2024-11-20 10:05:17The air within the enchanted forest felt heavy and damp. Sunlight barely pierced through the canopy of towering trees, leaving behind shifting shadows that danced among the leaves.
Isaac tightened his grip on his dagger, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. His ears picked up faint footsteps—perhaps a wild animal… or something far worse.
"We need to keep moving," he whispered to Elara and the two other members of their group—a lanky young man named Nolan and a quiet girl named Seraphine.
Elara gave a quick nod, while Nolan swallowed hard. "Don't tell me you think something is following us..."
Isaac raised a hand, signaling for silence.
The atmosphere abruptly grew still—too still.
And that was never a good sign.
From past experience, he knew that when the sounds of birds and insects suddenly vanished, it meant a much larger predator was approaching.
But where?
Seraphine, who had been tense and silent all this time, finally spoke. "I... I feel like something is watching us."
Isaac heard the tremble in her voice. He could feel the same creeping fear, but he refused to show it.
"Stay alert," he murmured, shifting his stance, ready for a sudden attack.
Then, the bushes to their left rustled violently.
From behind the foliage, a pair of glowing yellow eyes locked onto them.
A massive, dark-furred beast with glistening fangs leaped forward with a guttural snarl.
"Damn it! That's a Dire Wolf!" Elara gasped, stumbling back, her eyes wide.
Isaac cursed internally. There was no way a Dire Wolf should be in this test area. This wasn’t just a simple survival test—someone had deliberately added a deadly threat.
"This isn't a coincidence."
Nolan's breaths came out ragged, his body trembling slightly. "W-what do we do?"
Isaac's mind raced. Fighting a monster like this head-on wasn't wise, especially with their limited equipment.
"We need to split its attention," he said quickly. "I'll draw it to the right. When I give the signal, attack from the sides."
"Wait, that's too dangerous!" Elara protested, her eyes flashing with concern.
Isaac gave a small smirk. "Our chances are better if we work together."
Without waiting for further argument, he sprinted to the right, brandishing his dagger.
"Not so fast, ugly mutt!" he taunted.
The Dire Wolf let out a furious growl and lunged straight at him.
Isaac dodged nimbly, his body nearly grazing the ground before twisting and hurling a stone toward the beast's eye.
The Dire Wolf roared in pain, momentarily distracted.
"NOW!" Isaac shouted.
Elara fired an ice spell, freezing part of the wolf’s leg, while Seraphine leaped in with her dagger, plunging it into the creature’s side.
The wolf thrashed wildly, but the wound was deep.
Isaac saw the opening and moved swiftly. With a precise motion, he drove his dagger straight into the monster’s throat, pushing it deep until hot blood gushed out.
The beast let out one final growl before collapsing, shivering briefly—then going still.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Nolan exhaled sharply, almost as if he wanted to cry.
"We... we actually did it?" he whispered in disbelief.
Isaac nodded, though his pulse was still pounding. "Yeah. But this is only the beginning."
Elara glanced at the dead Dire Wolf with unease. "Isaac, you realize this, right? This wasn't part of the test. Someone put it here on purpose."
Isaac met her gaze, his expression serious. "I know. And I intend to find out who."
Three days passed in relentless tension. They faced various obstacles—from natural traps to suspicious monster attacks.
But in the end, they survived and returned to the academy unharmed.
As they stepped into the main courtyard, all eyes turned toward them.
"They must have thought I’d die in that forest."
Apparently, many other groups had failed this test. Some had even required rescue from the professors.
"How did they come back without serious injuries?"
"Impossible… Isaac’s group actually survived?"
Whispers spread like wildfire.
Among the crowd, Darren von Luxford glared at Isaac with a dark expression.
"That brat… why does he always come back stronger?"
Meanwhile, Professor Valdor stood at the edge of the hall, his gaze sharp, clearly displeased by this outcome.
Isaac smirked slightly, then stepped forward with confidence.
"That was an interesting test," he said, loud enough for a few people to hear. "But unfortunately, it seems some things… were not according to procedure."
The professors exchanged glances, while several noble students paled.
Isaac looked straight at the ones who appeared most nervous and gave a cold smile.
"I’ll find out who tried to get rid of me. And when the time comes… they’ll regret it."
Inside a dimly lit chamber with dark marble walls, the flickering glow of magical candles cast eerie shadows over a long wooden table. Seated around it were not just ordinary students—they were heirs of the most powerful noble families in the academy. And they had gathered with one purpose.
"Isaac Ackerman is becoming a serious threat," Darren von Luxford's sharp voice cut through the silence. His blue eyes narrowed with hatred. "If we don’t act now, he’ll rise even further."
Beside him, a silver-haired girl, Celeste Ravenshire, crossed her arms. "You said he should’ve died during the survival test, Darren. Yet, here he is, returning as the victor."
Darren clenched his jaw. "Someone must have helped him. There’s no way a lowborn like him could have survived a Dire Wolf without external aid!"
At the far end of the table, a dark-haired young man with piercing eyes, Lucian von Drazel, smirked. Unlike the others, he remained composed, almost as if he were enjoying the show.
"You're all forgetting one thing," Lucian said, tapping his fingers rhythmically against the table. "Isaac isn’t just some lucky commoner. He’s not like those who can be broken by mere intimidation."
Darren scoffed. "So, what? You think we should let him run free?"
Lucian leaned forward, his gaze fixed on Darren with interest. "No. I want to test him further. You see, I enjoy playing chess with worthy opponents."
Celeste raised an eyebrow. "And what if he proves to be too strong?"
Lucian's smirk widened, his silver eyes gleaming under the candlelight. "Then we’ll make sure he never reaches the endgame."
Meanwhile, in the dormitory for regular students, Isaac sat by the window, staring at the cloudy night sky. A cold breeze fluttered through the thin curtains, making the candle on his desk flicker.
"They’re going to escalate things after this."
He knew surviving the test would only earn him more enemies. The academy was not just a place to learn magic—it was a battlefield of politics and power.
A soft knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.
Isaac walked over and opened it to find Elara standing there, looking tense.
"There’s something you need to know," she said quickly.
Isaac raised an eyebrow. "Come in."
Once the door was shut, Elara stepped closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "I overheard something in the library earlier. Some students from the Luxford faction were talking about you."
Isaac folded his arms, his gaze sharp. "What are they planning?"
"They're trying to contact someone outside the academy," Elara said, her voice tight. "Someone who can eliminate you without drawing suspicion."
Isaac fell silent for a moment, his mind racing.
"This is bigger than I thought."
"So they really do want to get rid of me, huh?" he finally said, a faint smirk forming on his lips.
Elara looked at him, frustration evident in her eyes. "Isaac, this isn’t just a game anymore. They might be planning to kill you!"
Isaac met her gaze, reading the genuine concern in her expression. "I’ve been ready for this from the start, Elara. But I won’t just sit back and take it. I’ll strike back."
Elara sighed, shaking her head. "I should’ve known you’d say that."
Isaac chuckled softly before turning back to the window.
"If they think I’ll just stand by and let them take me down, they’re gravely mistaken."
The next day, in the academy’s training grounds, Isaac could feel the weight of piercing stares at his back.
When he turned around, his eyes landed on a tall young man with sleek black hair and cold silver eyes, walking toward him with calculated steps.
Lucian von Drazel.
One of the strongest students in the academy.
Isaac noticed something in the way Lucian moved—calm, measured, like a predator studying its prey.
Lucian stopped a few steps away, a faint smirk on his lips. "Isaac Ackerman, we finally meet."
Isaac met his gaze without flinching. "Lucian von Drazel. I figured we’d cross paths sooner or later."
Lucian crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. "You’ve caught a lot of attention, you know? Including mine."
Isaac tilted his head slightly, analyzing the man before him. "And what do you plan to do with that attention?"
Lucian chuckled lightly. "I want to see if you’re truly the threat they claim you are… or just another pawn being played by fate."
Isaac smirked. "I prefer to think of myself as a player in this game."
Lucian’s eyes narrowed slightly before he stepped closer. "Good. Because the game has only just begun."
The air between them shifted. Their conversation wasn’t just words—it was a mental battle, a test of wills.
"He’s different from the others."
Lucian finally took a step back, his gaze lingering on Isaac as if engraving his image into memory.
"We’ll meet again, Isaac," he said before turning and walking away.
Isaac watched him disappear into the crowd.
"It seems I’ve finally met my true opponent."
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Gerimis turun perlahan di atap gudang tua, yang kini menjadi lokasi pertemuan rahasia Isaac. Di dalam, suasana dipenuhi ketegangan halus, diterangi oleh cahaya redup lentera ajaib di dinding bata. Empat sosok berdiri terpisah, masing-masing memancarkan aura misterius yang terasa berat di udara.Isaac, mengenakan jubah hitam dengan tudung yang menutupi sebagian besar wajahnya, berdiri di tengah ruangan, dengan lengan disilangkan. Matanya yang tajam mengamati setiap wajah, mencoba memahami maksud mereka."Mereka semua menyimpan dendam, tetapi apakah itu cukup untuk membuat mereka dapat dipercaya?" pikir Isaac, napasnya teratur dan terukur.Seorang pria kekar dengan bekas luka di lehernya melangkah maju, suaranya serak. "Mengapa kami harus percaya padamu? Banyak orang datang dengan janji-janji, hanya untuk memanfaatkan kami demi keuntungan mereka sendiri."Isaac menatapnya, tanpa ragu. "Aku tidak meminta kepercayaanmu, Rogar. Aku menawarkan kesempatan untuk menghancurkan musuh yang telah
Episode 36: The Secret Organization
Angin malam menderu kencang, membawa aroma lembap dan metalik dari jalan-jalan sempit di kota tua. Isaac berdiri di bawah bayang-bayang jembatan batu yang gelap, jubah hitamnya berkibar ringan tertiup angin. Di depannya tampak sebuah pintu besar, ditandai dengan lingkaran yang tidak sempurna—satu-satunya petunjuk dari "Perintah Kelupaan.""Organisasi rahasia," pikir Isaac, tatapannya tertuju pada simbol itu. "Tapi cukup ceroboh untuk membiarkan energi jahat mereka terpancar begitu terang-terangan."Dengan jentikan tangannya, ia merapal mantra ilusi untuk menutupi auranya. Sebuah bola energi gelap membungkusnya sebentar sebelum masuk ke dalam kulitnya. Jubah gelapnya kini tampak usang dan compang-camping, mempertegas kedok seorang penyihir gelap tingkat rendah.Saat pintu berat itu berderit terbuka, Isaac menundukkan kepalanya, membiarkan bayangan menutupi sebagian besar wajahnya. Di dalam, ruangan yang remang-remang itu diterangi oleh obor-obor yang berkelap-kelip yang dipasang di dind
