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Chapter 52: Why Did You Come Out There (1)
Chapter 52: Why Did You Come Out There (1)
Chapter 52: Why Did You Come Out There (1)
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It was half-past nine in the evening,
and there were just thirty minutes left until the library's closing time.
Despite the late hour, the magic lamps illuminating the reading room showed no signs of dimming; all thanks to the two students engrossed in their books.
Noah was one of them.
She was diligently reading the book provided by Erwin, the librarian, and had just discovered some new information.
The Ludric bloodline refers to the descendants of Kazan Ludric, the legendary hero of the ancient Desert Kingdom.
This was as she had expected, given their shared surname.
These descendants of Ludric had established their own power in the desert, going beyond being mere tribes and forming a unified organization.
......The Desert Order.
A group called "Heretics" by the Empire.
Of course, not all Heretics were part of Ludric's bloodline, but the book stated that a significant portion of the Order's upper echelons consisted of Ludrics bloodline members.
The descendants of Ludric say that their goal is to turn all the beasts that exist in the world into demonic beasts, following the will of their ancestor Kazan.
This was exactly the goal of The Desert Order.
This was why Heretics were such a thorn in the side of the Empire.
Not only for the Empire but any kingdom struggling in battles against demonic beasts would find them to be a nuisance.
That's why the Empire intends to wipe out the Desert Order for causing chaos.
The construction of the massive large front lines along the southern border, adjacent to the desert, also had this reason at its core.
'However.......
The Empire's armies have made several forays into the desert itself, but they have never reached the Desert Order's strongholds.
There was only one reason the special demonic beasts that the Desert Cult used.
Servants of Ludric.
These beings were once under the direct control of Kazan Ludric himself. The three strongest of them were collectively known as Servants of Ludric.
And now.
The book that Noah was reading also contained information about the Servants of Ludric.
Unfortunate beasts that have been sealed away for ages, only to be released again and again.
However, thanks to the massive power they have accumulated in the process, they have surpassed the maximum designated grade of beasts, 9-star, and are currently classified as out of specification.
The list of servants was as follows
Ghau, a monstrous bird that spews eternal flames.
Venomida, a poisonous serpent that multiplies incessantly.
Bai Lang, a white wolf that conceals itself in the mist.
Of these, the Order currently controlled only Ghau and Venomida. The Bai Lang, it was mentioned, had disappeared along with Kazan himself.
But then,
as Noah attentively studied the section about the Bai Lang, her eyes suddenly widened.
Huh?
She blinked in surprise.
The part her gaze fixed on was the description of the Bai Lang. The passage read as follows:
The Bai Lang, born from the mist, is said to wield the power of mist at will. If the mist thickens and wolf howls are heard, it is believed that the Bai Lang is nearby.
Wait a minute, this is somehow......
It looked exactly like the beast she knew?
The protagonist of the subjugation event that was scheduled to occur in the next month in the mock battle. A powerful beast that goes crazy after being released from the seal.
The White Wolf of Mimu.
First of all, the part about the white wolf is the same.
In addition, the fact that it can freely control the mist, and the fact that the mist is thick and the sound of a wolf's howl is also exactly the same as the White Wolf of Mimu.
'That means.......'
It could mean only one thing.
Namely, that 'The White Wolf of Mimu and Bai Lang of Mist were one and the same thing.
In other words, it was a Servant of Ludric; it was information that she never knew when she was a gamer.
Noah's head spun in confusion.
But only for a moment.
She quickly regained her composure.
......Let's summarize it.
The Bloodline of Ludric were descendants of Kazan Ludric.
Most of them are Heretics of the Desert Order, whose purpose was to transform beasts into demonic beasts, in line with the intentions of their ancestor, Kazan.
Sylphy Ludric.
Her fellow classmate.
From the information Noah had gathered so far, there was a strong possibility that she was a descendant of Kazan.
And that meant she might be a Heretic from the Desert Order.
Then why would a member of Lucrics Bloodline bother to enter the Arsene Academy?
Clearly, she had some purpose in mind.
In fact, when she first started reading the book, she hadn't even realized what the purpose was. But now, she had some ideas.
Bai Lang of Mist.
The beast that was supposed to appear in the mock battle.
Could there be a connection between this event and Ludric's bloodline? Perhaps they were planning to unseal the Bai Lang and have it serve the Desert Order again.
If they succeeded in this endeavor, the Order would have control over all of the Servants of Ludric.
But there was something that bothered her.
But if Sylphy is such an important figure, shouldn't she have been mentioned in the original work?
Yet, there was no mention of her, not even her name. Besides, the Desert Order itself was not part of the main story in the original work.
As Noah pondered these new questions,
Thunk!
A sudden noise disrupted her thoughts. It was enough to jolt her from her reverie.
The library will close in 10 minutes. Please clean up and prepare to leave.
It was Librarian Erwin's voice.
How did the time come so quickly?
Noah stood up from her seat, still surprised. She looked down at the book she had been reading.
'I'm almost done, but.......
I think you should still borrow it.
She decided it was best to borrow it for another day. There might be something she had missed, and she intended to read it again carefully.
As she turned to leave, however,
She came face to face with a student on the opposite side.
"Huh?"
A girl clutching a swordsmanship textbook in her arms.
It was Ibella, the future Sword Maiden.
Noah was stunned, and Ibella, too, seemed a little surprised.
But only for a moment.
Noah quickly raised her hand. Since they were in the same class, she thought she would say hello.
But at that moment.
The unexpected happened.
"......!?"
Noah's eyes suddenly widened.
She felt a sudden disturbance in the flow of mana, a sensation of intense disruption.
But that wasn't all. A massive surge of mana was approaching from the east, like a wave.
Crash!
Was it the overwhelming power that suddenly rushed in? The magic lamps that illuminated the reading room shattered.
In an instant, darkness enveloped the area. Ibella, who didn't know about magic, looked around in confusion.
"What's going on? Why all of a sudden......."
Noah, on the other hand, was less confused than Ibella.
However, this was only temporary.
A little late to notice the view outside the window, she was startled by what she saw.
"That's......!"
To the east, in the direction of the forest, an eerie mist began to billow out, thick and dense. Soon, faint wolf howls could be heard.
This was meant to happen a month later.
An event that should have happened in a mock battle.
It perfectly matched the scenario where Bai Lang of Mist would break its seal and appear.
* * * * *
It was 9:30 PM, and Noah was engrossed in reading a book in the reading room of the library. In the deserted forest, there was someone else. A girl with ash-gray hair and glasses, sitting on her knees deep within the forest.
The girl's true identity was a freshman student at Arsene Academy, majoring in General Studies, named Sylphie Ludhina. However, this was just a fabricated identity and name for her real purpose.
Her real name was Sylphy Ludric the only child of the 29th Head of the Desert Order, and one of the most prominent Heretic among the Ludric bloodline and most wanted by the Empire.
The reason she had enrolled at Arsene Academy was straightforwardto pull out the stake right before her eyes.
"......."
A huge stake, driven halfway into the ground. This stake, carved of blue-hued rock, was a device designed to suppress and seal the power of a dormant demonic beast hidden in the forest, sleeping here.
The Bai Lang.
One of the three Servants of Kazan Ludric.
Sylphy's goal was to remove the stake that sealed the power of Bai Lang, awaken it, and return it to the Desert Order. She had come to Arsene Academy for this sole purpose, even if it meant risking her life.
It was really tough.
She had to fabricate not only her name and nationality but also an entirely new past for herself. Despite achieving these conditions, gaining admission to Arsene was no easy feat. Individuals with unclear backgrounds were not even qualified to take the entrance exams.
In the midst of this struggle, an unexpected stroke of luck came her way. A prominent nobleman of the Empire had made contact with the Desert Order, and his name carried weight Count Dermore.
A man who contacted the Desert Order with the sole intention of bringing his dead daughter back to life. Thanks to the recommendation letter he provided, Sylphy was able to enroll at Arsene Academy.
After all, she had gone to all this trouble to get here, and for good reason.
To become the next Head of the Desert Order, one must be recognized by the Servants of Ludric.
The Servants of Ludric were the divine beings of the Order; without their recognition, she would not even be eligible to take the test.
Unfortunately, Sylphy did not have the approval of the Birds and the Serpent.
There was only one option left; to be recognized by Bai Lang, the last of the Servants said to be sealed within the Fountain of Magic, Arsene's Eastern Territory.
I know how to break the seal.
Bai Lang was sealed by eight stakes, each engraved with a different spell. Removing all eight stakes would unseal Bai Lang.
And fortunately, five of the stakes have already disappeared, as they have been neglected for a long time.
I've removed the other two stakes.
Now there was only one left.
The stake right in front of her.
'But the problem is.......'
The amount of mana required to pull out the stake was truly staggering.
The last two stakes she'd removed had been easy; she'd spent about three days on each, and they'd come out quickly.
But this one is different.
Within five seconds of touching the stake, all the mana was forcibly drained. Her current state, sitting on her knees, was a result of her magic being sucked out so abruptly, leaving her exhausted.
Sylphy's current kneeling position was also due to the fact that she was drained of her magic in an instant.
At the same time, she had a hunch.
She sensed that it would take much more time and mana to pull out this stake than it had before.
Frankly, I wish I could just pull it out with brute force.
Of course, that was unrealistic.
Of course, it was an unrealistic idea. To pull out such a huge stake, you would at least have to be a giant from legends.
Or maybe Ulan.
Along with the person who suddenly came to mind, Sylphy laughed.
Ulan Bator.
A fellow student of the same class, a savage from a barbarian tribe.
From the very first day of the entrance ceremony, Ulan had shown a distinct presence. At that time, she honestly didn't want to be in the same class as him.
The reason was simple.
To unseal Bai Lang discreetly, she needed to stay as inconspicuous as possible, and having Ulan around would attract too much attention.
And then we got caught in the tsunami.
The so-called Fountain of Magic disappearance incident.
Now that she was mentioning it, back then, she truly believed she was going to die.
The Fountain of Magic, taught at the Desert Sect, was described as an abyss, like hell itself. It might be embarrassing, but her tears at that time were real, not an act.
But only for a moment.
When she discovered the ruins connected to the cave, and learned that it was the ancient Desert Kingdom, her fear turned into curiosity and fascination.
'I'm still not sure why there were ruins of the Desert Kingdom in the Fountain of Magic, but.......'
Looking at the results, however, entering the ruins was indeed fortunate for Sylphy.
Inside, they encountered three Ordeals and Sylphy went through the Ordeal of Talent, and in the process, she realized that she had a talent for taming beasts.
Of course, I'm not perfect yet.
But it's good that there is talent, isn't it? This newfound confidence led her to believe she could tame Bai Lang.
So, after escaping from the ruins, she immediately started working on unsealing Bai Lang.
'Oh, right, now that I mention it.......'
There was something that bothered her. It was the imprint Ulan had obtained as a reward. Every time she looked at it, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was oddly familiar and somewhat nostalgic.
Where have I seen that before?
She rummaged through her memories, but nothing came to mind. However, it was just a fleeting curiosity, so Sylphy quickly brushed it aside.
What mattered now was the stake before her.
Let's just focus on that for now.
It shouldn't be too difficult.
At least not as challenging as what she had done before.
Moreover, just in case someone tried to tail her, she had placed a special spell on the ground. If someone stepped on it, she would immediately sense their presence.
And so far...
No one had been tailing her.
If only Bai Lang's seal could be broken
As the price for unsealing it, she would demand loyalty. Afterward, she would leave the academy and return to the Desert Order, with a brilliant future ahead.
As she dreamed of the imminent golden future...
Sylphy stood up from her spot. She needed to return to the dormitory before it got too late.
However, she didn't know.
That hidden in the trees above, there was someone who had been silently observing her actions all along.
* * * * *
After Sylphie completely disappeared, the giant tree a short distance from where she had been swayed once. Moments later, a massive object leaped down to the ground.
Thud!
It was Ulan, who had been perched in the trees all along. He loosened his rigid muscles, his gaze fixed in the direction where Sylphie had disappeared.
"Such a shame. I wanted to at least say hello," he muttered, his sincerity evident. She had been one of Ulan's few friends at the academy.
But she held back. Right now, Ulan was under suspension, and any contact with anyone would be a violation of his restrictions.
"Nothing to be done about it," he sighed, reminding himself of the promise he made to the Inspector.
He'll just tell her later that he saw her in the forest. After sorting out his thoughts, Ulan looked around.
"But there are no fruits here."
Not just fruits, but there were no trees at all. The land appeared desolate, dominated by barren soil and towering blue ore-made Stake that created an eerie atmosphere.
"Hmm? Stake?"
Why is this thing here?
Ulan furrowed his brow in puzzlement, and then he noticed something peculiar. The Stake seemed partially pulled out of the ground.
"Maybe Sylphie was trying to pull it out and gave up halfway?"
He recalled how she had grasped the Stake with both her hands before collapsing to her knees. It was as if she had strained herself trying to pull it out.
He didn't know why she would be attempting this in the middle of the night, but it seemed like an important task if she had gone to such lengths.
Ulan stared at the stake for a moment
and soon, he made a decision.
"I'll pull it out for her."
She would probably be delighted when she returned next time. With this simple speculation, Ulan brushed his palms together. Then he brought his hand up to pull the stake out
"Hmm?"
a strange sensation washed over him.
What was it? It felt like his hand was sticking to something as if it was trying to absorb spirit.
But in the end, it was useless.
Ulan's spirit as someone who had reached the realm of a Master had hardened and solidified, making it impenetrable and impossible to absorb.
So Ulan disregarded it. Instead, he firmly gripped the Stake with both hands and put his strength into his arms. The muscles in his arms expanded; thick veins sprouted, and the stake began to shake.
Drek! Drek!
With vibrations, the stake started to budge slowly.
It takes a lot of strength.
No wonder Sylphie couldnt pull it out.
Even for Ulan, using all his strength, it was a challenging task. Clearly, Sylphie's strength alone would not have sufficed.
Indeed, helping her was the right decision.
Ulan put all his might into it, from his waist to his back, exerting a massive amount of force before the posts finally began to give way.
Kudduk! Puurk!
Soon enough, the stake was cleanly pulled out.
The reason it took so much effort was revealed; the stake had been driven deeper than expected. The part that came out of the ground was less than half of the part that was buried.
"Anyway, this will satisfy Sylphie."
As he was throwing the stake aside haphazardly, a sudden change occurred.
Tududu! Kugugugu!
An intense vibration emerged from beneath the ground. But that wasn't all; a thick mist began to spread around the place where the stake was stuck.
Awoowoo!
Following the mist came the howls of wolves, but it wasn't just one wolf; dozens of wolves howled in unison. The situation was becoming increasingly peculiar, and Ulan tilted his head.
"Were there wolves in this forest?"
He hadn't seen a single one until now.
This place didn't seem suitable for wolves in the first place. To support a wolf population, there needed to be enough prey, but the eastern forest lacked even common rabbits, let alone deer.
However, his surprised expression didn't last long. Ulan's gaze became sharp as a familiar presence emanated from beyond the mist.
"......a demonic beast."
It was the aura of a demonic beast; a powerful one at that.
Ulan clutched the bloodstone axe hanging from his waist and stared intently, piercing through the thick mist.
"I don't know what it is, but......."
Without warning, the ground trembled, the mist thickened, and the wolves continued to howl.
And now, a demonic beast too?
To be honest, Ulan had no idea what was going on. However, one thing was clear as long as a demonic beast had appeared before him, there was only one thing he needed to do.
"If I get rid of it, it will be solved."
In order to solve a problem, it was enough to eliminate the source of the problem.
With a simple sense of purpose, Ulan stepped into the mist
with a savagely gleaming axe in hand.
(End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . . )
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