Sun Feng stepped onto the podium.
And at that very moment, the atmosphere grew noticeably more excited.
But Chen Guang didn't.
"Sir, I heard that goblins are the weakest monsters in Portals. Is that true?"
A hand went up.
"Actually, slimes are the weakest, but they don't have any means of attacking or defending themselves—"
"—so theoretically, goblins are indeed the weakest."
Sun Feng continued Liu Zhang's explanation.
A golden crystal, shimmering like a tiny sun, rested in her palm.
"This is a C-rank crystal, dropped by a goblin."
Chen Guang swallowed.
That thing was worth tens of millions…
"Wait, but how can a goblin drop a C-rank crystal?"
Mimi raised her hand, her voice full of curiosity.
Sun Feng's gaze swept over Chen Guang as if seeing straight through him.
His hands trembled unconsciously, and he didn't even realize it.
"Because this isn't an ordinary goblin."
Liu Zhang said, his pen projecting the image of a creature roughly the size of an adult human, with blood-red eyes and a crude stone club in hand.
"Goblin King? I've never even heard of that!"
"Monsters have ranks too?"
"Sir, how strong is it?"
Voices broke out across the classroom—overlapping, disbelieving, almost noisy in a way that hadn't existed just moments ago.
"You don't seem very surprised."
Sun Feng slowly walked down and stopped in front of Chen Guang's desk. A faint smile flickered at the corner of her lips.
A chilling shiver surged to its peak.
His shirt clung to his back before he even realized why.
His heartbeat stumbled, then raced out of control.
A sharp ringing filled his ears, drowning out everything else.
By the time he noticed, his fingers were already shaking.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to suppress the tremor in his hands.
Slowly, he raised his gaze to meet hers.
"I… once entered a C-rank Portal as a porter."
It hit him all over again.
The neatly severed head of a Goblin King placed on its own stomach, its eyes still wide open in terror.
His throat was dry, his voice coming out strained.
Is this the pressure of a high-rank Vanguard…?
He glanced at Liu Zhang.
Nothing like this.
Sun Feng gave a faint smile and returned to the podium.
Then, suddenly... it was gone.
He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with air.
"Are you okay, Chen Guang?"
Mimi's voice came from beside him.
"Ah, I'm fine. It's nothing."
"I knew it, she's just too pretty—you got completely charmed, didn't you?"
Mimi giggled.
"Uh… yeah, haha."
He laughed along awkwardly.
"But goblins have ranks too, sir?"
A voice rang out, breaking his awkwardness.
"Same system as Vanguards. Goblins—E-rank."
"Hobgoblin—D-rank, and…"
Sun Feng continued,
"Goblin King, C-rank."
Liu Zhang nodded slightly.
"A goblin at C-rank? How strong would that even be?"
"Man, coming to this basic class was the right choice."
"Yeah, imagine thinking goblins are weak and running into a Goblin King. That's instant death."
Someone spoke first.
Then another.
The noise crept back, uneven and strained.
Chen Guang raised his trembling hand.
"Yes? What is it?"
"Sir… then what about… Emperor Goblin?"
Liu Zhang and Sun Feng both fell silent, their brows furrowing.
The entire classroom turned to look at him.
"You know… about its existence?"
Sun Feng spoke softly, but her entire body tensed ever so slightly.
"I… read online that there's a theory saying it's the highest evolution of goblins."
Chen Guang swallowed.
Sun Feng glanced at Liu Zhang.
He seemed extremely hesitant, his pen half-raised as if deciding whether to do something or put it away.
"Emperor Goblins do exist."
"But I'll warn you first. Prepare yourselves."
Sun Feng's gaze turned cold as she looked across the entire classroom, then nodded slightly toward Liu Zhang.
Taking a deep breath, Liu Zhang tapped his pen and input a command.
The entire room fell silent.
So quiet that every breath could be heard.
And then—
An image appeared.
A massive figure, blood-red in color, skulls hanging around its neck, surrounded by a dark, ominous aura.
No one screamed at first.
Then a chair scraped violently against the floor.
Someone gagged.
And just like that, the room fell apart.
Bodies slumped, hands clawed at desks, breaths turned ragged and uneven.
Liu Zhang hurriedly shut off the image.
Sounds of retching erupted.
Some students ran out of the classroom.
Some fainted on the spot.
Amid the chaos, Sun Feng's gaze once again landed on Chen Guang.
"Chen Guang, what's wrong?"
"You shouldn't look. It's dangerous."
His breathing was uneven, each inhale scraping his throat.
His head pounded.
And yet, his hand was still covering Mimi's eyes.
Only afterward did he realize his hand was already there.
"I don't really understand, but if you say so, I'll listen."
Chen Guang quickly swept his gaze around.
The other students still hadn't fully recovered. Those who had fainted were still being carried out of the room.
He glanced up and saw Liu Zhang whispering something to Sun Feng.
"Ahem, we'll continue once everyone has settled down."
Liu Zhang said, his eyes scanning the room, which now looked like a battlefield.
"As you've seen, or felt, Emperor Goblin is a high-level monster. If we compare it to Vanguards, then—"
"S-rank, right?"
A trembling voice spoke up, unable to hide its excitement.
Liu Zhang simply shook his head.
"It's even stronger than an S-rank Vanguard."
Sun Feng continued, her tone serious, with a hint of warning.
"Something… stronger than S-rank?"
Chen Guang's lips parted slightly, his brows furrowing as questions flooded his mind.
Then how am I supposed to—
The thought caught him off guard.
No… that's impossible.
Cold sweat gathered at his temples as his thoughts spiraled into chaos.
"Emperor Goblin is believed to possess a 'blessing' ability. Simply put, it can grant a portion of its power to lower-ranked goblins."
Liu Zhang spoke, cutting through Chen Guang's thoughts.
"Sir, what do you mean by granting power?"
Chen Guang raised his hand before he even realized it.
"Based on research from remains believed to belong to Emperor Goblin, all of them were Hobgoblins."
"The damage patterns show that they used power far beyond what their bodies could withstand."
"To the point that they exploded."
Sun Feng replied.
No one spoke. Not even a whisper.
Chen Guang's eyes widened.
I… took down… a Hobgoblin?
The image of that blood-soaked monster surged back into his mind.
"But how can it grant power?"
A hand went up, the voice trembling, but hitting exactly the question Chen Guang needed answered.
Wait… that Portal couldn't possibly have that many goblins.
He saw it again—goblins dropping in waves.
Something clicked.
Impossible.
His pupils dilated, his lips trembling as if trying to form words.
"Could it… open Portals on its own?"
He shot to his feet, slamming both hands onto the desk, nearly forgetting where he was.
Every eye turned toward him. Again.
Liu Zhang stared, his eyes wide with shock—a look he had never shown since taking on this class.
Sun Feng looked straight at him, her eyes narrowing slightly, as if observing something dangerous.
"Ahem…"
Liu Zhang cleared his throat.
"We don't have enough data on Emperor Goblins to discuss that in detail."
"So we'll move on to the next topic."
He tapped his pen, and a series of images of other monsters appeared, along with their names and descriptions.
"We'll be having a little chat after class."
Sun Feng walked over to Chen Guang's desk, lowering her voice so only he could hear.
*****
"Alright, that's it for today. Class dismissed."
Liu Zhang's voice rang out, firm and decisive.
"Except for you. Please stay behind for a moment. We have something to discuss."
Liu Zhang looked toward Chen Guang.
"That bug's getting held back. Probably getting scolded."
"Serves him right, talking nonsense in class."
"Let's go, I heard there's a great barbecue place nearby—"
The whispers gradually faded as the stream of students disappeared beyond the door.
"Chen Guang..."
"It's fine. You go ahead. It's just a quick talk with the teacher."
Chen Guang forced a bitter smile.
Mimi walked away, but kept glancing back, worry written all over her face.
"Don't worry, we're not going to eat him."
Sun Feng stepped forward, gently patting Mimi's head with a friendly smile.
"Send my regards to Uncle Wang."
Mimi looked at her, gave a small nod, and slowly opened the door.
"Chen Guang, if anything happens, call me immediately. I'll call the police—"
"Relax. This isn't a hostage situation."
Sun Feng lightly flicked Mimi's forehead.
"This girl, honestly..."
The door closed.
Sun Feng turned back inside, letting out a long breath.
"Didn't expect you to know the second young lady of the RTW Group."
She sat down at a nearby desk, her gaze briefly sweeping over Chen Guang, sending a chill down his spine.
"The second young lady?"
"Oh? I thought you'd care more about RTW. Never mind, pretend I didn't say anything."
A faint smile curved on Sun Feng's lips before she glanced at Liu Zhang.
"Aren't you going to question him?"
Liu Zhang fell into thought, slightly startled when she spoke.
"Ahem."
He stepped down and stood in front of Chen Guang.
"This is our first time meeting face-to-face, isn't it?"
He extended his hand.
"The miracle survivor—Chen Guang."
A cold shiver ran down Chen Guang's spine. He froze for a split second.
"Miracle… what do you mean by that?"
I need to be careful with these two…
Chen Guang looked up, his vision blurring, narrowing until only Liu Zhang's outstretched hand remained in focus.
"No need to be so tense. I know you just made it out alive from a B-rank Portal—with only two people."
Liu Zhang emphasized the last words.
Unconsciously, Chen Guang's breathing quickened.
"A B-rank Portal? But I only entered an E-rank one. I'm—"
"An F-rank Vanguard. Not allowed to enter D-rank or above. We know."
Liu Zhang clasped his hands behind his back, standing tall as he looked down at him.
"You entered a mutated Portal."
"A mutated Portal?"
"Yes. In rare cases, energy density spikes suddenly, causing the Portal's rank to shift."
"And in all these years, this is only the third recorded case."
That final statement made Chen Guang's mind spin.
"Only… three cases in all these years?"
His breathing grew heavier.
"Yes. But what I want to know is—"
"How did you, along with that young lady, manage to survive?"
Liu Zhang stared straight at him without blinking.
"Wasn't there a rescue team? Something that big should've been in the news, right?"
"The Portal was sealed. No one could enter."
Chen Guang's eyes widened.
"When you came out, the Portal closed. In other words—"
Sun Feng continued.
"—the boss of that Portal was already dead."
Chen Guang's hands trembled. He quickly crossed his arms to hide it.
I can't let them know about the system.
His mind raced, searching for an explanation.
Liu Zhang fell silent for a moment.
"You know what I want to ask, don't you?"
His voice grew quieter and heavier.
"Then you understand why we're asking. An F-rank surviving inside a B-rank Portal is impossible, isn't it?"
"Let alone making it out alive."
Sun Feng's words struck like a fatal blow.
Chen Guang slowly raised his head.
A drop of sweat hit the desk.
"...If I told you, would you believe me?"
He took a deep breath, then exhaled, locking eyes with them.
"That an Emperor Goblin killed the boss?"
Liu Zhang and Sun Feng exchanged glances, disbelief written all over their faces.
"You're saying… an Emperor Goblin? The real one?"
"At first, I thought so too. But after the lecture, I think it was a Hobgoblin that was empowered."
I can't let them know I fought it myself.
The thought passed, and his expression steadied.
"It was completely red, just like the image earlier."
"The one it fought was a King Goblin."
"Wait, how could a King Goblin exist in that kind of Portal?"
Chen Guang looked at Liu Zhang, whose confused expression was completely different from his earlier composure.
"You said the Portal mutated from E to B, right? So a C-rank boss appearing isn't impossible, is it?"
"That makes sense. And then they just fought each other?"
"I'm not sure. Mimi and I hid far away, but what I saw was—"
"—that Emperor Goblin attacked everything. It didn't distinguish between friend or foe."
Please believe me.
The sweat kept dripping, unnoticed.
"So when empowered, it tends to lose control?"
"There are studies showing that monsters found near fragments of Emperor Goblin corpses are all torn apart."
Liu Zhang and Sun Feng exchanged a few quiet words.
Chen Guang couldn't hear anything.
He could only pray.
"And you got injured during that fight?"
Sun Feng turned to him, her voice low.
"At that time, countless pale-blue portals appeared, and goblins poured out of them."
"By sheer luck, even though we were injured, we managed to crawl our way to the exit."
"Then the gate suddenly opened, and I pulled her out."
That part… was a blur.
Chen Guang frowned, as if trying to recall something. His eyes flickered slightly.
Liu Zhang and Sun Feng exchanged another look, whispering again.
Chen Guang let out a breath.
"Alright. Thank you for your cooperation. Please do not disclose this conversation to anyone."
Liu Zhang said, his gaze stern, almost threatening.
"Don't worry. I just want to live quietly as a normal Vanguard."
Chen Guang slung his bag over his shoulder, stood up, and walked toward the door.
"See you later, sir. Ma'am."
The door closed behind him.
"Mimi? Why are you still here?"
He sounded surprised to see her sitting nearby, her face tense.
"Chen Guang, are you okay?"
"They just asked a few simple questions."
"That's a relief. Otherwise, I was about to call the police."
"You think the police can handle A-rank Vanguards like them?"
"Oh… right. Then I should've called the Bureau Director instead."
A bright laugh rang out, followed by soft giggles.
"You heading home?"
"Not yet. I think I'll stay and train a bit. They've got facilities here."
"Ooh! Then I'll train too! I'll try lifting weights!"
"Haha, don't overdo it or you'll end up all muscular."
Their laughter echoed down the hallway.
At the same time.
"Do you think he was telling the truth?"
Sun Feng gazed out the window as the sunlight slowly faded.
"Hard to say. But more than half of it was probably a lie."
Liu Zhang adjusted his sleeve and popped a piece of gum into his mouth.
"You think he could defeat it? An F-rank Vanguard?"
"I don't know. That's why I need you. That's your assignment."
Liu Zhang looked straight at her.
"Sun Feng, Senior Investigator of the Special Division under the Vanguard Management Bureau—do your best."
He patted her shoulder and slowly walked out.
"And tomorrow's practical combat class… you'll find out one way or another."
The door closed, leaving Sun Feng alone in the room.
A fly buzzed nearby—instantly turned to ash, leaving behind only a faint burnt smell.
"Chen Guang… huh?"
"Interesting… let's see how long you can keep your secret."
The corner of her lips curled upward as she stared into the distance beyond the window.