As the massive tree ladder shattered, a cloud of dust rose into the air. High above, Goin continued to summon chaos insects as he flew around.

In the distance, the howls of the chaos insects could be heard. The sounds of students fending them off echoed. And the voices of the juniors doing their best rang out.

If only all these sounds had merged into a cacophony of noise. I might have been able to dismiss this situation more easily, but the desperate struggle of those fighting made it impossible to ignore.

Being able to hear so clearly was a problem. Right now, I wanted to focus on what was happening here.

I tapped my ears with my palms, trying to dampen the sensitivity of my hearing. The dust clogged my breath, but I kept tapping my ears because I couldn’t concentrate.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

A high-pitched ringing filled my ears.