But a mission was a mission, and an evaluation was an evaluation. Was it really worth Kang Nan risking his life to protect them?
A thin voice rose from the crowd. It belonged to a girl from the Junior Class. Her face was streaked with tears and pale with fright, but her eyes were clear. Pointing at the dome of light in the distance, she said softly, "I think we can go take a look. The Bone-Rot Soldier Ants haven't followed us, and I don't think that thing is dangerous." At least, it wasn't dangerous to them right now.
The girl was of average ability. Her assignment this time had been the ordinary work of gathering herbs and recording them in words and drawings. But she had an extraordinary gift: she could sometimes sense danger and opportunity in her surroundings.
This time, she had sensed the danger early, allowing them to dodge the Bone-Rot Soldier Ants before they arrived. Even so, the ants had nearly caught them.
And now, she sensed a chance of survival in that glow.
"Come on. Let's go see."
Her companions from the Imperial Capital Academy all knew about her gift. At her words, they stopped worrying about what anyone else thought, united in their decision, and ran back the way they had come.
When they arrived, the sight before them left every one of them stunned.
The dome was crawling with black Bone-Rot Soldier Ants. They covered its once-transparent surface in an ominous black layer that made their skin crawl.
"Don't go near it!" The sight alone was sickening and terrifying.
The dome had stopped the Bone-Rot Soldier Ants from pursuing them. With their targets gone, the ants began attacking indiscriminately inside it. They slammed into the barrier while swarming toward the three remaining survivors,