Chapter 211: Strange marks
Byun reacted instantly. His shadows surged upward from the ground, thick tendrils wrapping around the wolf’s hind legs. For a heartbeat, they held. The massive body strained against them, muscles bunched tight, growls rattling the leaves overhead.
"Got you—" Byun began, teeth bared.
The wolf roared and tore through the bindings with sheer force. Shadows shredded like mist, scattering uselessly into the air.
"Not holding!" Byun gritted, already weaving more. Sweat slicked his brow, his usual calm cracking.
"Then buy me time," Jae barked, stepping forward again. His flames flared higher, licking up the blade until it blazed bright enough to cast long shadows through the forest. His stance sank low, weight braced.
The alpha’s eyes snapped toward him, as if recognizing the greater threat. It snarled, crouched, and sprang again. The ground split under its power, leaves bursting into the air around it.
Tirel didn’t need more encouragement. Her hands glowed with mana as she launched a barrage of fireballs, streaks of heat slamming into the wolf’s path. The beast dodged two but the third caught its hind leg, searing fur and flesh. It staggered with a furious snarl, its molten eyes flashing.
Jae surged forward, ember steps burning faint trails across the earth. In a blink he was on the wolf, his weapon slashing down in an arc of fire. The strike carved into its back, flames spreading across its fur. The wolf howled, bucking wildly, its massive body thrashing to shake him off.
"Jae!" Elise cried, extending her mana outward. Threads of shimmering energy wove into him, reinforcing his reserves. He felt it instantly—his flames roared brighter, hotter, his strength surging like a second wind.
The wolf twisted, jaws snapping toward his torso. Byun’s shadows lashed upward, coiling around its head just long enough to drag its bite off course. The beast jerked violently against the bindings, tearing through them with brute force, but it was a heartbeat too late. Jae seized the moment, driving his flaming weapon deep into its side.
The explosion was instant. Fire engulfed the wolf in a torrent of heat, consuming fur, muscle, and bone. Its agonized howl reverberated through the forest, a sound that rattled even the most battle-hardened students. The massive form convulsed, then shuddered one final time before collapsing. Black mist rose from its ruined body, its form dissolving until only scorched earth and fragments of bone remained.
For a moment, silence reigned.
Students stood frozen, weapons trembling in their hands, eyes wide. Even those who had fought bravely moments earlier now looked shaken. The sheer presence of the alpha wolf had crushed their nerves, and to see it destroyed so decisively left them stunned.
Jae stood amidst the smoke, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. His grip loosened slightly, but his voice remained calm, steady. "Is everyone alright?"
Murmurs rippled through the students. A few nursed shallow scratches from debris, but none had been harmed during the fight. Relief softened the edges of their fear, though unease still lingered in their expressions.
That had not been an ordinary beast.
Byun moved first. His shadows slithered along the ground toward the blackened soil, probing the remnants left behind. He crouched, fingers brushing over a charred bone shard. A strange flicker passed across his face.
"What is it?" Jae asked, stepping closer.
Byun gestured at the remains. "These burns... they’re not all from your flames. Look closer."
Jae crouched beside him. At first, the blackened marks looked like the natural aftermath of fire—but when he focused, he saw it. Beneath the scorch, etched into the fragments, were scars. Circular, overlapping patterns, as though the wolf’s body had been branded long before their battle.
"Someone tampered with it," Byun muttered darkly. "This wasn’t a natural alpha."
Elise knelt nearby, her hand hovering above the remains but not touching. Her face was pale, troubled. "You mean... someone made it this way?"
"Or forced it," Byun said grimly. "Either way, it wasn’t born like this."
Tirel crossed her arms, her usual playfulness replaced with sharp focus. "That explains why it fought the way it did. It wasn’t defending territory. It wanted to annihilate us."
The words settled heavily among them. A few students shifted uneasily, whispering to one another. The instructors had warned of alpha variants, yes, but not of something like this. Not beasts warped by deliberate hands.
Jae rose slowly, his gaze fixed on the branded bone. He said nothing at first, but inwardly, unease stirred. The fight itself hadn’t unsettled him—what did was the implication that someone had orchestrated it. Training exercises were meant to test them, but this... this hinted at something far more dangerous simmering beyond the academy’s walls.
The rustle of cloaks cut through the tension as Mrs. Lira and two instructors pushed into the clearing. They had followed at a distance as observers, yet their expressions now were taut with concern. One instructor immediately began checking on the students, but Mrs. Lira’s sharp eyes locked on the smoking remains of the wolf.
She crouched, studying the fragments with practiced care. Her fingers brushed the strange markings, her brow furrowing. For the briefest moment, something like recognition flickered in her eyes—but she masked it quickly, standing tall again.
"Well fought," she said, her voice calm yet edged with gravity. "Your response was swift, and your coordination spared lives. That beast was no ordinary threat."
The students straightened, some with pride, others still trembling. Jae’s group in particular drew sidelong glances—admiration from some, jealousy from others. The whispers from earlier grew louder, rippling through the assembly.
Byun leaned closer to Jae, keeping his voice low. "She knows what those marks mean. Look at her face."
Jae didn’t answer, but he noticed it too. Mrs. Lira’s composed tone didn’t quite match the tension in her posture. She was hiding something.
Elise touched his arm gently, as if grounding him. "We should head back. This place doesn’t feel right anymore."
Jae nodded. "Form up. Stay alert until we’re inside the walls."