The gap between Rank One and Rank Two magical beasts was as vast as that between a Rank One and a Rank Two Awakener.

A Rank One Awakener of the Warrior Class could unleash enough force to level a single building.

A Rank Two Awakener of the same class, however, could obliterate an entire city block.

The power of the Hunter Class, while slightly less, was still a force to be reckoned with. And then there was the Magus Class, with power that dwarfed them all.

This hierarchy reflected the structure of the Paths and Class System.

Depending on their potential, race, or bloodline, a magical beast could rival a Hunter Class Awakener, or even reach the destructive scale of a Magus Class Awakener.

However, he hadn't intervened.

He didn't intervene even when they were cornered, because without Felix's help, he would be in a similar position as they were.

The risk of revealing his cybernetic beast was too great.

Instead, he observed their flawlessly teamwork as they led the magical beasts away.

It was only after they had been knocked out that he finally made his move.

Firstly, Victory had obscured the surroundings with his unique ability, which, as a result of his cybernetic transformation, allowed him to produce a dense mist that obscured vision and made it difficult for enemies to target him.

Usually, this steamy mist only appeared several meters outside the Flaming River Deer and would only increase in range when it was near bodies of water.

However, after its cybernetic transformation, its range had increased to tens of meters, allowing it to shroud a vast area of land within seconds.

Next, Felix launched a surprise attack at a delicate area of the golden-winged beast, knocking it away from Esther and Draven.

"It's time to carry out the next plan. I'll leave the rest to you to handle," Ezekiel said, gently tapping Felix's head, motioning for him to fly down.

He saw that the golden-winged beast was about to rise back to its feet.

As Felix descended close to the ground, Ezekiel leapt down from his back.

Sky Dash!

Before his feet could reach the ground, an invisible wind platform manifested beneath him.

A mighty gust surged from the platform, propelling his body forward.

He leapt through the air from one invisible platform to another until he arrived beside the unconscious Draven.

After confirming his condition, he retrieved a thick piece of cloth from his storage bag, wrapped it around himself, and carried him on his back.

He then moved quickly toward Esther's position.

Sensing someone approaching, Esther raised her head and looked in that direction.

Upon noticing that it was a student, she furrowed her brows, not recognising him.

It was understandable, since she wasn't familiar with every student in the Magical Swordsman Department except for those in the top-ranked positions, who had the potential to pose a threat to her.

Seeing that the student had someone slung over his shoulders, she sighed in relief, sensing who it was.

At the same time, she couldn't help but worry about the situation.

Ezekiel crouched down beside her.

He looked at her current state and asked, "Are you okay?"

"No. I don't think I can move my body," Esther shook her head.

"Okay. I'm going to carry you, and then we're going to leave this place as quickly as we can," Ezekiel responded.

He placed the unconscious Draven on the ground beside him, then took out a thick wrap of cloth from his storage bag and wrapped it around Esther.

Esther sighed in defeat, allowing herself to be wrapped.

The wraps of cloth were both enchanted magical items and Ezekiel's regular bed sheets, which he used to keep himself warm in the dungeon during cold or rainy seasons.

They also had a calming effect.

Ezekiel had seen Draven use this method on the two students.

He decided to do the same, as it was effective in transporting both of them to a safer area while also preventing the poison from coming into contact with him, since he wasn't certain if it could be contracted through skin contact.

After securing both of them on his shoulders, Ezekiel raced into the forest.

Wind Rush!

An invisible wind circulated his body, enhancing his speed and propelling him deeper into the forest.

Ezekiel chose not to use Sky Dash because he didn't want to mistakenly reveal his trump cards to either Esther or Draven if they awoke.

Esther sighed inwardly as she watched the speed at which their rescuer fled.

If it were her, they would already be out of range of the unfolding battle.

However, she didn't dare do something foolish like complaining.

Behind them, another explosion broke out. A collision of impact resonated through the air, accompanied by the painful roar of the golden-winged beast.

Meanwhile, Ezekiel broke out of the steamy mist and swiftly moved in the direction where Draven had placed the other two rescued students.

Within a minute, he arrived at a large rock deeply embedded in the ground, its base stretching outward.

Around it were many small trees, tall trees, and scattered bushes.

Besides, the two injured students were laid near the decapitated body, though both were unconscious at this moment. Their cheeks were stained with tears.

It was obvious Draven had knocked them unconscious to prevent them from attracting nearby magical beasts.

Ezekiel proceeded to place them carefully on the grassy plain beside the rock.

He removed the thick cloth wraps.

"What's your name?" Esther asked, her tone solemn.

"After this, I promise to repay you in any way that I can."

Ezekiel hesitated, then finally responded, "My name is Ezekiel."

He wasn't surprised that Esther hadn't recognised him.

They had never once looked face-to-face, nor had she cared enough to know his identity.

Meanwhile, Esther's eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and astonishment when she heard his words.

Her vision was clouded with weakness and mist, so she hadn't realised until now that she had been rescued by the Worst One.

Upon taking a closer look through her blurry gaze, she recognised the striking resemblance; he truly was Ezekiel Zahara, the same boy she had seen in the recordings.

For a moment, Esther didn't know what to say.

She had never expected to be rescued by him.

Faced with Esther's silence, Ezekiel smiled wryly.

Although he didn't know what she was currently thinking, he could make his own assumptions.

"I'll go and get help as fast as I can," Ezekiel said. "In the meantime, to prevent beasts from being drawn to your presence, I'll be putting you to sleep." He stretched his hand and sprinkled some mysterious dust over her face.

The powder was an alchemical item used to induce deep sleep.

In truth, he wanted to knock her unconscious so she wouldn't witness what was about to transpire.

He didn't want to risk leaving any trace of leaks about his cybernetic beasts.

"N-" Before Esther could even comprehend what was happening, her already weakened and exhausted body succumbed to the mysterious slumber.

She quickly fell unconscious, unable to resist.

Ezekiel sighed in relief.

He sent a mental age to Squad Four, instructing them to keep a close watch on the area and ensure that no magical beasts approached.

Then, Ezekiel turned and raced back toward the ongoing battle.

He had already received detailed information about the situation from Felix.

Even as an early-stage Rank Two Lesser Beast, Felix could go toe to toe with a mid-stage Rank Two because of his cybernetic transformation. It was even possible for him to challenge a late-stage Rank Two Lesser Beast.

The real reason Ezekiel had waited until now to act and had struck its throat at the beginning with enough force to subdue it temporarily was that he never intended to kill the golden-winged beast.

Instead, he planned to capture it and transform it into a cybernetic beast.

However, even if Felix could handle a magical beast of this level, capturing it alive was another matter entirely.

Fortunately, they had already mapped out their strategy beforehand.

Ezekiel sent a mental command for the rest of the squads to begin their assault.

Although their attacks might not have as much impact as Felix's, they would still provide the opportunity they needed to weaken the golden-winged beast enough to capture it.

***

Meanwhile, hidden within the steamy mist, three cybernetic rabbits perched on different trees beside one another.

At this moment, however, they had undergone a transformation; jutting from their backs was a deep black, ribbed barrel almost twice their body length, reinforced with coiled heat fins.

This was Squad Seven, composed of CR7, CR17, and CR27.

They were the bearers of the Hileon Arc Rifle enhancements.

Suddenly, CR7's ears twitched.

Having received direct orders to execute the plan, he quickly instructed, "Let it rip, guys."

At once, the three rifles came alive.

The coils lit up in sequence, their glow spreading until each barrel burned with a brilliant golden-white radiance, like miniature suns being contained.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.