The Author's POV

'”BOOOOOM!

"'”'”!"

The whole building shook, and all the furniture in the room fell onto the ground. Stumbling back a couple of steps, my eyes opened wide. 'What in the world just happened?' Without wasting time, dashing out of the room, I ran towards the entrance of the dorms.

Because the area had been sealed by Matthew and his two companions, there was no one in my area. It took a while for me to spot some people.

"What's going on?!"

"What happened?"

Turning right and walking into a corridor, startled guards appeared everywhere as they wondered about what had just happened. The confusion only grew deeper as more and more people came out

'Is the Monolith under seige?'

I wondered as I recalled the explosion that had just rung not long ago.

The force coming from the explosion was so strong that I knew that a big enemy had attacked the whole building.

The real question was, who attacked the Monolith? Was it perhaps the Union? Or was this due to some internal disputes inside of the Monolith?

Quite frankly, I wasn't sure.

There was a chance this was the work of the Union.

'If I don't remember incorrectly, they have an artifact that allows them to travel to the main headquarters of the Monolith'

This was something that I knew they had since it did not only teleport to the Monolith, but to other places as well. In the novel, they actually never used it to travel to the Monolith, but I knew all too well just how much the story had deviated from the original one.

The chances of this being the Union were not low.

'”BOOOOOM!

Disrupting me out of my thoughts, the building once again shook. This time, the explosion was even louder than before as the tremors intensified. Holding onto the side of the wall, I tried not to fall.

'”WHIIIIIII! '”WHIIIIIII!

[This is an emergency message, we're currently under attack. I repeat we're currently under attack. All personnel and members please make your way to the first level to aid the defense unit. I repeat, all personell...]

The blaring sound of the sirens rang out, and a warning echoed from the speakers around the building. Immediately after, almost everyone around me rushed towards the exit of the second level.

"Quick!"

"Everyone onto the first level!"

With almost everyone here being a guard, upon receiving the orders, everyone rushed towards the first level just like the alarm had told them to. Because of the chaos, no one particularly noticed me, as they all rushed downstairs.

"Might as well take advantage of the situation."

Lowering the cap on my head and putting my mask away, I decided to follow them downstairs.

Though I had the mask available to me, now that the whole place was in chaos, I could take advantage of it and escape through them.

This was for the best. With this, my mana which was quite low could be conserved. The mask did consume a lot of mana after all. Furthermore, amongst the chaos, the probability of someone actively looking for me through the cameras was low. They had probably forgotten about me by now.

'Perfect'

Joining the crowd and hiding my presence amongst the masses, I quickly headed for the first level.

Freedom had never been this close.

***

At the same time.

in the air as they coldly looked down below them. Their majestic mana filled the area causing the air around them to tremble

in the sky were wearing black-colored robes. Upon closer look, they all looked malnourished with sunken cheeks and red-blood eyes. Their bright

the three elders spotted them. Had it been someone else and not them, their legs would involuntarily become limp under these violent gazes that were filled

"Hmph!"

on the ground, the killing intent that was directed

won't work on me," Monica muttered

men were lower than hers, a seriousness that was difficult to

be able to handle

who had appeared in the sky. Just his

head with a faint smile on his

or can you take care of it by

I can at least take

that the three of them combined have a strength equivalent to rank." Amon chimed

long as I finish them

did not fall for

green light. "Alright, do whatever you want. We're here to stall for time anyways. Once the big dogs

deal with the small

closed and holding her sword vertically, Monica's brow twitched. Opening her eyes, she glared

up? I'm trying to

we're sorry.

step back and looking

already been lured out of the headquarters. By directly exploiting one of the spies amongst the higher-ups, the Union had set up an intricate trap designed to lure the higher-ups away from the Monolith who

for them, it would end up being a fruitless effort as the real Monica was with them. Unless an external factor that they did not account for meddled their plans, their plans of dealing a massive blow

of nowhere? You must be looking for death." Surprised by Monica's power, one of the elders levitating in the air

enough to actually

the last elder and the youngest brother spoke up. "I can't seem

to each other glanced at each other before taking a better look at

flaw, and it was that they could be easily spotted by those whose rank was

using an artifact to mask

"True."

themselves, Monica's gaze indifferently swept over them before

guys talk too

three elders, was Monica's

surged out explosively from the veins within her body. Finally, it became like a torrent of floodwater that flowed to every

slowly lifted up as Monica's body raised into the air. Raising her hand slightly, Monica clenched it into

soared. An instant later, the glow disappeared and an orange-colored armor materialized, covering her exquisite pretty body. Once the armor appeared on her body, with her hair fluttering wildly in the

silly and childish, right now she looked like a war goddess that was craving

from below, Amon showed

those bastards put so much hope on

childish character, he had

over psyons reached such levels of fine control that they could summon tangible mana in the air and form it into whatever shape

Monica's case,

Monica, who was

"T-that's mana-conglomeration."

the expression of the elders standing not so far from her turned extremely ugly. Their

opening her eyes, a bright shine enveloped the

"Haaa!"

out, reaching all the way towards the tip of her sword where it converged together

WHIIIIING!

"Get into formation!"

three

a step back, they got into a triangular formation and frantically moved their hands creating different

dark