The Useless Prince Is A Gangster
Chapter 54. New Trouble

Chapter 54: 54. New Trouble

The thick forest felt quiet and still as Leo and his group hid behind the bushes, watching the goblin camp ahead. Smoke rose slowly from a fire in the middle. Goblins moved around in small groups, their sharp voices mixing with the soft sounds of leaves rustling in the wind.

Kareth, a Bronze section student, whispered, "There’s a lot of them."

Next to him, Olyraa held her staff tightly, her bright yellow hair falling into her face. "They look... scary," she muttered.

Leo didn’t speak. His red eyes narrowed as he used Elynn’s scan.

[Scanning target...]

[Identified: Small Pack Goblins]

[Rank: D-ranked monster]

[Traits: Fast, can use simple tools, fight in groups, sharp hearing.]

[Weaknesses: Weak bodies, easy to burn, scared of strong enemies or loud noises.]

[Found in area: 15]

Leo frowned as the scan ended. "Fifteen of them," he said calmly, his voice sharp. "They’re easy to beat if you four work together."

Before he could say more, Rowan laughed and rolled his eyes. "They’re just weak little things," he said. He drew his sword and ran straight into the clearing. "I’ll take them all myself!" His loud shout broke the silence as the goblins turned, ready to fight.

Varkas jumped up and pulled out his short sword. "Wait! I’m coming too!" he yelled, chasing after Rowan.

Kareth grinned and drew his dagger, clearly excited. "Might as well join in." He ran off without waiting.

Olyraa paused, looking at Leo like she wanted his okay. Leo sighed and leaned against a tree. "That’s why I hate kids," he muttered, waving her on. Olyraa nodded and stepped into the clearing, her staff glowing as she followed the others.

Rowan rushed into the camp, his sword flashing. The first goblin ran at him, and Rowan cut off its head in one clean swing.

thud

Blood sprayed his boots, as he grinned. "Too easy!"

But then three more goblins came at him, weapons raised. Rowan cut one down quickly, then spun and hit the second. The third goblin jumped, its club aimed at his head.

Rowan’s eyes went wide—he couldn’t dodge in time. Suddenly, a dagger flew through the air and hit the goblin in the chest. It dropped, dead.

Rowan turned and saw Kareth nearby. "No need to thank me," Kareth said with a smirk.

Rowan glared. "You stole my kill."

Kareth laughed, but then several goblins rushed him. He froze—his dagger was still stuck in the last goblin. "Uh... guys?"

The goblins got close fast, weapons raised. Kareth backed away, holding up his arms. Just as one goblin swung, Varkas jumped in, cutting them down with clean, fast strikes. One by one, they fell.

Varkas cleaned his blade and looked at Kareth. "You’re welcome."

Kareth let out a shaky breath and nodded. "Thanks."

But it wasn’t over. Another goblin sneaked up behind them, aiming its blade at Kareth’s chest. Before it could hit, a glowing shield appeared. The goblin, unaware, tried to attack only to stumble back.

Olyraa stood nearby with her staff raised. Her face was pale, sweat dripping down from her face. "Stay alert," she shouted.

Another goblin charged at her, but she was ready. She swung her staff to create distance and fired a large fire ball from her staff. The goblin burned, screaming, and a nearby hut caught fire too.

The flames spread fast, scaring several goblins.

One goblin tried to attack from her back, Rowan came close, cutting down the attacker as Olyraa got ready to cast again. At first the group was messy, but now they were starting to work together. They moved better, covering each other as they fought.

Leo stayed back, leaning on the tree with bags scattered around him, his red eyes watching everything. Their attacks were sloppy and untrained, but they were learning. Under pressure, they were improving.

He sighed and muttered, "I need a strong coffee right now."

_____

At the forest entrance. Professors stood nearby, waiting in case something went wrong.

At one outdoor table, Liana poured hot coffee into cups with steady hands. She moved gracefully, but there was a hint of worry in her eyes. Rin and Professor Gidon sat across from her. Gidon’s large frame nearly dwarfed the small table, while Rin sat quietly.

"Thank you," Rin said softly as she accepted the cup. Her pink eyes flickered to Liana with a small smile.

Liana nodded politely, her smile warm but distant. "It’s no trouble," she replied.

Gidon sipped his coffee and froze. His eyes widened with surprise. "This is amazing!" he exclaimed. "How do you make it taste this good?"

Liana smiled faintly but didn’t look at him. Her gaze was fixed on the forest ahead. "Brewing strong coffee is my skill," she said simply.

But as she stared at the forest, her unease grew. Something inside her churned uneasily, as though the stillness wasn’t right. She had come here because she felt something was wrong.

Suddenly, her body stiffened, and her lips trembled. "Sir..." she whispered, her voice shaky.

Gidon noticed the fear in her eyes and quickly followed her gaze. His face hardened as he saw what she was looking at. The cup slipped from his hand, crashing to the ground. Neither of them moved.

High above the forest, dark clouds swirling unnaturally in the sky. Slowly at first, but with increasing speed, the storm formed into a massive vortex.

Lightning flickered within the spiral, though it didn’t flash like normal. The vortex grew wider, its edges spreading across the sky, casting a shadow that blanketed the forest below.

____

In the clearing, Leo stood silently, observing the four students in front of him. They were panting, sweat and dirt covering their faces, their clothes soaked with goblin blood. The fight had left them worn out, but all 15 goblins were dead.

Leo reached into his bag and tossed small potions to each of them. "Drink up," he instructed simply.

The students obeyed, gulping the potions down quickly. The exhaustion on their faces faded slightly as the potions restored some of their strength.

Leo crossed his arms, his sharp eyes fixed on the group. "You did well for your first fight," he said, his voice calm but firm. "But you all made mistakes."

He turned to Rowan first. "You charged in recklessly. Yes, you managed to kill a few, but you nearly got yourself killed doing it."

Rowan clenched his jaw and looked away, annoyed but silent.

Leo shifted his gaze to Kareth. "You were too reckless during the fight. Control yourself. Don’t let the excitement get to your head."

Kareth scratched the back of his neck, giving a sheepish grin. "Got it."

Leo nodded and then looked at Varkas. "You’re skilled, but your instincts are too slow. You need to react faster, or you’ll get hit easily."

Finally, Leo’s gaze landed on Olyraa. Her grip on her staff tightened nervously as she waited for his critique. "You’re wasting too much mana in your attacks," he said sharply. "Focus on control. If you burn all your energy in one fight, you’ll be useless if there’s another."

Olyraa nodded quickly. "Understood, Senior."

Leo straightened, his voice softer now. "Any questions?"

Olyraa hesitated, her gaze drifting upward. "Senior... what’s that?" she asked nervously, pointing her staff toward the sky.

Leo followed her gaze, and his calm demeanor vanished. His eyes widened in shock as he froze. Above them, the swirling clouds had grown into an enormous vortex, its dark mass consuming the sky.

Suddenly, the ground trembled, and a shockwave blasted from one part of the forest. The group staggered slightly, shielding their faces as an intense beam of light shot up from deep within the woods, piercing the eye of the storm.

The impact sent a ripple across the dark clouds, and the vortex began to shift. Instantly, it lowered, forming a massive dome of darkness that spread across the forest closing the boundaries.

The forest is now isolated completely from outside of the world.