Transmigrated as the Cuck.... WTF!!!-Chapter 185. Finding a Lead

Following behind Kaelira, after what felt like a few too many slip-ups and nearly going off in the opposite direction, I finally returned to what was supposed to be the camp site.

Only... it wasn’t.

No tents, no formation, no semblance of order—just chaos. Total, irreversible chaos. The ground was torn, trees were scorched, and the scent of blood mingled with burning miasma hung thick in the air.

A crooked grin almost escaped me, but I reeled it in. Now wasn’t the time for amusement.

My gaze scanned the battlefield. Some students were shivering like wet leaves, huddled in corners behind debris and stones, clutching their arms or staring blankly into space. A few had bloodied limbs wrapped with makeshift bandages, their skin pale with fatigue. Others... they were still fighting.

Fools or heroes—it didn’t matter. Among them, Leon, Zyon, Art, and the rest of the usual maniacs were blitzing through the battlefield like devils with a mission. Mia was kneeling near a row of wounded, hands glowing faintly green with healing mana. Right beside her, as always, Verena stood tall, sword drawn, guarding her like a silent sentinel.

"Kael!" I called out casually.

She turned immediately, eyes wide. "What?! Don’t shout when I’m just beside you bastard!"

I brushed her off with a shrug. "No time. Tell me—how long has this mess been going on?"

Kaelira scratched the side of her head, frowning as she glanced toward the frontline. "I can’t give you an exact number, but I’d say three... maybe four hours? Give or take."

I nodded slowly, more to myself than her. "That long, huh? Good to know. Means they’re running on fumes now. Stamina’s going to drop, momentum’s gonna crack. After that..."

"Shit hits the fan," she completed grimly.

"Exactly."

Her gaze followed mine as we watched the frontline stagger. A few students collapsed mid-swing. Some stumbled while retreating. Even the monster horde—though seemingly endless—was getting harder to contain.

"But," I said, voice shifting, the corner of my lips rising into a confident smirk, "they won’t get to that point."

Kaelira turned to me, brows raising with suspicion. "Oh? And why’s that?"

"Because," I said, cracking my neck. "I’m going to intervene."

She blinked, taken aback. "Then... why did you say it like that? Like you didn’t want to?"

I shrugged, my smirk widening. "Because I can. No reason in particular. Besides—someone has to put on a show, right? Might as well be me."

Kaelira’s mouth opened, probably to fire off another sarcastic comment, but I didn’t give her the chance. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

I stepped forward, brushing past her with a calm that was almost uncharacteristic.

Mana flared inside my body the moment I willed it to. I could feel it racing through my veins, dancing across my skin. A vibrant, chaotic storm of amethyst-colored lightning erupted around me. Sparks danced across my arms and crackled through my fingers, tingling at my nerves.

My eyes burned with amethyst glow—visions no longer made of light, but lightning. The world transformed. Every motion, every breath, every particle of energy—I could see it. I could feel it.

Then I raised a single hand, fingers poised.

Snap!

A single sound, a single command to the heavens.

And the skies answered.

Dark clouds, almost unnaturally black, swirled in an instant. Thunder rumbled like a war drum from the belly of the heavens. Lightning coiled inside the clouds like divine serpents waiting to strike.

Students stopped.

Fighters froze.

Even monsters paused, gazing up at the sky with what I assumed was fear—if they were even capable of it.

Then I spoke.

"[Vortex of Ruin]!"

The sky split apart.

A monstrous boom echoed as bolts of amethyst lightning surged down from above. Each strike annihilated a section of the monster horde. Their skins melted, black blood evaporating. Their limbs disintegrated before they even touched the ground.

BOOOOOOM!!!

ZAP!

ZAP!

ZAP!

The air turned electric. The ground trembled beneath the downpour of divine punishment. Students watching from the distance couldn’t breathe. Some fell to their knees. Some wept. Others screamed in awe.

Even the frontline fighters, brave as they were, instinctively backed away from the storm’s radius, creating distance from both the monsters and... me.

In my vision, the air was no longer air—it was a swirl of radiant particles. Microscopic specks, drifting like dust in the wind, each one glowing with a faint amethyst hue.

Mana.

Raw, untamed, boundless mana.

My hand moved like a conductor in a grand opera. And the lightning danced to my rhythm. Where I pointed, death descended. When I clenched my fist, a hundred monsters turned to ash.

I closed my eyes, inhaling.

I didn’t need to see the battle. I could feel it—every pulse, every surge, every death.

And with each death, I could feel my own strength grow.

Power. Real, tangible, intoxicating power. Not borrowed. Not gifted. Mine.

My grin deepened as the storm raged on.

’This is the way,’ I thought. ’This is the only way. Feel the mana. Feel myself. Feel the world... the cosmos....’

After a few minutes of relentless thunder and carnage, the ache returned.

Like a knife twisting into my skull.

My body twitched involuntarily, and my vision blurred. I grit my teeth as the sharp, searing pain burst from within my temples. The once-exhilarating pulse of amethyst mana had turned corrosive. My knees gave in without warning.

Thud.

I dropped, clutching my head like I was trying to hold it together—literally.

"F—fuck..." I muttered, biting down on my lower lip until I tasted blood. ’So much aura farming... and for what? Dropping like a fucking rookie the next instant? Shame on me. Fuck!’

My breathing grew ragged. I forced my eyes open, blinking past the dizziness, and that’s when I heard it.

"Great job, Cassius!! Now let us handle the rest!"

A loud, enthusiastic voice boomed from a distance. I raised my heavy head with some effort.

It was Art.

The golden idiot was waving at me from the field, wearing a grin. His chains whipped through the air behind him like golden serpents, wrapping around monster limbs and tearing them apart.

I simply scoffed under my breath.

I exhaled and planted my hands against the dirt, pushing myself up onto my feet. The pain was still there, clawing at my skull like a beast demanding to be fed again—but I wouldn’t feed it.

I scanned the battlefield. Despite all the mayhem, all the devastation... the horde still looked as strong as it had before.

My eyes narrowed.

That doesn’t make sense.

A large portion of the monsters had been struck down. By me, by Art, by Zyon, Leon, and the others. Yet, even now, the number of enemies hadn’t diminished in any meaningful way. It was like they were regenerating—or being replaced.

That’s when a tap landed on my shoulder.

I turned my head.

Kaelira.

Her blue eyes glinted with mischief, a wild grin stretched across her lips. "Well damn, Cass. Even without your creepy fog-demon form, you know how to put on a good show."

I gave a tired chuckle, still wiping the blood from my mouth. "That so?"

She leaned in slightly. "Be honest—did you get any sort of... enlightenment in that form? You know, like how to fight better or channel your abilities more instinctively?"

Her words made my heart skip for a brief moment.

She was scarily accurate.

I tilted my head and laughed weakly. "I did... kinda. But it’s not something I can really explain. It’s like... experience burned into my muscles, not words I can teach."

She hmmed, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Hmph. Mysterious. I like it."

Then she tilted her head again, curiosity flashing in her eyes. "So? Are you planning to go all misty again?"

I immediately shook my head. "No. Not unless I’m looking for a one-way ticket to the afterlife. That form—it’s dangerous. Cassius is dangerous. As much as I’d love to tap into that power again, I don’t feel like gambling my sanity today."

She raised her brow. "Oho? What’s with the dramatic phrasing? ’Cassius is dangerous’—speaking in third person now? Don’t tell me you’re turning into one of those crusty old nobles who call themselves ’this humble self’ while sipping tea and burning peasants for fun."

I raised a brow right back at her. "Is that so? Honestly, it doesn’t sound too bad. Might be my next phase of evolution."

She stared at me, deadpan. "You’re such an ass."

I grinned. "Thank you for the reminder."

Then we both turned back to the field, eyes drawn to the chaos unfolding ahead. The battle had resumed, louder and more disjointed than before. The frontline had been pushed back. Art was holding up, but barely. Zyon and Leon were soaked in blood. The rest of the students looked more like corpses than fighters.

And still... the monsters came.

One after another.

Endless.

Worse yet, none of them were leaving bodies behind. They kept turning into mist. Vanishing.

It was almost like they weren’t living beings at all—but projections. Shadows.

My eyes narrowed again.

Something was wrong.

I turned toward Kaelira, voice low. "Hey, Kael."

She blinked. "Yeah?"

I took a breath. "I think I’ve got a lead. There’s something seriously off about these monsters. The way they’re moving. The way they vanish. I don’t think they’re the real problem. I think something else is at work—some source."

She tilted her head again. "Oho. You wanna investigate, huh? Let me guess—you’re about to ditch everyone again and run into the woods like some cryptic anti-hero?"

I smirked. "Exactly. But this time I swear—there’s actually a plan. No blind rushing. Just recon."

She sighed, then flashed a grin. "Sounds better than wasting time slashing meatbags that never die."

"Then follow me. We’ll take a detour—around the right flank, away from the field. I want to go behind the horde."

She nodded, brushing off her daggers. "Lead the way, boss. Just don’t get possessed again, yeah?"

"No promises."

With that, I turned toward the dark edge of the battlefield.