Chapter 288

While preparations for the anniversary festival were in full swing, Luna was busy checking out various spots in the event area.

She needed to assess the layout in advance to plan smoothly for the future and, more importantly, potentially spot any demons that might show up.

People seemed completely oblivious to the fact that a demon was planning to attack the Academy, all smiles as they busily prepared for the festivities.

Who would believe in such a scenario anyway? If someone shouted that demons would come knocking, they’d probably be labeled as crazy.

‘There’s a slight chance I’m picking up on some signs, though.’

The signs refer to the Chaos Forest. It was almost a year since the ban on entering the Chaos Forest had been issued.

Initially, it was supposed to be lifted at some point, but that plan fell apart due to the demon’s appearance. Yet, Rod kept this under wraps.

If things got too chaotic, the demon side might alter their plans. So, sacrifices seemed unavoidable.

‘It’s unfortunate that sacrifices have to happen…’

The phrase “sacrifice for the greater good” seemed a bit too vague in this context.

If only the plan could proceed smoothly, it would raise awareness among people while also minimizing casualties.

Moreover, with outsiders flooding in, there were a considerable number of combat forces stationed. Even if monsters attacked, they’d be fine.

‘Still, I can’t shake this feeling of unease.’

The sheer number of monsters coming in was unknown, and they had no clue how strong the demons were.

At least the hunter who wielded blue had been part of the scouting team, so it was certain that something stronger than that color was incoming.

That meant colors like Rod or Rize. It was difficult to gauge just how strong the Blue Demon would be.

‘Honestly, I can’t imagine those two losing, though.’

That was Luna’s evaluation of Rod and Rize. The closer you got, the more distant they seemed.

From afar, they looked like tiny peaks, but up close, they towered like an insurmountable mountain.

You could feel it even without using any abilities, and every time she caught a glimpse of their stats, she couldn’t help but be in awe.

Especially Rod, in terms of physical prowess alone, was similar to or weaker than Sivar.

Yet, every time they dueled, he toyed with Sivar as if he were a child.

‘When will I be strong enough to reach that level?’

Luna rubbed her arms, which had grown stronger over time. She had indeed been improving recently.

But compared to others, she felt like a mere potato. There was no denying that she was weaker than Kara.

Of course, it was unfair to compare since Kara was strong too, but it was hard to curb her ambitions.

‘But why do people always say I’m unlucky?’

Despite her rising skills, Luna thought her progress was slow.

Yet to others, she seemed like the luckiest person alive.

Some toiled through hardships to gain skills that she, in just a day or even a few hours, obtained.

Using those skills was another matter, but to onlookers, she was practically a whole different kind of monster.

In reality, she was the one whining about still being weak. If Sivar were here, he’d probably give her a smack on the head.

Weeeeng!

At that moment, a loud alarm echoed throughout the plaza. It was an ear-piercing notification.

The alert didn’t just cover the plaza; it spread across the entire Academy. Luna and the other passersby froze at the sound.

“What is it?”

“A sudden alarm?”

People were bewildered by the unforeseen alarm. Luna shared in that initial confusion.

However, she quickly reached for her sword, suspecting it could be the demons at work.

[Kaaarak!]

Following the alarm, a peculiar sound reverberated from above. Luna looked up at the sky.

She soon spotted a creature hovering above—a bird, no, a flying monster. It seemed the alarm was triggered by that.

Thanks to the monument’s presence, accessing it for flying monsters was quite difficult—unless there was a specific reason.

-Wuuuuuung!

At that moment, a powerful wave of magic surged against her skin. Luna turned to locate the source of the wave.

The sensation came from none other than the monument itself. The entire monument shimmered with a blue hue.

-Kwaaaaaar!

Shortly after, a high-powered blue beam shot down from the upper section. It moved with remarkable speed and immense power.

The flying monster that had been circling above got hit by the beam. It couldn’t even begin to evade the speed that far exceeded expectations.

Once the blue beam vanished, the sky cleared beautifully. Just how strong was that output for not even a hair to remain?

“What the heck? Was it just a lost creature?”

“Poor thing.”

The onlookers resumed their activities, acting as if nothing happened. Luna, on the other hand, stared back and forth between the monument and the sky.

That was the operational big magic she had only heard about. On the ground, things were manageable, but dealing with aerial issues was a different ball game.

Thus, the Academy had utilized the power of the monument to set up aerial magic—it was magic that should typically only be seen in the military.

‘Sivar would be obliterated if he got hit by that, right?’

The flying monster had literally been erased. There was no person on Earth who could block that beam with their bare body.

Luna pushed aside the brief commotion and continued her search around. She planned to uncover as many suspicious elements as possible.

However, whether it was paranoia or just too soon, she couldn’t find a single thing that seemed suspicious.

She had dealt with all the demon magic circles already, and she had heard Rod was off to meet with some councilman.

‘…Seriously, there’s nothing to do?’

This was one bland potato of a day. Luna sulkily sat on a bench in the plaza.

The festival preparations were still underway, so there wasn’t much to enjoy, and doing nothing only made her more anxious.

She contemplated seeking out someone but had no idea where anyone might be. Everyone was probably busy with their own tasks.

‘I wonder what Sivar is up to right now?’

Luna leaned back on the bench, scanning her surroundings. There were people passing by, but spotting Sivar shouldn’t be too hard.

First, she could look for someone with black hair. Next, she just had to find someone taller than everyone else.

“Luna.”

“?”

“What’s up, what are you doing here?”

Just then, someone appeared right next to her. Luna blinked and turned to see Sivar standing there with his characteristic blank expression. Beside him stood a girl with blue hair.

While she might not know Sivar all too well, she certainly didn’t recognize the girl. At least in her circle, there wasn’t anyone she knew who wore glasses.

“Sivar? And who’s that next to you…?”

“Oh, hello! I’m Jane, and I’m being sponsored by Sivar!”

Jane greeted enthusiastically, bowing slightly. That left Luna feeling a bit put off.

Nonetheless, thanks to that introduction, she figured out who Jane was. She had only heard about her but never seen her.

“Oh, nice to meet you. I’m Luna. You’re on the non-combat side, right?”

“Yes! That’s correct!”

“Great meeting you! But what brings you here?”

“Ah, well that’s…”

Instead of answering directly, Jane’s gaze turned to Sivar. Indicating there was something he wanted to discuss.

Just when Luna turned her attention to Sivar, he revealed a sword he had been holding.

“This.”

“What’s this…?”

“The Usuk Blade.”

“The Usuk Blade?”

Luna’s eyes widened in surprise. A promise came rushing back to her—one she made with Sivar.

If her skill improved, he’d gift her the Usuk Blade. It seemed he had come to follow through on that promise, even if it was a bit late.

“Yeah, here. You can use it.”

“Uh, really?”

“Yep.”

Sivar’s confirmation made Luna beam with joy. It was the sword she had yearned for in her heart.

How much had she envied Kara every time she showcased her remarkable moves with the Usuk Blade?

Although she wasn’t quite at Kara’s level yet, it seemed he had given it to her as a precaution for what was to come.

“Thank you! I’ll make great use of it from now on!”

“Just be careful with it.”

“Of course, I will.”

A blade made of Usuk was incredibly dangerous. Its sharpness was among the top tier.

It was so sharp that it could even pierce Sivar’s tough body. While it might not be able to sever, it could definitely slash.

“Oh. So Jane’s just been stuck inside, coming out for some fresh air?”

“Yeah. I’m heading back soon.”

“I wish I could get back quickly…”

Luna struck up a conversation with Jane, who looked like she was already about to collapse from just a brief stroll. The introverted type really showed the effects of draining their energy.

“I see, so you don’t have your parents around either?”

“Yeah. Is that weird?”

“No, not at all! I don’t either!”

“…”

Surprisingly, Luna and Jane clicked in a strangely good way. It started right off with banter.

Their conversational styles were similar, so it felt natural. Moreover, Luna was the type who didn’t care about others’ opinions.

Typically, introverts would be anxious if someone was beside them, but Luna was completely free in that regard.

She was the type to just do her own thing. Plus, their styles matched uniquely in a way that connected them.

“Well then, goodbye! It was nice chatting with you!”

“I enjoyed it too!”

Nice chatting? More like, they were just too busy throwing jokes at each other.

Sivar thought to himself as he left with Jane. Luna was still sitting on the bench.

Having met Sivar brought her little relief, and now she was truly left with nothing to do. She fiddled with her new sword before slipping her hand into her pocket.

‘I wonder if this will come in handy?’

Luna pulled out the Heroic Lens. An object that caused strange phenomena whenever magic power was infused into it.

She wasn’t sure if it would be useful, but lacking anything else to do, she decided to give it a try.

If her hypothesis was correct, every time she injected magic power into this lens, it would create some mysterious effects.

-Wuuung

As Luna infused magic power into the lens, she slowly closed her eyes. This was merely an experiment.

Would it produce scenes that hinted at the future, or would it simply reveal the mundane as before?

Eventually, as a slight pressure enveloped her eyes, Luna slowly opened them. Her blue eyes began to radiate.

‘Just the same…’

-Pachik!

It was at that very moment she thought nothing was different. A sudden spark flared in her sight.

With that spark came a scene transition. The scenery itself wasn’t vastly altered.

[Gyyaaaaaah!!]

[Kehehehe! Die! Die!]

[Uwahhahaha! Uwaah!]

The problem lay with the people moving within that scene. Luna’s mouth dropped slightly in shock.

Blood was strewn everywhere, bone and flesh mingling. The screams of death and the frenzied laughter echoed.

These weren’t monsters. Not demons either. It wasn’t anything that caused this bloodbath.

‘Oh my god…’

It was people. Humans killing each other, murdering, and then killing again.

People stabbing others in the abdomen. Others breaking necks. One person smashing heads with stones.

This was light work compared to the rest. There were even people gouging out eyes with bare hands and brutally beating children.

A literal hellscape unfolded before her—a scene of massacre in another sense unfolding right in front of her.

-Pachik!

But that scene didn’t last long. As sparks flew, the scenery transitioned again.

As if saying that the previous massacre was all just a fabrication, a blissfully serene landscape took its place.

Frantic expressions turned into joyful smiles, and screams morphed into the bustling sounds of festival preparations.

‘…’

Luna sat there blankly for a while, unable to do anything.

Only one thought looped through her mind.

‘I have to stop this at all costs.’

A true calamity was indeed on the horizon.

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