Silence.
No one moved.
Not the students.
Not the professors.
Not even the assassins.
Every pair of eyes was fixed on Noah.
The crimson and black aura surrounding him had disappeared.
Yet...
The pressure remained.
It felt ancient.
Like standing before a sleeping god.
Noah looked at his hands.
The wounds from the chains were already closing.
"What..."
"...did I just do?"
The System appeared.
RAGNAROK SYSTEM
Synchronization Rate: 15%
Authority Granted: First Permission
Current Status: Stable
New Skill Unlocked
King’s Presence (Passive)
Those with weaker resolve will instinctively fear the bearer of Ragnarok.
Noah frowned.
"Fifteen percent..."
"And that almost killed me."
The Commander finally broke the silence.
He sheathed his massive sword.
The metallic sound echoed across the valley.
Professor Elena immediately raised her blade.
"You’re retreating?"
The Commander ignored her.
Instead...
He looked directly at Noah.
"Remember this."
"You have awakened."
"But awakening..."
"...isn’t the same as surviving."
He turned around.
"Mission complete."
The assassins immediately obeyed.
One after another, they disappeared into the forest.
Within seconds...
Only the academy remained.
Professor Elena didn’t chase them.
Neither did the other professors.
Everyone understood.
The battle was over.
For now.
Eric let out a shaky breath.
"I..."
"...thought we were dead."
Sophia punched his shoulder.
"We almost were."
Damien leaned on his spear.
"I’ve had enough excitement for one week."
Even Luna looked exhausted.
Yet...
Her eyes never left Noah.
"What happened to you?"
Noah opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
"I..."
"I don’t know."
It wasn’t entirely a lie.
Professor Elena walked over.
Her crimson armor dissolved into glowing embers until only her academy uniform remained.
She looked at Noah for several long moments.
"Can you walk?"
"...Yeah."
"Good."
"We’ll talk later."
Those four words made Noah’s stomach tighten.
"She knows."
Hours later...
The academy convoy resumed its journey.
No one laughed anymore.
The students who had survived sat in silence.
Several seats remained empty.
Covered with academy cloaks.
The weight of those losses settled over everyone.
Noah stared out the carriage window.
For the first time since arriving in this world...
He truly understood.
This wasn’t a game.
It wasn’t just a novel.
People died here.
Friends.
Classmates.
Teachers.
The realization lingered like a stone in his chest.
Night fell.
The convoy stopped to make camp.
The professors set up barriers while the students rested around small fires.
Noah slipped away from the camp alone.
He walked to a cliff overlooking the dark forest.
The wind carried the scent of ash.
"You shouldn’t wander by yourself."
A familiar voice spoke behind him.
Luna.
She folded her arms.
"You almost died today."
Noah smiled faintly.
"So did everyone else."
She stepped beside him.
For a while...
Neither of them spoke.
Finally, Luna broke the silence.
"When the chains trapped you..."
"...I was scared."
Noah looked at her.
She avoided his eyes.
"I hated it."
"I couldn’t do anything."
For the first time...
The Ice Princess sounded vulnerable.
Noah laughed quietly.
"That’s funny."
She frowned.
"What’s funny?"
"I was thinking the exact same thing."
A small smile appeared on Luna’s face.
"...Idiot."
Before Noah could answer...
His Predator’s Instinct flared.
Not danger.
Presence.
Someone was watching them.
Far beyond the camp...
A lone figure stood atop a distant cliff beneath the moonlight.
A woman.
Long silver hair danced in the wind.
She wore a white cloak embroidered with ancient golden symbols.
For a brief moment...
Her golden eyes met Noah’s.
Then she smiled.
And vanished without a trace.
Noah’s heartbeat quickened.
"Who... was that?"
Unseen by everyone...
A single white feather drifted down onto the cliff where she had stood.