The area near the collapsed Wall was actually difficult for people to approach.
Unrefined mana invaded the surroundings, distorting the flow and causing discomfort.
Ordinary people couldn't bear this sensation at all and retreated, but Awakened Beings were forced to enter those areas because they could supposedly endure it to some extent. No, it would be more accurate to say they "volunteered."
In this world, if you were an Awakened Being, you were expected to enter the Academy. Regardless of individual abilities, people thought this was reasonable since Awakened Beings were far superior to ordinary humans.
After all, stronger individuals could better protect others.
"Yoon Ha-min, do you have any means to catch monsters flying overhead?"
Sela, who was running ahead, looked up at the empty sky.
I unconsciously raised my head to look, then hesitated.
Now that the exam was over, stars would soon appear.
I had more than enough means at my disposal.
"Yes, I do."
"Oh, that's truly an impressive ability. We can't let flying monsters roam freely in the sky. For a hero, the phrase 'someone else will handle it' shouldn't apply. The moment you see it, it becomes your responsibility."
"Understood."
Just as she spoke, a massive tremor shook the ground beneath our feet.
A monster resembling an elephant, larger than a house, made the Wall tremble each time it tried to enter, causing debris to fall and the ground to shake.
"That one seems too much for just one or two people."
Sela let out a hollow laugh as she assessed the monster visible even from a distance.
But compared to those bizarre monsters that had invaded the Academy before—the ones that didn't mimic animal forms—I felt confident this one might be significantly weaker.
"Should I help then? Since I've spotted it, it's my responsibility, right?"
"If you see other monsters around when we arrive, deal with those first. Something that large would probably earn us criticism if we left it to someone wearing a blue tie."
Sela smirked and instructed me as if to say a rookie didn't need to push himself so hard.
Even though I was following along like an assistant in this field training, this was essentially a lesson to observe how heroes worked and later emulate them.
I could handle this.
Believing I needed to subdue these monsters quickly, I tightened my grip on my sword and sprinted forward.
I recalled the characteristics of stars.
Being chosen by the stars themselves meant I could convert all their properties into power—a better ability than any other.
This power allowed me to maintain my position as Top Rank or Second Rank.
I ran while looking up at the sky.
Though the situation wasn't ideal, the refreshing sensation of wind rushing through my hair always felt invigorating.
Stars emit light. Thus, I could use light abilities.
Stars connect. Like constellations, I could draw lines connecting strong points of light.
Stars condense, explode, and attract with gravity.
Even the world beneath my feet was nothing but a star, and that was the foundation of my power.
Sela, running ahead, glanced at the enormous monster to our left, then pointed to some smaller monsters on the right.
"Other heroes are already fighting over there, so we'd better head this way."
She led me with a voice that sounded half-resigned, yet somehow pleased while trying not to show it.
"Monsters mostly take the form of animals. If they're not bizarre like before, those modeled after animals usually have their core where the heart would be."
As Sela charged forward, she gripped her sword and wrapped it in flames.
"But most monsters are either too large or have such high density or skin durability that they can't be cut through. So what must we do to defeat a monster?"
"...Rely on our abilities, I suppose?"
"Exactly. Though we're told not to depend too much on our abilities, in the end, we have no choice but to rely on them. That's how the world made us."
With those words, Sela leaped.
It was such an extraordinary jump that ordinary people wouldn't even think of attempting it, let alone have the will to try. I couldn't help but marvel, wondering if this was the level of physical prowess an Awakened Being could display at their peak.
The elephant-like monster flapped its enormous ears.
I tried to follow Sela by creating an explosion at my feet, but the wind pressure generated by the monster threatened to push me back.
"Ugh!"
"Yoon Ha-min, there's an unknown hero beyond there. We need to coordinate!"
"Understood...!"
Perhaps because I had something to compare to, people looked incredibly small. Yet the power they released was enormous, immediately wounding the monster's body.
Once the monster realized it was injured and feeling pain, it no longer chose to ignore us like harmless flies.
PWOOOO!
Like a war trumpet, its long trunk stretched upward.
As it turned its head and swung its trunk, nearby buildings shattered like toys.
"No..."
"I heard everyone in the area has evacuated! Focus on the target!"
Sela glanced around before swinging her sword, attempting to cut off the monster's trunk.
The heroes worked quickly to stop the surrounding monsters, and I was no exception.
Sela drove her sword into the monster's trunk.
The monster tried to lift its trunk to shake her off, but she stomped on it to prevent being thrown, then pulled away with her sword.
"Yoon Ha-min! Attack the trunk! You can attack from a distance, right?"
"I'll try!"
I gripped my sword and created a point.
A bright yellow point of light formed just in front of my sword.
I dodged the trunk as it lashed out like a whip. The trunk smashed the ground right beside me.
I tensed automatically. Being hit by that would mean instant death—I swallowed hard at the thought.
After a moment, I twisted my waist and stabbed the trunk with my sword.
Just as when Sela attacked, the monster seemed to realize something was embedded in its body and tried to lift and throw it away.
But that wasn't my intention in attacking this way.
"Hup!"
I thrust deeply as if marking a point, then ducked down.
The long trunk whooshed through the air above me.
After dodging, I swung my sword, aiming for the elephant's face.
The moment I drew a straight line of light, the trunk changed direction.
I thought it might attack me again, but I realized that wasn't the case.
I had thought Sela had retreated to observe whether I could handle things alone, but instead, she was coordinating with another hero to burn the monster's legs and stab its body.
PWOOOO!
That trumpet-like cry of pain shook the world.
Other monsters seemed startled too, but this only created openings for other heroes to deal with them quickly.
Though the reverse could also happen, so it wasn't entirely beneficial.
Connect. I've marked points, now connect them into a constellation.
With that thought and will, I slashed through the air.
Though I was cutting through empty space, I was precisely targeting between the points I had marked.
The moment I cut through the trunk, the massive appendage fell on top of me.
Dark blood sprayed and covered my body.
"Damn it."
The dark red blood splashing over me was incredibly unpleasant.
Given how huge the monster was, I had to attack from below, but I wondered if I should have climbed on top of it instead.
BOOM! A thunderous sound erupted.
Simultaneously, an explosion hit the elephant monster whose trunk I had severed, and its body began to topple.
It seemed the combined assault from Sela and the other heroes had finally damaged its legs enough that it couldn't stand, and the final blow had been struck.
Perhaps they were showing me that I could coordinate with heroes I'd just met. I might find it awkward to suddenly coordinate with someone, but this was certainly a good lesson.
Finally, someone else thrust a spear down with muscular arms.
The moment they pierced the monster's heart—its core—all the mana drained from the monster, and it returned to its original elephant form.
"...Yoon Ha-min, well done."
"No... you were amazing."
"This is how it's normally done. Even in the moment between striking and retreating, you need to carefully observe what your teammates should be doing. More importantly, you're covered in blood."
"Yes, I'll need to wash up when we get back."
"That's fine, but we're not done yet."
I nodded at her words.
Then, wiping the blood from my head with my hand, I rushed toward the next monster.
Her method of silently attacking and creating openings for me to follow felt almost ruthless.
"It's the same with heroes you don't know! Once they attack, they'll create an opening for the next strike!"
"Yes, yes!"
"You need to understand their intention, predict what attack they're planning next, and provide supporting attacks! If they have a unique method, they'll communicate somehow, so don't hesitate or worry if you're doing it right!"
Sela cut off and burned the monster's foot.
As I processed her words, I considered what to do in the opening provided to me.
She cut off a leg. That meant restricting movement.
Since this monster had a dog-like form, she was likely trying to prevent it from running away quickly.
But the legs had already taken enough damage that it couldn't run properly.
In that case, delivering a direct strike seemed best.
I extended my sword and released a straight beam of light.
The monster's core shattered, and it returned to its original form.
Sela saw this and smiled.
"Well done. Honestly, some things can be handled alone, but when two or more are involved, this is how we do it, even with minimal coordination."
"Ah, I understand now."
I realized that practical field experience was making me grow more than theoretical learning at the Academy. And since I could immediately apply what I learned, it didn't feel like useless education.
Just as we were looking for our next target, I spotted something flying in the central direction, toward the Academy.
Sela sighed when she saw it.
"Oh great, did we miss one? Or did it just appear there..."
Hearing those words, my eyes widened.
I could feel my expression hardening.