Chapter 112

The outskirts of the Chaos Forest refer to areas not maintained by the Academy, meaning places where monsters or beasts roam around.

The forest designated for exams or practices is managed by the Academy, where dangerous creatures rarely appear.

That’s why the Academy has mobilized in force to clean up the outskirts. If it affects the Examination Ground, it could lead to quite a few problems.

More importantly, even just the outskirts of the Chaos Forest boast an enormous scale. Given the sheer size of the Academy, the forest is also vast.

You might question whether that makes it hard to manage. The Academy is well aware of this and has deployed various facilities.

From walls that most monsters can’t breach, to magical techniques and machines, not to mention patrolling guards, etc.

These measures are sufficient, but most living beings tend to be drawn towards the densely magical areas within. The Academy is entirely uninterested in that.

However, the sheer number and variety of creatures pushed out to the outskirts means the Academy has no choice but to remain vigilant.

“Isn’t that an Ogre?”

“It looks like it, but why is it blue?”

Among the teams spread throughout the outskirts was Luna’s group. They discovered signs of a blue-skinned ogre lying dead.

The overall appearance was just a typical ogre. But usually, ogres have skin colors more akin to humans.

As everyone pondered the identity of this creature they had never seen before, only one person immediately figured it out.

“It’s a creature from the northern region. How did it get all the way here?”

Sara, who hailed from the famously cold north, was the only one able to identify the type of ogre.

Instead of her usual cold expression, she wore one filled with wonder.

Curious about her reaction, Luna, who was investigating alongside her, cautiously asked, “Do ogres change color by region?”

“Not just ogres, but all creatures do. Moreover, most have resistances suitable for their regional weather. This ogre is very resistant to cold, while it is weak against fire.”

Being from the north, she had a keen understanding of the ogre’s weaknesses. Hearing this explanation only puzzled Luna further.

From what she knew, the north was far from the Academy. Yet, this ogre had made it to the outskirts.

“Isn’t the north quite far from the Academy?”

“Yes, it is. But if one were to pass through the Chaos Forest, it would be a different story. The Chaos Forest is connected to climates from all regions except for the desert.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Even scholars don’t know, that’s why it’s called the Chaos Forest.”

Why on earth did the hero decide to build the Academy here? Luna found it completely incomprehensible.

Thankfully, civilization had developed to this extent over time; in its early days, countless incidents must have occurred.

Moreover, there had been cases of people entering the forest and never returning. In every aspect, the forest remained a dangerous place.

“It seems we stumbled upon the forest’s entrance quite by chance. But it’s been pushed to the outskirts and has been sliced in half…”

Luna silently listened to Sara’s words. The ogre was in a state where its waist had been cleanly severed.

This meant its upper and lower halves were separate, spilling its innards out. Just the sight of it was enough to wrinkle anyone’s nose.

Fortunately, Luna had witnessed many monster and animal corpses even before entering the Academy, so it didn’t faze her.

The other students were the same. Although their expressions showed signs of discomfort, no one vomited or anything.

“Could it be that the monster that killed the ogre has entered the interior?”

“Considering the time, that’s entirely possible. But we must also consider the possibility of that monster bursting back out to the outskirts.”

Just as the name “Chaos” suggests, it’s not unusual for a variety of monsters to appear. Sara began to jot down her findings in a notebook.

Meanwhile, Luna looked around. Being on the outskirts, the forest itself appeared completely ordinary.

The interior was similar. From the one time she had entered, the interior was no different from an ordinary forest.

Even so, the sheer influence for an ogre from the north to come this far struck Luna as peculiar.

“Can it adapt when the environment is completely different?”

That was the thought that surfaced after hearing Sara’s explanation. Monsters and animals each have specific habits.

Some creatures prefer humid environments, while others favor dry ones.

In most cases, they don’t try to leave that environment. They tend to live their lives where they were born.

Migratory birds are similar. Although they travel to different regions depending on the season, they never stray from their natural habits.

“Professor, may I ask a question?”

“Questions are always welcome. What is it?”

“Why are monsters and beasts drawn into the Chaos Forest? Normally, it’s natural to avoid an entirely different environment.”

“That’s a great question.”

Sara closed her notebook and wore a calm smile. It was a look that suggested she appreciated the question.

She then called the students and informed them that they would be leaving the scene. Staying too long could attract more monsters.

“As you said, most animals don’t stray from the environment they were born and raised in. This creates habits, after all.”

Luna’s team started moving away from the ogre. The ogre would soon be dealt with by a beast.

“But the Chaos Forest is different. The abundance of magic means there’s plenty of food. All animals will do whatever it takes to fill their bellies.”

“Just for food? That’s a bit…”

“Luna, my dear.”

“Yes?”

At Luna’s puzzled reaction, Sara spoke to her in a serious tone.

“And remember this: we humans often wage wars over food. To survive, access to food is essential.”

“··· ···”

Luna recalled her village, which was self-sustaining through various means like farming.

But during a famine, food would be woefully scarce. Although they buy food from outside, the meals inevitably become meager.

How much worse would it be in the frigid north, which boasted harsh winters all year round? As if reading her thoughts, Sara shared a bit of history from her homeland, Frozen.

“Frozen lacked so much food that they resorted to raiding. Fortunately, many rare ores were discovered, allowing the establishment of a nation. If food had been plentiful, they wouldn’t have resorted to robbery at all.”

“Just like Tartar, huh?”

“Yes. It’s no exaggeration to say that all conflicts between beings, not just humans, originate from food. Thankfully, humans can somewhat resolve food shortages through farming, but the wilderness cannot.”

Farming is both the alpha and omega of civilization. Without farming, humans would have lived no differently than any other beast.

Among all beings, one can only operate properly when their belly is full, and they become unreasonably savage when starved.

Thus, it’s only natural for them to be drawn to the food-rich Chaos Forest.

“The gathering of predatory creatures is also due to this. Predators require ample food, and the Chaos Forest provides that. It might even be abundant beyond satisfaction.”

“Then…?”

Luna thought for a moment. It wouldn’t be odd for predators that were strong from the beginning to become even stronger.

But what about prey, particularly weak creatures like squirrels? How did Ratatosk grow stronger?

At least Sivar had been human, giving him high growth potential, but Ratatosk was a mystery.

“Can prey also get stronger?”

“Even outside of the Chaos Forest, that’s possible. The Chaos Forest just amplifies the frequency. I’ve even heard stories of squirrels defeating bears in the past.”

That’s not just a rumor; it’s the truth. It seems it’s treated as rumor because it sounds too unbelievable.

“The wilderness isn’t about the strong surviving, but rather the survivors becoming strong. Just like how humans become stronger after overcoming crises, the same holds true for animals. The energy needed to overcome such crises is abundantly provided by the Chaos Forest. If this continues, prey can also become predators.”

“I see. In the end, it comes back to food being the most important factor.”

“Well noted. Sivar must have gone through this process to become the top predator.”

It appeared that even the professors ascribed the current chaos in the Chaos Forest to Sivar’s absence. In reality, it was due to both Sivar and Porori being missing.

Not just one but two individuals gone, having divided their territory. The absence of both had a significant butterfly effect.

“However, it’s a bit strange. Wouldn’t the absence of just one predator not incite such chaos? The competition within the food chain seems unusually intense.”

“Are you saying it wasn’t as bad as this before?”

“There have been times when monsters encroached on the outskirts, but it was an uncommon occurrence. Although it has been quiet the last few years, it wasn’t this severe in the past. Yet the records show that the number of encroachments wasn’t this high.”

The traces Luna’s team had discovered easily exceeded ten. Various monsters and animals, including the ogre.

One might even find one every five minutes. There were far too many monsters pushed to the outskirts.

‘So it’s really because of those two.’

The territories, once split in two, had now been united due to the absence of their kings. And now, the opportunity to monopolize this unified territory had arrived.

Who could honestly resist such a rare chance at claiming extensive land?

“We must also consider the possibility that Sivar dealt with the predator directly beneath him before coming here. I’ll need to ask later.”

“··· ···”

There had been a squirrel that was not a predator but a rival. Currently, that squirrel was working alongside them as a spirit creature.

Luna barely managed to swallow the words that had risen to her throat. If this report were to reach Rod, he’d likely catch on immediately.

For the time being, entering the Chaos Forest seemed nearly impossible. Deep within was out of the question.

“Huh? What’s that?”

“Right? It looks like a beast I’ve never seen before.”

Just as Luna was making a sardonic smile in her thoughts, it seemed like the students following behind had discovered something.

Both Luna and Sara turned their heads to look. Three students were huddled together, examining something.

“Kuuuu······!”

“Do any of you know what this is?”

“I don’t. It looks incredibly hard.”

“Let’s keep our distance just in case.”

The creature, about the size of a calf, was covered in a hard exterior, showcasing its toughness.

To support its heavy frame, its four legs were thick and robust, like pillars.

Lastly, two blades protruded from the area connecting its face and body, resembling arms.

Its appearance conjured the image of a giant beast that could belong in some outer space war.

“Get back quickly! It’s a baby Usuk!”

“What?”

As the students hesitated at its unfamiliar appearance, Sara, who recognized it late, yelled out in urgency.

Before the students could react to her warning,

“Kuaa!”

Unfortunately, the beast, called an Usuk, seemed to have already been excessively stimulated.

The baby Usuk let out a roar towards the sky instead of charging forward. It was a loud and powerful call, as if it was summoning someone.

Hearing that roar, Sara’s face turned pale. That was quite an unusual reaction for someone who usually kept a straight face.

She quickly composed herself and gave instructions to the students.

“All of you, return to the Academy! Don’t look back and run…!”

Before she could finish her command,

-Kuuuuuu!!

In response to the earlier baby’s cry, a massive roar erupted that shook the entire forest.

So loud that even the birds within the forest were startled and soared high into the sky; it was akin to a ship’s horn.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Following the roar, the ground began to tremble as if an earthquake had struck. As soon as Luna felt the vibrations, she was taken aback.

Just someone approaching could make the entire ground shake. How massive and heavy must this creature be?

But now wasn’t the time to assess the situation. Having heard Sara’s instructions, fleeing was the best option.

Crack! Crack! Crash!

The issue was that the mother of the baby was approaching even faster. As soon as Sara heard the sound of trees breaking, she immediately unsheathed her sword.

In the meantime, the baby bolted in the direction from whence the mother was coming. Contrary to its heavy appearance, it moved surprisingly quickly.

Crash!

Just as Sara gathered the students, the mother of the baby burst forth, destroying trees in the forest.

“What, what is that…?!”

“Will a sword even work on it?”

“Hmm…?”

The mother was much larger than the baby and had even longer blades. Unlike the cute baby, it had a fearsome appearance.

It looked more like a monster than a beast. Just being crushed under those thick legs would be fatal.

“Kuu! Ku!”

“Ker-rrr…!”

What was fortunate was that the mother, having found her baby, didn’t attack recklessly. It appeared to prioritize the safety of the baby.

Sara swallowed hard, her face tense. It was clear that she recognized how formidable the Usuk was.

She then whispered so only the students could hear.

“Usuk won’t attack unless provoked first. Let’s slowly back away.”

“Is taking it down impossible?”

That was Luna’s question. Despite its tough exterior that seemed made of skin or gloves, it didn’t seem impossible to take it down entirely.

But that would be a gross miscalculation. Sara, rarely reprimanding her, began explaining her reason for retreat.

“Unless you want to end up like that ogre that got sliced in half earlier. Plus, it’s nearly impossible to cut through that tough exterior without shattering it. Only someone like the principal could manage it.”

“··· ···”

“Thus, it’s better for us to back away before we suffer unnecessary damage…”

Before Sara could finish, the mother Usuk began to lower its guard as Luna’s team started to step back.

However, that caution escalated into an intense situation when…

Crash!

A lone axe came flying in, embedding itself near the mother Usuk’s head.

And not just any axe, but one imbued with Red Lightning. The owner of that axe was all too obvious.

“What the crazy kid…!”

A curse slipped from Sara’s lips as she witnessed the scene.

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