Right now, the defense weapons of the academy were firing up in full force against the beast. And at the same time, the protective array around the academy buildings were also activated. The invasion protocol was activated, which meant that the normal pool of energy the academy utilized to keep it running was being redistributed - into the defense weapons as well as the core protective arrays that were placed around the main buildings. Also, per the command of Professor Barnes, the array around the area of the main campus, which restricted the use of portals was heavily boosted in order to restrict the movement of the beast, thus much more energy was flowing into it than usual.

This meant that the arrays that were previously placed around the academy for other non-battle related purposes, like the array that will scan and log the identities of those who come in and out of the academy due to the lockdown, were now being stripped of their energy sources and temporarily rendered powerless and thus useless.

This meant different things for different people. For those in the battle, they wanted this, and they would squeeze more out of the energy pool if they could; for those maintaining and operating the arrays, this meant that they are in emergency mode, they had to operate in high efficiency and accuracy, in order to make sure that the academy would survive the battle; for those who already had reasons to leave the academy but had been waiting for a chance, for example, those on the payroll of factions and groups that were somehow in the shadows and wanted different things from the academy in illicit ways, or those who feared that their lives might be in grave danger if they stayed for any longer, this would be their chance.

Jason sent a metal bug to take a look at the battle, and saw that the beast was still in the air trying all it can to dodge the attacks from the academy defense weapons, and pretty quickly he could tell that they had a really good chance to make it to the Anderson Plaza and meet with their escort, so he immediately turned to Caroline, Thomas and Aimee: “Let’s go now!”

“Hey!? What do you think you’re doing?!” before they headed out, a faculty member tried to stop them: “You can’t go out! It’s not safe out there!”

“Sorry, we have to leave.” Caroline looked back and said: “It’s not safe here for us either.”

The four students left the shelter under the common building in a hurry, and rushed towards the Anderson Plaza on foot - normally they would ask Mica to send them, but right now they already instinctively knew that a vanity feature like Mica would not be functional under this kind of circumstances.

When they burst out of their shelter, they also saw some other groups of people rushing towards the same direction. Some of them were students wearing luxury robes and armors, some of them were school faculty members, including researchers, custodians and even lecturers and Assistant Professors.

Caroline looked at Jason with a concerned look, and saw that Jason also looked at her the same way - they were fully aware that they had to leave because of personal safety, and they would assume that those students in luxury clothing were probably leaving because they were looking for their families to take them back. But when looking at these faculty members - they couldn’t help but suspect if they were also spies that infiltrated the academy, and right now they were just taking advantage of the chaos.

Yet they did not have the chance to verify these suspicions, because they were on the run themselves. When they ran past the decorative trees and fountains, they already saw a couple of enchanted vehicles left through the air.

“Where’s our extraction?” Thomas asked as they got to the Anderson Plaza and found that there were no vehicles waiting for them.

“She said they’re en route, and should be here any minute.” Jason answered.

“Boom!” an energy bolt shot by a very modern-looking energy gun on top of the building of Anderson House struck true on the beast’s body, and the monster fell onto the ground not terribly far from the Anderson Plaza.

“Hold up there.” just this minute, a man’s voice came from behind.

All four students turned around and saw two men behind them, one in a dark green robe and holding a small wooden wand, and the other one was in a suit of dark grey armor and holding a short and curved sword.

“And who are you?” Caroline clenched her fist on her red and orange crystal ball.

“That’s not your concern.” the man with the wand said.

“I am still very concerned nonetheless.” Jason said with a tired smile: “Are you gonna attack us on academy ground? At least let us know who the hell you are?”

“Give us the key now.” the man with a short sword said: “And there won’t be any issues.”

“What key?” Thomas scoffed and said: “Caroline, Jason, do you have something you’re not telling us?”

The man with a wound shot a dark green energy bolt at Caroline and Jason’s feet and blew off a piece of brick and spoke through his teeth: “Not another word of bullshit, give us the key, now! Or you will NOT live to speak another word!”

“Woah woah woah.” Caroline raised her hand and said: “Please don’t hurt us, we don’t know anything about a key - please!”

The man with a wand opened fire with his wand again, but this time a translucent red and orange shield appeared right in front of him which caused his energy bolt to blow up just inches away from him.

“Fuck!” the man with a wand backed off a few steps, and the man with a curved sword lunged towards Jason in a curved path, leaving a string of images behind him and with his sword aiming at Jason’s chest.

“Ting!” Jason conjured up his pen-spear and collided with the man’s edge, then both of them kicked each other in the abdomen and thus sent each other backwards.

“Aimee, Thomas, hide!”  Caroline deflected another attack spell from the man with her axe and yelled.

Thomas and Aimee tried but they were unable to, as a third man flew down from the sky and pointed his staff at them.