Chapter 57

A wave of mist began from the Eastern Forest.

The sudden fog engulfed the eastern area of the Academy without warning. Noa stared wide-eyed at the scenery unfolding before her.

‘Why is the extermination event starting now…?’

The mist poured out like an explosion.

And with it came the threatening growl of a wolf.

Everything looked just like the performance that happened when the White Wolf of Mist appeared.

The problem was, this was way too early.

‘In the original story, it started in early April.’

To be precise, it was supposed to be with the mock battle.

But currently, it was still mid-March.

There should have been plenty of time left. So why was the seal already broken?

‘Could it be that there’s some variable I don’t know about?’

Of course, variables were overflowing.

For starters, Ulan’s admission to Arsen Academy itself was a variable, and turning Himel into a bleeding mess was also a variable, if that counted.

But that was all.

Nothing related to the White Wolf of Mist.

‘So why…?’

The unresolvable question.

Noa bit her nails.

However, there was no room to ponder why the extermination event was moving forward.

“Kyaaaak!”

“A-a wolf! There’s a wolf!”

“Aaaah! Run!”

A sudden commotion erupted outside.

Noa reflexively turned her gaze.

It wasn’t just her. Ivella also looked toward the source of the scream. Soon, they both bore witness to an astonishing sight.

“…!”

The first thing they saw was the mist.

The fog wriggled as if it were a living creature, quickly taking on a special form. It turned into a wolf with misty fur.

[Kraaang!]

In an instant, the wolf was born, thudding into the ground with a roar. It was hunting for prey like a real wolf roaming through the forest.

“What on earth….”

Ivella’s gaze trembled slightly.

Noa, on the other hand, remained calm.

She knew exactly what it was.

‘Even if the seal just broke, it shouldn’t be able to move right away.’

First, it needed to recover its strength.

So, the White Wolf created clones out of mist and attacked every living thing nearby to replenish its power by drawing out their mana.

‘So, it really is the White Wolf of Mist.’

Only after seeing the clones did she finally accept it.

No matter the reason, the extermination event of the mock battle had indeed come early. Accepting that reality, she immediately set about figuring out a plan.

‘To resolve this situation, there’s no answer other than to exterminate the wolf.’

The White Wolf of Mist was a demon beast.

And the longer a demon beast remained, the more it absorbed the world’s mana and became stronger.

If left unchecked, it wouldn’t just regain its original strength, it would become even more powerful, eventually posing a significant threat.

‘So….’

It had to be eliminated no matter what.

This was a prime opportunity while it was relatively weak.

‘There’s plenty of potential.’

There were many named individuals at Arsen Academy.

Just right now, there was Ivella, and if Ulan and Delia added their strength from elsewhere, the difficulty of extermination would drastically decrease.

As hope dawned in Noa’s eyes—

“M-Monster!?”

The librarian, Ervan, who checked out the scene too late, shouted in horror. Of course, since the White Wolf was a demon beast, it was a correct speculation.

But there was a mistake.

His voice was way too loud. Loud enough for the wolf’s clones to notice his presence.

[Grrr! Woof woof!]

[Kraaang!]

Wolves rushed toward the reading room.

They climbed right up the walls and smashed through the sturdy windows.

Crash! Shatter!

With the glass breaking in vain, the White Wolf’s clones invaded the reading room.

“Y-Yiiik!”

At the sound of a terrified scream.

Ervan seemed to lose strength in his legs and slumped down in place. An easy target that wouldn’t run. The wolves charged at him, baring their teeth.

But they couldn’t fulfill their goal.

Whoosh! Swoosh!

With a flash, a sword slash flew through the air.

As the pitch-black blade cleaved through the leading wolf in an instant. The offensive faltered, and someone stood in front of Ervan.

“Are you alright?”

The owner of the dry voice.

It was Ivella Elea’ad.

She didn’t let her guard down as she faced the remaining wolves. She suddenly turned to Noa and spoke.

“You’re Noa Darshen, right?”

“…Huh? Y-Yeah.”

Was it because her name was called out so suddenly?

Noa nodded, looking flustered. After her affirmative response, Ivella continued.

“Ulan told me. You’re supposed to be pretty strong?”

“U-Ulan said that?”

“Yeah. He believes you’ll definitely pass at least the selection match preliminaries.”

Recalling that moment.

Ivella asked again.

“So, how strong are you really?”

“Uh, well, I should be able to handle at least one person’s worth….”

“Then can you take down those wolves too?”

With the number of wolves increasing.

No matter how much a future swordmaster she was, it would be tough to deal with that many wolves. Especially if they weren’t ordinary wolves, but clones of the White Wolf.

Noa, however, was different.

She was a sorceress, and sorcerers were beings specialized in one versus many battles.

So she immediately confirmed.

“Yeah, as long as I have time, I can do it.”

“Great, understood.”

A faint smile blossomed at the corners of Ivella’s lips.

With a look filled with resolve, Ivella tightened her grip on the longsword. Then, glaring at the wolves poised to charge, she spoke.

“If it’s time you need, I’ll buy you some. But make sure to protect the librarian while you deal with the wolves.”

“Okay, leave it to me!”

Noa replied confidently.

Her face lit up in excitement. It was understandable. Not only had she had a normal conversation with Ivella, but now they would fight together.

‘Maybe we’ll become friends soon….’

Thinking along those lines made her feel invigorated.

Just as she was about to laugh at her foolishness, Ivella suddenly yelled sharply in warning.

“Watch out! They’re coming!”

Noa immediately regained her composure.

This was a chance to get close to Ivella. She had no intention of letting this opportunity slip by, so she quickly entered battle stance.

Fwa-fwa-fwa-bang!

Blue talismans filled the air.

Feeling threatened, the wolves shifted their target to Noa. However, as long as Ivella was present, the wolves wouldn’t achieve their goal.

Meanwhile.

Noa finished her spell instantly.

“I’m sorry, librarian!”

Bowing her head toward Ervan.

Noa’s magic activated.

Boom!

A violent explosion erupted from the talisman.

At the sight of the reading room being engulfed in flames, the battle began to unfold throughout the Academy.

A sudden attack from the wolves.

As Arsen Academy fell into chaos, Ulan strolled calmly through the mist.

The entire forest was shrouded in fog.

It covered not just the ground but all the way up to the sky, making it difficult to determine direction.

Yet Ulan walked confidently.

Even in this foggy place, there was a distinct target he could sense.

‘The presence of a demon beast.’

At the very start of the mist, there had been a location where its presence felt sharp.

Though it was much weaker now, he could still gauge where it was located.

As he continued onward, he suddenly sensed a new presence. Faint like smoke but definitely there. Moments later, something blocked Ulan’s path.

[Grrrrr!]

A pack of over ten wolves.

Faintly, but the aura of a demon beast could be felt. As Ulan took out his axe, the wolves suddenly flinched and shrank back.

This was more than mere caution.

They trembled in fear. Realizing this, Ulan wore a puzzled expression.

‘What’s going on? Are they afraid of the axe?’

Beasts and demon beasts dislike the scent of blood.

More specifically, they were wary of weapons.

But this was unusual. He’d never seen a demon beast that overtly feared a weapon.

‘This is going to be annoying.’

For Ulan, it would have been easier if they just charged at him.

Then he could have swung his axe and split them in half. However, the wolves merely backed away slowly, showing no intention to attack either.

But that didn’t last long.

As Ulan hurried toward the location where he first sensed the demon beast’s presence, the wolves revealed themselves and eventually attacked.

Thud! Crack!

In an instant, they were split in half.

Ulan showed no mercy with his axe, cutting through every wolf that rushed at him.

Yet something felt off.

It wasn’t like he was cleaving wolves in half; it felt more like he was slicing through empty air. Before long, Ulan realized the reason.

“Is this… smoke?”

Every wolf that was bisected turned to smoke and scattered without exception. The sight was reminiscent of mist gradually lifting.

“Could it be a clone?”

There were demon beasts that did this sometimes.

They would hide their true body elsewhere and send out clones to hunt for prey. Ulan muttered, recalling memories from his past life.

“Then I have to find the real body.”

This type of demon beast would continue to create clones until its true body was defeated. It was one of the kinds of demon beasts that Ulan despised the most in his past life.

Ulan furrowed his brow.

“It would have been nice to have Sven around.”

The party’s sharpshooter, Sven Isaac.

He had exceptional abilities for spotting hidden enemies. No matter how distant the enemy was, Sven’s eyes wouldn’t miss a thing.

But right now, he couldn’t call for help.

He still had a long way to go before meeting Sven.

‘But that’s fine.’

Even if it was regrettable, he had techniques prepared for such a day.

In the six months since his return, Ulan hadn’t just mastered several double-digit calculations. He’d also created a few new techniques he hadn’t used in his past life.

This one he was about to use fit that bill too.

Boom!

Setting the axe down.

He suddenly knelt down, palms against the ground, preparing to charge. Closing his eyes, he began to take slow, deep breaths.

“Hoo. Haah.”

Breathing in a steady rhythm.

His senses gradually became sharper.

He could even hear his heartbeat clearly.

Moreover, he began to hear the sound of wind rustling through the leaves and the wolves trampling the ground.

After a while, the sounds collected their information, and a map quickly formed. A map only Ulan could feel, invisible to the naked eye.

At the center of his heightened senses.

Ulan connected his spirit to the surroundings, like a droplet hitting still water. Consequently, all his senses expanded rapidly.

Shh-shh-shh!

Colors filled a once monochromatic map.

Finally, Ulan could feel the presence throughout the Eastern Forest. Among them, there was a wolf with a uniquely strong energy.

“…Found it.”

Ulan revealed a grin.

This was a skill called ‘Demon Presence Detection’ that he devised by activating his spirit and expanding his senses to locate desired beings.

It was a technique that combined Sven’s skills with Ulan’s own unique adaptions.

“It was just like the one I felt before.”

The demon beast he discovered was exactly where he first sensed the presence of the demon beast. There was no longer a need to hesitate.

Zoom!

Having reclaimed his axe, he started to dash.

The thick fog wouldn’t block his view. He had already pinpointed the location, and all that was left was to reach his target.

[Awooooooo—!]

Then, at that moment.

The sound of a wolf howling shook the ground. Soon after, the fog began to thin, revealing hundreds of wolves blocking his path.

[Grrrrr! Woof woof!]

[Kraaah!]

Exploding with murderous intent.

In an instant, a thrill of danger coursed through him; however, Ulan only grinned.

“You should’ve shown up like this sooner.”

Just like the wolves hiding their murderous intent, Ulan too would no longer conceal his power.

With his spirit fully activated, Ulan stepped forward.

Thud!

This was the Master’s Domain.

Only those not of a master could not even sense the flow of time. Even if it meant their body slowly dissipating into smoke.

Thud!

As Ulan took another step, a gust of wind swept in.

Whooooosh!

The fog had lifted considerably compared to before. Ulan moved forward undeterred, as if nothing had changed.

Now, the sound of wolves was no longer heard.

As he continued toward his destination.

Ulan noticed a familiar object.

Piles that looked eerily similar to what he had just pulled out. But he didn’t pay it much mind. Right now, defeating the real body of the wolf was what mattered most.

How long had it been since he began walking like this?

Eventually, he reached the vicinity of his goal. Scanning the surroundings lightly, Ulan soon discovered a place where the real body might be hiding.

“A cave?”

A pit that looked like the entrance to a cave.

It appeared as if a monster living underground had gaping jaws. Without hesitation, Ulan stepped inside.

The cave was fairly deep.

As he walked through the dark passage, the aura of the demon beast grew stronger.

Its presence sharpened further.

Moments later, the owner of the cave revealed itself.

[Grrrrr!]

A threatening growl echoed.

It was a wolf with fur as white as snow. Its eyes burned red like flames, and its fangs were terrifyingly thick and sharp.

Yet, other than that, its characteristics didn’t matter much.

The most striking feature was its enormous size.

It was curled up but still filled the cave completely, so from how large it truly was, one could only imagine.

Furthermore, upon closer inspection, the wolf’s eyes looked like they housed a special power, a demonic eye.

Simply locking eyes with it would overwhelm an average person in an instant.

Of course, Ulan was unfazed.

[Grrrr! Grrrrr!]

The wolf let out continuous threatening growls.

But strangely, its growl lacked strength. Its curled body looked somehow drained of energy. It seemed as if it had lost all its vigor.

While observing the wolf, Ulan’s gaze suddenly fixated on something.

“What’s that…?”

A wound near the wolf’s neck.

Something was embedded there.

At first, it looked like a rather large thorn, but upon closer inspection, it didn’t seem that way.

Narrowing his eyes and examining it closely, Ulan soon recognized its identity.

“An axe?”

The axe, which had turned pitch black, was small for a two-handed axe, yet quite large for a hand axe—an ambiguous size.

Fixating his gaze on the axe, Ulan wore a puzzled expression.

“Somehow, it feels familiar…”

It was an axe he had seen before.

Where had he seen it?

It felt like he had seen it very recently. Ulan furrowed his brow, straining his memory. Then, he suddenly recalled where he had seen the axe.

“Ah, right.”

It was in a book he read just before he fainted.

The very same axe Ivella had handed him. Realizing this, Ulan tilted his head, further clouded with questions.

“But why is it here?”

The axe embedded in the wolf’s neck was one of the twin axes he had resolved to acquire.

It was the Axe of Devouring, Gula, forged from a devouring magic stone, possessing the power to absorb mana and restore itself whenever it had mana.

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