Chapter 27

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Episode 5 - Hunting Festival [7]

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"You’ve been quiet. Is something wrong, Adel?"

Rinna asked. It was currently break time.

I was in the cafeteria, eating sandwiches without saying a word.

Rinna must have noticed my silence. I lifted my head slightly and smiled.

"It’s nothing. I’m just thinking about a lot of things."

Today was Wednesday, the day the Demonic Beast made its appearance.

It was a shame that I couldn’t prevent the Demonic Beast from appearing when I searched for the Item.

But since there was nothing out of the ordinary, I left. Besides, because of the curses and the Power of Chaos, I couldn’t investigate much.

I was lost in my thoughts, especially about what happened yesterday.

’Although I managed to shake off those thoughts thanks to my teacher, I just can’t forget it easily.’

Knowing that my destiny is completely dark really got to me.

I just couldn’t see the point in anything else. I understood why the Summoners were so friendly to me:

Because they felt sorry for me.

Pity for my terrible fate.

’Ugh, let’s not think about that. Today I just have to focus on the Demonic Beast.’

Returning to the present, I brought a sandwich to my mouth and took a bite.

Then I took a sip of my favorite coffee.

’The probability that it’s a Class 6 Demon Beast is 10%, and a Class 5 is 90%.’

But that’s all, just probabilities.

That simple 10% could be 100%, but no matter the result, there was one more concern.

"If my destiny is plagued by misfortune, that means I’ll be in constant danger."

Essentially, it guaranteed that an anomaly could appear in this Chapter because of my fault.

What if two Class 6 Demonic Beasts appear?

Or what if villains show up instead of wild beasts?

Countless scenarios could unfold.

From the start, I never cared if the story changed because I had a plan of action I had to follow.

If I stick to it, no matter how difficult it gets, I’ll be able to reach the true ending.

"Hey, Rinna, what time will you go to the Golden Forest?"

I asked Rinna. She tilted her head and replied.

"I don’t know, I guess anytime."

First of all, Rinna must not appear in this Chapter under any circumstances.

If she appears, even briefly, she could die.

That’s why I need to stop him from entering the Golden Forest, unless he’s at the entrance where the medical staff is.

"Could you meet me at the entrance at 3 p.m.?"

She nodded.

"Sure, but why at that time?"

"I’ll try to go to the central region. If something happens to me, I could look for you, for example, like what happened on Monday."

Remember the Curses and the Corruption of the Power of Chaos. Rinna nodded vigorously without hesitation.

"Yes, I’ll keep an eye out."

"Thanks."

She shook her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Meanwhile, Liora, who had been sleeping on my head, flapped her wings and landed on the table.

When she saw her, Rinna asked:

"That’s a light fairy. I’ve never seen one up close."

"So what happened with your summoning? Didn’t the egg hatch?"

"No, mine was Dark Attribute; my mana was strongly rejected."

Rinna asked a few more questions, and after a while, I got up from my seat.

She asked:

"Will you go to the Golden Forest?"

I shook my head.

"No, I’m going to go buy a few things."

I needed some potions to heal severe wounds.

And some to restore mana, stamina, and mental energy.

The mental exhaustion that sets in after using up all your mana doesn’t go away even if you recover all your mana.

’Besides, I have to find out where Clementine is. Yesterday, I told Diana that we could talk in the pavilion after three in the afternoon, on the condition that she wouldn’t enter the Golden Forest.’

So Rinna and Diana are outside the Golden Forest; only Clementine remains.

The problem is finding a way to convince her not to enter the Golden Forest.

’That will be a headache, but if I want her to live, there is no other option.’

After leaving the café, I went to the D-1 Parliament.

At first glance, it looked like a normal city, but there was one small difference.

That difference was the number of stores.

The Academy is literally full of them, and the only reason is that they’re there.

There are at least ten thousand people in the Academy in total:

Teachers, staff, cadets, etc.

At least 90% of them come to D-1 City every day without fail.

I walked through the busy streets, which were filled with cadets and professors.

I soon arrived at a specific store.

When I saw the sign, an ironic smile appeared on my face.

’I don’t know why it’s called ’Destino,’ but here we are.’

A store named Destino was, in a way, my destiny.

As I entered, a little bell rang, and the first thing I saw were display cases and shelves filled with bottles of potions and elixirs.

Some elixirs and other potions.

’Wouldn’t it be great to sell the potions I obtained, but we’re inside the Academy.’

Here, the information reached Director Bernice and other executives and members of the Council, especially the Assistant Director.

So I had to come up with an excuse in case they called me about the potions.

I couldn’t even tell a lie.

In any case, I looked around.

As I approached and touched a potion, the mana signature gave me information about it.

I grabbed at least six of each of the potions I needed.

All were medium to high quality; this would be a fortune for me, but what could I do?

’Goodbye to my money.

In total, I only had three million gold left.

Potions are an expensive commodity in this world, especially elixirs.

’I need to rob some villains for money later.’

Then I left the store and, without being seen, I put the potions in my inventory.

Then, for about two hours, I tried to find Clementine, but it was impossible.

I even went to the place where players could usually find her.

But she wasn’t there either.

’Damn it, today is the only day I can’t find her.’

She usually appears out of nowhere right in front of me.

She usually gets annoyed, saying that I always appear in front of her.

’Ugh, this is making me nervous.’

In the end, I decided to use my senses to explore the entire academy.

’Maybe I’ll end up completely mentally exhausted, but I have to do it anyway.’

I extended my senses throughout the academy; each person appeared in my mind as clearly as if they were right in front of me.

I could hear their heartbeats and the sound of their breathing.

A flood of information reached my mind.

However, no matter how hard I concentrated, I couldn’t find Clementine.

’She’s in the Golden Forest.’

Besides her, I also noticed that Lumina wasn’t there, but knowing her, she’s probably outside the Academy right now.

In the end, I didn’t manage to find Clementine; I thought she would be in Golden Forest.

’According to the game, she wants to be the first-year representative, but she won’t even make it to third place.’

I let out a long sigh and rubbed my temples.

’If she’s in Golden Grove... there’s not much time.’

Even though I have three hours, it’s not enough time to find her in the Golden Forest.

Especially since I have to secure the area where the Demon Beast might appear.

’All right, let’s go to the Golden Forest.’

***

"Phew, that was close."

Clementine said as she sat down under a tree.

In front of her stood a strange, grotesque creature.

Usually, wild beasts are evolved animals; that’s why they’re called Wild Beasts.

They are monsters that exist everywhere, some of them docile and others dangerous.

However, there are also Demonic Beasts.

Monsters that were exposed to the Power of Chaos or were infected by villains.

’What is a demonic beast doing here?’

Although it was only Class 4, it was extremely dangerous for Clementine to face it.

’If a superior-class demonic beast has appeared, it is likely that it is infecting lower-class wild beasts.’

A high-class demonic beast can indirectly infect a low-class one.

Since demons usually attack any living being within their reach.

It is normal for there to be areas throughout the continent where large quantities of demonic beasts live.

Usually, when they appear, they are killed almost immediately.

But, Clementine was facing one of them in the territory of the Holy Academy.

There are humans with up to nine stars.

’How is this possible? Have the villains infiltrated?’

Then, he suddenly remembered Adel.

’If he encountered villains and was exposed to the Power of Chaos, why didn’t he report it...? Could it be...?’

That was the most logical conclusion for Clementine.

Adel is probably working with the villains.

Otherwise, how could there be a Demon Beast?

’I ignored it because I thought he had gone to report the villain he encountered, but if not, then he is on the side of the villains.’

She looked at the Class 4 Demon Beast in front of her, already dead.

"That son of a bitch..."

But before she could continue cursing, she suddenly heard screams in the distance.

There weren’t just a few screams, but dozens, perhaps close to a hundred.

Clementine stood up, reached into her bag for a potion, took it out, and drank it.

Most of her wounds healed; then she did the same with a mana recovery potion and a resistance potion.

She wiped her lips with her arm, cleaning the blood off them.

Finally, she grabbed her sword and started running toward the source of the screams.

’It must be more Demonic Beasts. That son of a bitch must have already infected at least one Class 5 Wild Beast.’

She noticed that Adel seemed to be coming from deep within the Golden Forest.

That’s where the Class 5 and 6 beasts are.

’Don’t tell me there are already hundreds of low-class demon beasts all over the Golden Forest.’

At this rate, it’s likely that the Golden Forest will become a Demon Region, a place inhabited by Demon Beasts.

When they arrived at the source of the screams, Clementine couldn’t help but widen her eyes.

At least dozens of Class 2 and 3 demon beasts were attacking all the cadets.

Near the central region, the second-year cadets were fighting Class 4 demons.

At the very least, fighting a Class 4 Demon Beast requires a team of six members.

Clementine took advantage of the terrain and used strategies, barely managing to kill the demonic beast.

’This is bad, but worse is that no professor has appeared.’

That was the strangest thing; by this point, all the cadets should have asked for help.

Yet, the professors still don’t appear.

’Did a barrier rise up in the entire Golden Forest?’

That was his first thought, and at that very moment...

"..."

Suddenly, the entire Golden Forest shook.

Clementine looked out over the treetops.

Beyond the Central Region, enormous tentacles were destroying everything.

Some cadets, probably third-years, were easily crushed.

Clementine gasped for breath.

’T-that’s... a Class 6 Demon Beast... No, wait. It looks like it’s on the verge of evolving into a Class 7.’

One of the tentacles hurled a large boulder in her direction.

Clementine pressed her lips together, raised her sword, and swung it, slicing the boulder in half.

’Adel... I’m sure it was all his fault.’