Chapter 123: Flaming Lions (Golden Ticket Bonus 2/2)

Words : 1033 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 123: Flaming Lions (Golden Ticket Bonus 2/2) The forest was quiet. Too quiet. Ethan walked near the front of the group, hands loose by his sides, eyes calmly scanning the trees ahead. The branches above swayed with the wind, letting soft beams of light shine through. It should’ve felt peaceful. But it didn’t. There was something off about the silence here. It wasn’t the normal kind. It felt like the kind that came before something snapped. Mei Ren was to his left, a few paces behind. She didn’t say anything. Her eyes kept flicking from shadow to shadow, picking apart the space between the trunks, like she was tracking something no one else could see. Her body was tense—not obviously, but enough for Ethan to notice the way her fingers flexed every so often. She was preparing herself for something. Sera Valcrest stayed a little closer to Ethan, her hands hovering near her waist where her healing glyphs were stored. Her steps were light but cautious. This part of the forest was denser than before, the light more scattered, the air colder. Even the birds had gone silent. And then, Mei stopped. She didn’t warn them. Didn’t raise a hand or speak. She just froze mid-step, her head tilting slightly as she stared straight ahead. "Mei?" Ethan asked, stopping too. She didn’t answer. Instead, she took one slow step forward. Then another. Her body moved like she was pulled by an invisible thread, her eyes fixed on something neither Ethan nor Sera could see. Sera looked over at Ethan with a confused glance. "What is she...?" Ethan didn’t know either. But he didn’t get to ask. Because that’s when it happened. A low, sharp whoosh rushed past his left ear. Then another. And another. From all sides. Fast shadows zipped through the trees, too quick to identify. The air shifted, the light warped slightly, and then everything fell still again. Sera’s eyes widened. "Did you see that?" Ethan gave a short nod, stepping in front of her. "Yeah." Mei finally stopped walking. She didn’t look surprised. She just dropped into a loose stance, her legs spread slightly, and one hand near her hip. She was calm and ready. Ethan turned his gaze outward, eyes narrowing. More shadows. He could feel the pressure now. Not magical. Not illusion-based. But real. Physical presence. Surrounding them. The three of them didn’t speak. They just shifted into their roles like it was second nature. Sera stepped back and began to prepare her healing circle, a soft glow forming near her feet. Mei pulled her sleeves back slightly, exposing the faint shimmer of power etched into the skin around her wrists. And Ethan... He didn’t move. Not yet. Everyone believed he was a long-range illusion user. That’s what Mr. Halden had assigned him as. That’s what the students in the academy knew him for. That’s why he’d been paired with Mei and Sera. One up-close specialist. One support healer. One long-range/ passive superpower user. It was a well-balanced team on paper. But it wasn’t the full picture. Not for him. Illusion was just one side of what he could do. He hadn’t used the other side in public. He preferred it that way. Until now. The rustling of leaves shifted again. Then, the cracks of branches breaking under heavy steps. Not rushed. Just confident. Predators that didn’t need to hide. Ethan stepped forward slightly, his hand twitching once before going still. And then the creatures revealed themselves. Lions. At least ten of them. Each one is larger than a full-grown man. Their muscles rippled beneath scorched golden fur. Thick, heavy paws landed silently against the forest floor, crushing undergrowth as they spread out, forming a loose semi-circle around the three students. But what made them truly terrifying was the fire. Their manes weren’t just fur. They were flames. Licks of fire rose and curled from their heads, trailing smoke into the air. Their breath came out in gusts of ash, and from their mouths, small embers floated outward like dying sparks. The lead lion stepped forward, its molten eyes locked onto Ethan. Its lips curled into something disturbingly close to a smirk. Ethan didn’t blink. He could feel it—the disdain in their gaze. They didn’t see them as threats. They saw them as meat. Slow. Cornered. Easy prey. Mei shifted her stance. "Three to the left. Two flanking. Five up front." "I see it," Ethan replied calmly. Sera whispered, "We’re surrounded..." Ethan took a slow breath. He raised one hand. The forest air bent slightly, transparent mist slowly being released from his body. He could try to fool them. Cast a wide-range mirage. Confuse their vision. Redirect their aggression. But that would take time. And these beasts? They weren’t relaxed. They weren’t curious. They were hungry. Illusions would work better on relaxed targets. Beasts who did not take them seriously. Not ones who were already mid-hunt and, from the looks of it, hungry as well. Ethan lowered his hand. Sera noticed and stepped closer. "Why aren’t you using it?" "Not fast enough," he muttered. "If they charge, we need something real." Her brow furrowed. "But you don’t have close-range power..." Mei didn’t say anything. But she was watching him now, too. Ethan rolled his shoulders back. A low hum of pressure rippled from him—nothing flashy, nothing loud. But it made both girls glance his way. His posture had changed. Not big, not dramatic. But the calmness had thickened. The way he stood, the way his foot slid into the dirt, and the way he shifted his weight slightly forward were the stances of someone who didn’t plan on dodging. A faint glint ran up his arm. And the lion in front of him growled. It lunged. Fast. Faster than it looked. Sera screamed, but Ethan was already moving. He ducked low, slid beneath the leaping lion’s swipe, and drove his fist straight into its stomach. Not a light tap. A real hit. A brutal, quiet strike filled with focused force. The lion crashed into the ground with a heavy thud, rolling once, stunned. Ethan straightened slowly. His eyes locked on the second lion charging in.

Chapter 123: Flaming Lions (Golden Ticket Bonus 2/2)

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