In a forest shrouded by the dim light of dusk, a group of scattered individuals stood frozen, their gazes locked in a singular direction. Their fear was palpable, almost tangible in the stillness of the air.“It’s all my fault… What have I done?” Ramond’s voice trembled as his wide, fearful eyes remained glued to the figures emerging from the ominous magic circle.Nearby, Ave broke into a dry, almost maniacal laugh. “And to think I dreamed of living a long life. Hey, Scry! Guess you were right after all —except we’re all in this together.”Scry, however, did not respond. His focus was solely on the source of their terror.Standing before them were two hulking, primate-like beasts with sinewy limbs and charcoal-gray fur. Each moved with primal grace, their elongated arms ending in obsidian claws. Faintly glowing red eyes peered menacingly from beneath heavy brows, and jagged bony ridges along their spines pulsed with an eerie light. These were unmistakably C-rank beasts, terrifying eno
“We made it in time.”The group looked around to notice that another group of three adults had joined them. They were part of the team in charge of this raid.Not long ago, they received a distress call from the main base at camp and came as quickly as they could.Thankfully, from what they could observe, no one was killed yet. It would’ve been the other way round if they arrived even a second late.“SIGH! It would’ve been bad on our part if someone from the Royal Academy was killed like this in a raid,” one of them, a young man with short black hair and blue eyes, voiced out.Another with long brown hair and brown eyes nodded.They didn’t seem too bothered by the beats in front of them. “Shadowapes huh? You can rest now. We’ll take it from here.”These words brought relieve to the students as tears fell from Ramond eyes.The forest erupted into chaos as the two Shadowapes charged forward, their hulkin
The ash humanoid figure stood still despite all that had happened.“I guess we’ll have to finish up,” the brown haired man said, preparing for their next confrontation. This ash figure was definitely on a different level, that the beasts they just handled.“It’s not going to be easy. That thing isn’t a beast. It would be a problem if it has decent intellect,” the black haired man voiced out observing the creature. “No,” a voice came from behind them. “Leave this one to me.”This voice belonged to the third person and leader of their team, who has been silently standing on a tree all this time. His gaze fixed on the humanoid figure. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he had an idea. And what better way go confirm than an exchange of fists. He was actually itching to test himself against it. His feelings showing faintly in his almost neutral eyes.“If you say so, boss.”With this, the two men went beside the students to ensure they won’t be caught in the crossfire. “Now,” he said, takin
Everyone stared at the bald man because of the words he just uttered.“Unfortunately, this fight has come to an end. I’ve figured out your secret.”‘It has one?’ Rhea wondered; she couldn’t even think straight, much less discover something like this.“I’m sure you all know that it isn’t a beast. That thing is the creation of a mage using rune magic. It must’ve taken a very powerful mage to create one with this level of strength. But it has a weakness.”“As expected,” the brown-haired man chuckled.With an aura of confidence, the bald-haired man took a stance while inhaling slowly. Vwooooommmmmm!!!They both charged at each otherThe ash figure lunged again, its claws slicing through the air with deadly precision. The bald man deflected the blow with his staff, his breaths coming slightly heavier now, though his sharp eyes stayed focused. He noticed it again—a faint flicker along the glowing blue runes that covered its body. Most of the inscriptions dimmed momentarily when the figure
“Guys!!!” Sonra and Caitlyn, among the six who arrived with Professor Verone, sprinted toward their party members. Relief washed over their faces, though it was mixed with worry. When Verone informed them of the danger their friends faced, they feared the worst. Miraculously, despite the odds, everyone was alive. Tears glistened in Caitlyn's eyes as she embraced Rhea. “You’re okay! I thought…” “I know,” Rhea said softly, exhaustion evident in her voice. “We’re still here.” The reunion was bittersweet, shadowed by the looming threat. While the students exchanged hurried words of relief, the adults gathered nearby, their attention already on the remnants of the battle. Professor Verone addressed the bald man in their group. “Did you discover anything?” “Where’s Japh?” the bald man demanded brusquely. “He’s unavailable,” Verone replied calmly. “I’m in charge. Report to me.” The bald man gave her a brief nod, then explained the details of the creature they had encountered. As he sp
The crumbling walls of the abandoned city wrapped around them like a grave, the air heavy with silence. Art and Asura sat across from each other in the hollow of a shattered building, their exhaustion palpable. The faint glow from the top filtered through cracks in the ceiling, casting soft light over their battered forms.It seemed that night was upon them since it was slowly getting darker.Art leaned back against the cold stone wall, his breathing finally steadying. He glanced at Asura, who sat with her knees drawn up, frost still clinging faintly to her fingertips. The way the light touched her pale skin and the shadows danced in her lilac-white hair made her look ethereal, even now. Even though she was pretty messy. “You weren’t bad out there. We’re just outmatched,” Art said, breaking the quiet.Asura blinked, caught off guard. Her gaze shifted to him, studying his face. “Outmatched huh?” she repeated, tilting her head slightly.He nodded. “Most people would’ve folded under tha
A young man about 23 years old could be seen standing in the middle of several people who lay lifeless in a pool of blood. It was deep in the night and such a sight would be both terrible and frightening to a normal person, but this was a desolate area so there was no one to notice what had happened here.He was also covered in blood belonging to both him and the people on the ground as he used the remaining consciousness he had left to stare at the woman who he had fallen in love with and even wanted to marry.She had betrayed him by handing him over to the people who sought after his life the most. His family was very wealthy and influential, striking fear in almost anyone who heard of them, but what most people didn't know was that there was an internal war going on between his father and his uncle. He wasn’t interested in all this but always stayed on his toes because he was the first son of his father making him the heir.But today he had gone on a date with his fiancé, ending
His eyes flickered for some time before finally opening. His vision was blurry at first but it took only a few seconds to get clear.‘Where am I?’ he said internally while slowly gazing around the luxurious room where he lay. The bed he was lying on was so comfortable that he felt like going back to sleep but when he remembered his death along with the strange voice and screen, his eyes widened as he immediately sat up. He observed the room in more detail. The style and design were like that of an 18th-century royalty but the materials used were something the 21st century could only wish for.The windows were wide open and he could hear some clanging sounds coming from outside.The air he was breathing was much purer than his former world.Before he could dwell further in his thoughts, the golden screen which had appeared after his death, materialized once more in front of him.He moved slightly backward due to shock before reading what was written.[Congratulations! Host has succe