[ Before the blast... ]

Deep within the dense forest located just behind the Academy, four shadowy figures stood in a tight circle.

They were all clad in heavy red and black cloaks, each bearing the exact same sinister cult insignia over their chests. They were highly equipped—bristling with enchanted daggers, lethal artifacts, and high-tier stealth gear.

Their leader, Zero, slowly crushed the dying embers of their small campfire under his boot, completely extinguishing the flames before turning to face his squad.

"It has been a difficult road, my friends," Zero said, his voice low and grim.

"But we must accomplish our mission. We are fortunate to have made it this far without being discovered or losing a single member. Our preparations are solid, yet there are no guarantees in this line of work. I am certain even greater difficulties await us from here on out."

Hearing his grim tone, the youngest assassin Viper in the group frowned and blurted out in an annoyed tone.

"Captain, you’re acting way too serious right now, and honestly? It’s not a good look on you, Don’t speak like we’ve already lost before the mission has even started."

A sharp shing of metal echoed as Raven casually twirled a poison-laced dagger between her fingers. She smirked beneath her dark mask.

"The kid is right, Captain, We just flawlessly infiltrated the backyard of the most heavily guarded Academy in the Empire. A little bit of confidence wouldn’t hurt."

"Shut it, both of you," Mantis hissed coldly. She was busy securing a loaded crossbow to her waist, her eyes completely devoid of emotion.

"The moment we step foot inside those Academy walls, one wrong move means our heads will be rolling on the floor. Zero isn’t being pessimistic. He’s making sure we stay sharp."

"Shhh..." Zero raised a gloved hand, instantly cutting off their bickering. "Save your breath my friends. We have a mission to complete, and I will not let a single careless mistake jeopardize it."

As he spoke, he reached into his heavy pack and pulled out an ancient, gold-trimmed scroll.

"We strike fast, and we leave no loose ends."

Without missing a beat, he unrolled the scroll and slammed it flat against the forest floor.

FWOOSH!

A blinding flash of purple mana erupted from the parchment. The forest instantly vanished from their sight. A split second later, the four of them seamlessly materialized straight into the heart of the Academy’s dormitory sector.

"Damn, that was smooth," Viper whistled softly as his eyes scanned the dimly lit, silent stone corridors of the dorms. "Inside the greatest fortress in the Empire without tripping a single alarm. Got to love high-tier magic."

Raven smirked, casually tossing her dagger into the air and catching it by the hilt. "Don’t celebrate just yet, kid. We still have the heavy lifting to do. The fun part hasn’t even started."

Zero completely ignored them. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a second item—a pulsating, pitch-black crystal.

He raised his hand and crushed it violently in his grip.

WUUUMMMM!

Instantly, a massive, semi-transparent crimson dome shot up into the night sky. It expanded at a monstrous speed, completely engulfing the entire dormitory quarter in a matter of seconds. The barrier hummed with an oppressive energy, locking them in and shutting the rest of the Academy out.

"An Absolute-Grade Isolation Barrier..." Mantis muttered, her eyes widening just a fraction as she inspected the thick crimson walls. "Even a Crown-stage professor would need at least an hour to break through this from the outside."

Viper’s eyes gleamed with a wicked thrill. "Perfect. That means no one is coming to save these sleeping little brats."

"And they won’t be waking up, either," Zero stated coldly.

Stepping forward, the Captain slammed both of his hands onto the ground, channeling a massive surge of dark, foul mana directly into the earth.

The ground beneath the dormitory courtyards trembled.

Crack. Snap. Rumble.

Suddenly, hundreds of rotting, bony hands pierced through the dirt. One by one, an endless horde of undead skeletons dragged themselves out of the soil. Armed with rusted blades and clad in decayed armor, their hollow eye sockets flared with an eerie crimson light.

In mere seconds, that entire army of the undead had completely surrounded the student dorms.

Amidst the endless sea of rotting undead, the earth suddenly cracked open even wider.

RUMBLE!

as a monstrous, towering Skeleton Lord dragged itself out of the dark circle. Standing at over fifteen feet tall, it was grimly clad in dark iron armor and gripped a massive, rusted broadsword. The immense aura radiating from its bones was enough to petrify a normal person.

Somewhere in the distance, a silent [Appraisal] washed over the four intruders.

[ Target Locked: Assessing Threats ]

Name: Zero (Cult Assassin leader)

Mana Stage: flow

Combat Power: 39,000

Name: Viper (Cult Assassin)

Mana Stage: force (Peak)

Combat Power: 32,500

Name: Raven (Cult Assassin)

Mana Stage: force (Late)

Combat Power: 38,800

Name: Mantis (Cult Assassin)

Mana Stage: Flow (Peak)

Combat Power: 35,000

Despite its terrifying size and overwhelming power, the giant Skeleton Lord didn’t attack. Instead, it aggressively planted its greatsword into the dirt and dropped heavily onto one knee, bowing its massive, horned skull before Zero like an obedient servant awaiting its master’s command.

Zero looked at the towering dorm building. His eyes were devoid of any mercy.

"Wake them up," he ordered, pointing a single finger at the East Wing.

Taking the command, the Skeleton Lord slowly opened its massive jaws. A concentration of dark, corrupted flames rapidly gathered inside its hollow throat.

FWOOSH! BOOOOOOM!

A colossal blast of dark fire erupted, slamming directly into the upper floors of the dormitory. The bone-rattling explosion shattered the quiet night, obliterating a massive chunk of the building in a spectacular shower of broken stone, glass, and seething flames.

Watching the destruction, Viper let out a manic laugh.

"Hahaha! Now that is what I call a morning alarm!"

Raven smiled wickedly as the fiery reflection danced in her eyes as she spun her dagger.

"Beautiful. I just love the smell of burning buildings before a massacre."

Even the usually glacial Mantis crossed her arms, a pitiless satisfied smirk finally breaking through her stoic expression. "Let them burn. The panic makes them easier to hunt."

And panic it was. Inside the Absolute-Grade Barrier, all hell had instantly broken loose.

Screams echoed through the smoke-filled corridors as terrified students scrambled out of their beds and rushed into the hallways in their nightclothes.

"Fire! The East Wing is completely gone!" a boy screamed, dragging his injured roommate down the stairs.

"What the hell is going on?! Look outside the window!" a girl shrieked in absolute horror, pointing at the courtyard below.

"Are those... skeletons?!"

"The exits are blocked! There’s a barrier!"

"Where are the professors?! Someone, call for help!"

Utter chaos engulfed the Academy dorms as the terrified students realized the brutal truth: they were trapped inside a cage with an army of undead, and no one was coming to save them.