The scene before them left all the students completely stunned.
As for Sergeant Martin, he was directly blown away by the impact of the explosion!
Some students even let out piercing screams and immediately rushed toward where the instructor had fallen.
But just then, they suddenly noticed several figures appearing around them.
Pinned to the chests of these figures were medals bearing the insignia of the Dark Moon.
They were members of the Moon Worship Sect!
Why were the Moon Worship Sect here?
A collective sense of dread gripped the students' hearts as they instinctively gathered closer together.
On the other side, Sergeant Martin struggled, trying desperately to stand up.
However, at that very moment, a long sword suddenly pierced through his chest — stabbing straight through from behind, delivering a chill that reached his very soul.
Mouthfuls of blood poured out from the corners of his lips, and Sergeant Martin's face turned deathly pale in an instant.
"Damn you... Moon Worship Sect... How did you infiltrate...?"
He seemed to be using the last of his strength to shout, but the next moment, the sword was pulled out from his body, dragging a spray of blood with it.
Sergeant Martin's body collapsed heavily to the ground.
Standing behind him was a Moon Worshiper, who leisurely wiped the blood off his sword, his movements deliberate and chilling.
Then, without haste, he walked toward Link and the others.
"Well, well," the Moon Worshiper said with a mocking tone.
"To think that the humans still have so many young geniuses hiding away back here."
"What a tragedy it would be if you were all to die here today. I imagine the entire human race would be heartbroken beyond words!"
All the students present instinctively turned to stare at the murderer —
He was clad in a loose black robe and wore a black mask that covered his face, giving him an aura of eerie menace.
"Could it be… has the Moon Worship Sect already infiltrated humanity to this extent?"
A deep frown etched itself onto Link's face.
After all, Sanctilum was one of the top-ranking cities within the kingdom —
In theory, it should have been one of the safest places in the entire Yilan Kingdom.
And yet, reality was before them.
All of the nation's young talents had been gathered in this camp, only for a group of Moon Worshipers to infiltrate it right under everyone's noses.
And even worse — they had murdered their instructor right in front of them.
If this news were to spread, it would undoubtedly send shockwaves not only through the kingdom, but across the entire human race!
Link couldn't help but recall that suspicious figure he had encountered earlier — a figure that had felt like a super-tier existence.
It now seemed clear to him:
The higher echelons of humanity were riddled with flaws, full of loopholes and vulnerabilities.
In this situation, the predicted downfall of humanity within ten years didn't seem so far-fetched after all.
As Link pondered grimly, the surrounding Moon Worshipers had already closed in, forming an encirclement around the students.
Their numbers weren't large, but each one of them radiated a terrifying aura of power.
Link's gaze swept over the enemy figures, and their attribute panels appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Unknown]
[Power Values: 8635 (Tier-8 Esper)]
[Flesh Forging Art: "Dark Moon Flesh Forging Art"]
[Meditation Technique: "Dark Moon Meditation Technique"]
[Skills: None]
[Talent: Pending Analysis]
A Tier-8 Esper!
Link involuntarily drew in a sharp breath.
At this level of power, there was no doubt about it —
It looked like he was about to face death once again.
But honestly, compared to death itself, what troubled Link more was how he could possibly prevent the disaster unfolding before him.
After all, he couldn't just walk up and tell the instructors ahead of time, "Hey, the Moon Worship Sect is about to attack."
He was just an ordinary trainee.
Even if he said it, the instructors most likely wouldn't believe him.
Before anything happened, who would ever imagine that the prestigious Eagle Hatchling Camp could be infiltrated by Moon Worship Sect members?
Moreover, from the Moon Worshipers' orderly actions, it was clear this was a carefully prepared operation.
It was even highly possible that they had insiders planted within the camp itself.
Thus, even if Link somehow managed to have the assessment relocated, it was likely the Moon Worship Sect would simply follow and launch an attack elsewhere.
As Link weighed his options and brainstormed desperately,
the leading Moon Worshiper let out a chilling laugh and spoke once more:
"Well, well… I never would have guessed. Even House Roland's little princess is here!"
"What a lucky break for us!"
"I wonder — if you were to die here today, would House Roland go completely mad?"
Hearing these words, Seraphine's face immediately darkened.
Her piercing gaze locked onto the Moon Worshiper, burning with a barely contained fury.
The atmosphere became stiflingly heavy in an instant.
Some of the students — those with weaker wills — even collapsed to the ground, wailing pitifully.
"I don't want to die! I haven't even tasted a woman yet!"
"Help! Somebody, anybody, save us!"
"What do we do? I'm just a fraud who got in through connections — please don't kill me! I'm worthless! I don't want to die!"
"..."
"Shut your damn mouths!"
The lead Moon Worshiper roared furiously, unleashing the full weight of his Tier-8 Esper's might!
In that moment, the oppressive force smothered every student present —
They were frozen stiff, unable to move a single finger.
"You pathetic insects. If I simply killed you all like this, it would be far too boring!"
The Moon Worshiper sneered as his eyes swept across the huddled students through the slits in his black mask.
"Here's what I'll do:
I'll give you all a chance to survive."
"If you kneel before me now and beg for mercy, perhaps — if I'm feeling generous — I'll allow you to join our Moon Worship Sect."
"Of course, if any of you think you're strong enough, you're welcome to challenge me instead."
"If you can defeat me — I'll let you leave alive."
"But my patience is limited.
You have three minutes to decide."
As these words fell, the tension in the hall reached a suffocating peak.
The students exchanged terrified glances —
Yet none of them stepped forward to kneel.
The lead Moon Worshiper snorted coldly, raising his palm with deliberate slowness.
"Looks like you idiots still haven't realized the situation you're in."
"In that case, let me help you 'wake up' a little."
Before his words had even finished, a semi-transparent mass of spiritual power condensed in his palm.
In the blink of an eye, it grew larger and larger, until it had formed into a colossal hand —
A towering giant hand of spiritual force, easily as tall as a three-story building.
With a casual snap of his fingers, the giant spiritual hand shot out —
and instantly grabbed hold of a student!
"Now then…
Let the show begin."
"Make sure you keep your eyes wide open — don't miss a thing."
As his sinister voice echoed in the hall,
the massive hand clenched tightly without hesitation!
The captured student didn't even have time to struggle —
Before everyone's horrified eyes, he was crushed to a bloody pulp.