Chapter 6

United Academy.

As the name suggests, it’s an academy constructed for the union.

The heroes who saved the world from crisis participated in the construction plan and teaching, making it a so-called ‘fundamental’ academy.

Even now, various educational institutions have been established in each country over time, but none can compare to United Academy’s excellence.

However, time is something even the gods cannot defeat. The academy built for the union has slowly begun to transform.

With long-lasting peace, political elements have begun to emerge, leading to stronger competition than collaboration among the nations.

As the competitive spirit grew, the atmosphere became somewhat cold, and at worst, it led to disputes between countries.

Fortunately, they seemed to realize this partway and agreed to keep the academy above such issues, but that uneasy atmosphere still lurks around.

In this academy, few can truly call someone a friend. A long time has passed, and the original purpose of the academy has long been diluted.

Yet, United Academy stands tall as the continent’s premier educational institution. This is something no one could deny.

Of course, being an academy that’s been around for a long time, it had its own set of issues. One of them was the dense forest right nearby.

If it had been a regular forest, it might have been suitable for research and education. But using the old heroes as a ‘benchmark’ makes it problematic.

It means danger. The forest entrance only has weak monsters, but once you venture deeper in, it’s a completely different story.

Magic power gets twisted all around, making the compass act all wonky, and powerful monsters frequently appear.

The academy isn’t blind to this fact and has set up special compasses and signs to prevent accidents.

However, every year, there are students who unknowingly enter the forest and go missing.

In such cases, the academy isn’t held responsible. They were warned but chose to go inside anyway.

Furthermore, due to these characteristics, the academy also designated a name for the forest.

A forest you can’t escape once you enter, the ‘Chaos Forest.’

“Should’ve just brought some forget-me-nots…”

And bravely, there was a woman stepping into this forest. She looked around with a troubled expression.

Her blonde hair was neatly tied in a ponytail, and her jewel-like blue eyes sparkled. Though she may seem blunt at first glance, her face contained a pure innocence.

Her figure was generally slender, but she definitely had curves. She had all the charm a woman should have.

Lastly, in her right hand, she firmly gripped a sword of normal size.

Unlike the sword, her outfit looked as light as a stroll, giving off a relaxed vibe.

“Growl.”

“Ah.”

As she wandered aimlessly through the forest, a wolf appeared in front of her.

It was a skinny wolf, ribs showing, maybe chased out from its pack. A common sight in the forest.

The woman remained unfazed even as the wolf bared its sharp teeth in a threat. She looked a little annoyed.

“Rooar!”

The wolf, sensing an opportunity, charged at her with surprising speed. The woman, with an indifferent expression, simply turned her body slightly.

Naturally evading the wolf’s attack, she didn’t just dodge.

<Scrrunch!>

The sword moved smoothly, completely severing the wolf’s waist.

With its top and bottom half separated, the wolf didn’t even have time to touch the ground before it was split in two.

Splash—

As its waist split, its insides spilled out. At the same time, thick, sticky blood began to ooze out.

The woman glanced at the scene for a moment before continuing her steps, her expression unchanged and calm.

“My sword’s getting dirty.”

Swish!

She carelessly shook off the bloodied blade. Once she got the herbs she wanted, she’d have to clean the sword later.

‘I wonder how many Eli got.’

Suddenly, she recalled the person who had entered the forest with her. A fellow new student.

Most of the supplies were covered by the academy, but anything beyond that had to be purchased separately.

That meant needing money.

For nobles, money wasn’t an issue. But for commoners, it was a bit tight.

Especially herbs, which were ridiculously expensive, so it’s much better to gather them personally. Since she grew up in the countryside, she was quite familiar with herbs.

Eli also knew a bit about herbology, which is why they had scattered. But unlike her, Eli was a non-combat type.

‘I need to gather a few before it gets dark.’

She looked up. Having entered the forest after finishing breakfast, she had plenty of time.

However, Chaos Forest is notorious for being impossible to escape once you lose your way. Of course, she was well-prepared to avoid going missing.

To enter Chaos Forest in the first place, you needed permission from the academy. Entering without permission meant penalties.

‘No one would be crazy enough to go in without permission.’

Even she, sensitive to magic, was struggling to control it. Just moments ago, she managed to avoid the wolf without getting her sword stained with blood.

It felt as if magic was tangled in every direction, just like the name of the Chaos Forest suggests. So controlling it was quite difficult.

Thank goodness she wasn’t deep in yet; otherwise, encountering a strong monster would be troublesome.

Though she worried about Eli, a non-combatant wandering alone, she believed Eli could at least protect herself.

She may be too gentle to kill even a starving wolf, but she could certainly scare it off.

As she walked with ease, a loud roar broke through the forest.

[GRRRR!]

It echoed loudly enough to shake the trees nearby. It was uncomfortably close.

She stopped for a moment. The sound came from deep within the Chaos Forest.

That was the spot the academy officials had strictly warned them not to enter. They even provided supplies for preparation.

‘No way I’m going in there. Why would I?’

She turned around neatly. Considering the roar, it was likely to be a monster she couldn’t handle.

Controlling magic was already hard enough; she didn’t want to get in trouble.

Not all bravery is the same as courage.

[AAAH!]

“…Eli?”

But after hearing the follow-up scream, she couldn’t help but widen her eyes.

That voice was familiar. It belonged to Eli, the classmate with whom she had entered the forest.

Why she would breach a warning and venture so deep was a mystery. She simply began moving her legs swiftly.

Please, let it not be too late. Eli was someone she could genuinely call a friend amidst the cold atmosphere of the academy.

‘Please. Please. Please.’

She prayed desperately in her heart. Whatever the reason she entered deep into the forest could be dealt with later.

Swiftly, she dashed through the thick underbrush and trees of the forest. Occasionally, she pulled out a special compass to check her direction.

How much time passed? She suddenly found herself in an area where space opened up.

What came into view was…

“Ah… Ah…”

A girl with light brown hair trembling on the ground.

“GRRRR!”

A massive gorilla monster, a Manki, raised its gigantic arms high, ready to pounce.

It seemed to be over 5 meters tall, with a size matching that of an ogre but lacking fur.

“NO…!”

The arrived girl reached out her hand in desperation. But it was far too late.

The Manki’s log-like iron fist came crashing down. The girl beneath it was fated to become a pulp.

In that moment, time felt like it slowed down, and there was nothing she could do.

All she could do was await the unfolding death scene. She was certain that was how it would end.

The girl with brown hair squeezed her eyes shut at that thought.

<BAM!>

“…Grrk?!”

Suddenly, a man appeared and blocked the enormous fist of the gorilla with his arm.

Everyone was startled by the man who appeared at lightning speed without a sound. None had sensed his approach.

“…Huh?”

On the other hand, the brown-haired girl, who had closed her eyes to accept death, slowly opened them.

As her eyes opened, her softly glowing golden irises revealed themselves. Reflecting in her eyes was the man’s broad back.

The man easily held back the Manki’s log-like arm with both of his arms. He looked nothing like a prince from a fairy tale.

A prince wouldn’t show up wearing a mere rag that barely covered his lower half.

Well, unless he was a pervert.

Whoosh—

Meanwhile, the man pushed back with his arm that had blocked the Manki’s attack.

Even though there was a significant physical difference, the Manki’s arm was sent flying up effortlessly.

As the Manki’s arm rose, the man slipped inside.

Then, gripping the stone axe he held in his left hand with both hands, he swung hard at the beast.

Not at the large belly, but down towards its thick legs.

<CRACK!>

The rough stone axe struck perfectly at the Manki’s shins. At that moment, the sound of bones shattering echoed.

Since he hit with a stone axe instead of a sword, it didn’t just end with breaking a bone.

But bones are essential for supporting the body. Since that bone had been neatly shattered, there was no way it could hold up.

Thus, the Manki’s shin bent in a manner it shouldn’t have.

<CRACK!>

“AAAH!!”

With bones breaking in half and agony pouring from it, the Manki’s shin buckled to a 90-degree angle, and it screamed.

Unlike its prior roars, this one was filled with pain as it still tried to balance itself with its long arms.

But in that moment of struggle, the Manki’s fate was sealed. The man, having swiftly darted past the Manki’s legs, positioned himself behind it.

The man climbed onto the Manki’s large body without giving it a chance to counterattack.

Then, he accurately struck straight down onto the crown with the stone axe.

<SPLAT!>

Every creature, including humans, has a weakness in the head. The Manki was no exception.

As the man’s stone axe pulverized its skull, the Manki trembled, mouth agape.

Eventually, unable to fight back at all, its massive body gradually crumbled.

<THUD!>

Being so massive, its fall caused the ground to shake slightly. A pathetic end for the once-mighty predator of another area.

Though the man had just defeated a high-level monster, not even a breath was interrupted. Instead, he stared intently, checking if it was truly dead.

“Eli! Are you alright?!”

“Uh, uh? Huh… Fine, I think.”

As the chaos subsided, a woman with yellow hair hurried towards Eli. Eli still looked dazed, as if trying to grasp the situation.

The woman checked Eli for any injuries, then let out a sigh of relief. She had almost lost a precious friend for no reason.

“Eli. Stay back for a sec.”

“Uh, okay? Got it.”

But they couldn’t let their guard down yet. The woman kept Eli positioned behind her and took a defensive stance.

At that moment, the man, having confirmed the Manki’s death, turned his back on them. The woman carefully examined him.

His long black hair nearly covered his face, obscuring it from view, alongside a thick beard that reached down to his chest.

What stood out among all that was his pale skin contrasted against his body covered in scars.

It was as if a craftsman had painstakingly carved his physique, but the amount of scars was more than a little disturbing.

There were scars from claws, bites, burns, and bruises all over.

He held the stone axe, stained with bits of brain and blood, in his left hand, giving off an intimidating presence.

Even his outfit, just a rag covering his lower half, seemed to emit an aura of ‘Wilderness’ itself.

‘…A barbarian?’

Suddenly, she recalled a barbarian among the new students. A bronze-skinned barbarian with red hair.

But at least that barbarian belonged to their own kind of ‘Civilization’. The man in front of her was raw and untamed.

What in the world is this man’s identity that brings him here?

This place is deep within the Chaos Forest. Once entered, escaping without special items was impossible.

‘…Could he be a survivor?’

There was a possibility he could be one of the missing persons that had gone missing long ago. But that didn’t offer peace of mind.

She still couldn’t tell if this wild man, or rather wild person, would be friendly or wield the axe against them like he did the Manki.

“Who are you?”

“… …”

Even as the woman questioned, the man stayed silent. His hair obscured his face, making it hard to read his emotions.

The woman cautiously took a step back, ready to draw her weapon at any given moment.

If he posed a threat, she would have to react on the spot.

“I’m Luna Estelle. This is Eli. What’s your name?”

Still no answer. This was only heightening her suspicion.

Just as Luna was about to draw her sword, the man, who had been silent as a monk, finally spoke.

“…Shibal?”

He said ‘Shibal.’ It was the first time she’d heard that word.

“Shibal? Is that your name?”

“Shibal.”

The same answer came again. It seemed ‘Shibal’ really was his name.

But it didn’t take long for her to realize that it likely wasn’t a name at all.

“What were you doing here?”

“Shibal.”

“…Huh?”

As the man kept responding with ‘Shibal,’ Luna’s expression turned peculiar. Eli behind her wore a similar look.

“Is that guy… unable to talk?”

Eli, who stood behind Luna, chimed in.

“Shibal…”

The man replied, with a hint of frustration in his tone.

*****

“Shibal.”

Damn it.

“Shibal.”

Living alone has led to this language barrier, it seems.

“Shibal Shibal.”

But why does everything they say make sense to me?!

“Shibal…”

God must’ve messed up.

[You have blasphemed! Your faith has decreased!]

Screw that.

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