Warrior Training System-Chapter 292: Too Many to Be Natural

Though he remained calm, even Cassian was puzzled by the sheer number of these furry rats. Even if they lived nearby, there shouldn't be this many in one place—and why were there no other monsters around?

Hearing Althea mention underground tunnels, which were common travel routes for creatures like these, he asked, "Does everyone agree with Althea's theory? Where are they coming from?"

The group fell silent, each considering another possible explanation. Wanni was the first to speak. "I think she's right. There's no other reason besides a massive den hidden somewhere nearby, which would still fit with her theory."

"Yeah," Robert added, "unless the people ahead are actually letting them pass on purpose. I don't know why they'd do that, but if they are, I hate them for making me fight these filthy, stinking things."

The other three nodded in agreement as Cassian said, "Then let's search for it and also check if the other units in this area are facing the same problem."

The terrain they were assigned to was somewhat mountainous, covered in dense, lush greenery with scattered rocky formations. Open spaces were few, and small water bodies dotted the landscape, making it difficult to locate an underground cavity or tunnel-like structure without thoroughly scouting the entire area.

However, thanks to these filthy creatures leaving their feces everywhere, finding their den wouldn't be too difficult—if one existed nearby.

But before they could begin their search, another swarm of rat monsters was already on its way.

Cassian sighed, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "Just take a break. I'll handle them."

He wasn't in the mood to drag this out any longer. Like Robert, he despised these filthy, disease-ridden creatures. The sooner he wiped them out, the sooner they could move on to the real problem—the source of these endless waves.

It would have been better for the unit to fight, giving them valuable combat experience—which was Cassian's original intention. However, there wasn't much to gain from battling these creatures, aside from learning how to conserve energy in prolonged fights. That lesson would have been useful if their opponents were stronger—but these dog-sized rats hardly posed a real challenge.

Without waiting for objections, Cassian stepped forward, his aura shifting as mana surged through his body, the red domain covering his body.

The rats, screeching and snapping their yellowed teeth, lunged toward him. Cassian moved.

To an outsider, it might have looked like he vanished. But in reality, he had simply accelerated, his movements so fast that the human eye struggled to follow. His sword appeared in his hand, flashing through the air in a wide arc—one clean stroke.

Silence.

Then—bodies split apart mid-air, blood spraying in arcs before the rats even realized they were dead. The entire swarm collapsed, torn to shreds in an instant.

But it wasn't just the rats. Along the path of Cassian's wide strike, several trees were cleaved clean through, their trunks sliding apart before crashing to the ground. Even some nearby rocks were split in half or completely obliterated, leaving jagged remains behind.

His unit stood frozen, staring in disbelief. It was the first time they had witnessed his true power—the strength of a genuine Circle Warrior. Even though he was only a First Circle, the sheer force of his attack was beyond anything they had imagined.

For them—mere normal humans who had never seen Circle Warriors battle—it was nothing short of overwhelming.

Cassian exhaled, shaking the blood from his blade before sheathing it. "Alright. Now, let's find that damn tunnel."

"Bastard! Why the hell didn't you do that from the start? Why make us kill these filthy creatures ourselves and get drenched in their disgusting blood?!" Robert yelled, grinning wide despite his angry tone.

The others chuckled, nodding in agreement. After hours of exhausting rat fights, seeing Cassian wipe out an entire swarm in a single strike felt almost insulting.

Cassian smirked, sliding his sword back into its sheath. "Because I wanted you all to get some real battle experience."

He walked over to his horse and added, "And I could only do that because it was my all-out strike..."

It was true—he had pushed his domain to its fullest with that attack. But he could have ended things even faster if he used that red blade and the war armor. Of course, he wouldn't use them unless absolutely necessary—if his life or one of his friends' was in danger.

And it was better they didn't know about it. Only Cassandra and the one who had given it to him knew—and he intended to keep it that way.