The Useless Prince Is A Gangster
Chapter 56. Another

Chapter 56: 56. Another

Professor Avoor stood with his fists clenched, his orange hair rustling in the faint breeze. His gaze darted over the surface of the dome as frustration grew within him. "Why Leonhardt?" he muttered, half to himself. "This feels too elaborate. Too organized. It’s bigger for just one guy."

Gidon folded his arms tightly. "We already know there were assassination attempts on Leonhardt last month—disguised as bandits. We’ve suspected this was coming." His words struck a nerve, and the professors exchanged grim, knowing glances. They had all suspected the attack had been deliberate, but without evidence, they had remained quiet about it.

Vaelem adjusted his glasses. "Even if that’s true, this isn’t about one person anymore. There are fifty students inside, not just Leonhardt. Why trap them all if he’s the only target?"

Principal Veymoor, standing tall despite his years, stared directly at the dome’s surface. His long cloak shifted slightly in the wind as he spoke in a low, deliberate tone. "This isn’t about one target," he said.

"Its terrorism."

The crowd became silent, taken aback by the burden of the statement by the principal. Eyes popped in shock, and for the briefest instant, no one uttered a word. Even the wind hesitated.

"You’re right, Sir Principal."

All heads turned as Volkhardt approached. Beside him walked Erin, Secretary Liora, and several senior staff members followed closely, their expressions grave.

"This isn’t just an attack on a student," Volkhardt continued, his tone calm but cutting. "This is an attack on the academy itself. A statement, designed to terrify and destroy." His gaze sharpened. "And someone wants us to watch it happen."

Gidon stepped forward, his brow furrowed. "But who? What kind of organization has this kind of power?"

Liora spoke next, her voice brisk and direct. "Right now, that’s not our priority," she said. "Fifty students are trapped in there. Our focus is rescuing them and eliminating the caster of this ritual."

"How do we even get in?" Rin asked, her voice laced with urgency. "The dome is unbreakable. Nothing we’ve tried has worked."

"There’s a way," Erin said calmly, her eyes turning toward the old principal. "Isn’t there, Principal?"

Veymoor nodded slowly, his expression firm. "There is," he confirmed. His gaze shifted to Professor Isolode. "We’ll perform a Rift Pulse."

The blue-haired professor tilted her head slightly. "A Rift Pulse," she repeated. "Concentrated mana focused on a single point. Enough to create a crack in the seal..."

"Only for a few moments," Veymoor said. "But that will be enough."

Vaelem frowned. "Do you realize the cost? A Rift Pulse requires an immense amount of mana. It’ll take at least seven to ten hours to gather enough energy."

Avoor sighed heavily but nodded. "It’s our only choice. We need to act now. Split the staff—half of us will prepare the Rift Pulse. The other half will form a rescue team."

"We’ll send the rescue team in the second the crack forms," Gidon added. "They’ll find the caster and bring the students back."

All of the staff has agreed to the plan.

Rin staring at the dark dome, worry clear in her pink eyes.

Erin passed by her, her green eyes calm but determined. She passed by, whispering, "Come with me, Senior Rin," and moving off before stopping and waiting for a reply.

Rin blinked her heart pounding as she followed Erin with her eyes. Concern and interest flashed across her face before she turned and trailed after her, not knowing what Erin was planning.

____

Inside the forest, the battle is still running.

Leo clung to the back of the Ironmaw Behemoth, his face streaked with blood that wasn’t his own.

From their hiding spot, the students watched in silence, their eyes wide with fear and awe.

The Behemoth roared, shaking itself violently in an effort to throw Leo off. But he held on tightly, his muscles straining.

The beast thrashed, its movements are wild, but Leo stayed focused.

The he saw it—a small gap in the monster’s thick iron armor.

"Got you," he muttered. With a swift motion, he drove his katana into the gap.

SHUNK!

The blade sinking deep. The creature let out a deafening roar, shaking even more violently.

Leo grinned. He channeled a massive surge of lightning mana into the blade. Sparks flared from the katana, blue light spilling into the weak point of the creature.

The Behemoth howled, its body twisting as lightning cauterized muscle and nerves that lay beneath armor.

Strength started to weaken in the monster, its paces slowing down.

He took a deep breath and pulled the katana free andswitched to fire mana. Flames engulfed the blade, flickering with raw heat.

With a single, powerful motion, Leo swung his flaming katana in a wide arc.

WHOOSH.

The blade cuts cleanly through the Behemoth’s neck, separating its head in one smooth strike. The massive head crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, the neck smoldering from the fire’s intensity. The beast’s body followed soon after, collapsing lifelessly.

Leo landed on the ground, his knees bending slightly to absorb the impact. His katana vanished into item space. Heavily panting, Leo crouched down, putting his hands on his knees while trying to catch his breath. Sweat trickled down his face.

The students whose hiding place did not shift stayed still, eyes fixed on their senior. The fear and awe they felt for Leo were unspoken but clear.

As Leo caught his breath, Elynn’s glowing text appeared in his vision.

[Kill confirmed]

[Well done, Reo!]

[Alert!]

[Stats updated!]

- STRENGTH: 47 → 50

- ENDURANCE: 39 → 41

- DEFENSE: 38 → 39

- SPEED: 46 → 49

- STAMINA: 41 → 43

- MANA CAPACITY: 25 → 27

- INTELLIGENCE: 70

- BATTLE INTELLIGENCE: 83

- SOUL RESONANCE WEAPON: None

Leo smirked faintly, brushing the blood off his face.

Then.

The ground started trembled again, starting as a soft rumble but quickly turning into a quake. The students froze, their wide eyes darting toward the sound. Leo immediately turned, his gaze locking onto the disturbance.

From the distance, another Behemoth emerged with terrifying force, tearing through the trees like they were nothing.

But This one seemed focused, deliberate—as if it was hunting them specifically.

The creature stopped, letting out a low growl. Its glowing eyes swept over the students in hiding, marking them as faint red figures in its black-and-white vision.

Then its gaze landed on Leo, brighter and more intense than anything else.

The Behemoth let out a thunderous roar, the sound shaking the forest. The students cowered in fear, pressing themselves further into their hiding spots.

Rowan clutched his chest, his breathing shaky. "Why is there another one?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

"Motherfucker."

Leo muttered looking at the monster.

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