Every single one of their expressions shifted. 'Master rank!' They all thought in their heads. They immediately knew that whatever they planned or did would be futile in front of this overwhelming strength.
A middle-aged man of commanding presence landed in front of the trainees. He donned a black robe that seemed to absorb all the light around him, giving him an aura of mysterious authority.
His piercing gaze spoke of years of experience and wisdom in the ways of the world, and his aura exuded an air of calculated confidence.
Behind him stood three expert-ranked individuals. The first man, shrouded in a purple robe with his face concealed, emanated an eerie energy that sent shivers down the spines of those around him.
The woman among them wore a malevolent grin that stretched from ear to ear; she was obviously delighted that she had encountered the trainees. Her eyes glittered with a hunger for combat, and her enthusiasm was unsettling, to say the least.
The last man, positioned at the back, seemed to defy containment. His presence was dynamic, as if he were a force of nature that could not be pinned down or confined to one place.
Atticus's thoughts swelled once again, intensifying the headache he was feeling. Who was he? How did he know him? Was he a target?
Atticus had only left the estate once since he was born, and he was sure there were no photos of him on the web. Anastasia was just that protective. So how did this man know him?
Hugo smiled, thinking, 'It's definitely him.' He had ordered several men to monitor who was going in and out of the Ravenstein estate ever since Alvis asked him to watch Atticus.
That was the best they could do. The estate was well fortified with protection runes covering every inch of it. Even the men he sent could only monitor the estate from very far away.
Hugo immediately found out when Atticus had gone out with Ember. Although they didn't recognize Atticus, seeing Ember with him, they immediately knew it was him.
While Ember was even more reclusive than Atticus, she had gone out multiple times with Caldor, so her face was known to the public.
Hugo was glad. If he could kill the heir of the Ravenstein here, it would be a huge blow to them! A blow they wouldn't recover from for years to come.
Just as Hugo was about to crush them with his aura, another master-ranked aura suddenly descended on the area, immediately freeing Atticus and the others.
Their gazes turned upwards to witness a man descending from the air at fast speed, landing in front of the trainees with a thunderous impact.
BOOM!
As the smoke cleared, Atticus and the trainees saw a man with a burly frame. His rugged appearance exuded toughness and he was clad in all-black attire that bore a resemblance to military clothing.
'Elias!'
Atticus and the others were relieved to see Elias. They had initially lost all hope when they saw Hugo and his subordinates.
Elias suddenly stretched his right arm to the side, and a huge rock that was initially descending toward the earth stopped, completely suspended in mid-air.
He controlled the large piece of earth and shifted it, revealing many trainees inside.
Atticus noticed some of his Ex-squad members among them, Hella and Sophie. There were also some 2nd-years and 1st-years. It was obvious Elias had gone around the camp picking up every trainee he could find.
Elias suddenly turned and gave Atticus a look. Atticus, seeing that look, immediately knew what he wanted him to do: protect the trainees while he dealt with this.
Atticus seemed to go through a dilemma for a bit before he quickly nodded. Elias had basically just saved his life, and he couldn't refuse him.
Atticus swiftly focused on his earth element and controlled it to create a platform with all the trainees on it. Then, he willed the earth to move, quickly carrying the trainees away from the scene at fast speed.
Hugo watched this scene, his expression bored. Did this fool think they could escape?
"It's futile," Hugo said. No matter how far they ran, he would still catch up and make and kill every single one of them. He was even glad Elias brought all the kids together; now their job would be easy. His lips curled up as he gazed at Elias.
Seeing Atticus using the Earth element, Elias couldn't help but shake his head internally. Atticus was hiding even more tricks up his sleeves than he had thought!
As he saw that they had left, Elias turned his gaze towards Hugo, who hadn't moved since he had arrived. Hugo and his three subordinates stood nonchalantly, as if they didn't care about his presence.
Elias was angry. He was seething with rage.
The mountain had been a cherished family legacy, handed down through countless generations, each passing it on to the next. It held immense importance for the Ravenstein family, a vital part of their heritage, but they destroyed it.
The camp was supposed to be a place where the youths of the family could attend, grow, and start each of their journeys in life.
Every youth coming to the camp believed they would be safe, that the family would protect them. They believed in the family, they trusted the family.
He was the instructor for the first years, and every single trainee entering the camp passed through his hands. He trained them, watched them grow, watched them improve, teased them.
It was supposed to be a place where each one of them would find themselves before venturing into the world, but they destroyed it!
Elias suddenly controlled the earth in front of him, molding it and shaping it. In an instant, a battle axe was formed.
As Elias clenched the axe's handle in his hands, the very atmosphere around him grew heavy, as though the weight of the world itself had descended upon the area within 100 meters around him.
Hugo's eyes narrowed; he could feel the change in the air. His demeanor suddenly changed, he decided to take this seriously.
The earth beneath Elias's feet trembled, creating ripples like a stone dropped into a pond. Hairline cracks began to snake their way through the ground.
Elias's own muscles strained and bulged as he held the axe.
If it was blood they wanted to see, he would bathe the earth in their blood!
Elias brown eyes blazed with intensity as he took a heavy step forward, his words carrying an undeniable weight as he declared,
"Terrain change."