Chapter 54

The interior and exterior of the barrier were clearly different.

I managed to find out that much through [Understanding], but its effectiveness in the absence of any information wasn’t that great.

“…”

Even though it prohibited everyone from passing through, I easily walked into it by tearing a small part of it using my cane and was soon met by a gloomy and dark atmosphere seemingly littered with red lanterns, making it a little nauseating to look at.

“Calm down, everyone.”

Hearing a voice coming from deeper into this barrier, I tracked the source down, passing through the dormitory hallway and reaching the hall on the first floor.

The children gathered under the guidance of the housekeeper.

“Professor!” One of them yelled the moment they spotted me.

They looked like they had found their savior, but I couldn’t be friendly to them.

The dark mana inside the barrier was getting on my nerves.

“I’m safe! Professor, how—”

“Shut up.”

Their noise subsided in an instant.

I looked at the housekeeper.

She wore pointed glasses and wrinkled clothes, her shoulders covered in dust and her nails torn.

I also checked on the students’ conditions.

Their robes were in tatters, and their expressions screamed distress.

I noted down all the trivial cues.

“Is everyone here?”

“There seem to be more people upstairs.” The housekeeper said. I opened my briefcase, and ten wood steel shurikens rose and soared up the stairs to the upper floor of the dormitory, while the remaining ten descended to the basement of the building.

“…”

I closed my eyes and detected their sounds, allowing me to pinpoint their locations as if I was using a sonar device purely caused by an attribute bonus. Since I had a talent for fire, earth, and metal elements, I realized this unique ability while interacting with something I cherished.

The wood steel flew up the stairs and went through each floor, informing me whenever they found humans through resonance.

At the same time, they tore apart non-human creatures without mercy.

In the end, I detected four people in total, one on the fifth, sixth, ninth floor, and tenth floors.