Chapter 66: The First Letter (66)
Chapter 66: The First Letter (66)
The week of training under Professor Derek’s tutelage was grueling.
We had to prepare for every conceivable situation, and we took quite a few beatings under the pretext of keeping real combat in mind.
He was the type of person who believed that both the mind and body grew stronger the further they were pushed to their limits. From the very first day, Senior Elsie declared she was quitting, but unfortunately, she couldn't get off a ship that had already set sail.
Once you were on board, there were only two choices: sink and drown, or see it through to the end.
No one was going to choose the former. Senior Elsie was no exception. In the end, bolstered by my encouragement and the threat of my hand axe, she managed to complete the training somehow.
Celine and Seria, who were well aware of Professor Derek’s reputation, submitted to the training relatively obediently.
It was training meant to prepare us for hunting demonic beasts. It was obvious that there was no one better suited for the task than Professor Derek, a legendary former demonic beast hunter. No matter how difficult it was, it would be worth the effort.
However, even Celine and Seria had their doubts about one particular aspect. This wasn't Professor Derek’s fault, but my own.
When I asked Professor Derek to help with our training, I had made one special request.
“Could you conduct the training under the assumption that we are facing a single, powerful demonic beast?”
Professor Derek stared at me blankly for a moment, as if my condition was unexpected. Then, he asked me:
“How strong of a beast?”
“One strong enough to have a name.”
Professor Derek closed his eyes as if in thought, then nodded simply in agreement. He likely assumed I was just preparing for an extreme worst-case scenario.
In truth, that wasn't it. Facing a Named-class demonic beast was an immediate challenge I had to overcome—a future that was fast approaching.
And then, hell began. Named-class demonic beasts were monsters that transcended common sense. Not only were they physically powerful, but they were often born with all sorts of bizarre and mystical traits.
A week was an incredibly short amount of time. Even for a written exam, starting a week early is considered cramming. For physical training, where instinctive movements must be engraved through repetition, it was even shorter.
That was why I limited the conditions as much as possible—to maximize the effectiveness of the training in such a short period.
The unfortunate part was that I didn't know the specific characteristics of the beast we would face. There was only one piece of information about the beast in the letter.
‘The horn is its weakness.’
Beyond that, I knew nothing. Since the method of dealing with a demonic beast varies wildly depending on its traits, my head was bound to be a mess.
Part of me wanted to send a reply to that person named ‘Sepia,’ asking for more information.
But there was no way I possessed the ability to send a letter seven years into the future. I just had to be grateful that even this small amount of information had been provided.
If not for that, a catastrophe would have occurred at a festival where high-ranking officials from various countries were gathered.
If a Named-class demonic beast went on a rampage, far too many of the hundreds of students would be killed or injured. If the Academy had noticed, it might have been different, but this thing had been hiding in the forest for nearly a year.
It was bound to be an expert in stealth. We needed to be wary of an ambush.
However, this was a story limited to me, the one who knew the future. While I could just persuade Senior Elsie with my hand axe, Celine and Seria were different.
They questioned why the training was focused so heavily on a one-vs-many scenario rather than many-vs-many. In actual combat, any number of situations could arise.
For instance, the demonic beasts I had defeated before were like that. Those beasts, which had wolf-like traits, were accustomed to pack behavior. Although I had used Emma’s potions to ambush them, there were several times I had to face two at once.
The alpha wolf I fought back then was a high-ranking demonic beast. In fact, normally, catching a beast of that level in the Hunting Festival would guarantee a high ranking, and with a bit of luck, even a win.
No matter how rich Celine and Seria’s imaginations were, they couldn't predict a future where they would face a Named beast during the Hunting Festival. Nor could they understand why I was assuming only one specific case in a training session meant to prepare for the unpredictability of real combat.
To be honest, I didn't know if the Named-class demonic beast would appear with a pack or fight alone either. I had simply chosen the most likely possibility.
What if a Named-class demonic beast brought subordinates? Then there was no way to win, no matter what we did. There was only one chance.
The entire team working together to take down a lone Named-class demonic beast. That conclusion, which sounded like something out of a youth novel, was the only answer.
Seria seemed to accept it well enough because of her unwavering trust in me, but Celine was different. She had always been the type who couldn't stand having unanswered questions.
Celine asked me point-blank.
“Ian Oppa, why are we only doing this training?”
It was during a break in the middle of training. Even though it hadn't been long, Senior Elsie was already sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.
Celine and Seria were slightly better off, being swordsmen. They had been panting as if they were dying just a moment ago, but now their breathing had settled quite a bit.
Since I didn't have as much mana as those two, I needed more time to recover. Pouring water from a canteen over my sweat-soaked head, I glanced at Celine.
“...What?”
“I asked why we’re only doing this. Shouldn't we prepare for a wider variety of situations?”
Celine’s eyes looked exhausted as she dried her sweat-drenched hair with a towel. It was understandable that the repeated training felt grueling and tedious. However, the fact that Celine was asking this meant she still had some motivation.
It was a positive sign. Since she had decided to participate, it seemed she intended to do her best. I remained silent for a moment, considering my response.
Part of me wanted to tell them everything. Senior Elsie aside, I had built a certain level of trust with Celine and Seria. I was confident I could convince them if I spent all night explaining.
But it was impossible. I had tried several times, but it never worked. My words would always get distorted; I simply couldn't convey detailed information about the future.
There was only one thing I could say. With a faint smile, I spoke.
“...I had a prophetic dream.”
It was a statement that contained a grain of truth. Of course, the reaction wasn't great.
As if they had been bothered by Celine’s question as well, the looks Senior Elsie and Seria directed at me immediately turned skeptical.
Celine was no different. She crossed her arms and tapped her finger against her arm with a dissatisfied expression.
She was demanding a proper explanation. But even if I said more, it wouldn't get through anyway.
“Trust me, just this once.”
At my low voice, Celine eventually threw up her hands as if she had no choice.
“...You really are unfair.”
How could I not trust you, Ian Oppa?
Those words, which she had added afterward, still seemed to ring in my ears.
And the result of that trust was now revealing itself.
The scent of blood grew thicker with every step. While at first only I could smell it, now everyone could sense the pungent metallic stench stinging their noses.
The atmosphere grew heavy. We couldn't even see the scene yet, but the scent of blood was too intense. It meant that a massive amount of blood had been spilled.
At the very least, this was no easy opponent. Both Celine and Seria moved forward, warily scanning their surroundings. Senior Elsie’s expression was even more grave.
A faint voice escaped her small mouth.
“...Mana.”
It wasn't loud, but it was enough to draw everyone’s attention. A bizarre silence hung over the area.
Not even a cricket or a bird chirped. I had witnessed a scene like this once before.
When I hunted the high-ranking demonic beast in the Southern Forest, there had been no sign of life in the woods then, either.
Any living being yearns for life. They would have fled in search of it. That meant this was a place where death resided.
“I can feel traces of mana. The density is high.”
“Is a demonic beast being born?”
It was a cold, settled voice. The question came from Seria.
Surprisingly, her words didn't falter; they were smooth. This was thanks to my instruction for her to say whatever came to mind, lest communication issues arise.
In other words, Seria already considered this situation to be real combat. Senior Elsie, who had been sensing the mana with her eyes closed, let her blue eyes flash sharply again.
“No, that’s not it. If that were the case, there would be a rapid condensation of mana, but it’s quiet. It’s like a calm lake, full of water...”
The atmosphere grew even heavier. Her words meant only one thing.
The enemy waiting before us was drawing in mana.
Mana attracts mana. This was also why experts called ‘Masters’ could produce earth-shattering power with just a handful of mana. The higher the density, the more easily mana is drawn. And if the surroundings were filled with mana, it meant a significant mana source existed nearby.
In all likelihood, it was a demonic beast. Senior Elsie carefully drew the wand she had hanging at her waist.
“...Be careful. It’s strong.”
Even Senior Elsie, who had the most combat experience among us, had a stiff expression. She was someone who had survived the notoriously difficult internship dispatches of the fourth year multiple times. Even she was visibly tense.
The others were in a similar state. Celine swallowed hard and slowly moved her hand to her waist.
She was ready to draw her sword at any moment. Seria also scanned the surroundings with an even sharper gaze.
It was a short while later that our footsteps faltered.
“Corpses...”
The word escaped Celine’s mouth in a daze. They weren't human corpses. However, it was true that lumps of meat that were once living beings lay scattered about.
It was a sea of blood. Was there any other way to describe it? Every corpse had spilled a bucketful of blood, their abdomens sliced open to reveal their intestines.
From herbivores like deer and rabbits to the demonic beasts that had been released for today’s Hunting Festival, the variety was vast. All those different animals had lost their lives and were now on display in the exact same manner.
It was a sick hobby. The preferences of the high-ranking demonic beast I had hunted in the forest flashed through my mind.
That creature had also enjoyed spilling intestines like this. Back then, I thought it was just a disgusting trait originating from the beast’s aggression, but what if it wasn't?
What if it was something it had learned?
If so, it was highly likely it had learned it from its parent. Demonic beasts were animals, after all. And even animals possessed love for their offspring.
The rage of a parent who had lost a child was unimaginable.
We even stifled our breathing and concealed our presence. A faint light shone in the distance. It was a clearing. Both the scent of blood and the mana were most intense there.
Celine looked even more tense at the gruesome sight. As her body trembled slightly, I quietly placed a hand on her shoulder.
Her amber eyes, filled with a bit of fear, turned toward me. I gave her a silent nod, and only then did Celine begin to calm down little by little.
Next was real combat. The fewer variables, the better. With me in the lead, the four hunters slowly approached the clearing.
There, too, numerous corpses lay turned into spectacles with their intestines spilled. However, the difference between this clearing and the path leading to it was that these corpses were clearly of an extraordinary level.
There were demonic beasts that looked like bears, and others that looked like predators like lions or tigers. They were at least high-ranking demonic beasts. Yet, they had all been slaughtered.
By only one thing—that monster over there.
Gazes filled with shock and terror turned toward the massive figure. A wolf sat idly, tearing at the flesh of a demonic beast that must have once ruled a territory.
Its height alone looked to be well over three meters. I couldn't even understand how such a massive body could move between the trees. The wolf, pitch black as if the light had been erased from that spot alone, let out a yawn and slowly stood up.
Even its pupils were black. If not for the faint glimpse of the whites of its eyes, one might have thought it had no eyes at all. The wolf stared at us without a word.
We had tried to be stealthy, but it was impossible to deceive the animalistic instincts of that monster. It was a beast that left even Senior Elsie dazed. From the start, the plan to ambush it was useless.
The wolf let out a faint breath without saying anything. However, I could feel the smoldering madness in those eyes. That expectant, sadistic gaze.
Only then did I snap back to my senses. And I shouted.
“Prepare for battle!”
On the wolf’s forehead, a single sharp horn protruded.
It was our encounter with the demonic beast that would later be named the ‘Organ Collector.’