The Storm Eagle's body was covered in feathers as hard as steel, but with the power of the Sharingan, Smith pinpointed a weak spot on its neck. Gripping his dagger tightly, he stabbed without hesitation.
"Puff!"
The half-meter-long blade pierced clean through the Storm Eagle's neck, which was only about twenty centimeters thick.
"Gah!"
The eagle let out a raspy cry, flapping its wings wildly in a desperate attempt to fight back before dying.
"Water God Chain!"
Out of nowhere, a water chain burst from the ground and tightly coiled around the Storm Eagle, restraining its final thrash.
Smith glanced back in surprise—it was Yan Yue. Despite already fending off her own Storm Eagle, she still managed to free a hand and assist him.
Meanwhile, Wei Lin and Zhao Mei were clearly struggling with their own opponent. As expected of a double S-class student, Yan Yue's true strength had yet to be fully revealed.
Without wasting time, Smith clapped his hands together.
"Wood Release: Explosive Gun Tree!"
From beneath the forest floor, thick trees burst upward, wrapping tightly around the Storm Eagle that Wei Lin was fighting. The branches coiled and constricted like serpents, eventually swallowing the beast whole.
"Chain of Holy Water!"
Yan Yue launched another attack, summoning twin chains of water to assist Zhao Mei, who was barely holding on as her opponent began to break free.
Taking advantage of the opening, Smith dashed forward. With the same fluid motion as before, he stabbed his dagger into the eagle's throat, ending the fight.
Only one Storm Eagle remained. But before Smith could make a move, Yan Yue raised her delicate hand.
"Sacred Water Blade!"
Sharp, azure-colored blades formed from pure water surged forward like boomerangs, slicing clean through the Storm Eagle's neck.
Four Storm Eagles—defeated!
It was a short-lived victory for Smith and his group.
Despite their efforts, the overall situation remained dire.
Nearly half of the forty students in Special Class Three had already been killed or injured. The ground was littered with bodies and trails of blood. In contrast, fewer than ten corrupt wolves had been slain.
And these were only the first-level corrupt wolves.
Several second-level corrupt wolves still lurked in the shadows of the dense forest, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. In the sky, a few second-level Storm Eagles circled, watching. Their inactivity only made them more terrifying.
If just the first-level beasts could bring the students to the brink of annihilation, what would happen when the second-level ones joined?
"ROAR!"
Another corrupt wolf charged forward and sank its fangs into a beast-type student with elephant-like abilities. The student's defense was comparable to a first-level monster, but once dragged into the pack, he held out for barely ten seconds before being torn to pieces.
The sickening sounds of flesh being ripped apart and agonized screams sent chills down everyone's spine.
Smith's heart grew heavy. Even though they had just created an opening by killing the four Storm Eagles, the corrupt wolves quickly filled the gap. Their situation had not improved at all.
The encirclement was tightening, and casualties kept rising.
"Yueyue... what do we do now?"
Zhao Mei leaned on Yan Yue, her voice trembling as she watched more corrupt wolves emerge from the underbrush. Panic filled her eyes.
She had used most of her spiritual energy during the intense battle. At this rate, she would collapse—and once her energy ran out, she'd become another monster's meal.
Yan Yue bit her lip hard, her eyes scanning their surroundings. Then she leaned in close to Smith and whispered, "I'll try to break through the encirclement. When I do, you take the others and run!"
Smith turned to her, shocked. But he didn't question her decision. He only nodded.
"Alright."
With Smith's support, Yan Yue closed her eyes. A moment later, when she opened them again, her irises glowed with divine golden light.
Golden radiance burst from her body and surged outward. The light grew brighter, wrapping around her like a halo and expanding with a divine, majestic pressure.
As the beasts came into contact with the golden glow, they suddenly paused—then began to retreat, clearly afraid of this holy power.
"Smith, now! This way!"
Yan Yue lifted her glowing hand, and a Golden Path appeared in front of them. Wherever the divine light passed, monsters halted and refused to approach.
"Go!"
Without hesitation, Smith pushed Wei Lin and Zhao Mei toward the path.
"It's now or never!"
The surviving students didn't need to be told twice. Seeing the radiant path, they rushed forward like drowning men grabbing a lifeline.
Yan Yue remained where she was, maintaining the Golden Path. Her body trembled slightly from the strain.
But the divine light didn't last long—barely ten seconds passed before the glow began to flicker.
Smith looked back just in time to see the golden light dimming rapidly. Clenching his jaw, he spun around, grabbed Yan Yue's hand, and dragged her after them.
"We're leaving together!"
He could endure watching strangers fall in battle—but he would never leave her behind to be torn apart by monsters.
As soon as they left the center of the spell, the Golden Path weakened further. The retreating monsters began to pursue them again.
"Without the Holy Light, we'll never outrun them..." Yan Yue gasped, her face pale from overexertion. She could barely stand, let alone fight.
The divine path had consumed nearly all her spiritual energy.
"Then we keep running!"
Smith refused to stop. Gritting his teeth, he pulled Yan Yue along as they fled into the trees.
Above, Storm Eagles circled. One of them—a second-level Storm Eagle—suddenly dived, its talons aimed directly at them. It had flown past and was now swooping at them from the front!
They were about to be attacked from both directions.
"Damn it! We're out of options! Jump with me!"
Smith shouted. There was no time to explain.
Yan Yue, barely conscious from the energy drain, followed his lead without question. She let him drag her forward as they both jumped high into the air.
The second-level Storm Eagle, eyes gleaming, swooped down at full speed.
"Illusion: Sharingan!"
Smith's crimson Sharingan locked eyes with the eagle. Using the last of his spiritual energy, he cast a powerful illusion jutsu.
Buzz!
The diving Storm Eagle suddenly froze in midair. Its pupils twisted into crimson Sharingan symbols.
It had fallen into the illusion!
Boom!
Under Smith's control, the eagle's body shifted. Instead of attacking, it adjusted its trajectory mid-dive and caught Smith and Yan Yue on its back, just inches from the ground.
Then, with a loud "CHIU!", the eagle soared upward in a steep climb. Wind blasted outward from its wings, blowing away the corrupt wolves below.
The Storm Eagle flew high into the sky, carrying Smith and Yan Yue on its back.
A few first-level Storm Eagles gave chase, but how could they catch up with a second-level one?
"What... what is going on?"
Yan Yue stared at the creature beneath them in disbelief. A Storm Eagle—one of their enemies—was now saving them?
And she was certain of one thing: this was Smith's doing.
"You… How did you do that?"
Smith was panting heavily. The spiritual energy needed to use the Sharingan illusion at this level had completely drained him. His eyes faded back to normal black pupils.
"It doesn't matter how," he said between breaths. "What matters is—we're not out of danger yet…"
pàtréóñ(Gk31)