’t panic!" Zoe shouted loudly enough to silence everyone. "Now we have walls protecting us! And soon the instructors should show up to take care of the mess, so just focus on defending!"

Zoe kept organizing the group, and she also asked one of the girls to carry Arlo away so he could rest. Luckily, one girl in the group actually had the Nurse System and was able to help him.

Still, despite his best efforts, Arlo fainted after fighting so much. He had given his all in that combat.

Not far from there, Shin was killing one monster after another, which gave him a huge amount of XP. But his level cap was 69, so only the could level up.

That being said, the real problem was the number of enemies. He was strong, but he was easily overwhelmed, and he didn’t have any area attacks.

"Fuck... I need to run to the castle too..." he murmured, understanding he was at his own limit.

But just then, the one he had been waiting for arrived.

Lara charged forward on all fours. Her naked body slammed hard into the blood-soaked dirt with every stride. Her claws ripped through the earth. Her visibly muscular biceps pumped with each slam of her arms, and her huge thighs flexed powerfully.

Lilel clung desperately to her shoulder, holding onto her hair as she tried not to fall from her back.

She tore through the monsters like they were paper. One swipe of her clawed hand ripped a beast in half. Another tried to flank her; she spun, caught it by the throat, and crushed its windpipe with one squeeze.

She didn’t slow down. She didn’t need to.

Her eyes locked onto Shin, overflowing with affection. She charged straight toward him, ready to throw herself into her master’s embrace. Any monster foolish enough to stand in her path died instantly.

Lara crashed into him, wrapping her powerful arms around his neck and pulling him tight against her.

Her muscular thighs locked around his hips. She nuzzled into his neck, breathing him in, whimpering like an animal desperate for its master’s touch.

Shin’s hand moved before his brain caught up. He grabbed Lara’s ass and squeezed it appreciatively.

It was an old habit; he always did it when his girlfriend jumped in to hug him. But Lara didn’t seem to dislike it. On the contrary, her entire body shuddered against him. A low, pleased growl rumbled from her chest. She pressed herself closer, her hot breath ragged against his ear.

"Shin... Shin... more," she breathed, her voice low and needy. Her claws retracted just enough not to hurt him as she clung tighter.

Lilel hopped onto Shin’s other shoulder.

"She killed them. Both Gut and Zack. And I finished my short research."

"More..." she whispered again.

That prompted Shin to pet her head while he thought about what to do next. He could order her to kill the rest. She could do it easily.

But he soon discarded the idea. He knew most powers like hers drained everything from the user, energy, lifespan, and sanity. She’d collapse afterward.

It would be ideal to let her rest as soon as possible.

"Lara," he said firmly. "Roar."

"Okay! As you wish, God!" she said.

Her chest expanded, and she released her most powerful roar.

A thunderous, earth-shaking roar rolled through the forest like a shockwave. The monsters froze instantly, and most of them either fled the area or stopped their attack altogether.

"Good girl," he murmured, stroking her sweat-slicked hair. "Now hide. Somewhere safe in the castle. And don’t let others see you."

She whimpered again, reluctant, but obeyed. She slipped away, running into the castle and getting inside before anyone could see her, then finding a place to rest.