Hell had truly descended.
Even for Aunt Mia and Lily, who weren’t part of the chaos outside.
They had just turned to head toward the sitting room, following Michael’s instructions, when the horrifying scene stopped them dead in their tracks.
“Monsters… blood… they’re dead… they’re dead…”
Lily’s voice faltered as she stumbled backward, her broken sentences growing shriller with each word.
She stepped away from the window in panic but lost her footing and fell hard to the floor, her cries cutting off abruptly.
“Shit!”
Michael cursed under his breath, momentarily stunned.
He hadn’t expected the damage that would be caused by the creatures emerging from the cracks to be easy to resolve, but what he hadn’t foreseen was the sudden appearance and the sheer number that followed.
Not only had multiple cracks opened simultaneously, but the monsters poured out rapidly.
Level 1 cracks most times had at least 200 from each crack.
Even if they emerged ten at a time, it was overwhelming.
In the brief moment of shock, Michael had already seen several people die, their bodies crushed or torn apart before they could even react.
He clenched his fists. He couldn’t let this continue.
Though he found himself growing more detached emotionally, he wasn’t completely numb.
Watching so many die right in front of him stirred something within—a mix of frustration and anger.
But his family came first. Always.
Lily lay on the floor, grimacing in pain, her ankle twisted at a slightly odd angle. She’d badly sprained it during her fall. Aunt Mia knelt beside her, trembling but trying to comfort her daughter.
“Michael… close the window… we need to lock the doors… the windows… everything…” Aunt Mia struggled to speak, her voice trembling as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
Yet, despite her fear, she clung to a facade of strength.
Her body trembled as she tried to pull Michael away from the window to lock it herself.
But even if Michael hadn’t awakened, moving him would’ve been a tall order, and now? It was impossible.
Michael stood firm, unmoving, his gaze fixed outside.
“Why aren’t you… sniff… moving…?” she whimpered, her voice cracking. “Those things… they might find us…”
The dam broke.
Aunt Mia’s tears streamed down her face, and she began to sob quietly.
Lily, lying on the floor, wasn’t faring much better.
Tears streaked her cheeks, but the pain in her leg and the instinct to stay silent stifled her cries.
The horrifying sight of monsters and humans being crushed to death had clearly left a heavy mark on them.
Michael’s heart ached at the sight of his family in such despair, but he had no time to console them.
While Aunt Mia focused on locking up the house, Michael’s sharp gaze remained on the chaos outside.
Now, he could see some people attempting to fight back against the monsters that poured from the cracks.
Some of them were ordinary humans or old knight apprentices who had failed to ignite their life seeds yet had pushed their bodies to the human limit. Others moved with blinding speed, clearly strong supernaturals.
But it was a losing battle.
The sheer number of monsters far outstripped the handful of defenders, and the chaos only continued to grow.
If things were going to improve, Michael knew he had to act.
Initially, Michael had only intended to intervene because he couldn’t just sit by and watch people die.
He wasn’t so cold as to ignore the situation entirely.
Sending out one of his undead would’ve also been enough to fulfill the Supernaturals Association’s mandatory participation request.
But as he watched other supernaturals slaying the monsters, a new thought crossed his mind.
Experience points.
He hadn’t considered this before, too focused on the chaos unfolding.
Now, with the chaos fully unleashed, his mind shifted.
Even if he didn’t care about the people, he could do it for the sake of gaining more experience.
In the end, his actions would still save lives.
At this moment, thoughts of the academy were the last thing on Michael’s mind.
Like many other Awakeners, he was consumed by the pursuit of power.
Or more like the obsession of levelling up.
“Stay here, Aunt Mia. It’s not safe outside,” Michael said firmly. “Lock everything, like you just mentioned, and don’t let anyone in, no matter who they are.”
Mia opened her mouth to protest, but the words caught in her throat as Michael stretched out his hand.
A large figure clad in black armor, wielding an oversized hammer, materialized before her, its imposing form nearly touching the ceiling.
Though its face was hidden, the sheer presence of the figure felt like a beast staring her down.
Mia stood frozen, her mind a flurry of questions.
What was happening outside was terrifying enough, but now she wanted answers about the strange, witchcraft-like magic circle that had appeared in her home, summoning this monstrous figure.
“Beginning,” Michael commanded the undead. “Protect her and her. Remember, protect them both. Nothing, absolutely nothing, must happen to them.”
He kept the instructions simple. Terms like “Aunt” or “cousin” might complicate the command, so he avoided them altogether.
Satisfied, Michael turned back and drew a weapon he hadn’t touched since his Awakening—one of his first purchases.
A dagger.
When Michael first Awakened, the initial weapons he bought before entering the Land of Origin were three.
A gun, a spear, and a dagger.
Of the three, only the dagger remained relatively unused.
Occasionally, in moments of idle thought, Michael had considered selling or discarding it. But now, here it was, about to be handed to his aunt.
It was one of the worst weapons for supernaturals, but for an ordinary person, it was far better than a kitchen knife.
“Aunt Mia, please take this,” Michael said, pressing the dagger into her hand. “You probably won’t need it with my undead here, but just in case. I’ll be back soon. Don’t leave unless absolutely necessary.”
He didn’t give her a chance to refuse, placing the weapon firmly in her grasp before turning to Lily, who had stopped crying.
Her gaze shifted between Beginning’s massive form and her injured leg, a mix of surprise and pain etched on her face.
“Be careful, okay?” Michael said softly, crouching beside her. “Don’t move too much because of your leg. Listen to Aunt Mia and stay close to this big guy. He’ll keep you both safe.”
Lily nodded, and Michael gave her a reassuring smile.
“Michael—” Aunt Mia began, but before she could finish, Michael had already leaped out of the window.