Vane sat on the carcass of one of the many dead beasts now littering the forest floor.
Blood streaked across his cheek, but none of it was his. The air was thick with iron, smoke, and the fading crackle of mana.
He looked up at the swaying treetops.
"Hmmm... so the evaluation began the moment we stepped through the gate."
Vane rose to his feet and walked toward one of the fallen creatures. It resembled a boar, if boars had four tusks, armored bristles like dagger points, and a long whip-like tail ending in a spiked stone.
"Remind me what tier these are," Vane asked, nudging the creature's massive head with his boot.
The calm voice inside him answered at once:
"[As you know, beasts have existed since the dawn of mankind—monsters whose abilities made them feared across the realm. Over centuries, humans realized that not all beasts possessed equal strength, so they categorized them into tiers.]*
[The weakest are Basic Beasts, followed by Feral Beasts, then Dire Beasts. Above them are Mythical Beasts, then Titan Beasts, and finally the Ancient Beasts—rumored to be the first creatures ever born.]
[The ones you just fought were all Dire-tier.]"
Vane stretched lazily, rolling his shoulders.
"Dire-tier this close to the academy... interesting."
He wiped a streak of blood from his chin with the back of his hand.
"Are there any higher-tier beasts out here?"
The voice paused—never a good sign.
[... I am detecting a dormant Mythical-tier beast deeper in the forest.]"
Vane blinked.
"A Mythical-tier? Here?"
"[Yes. And before you start walking—]
[—a dormant beast is one that has been starved for an extended period of time. Too weak to leave its territory... too hungry to think rationally. They attack anything that enters their domain.]"
"So it's basically cranky and starving."
[It is a Mythical-tier, Vane. This is not funny.]
Vane dusted off his cloak, " I said that with not a shred of humor"
"Well, sounds interesting. Which way?"
[...Vane. I strongly advise—]
But Vane was already heading in the direction Oscar desperately wanted him *not* to go.
---
The deeper he walked, the colder the air became. Mist curled around his feet, and the trees grew twisted, roots like claws gripping the ground.
Then—
A scream.
High, panicked, and definitely human.
Vane stopped mid-step. "That's close."
[Vane—]
"I know. Let's check it out."
He dashed through the trees, slipping between branches and leaping over roots until he skidded to a halt at the mouth of a huge cave. The scent of rot and mana seeped from within.
Inside, illuminated by a shaft of light, a girl around his age stood trembling.
And standing before her—
A Minotaur.
Or something close.
It towered over her, its muscles knotted like iron, its fur patterned in spotted cheetah-like markings. Two massive horns curled from its head, and a smaller, sharp horn jutted from its nose, glowing faintly with red mana.
A Mythical-tier hybrid.
The girl slowly turned toward Vane. Their eyes met for only a heartbeat—
Then the beast vanished.
Her eyes widened in absolute terror.
"Behind you!"
Vane didn't think. He dropped instantly.
A fist the size of his entire torso slammed through the space where his head had been a moment before, shattering stone and sending dust everywhere.
The Minotaur reappeared behind him, steaming breath rolling from its nostrils.
"Great," Vane muttered. "It's fast."
[ Can you just grab the girl and go?!] Oscar barked.
"Fine, fine! You win!"
He jumped to his feet, leaping out of the bushes he grabbed the stunned girl by the waist, slung her over his shoulder like a sack, and bolted out of the cave.
The Minotaur roared behind him, the ground trembling as it gave chase.
Vane didn't dare look back.
He only tightened his grip on the girl, cloak whipping behind him as he sprinted through the forest.
"Hold on!" he called over his shoulder.
She screamed something unintelligible in reply.
Oscar sighed in his head.
[...This is exactly why we don't fight Mythical-tier beasts, Vane.]
"Yeah, yeah," Vane muttered, leaping over a fallen tree. "Save the lecture for later!"
---
Vane darted between trees, each footstep shaking loose leaves and dust as the Minotaur thundered behind him. Its roars cracked through the forest like explosions, sending birds scattering into the sky.
The girl clung to his cloak with trembling fingers.
"W-why is that thing after us?!"
"Probably because we entered its territory," Vane replied casually. "Also because it's terribly hungry."
"That's NOT helping!"
"[Vane, angle left. The academy barrier is a few hundred meters ahead.]"
"Perfect. If we make it there, the thing can't follow, right?"
"[...In theory.]"
"In theory?!" Vane asked.
Behind them, the Minotaur lunged forward, closing distance in a single monstrous leap. Its horned shadow swallowed them whole.
Vane gritted his teeth.
"Not today."
He slammed his heel into the ground, kicking off a fallen log and launching them both forward. Wind tore at his cloak as they shot ahead like an arrow. The Minotaur's claw grazed the hem of his cloak, ripping fabric.
"Tch. It's so fast" Vane snapped.
[Focus, Vane. Straight ahead—]
And then he saw it.
Through the thinning trees, a shimmering wall of pale blue magic rippled like a veil, stretching high above the treetops. Ancient runes spiraled across its surface, shifting like living script. The Valerian Academy Barrier — the strongest ward in the kingdom.
Vane's eyes widened slightly.
"Beautiful."
"Is that the school?!" the girl shouted.
"Not exactly. That's the shield around it."
Another roar shook the forest. The Minotaur burst through a cluster of trees, splinters exploding around it.
[You have roughly ten seconds until it's on top of us.]
"Good enough," Vane muttered.
The barrier loomed closer — twenty meters... fifteen... ten...
He tightened his grip on the girl.
"Hold your breath."
"What—WHY?!"
Vane didn't answer. He sprinted the last few steps and leapt straight through the glowing wall.
The moment his foot touched the barrier, the runes flared to life.
Light swallowed them, distorting his vision for a split second.
Then—
He landed on soft grass inside the shield, knees buckling.
The girl tumbled out of his hold, gasping for air.
Behind them, the Minotaur slammed into the barrier with a deafening crack.
BOOOM.
The shield rippled but didn't break.
The beast roared in fury, clawing at the surface as sparks of blue energy scorched its fur.
Vane dusted off his cloak and exhaled.
"Well," he said, catching his breath, "that was fun."
The girl stared at him like he was insane.
"You call THAT fun?! We almost died!"
Vane shrugged. "Almost."
Oscar sighed in his mind.
"[Vane... I swear one day you're going to give me a system error.]"
Vane ignored him and turned toward the distant towers of the academy rising above the treeline.
"Let's go. We should check in before the next surprise."
---