A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 8

While Ellie was chatting with Sivar, Luna ventured into the cave presumed to be the dwelling of the Wildling.

Despite it being morning, the cave was shrouded in darkness. In response, she retrieved an item from her belongings.

At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary stone. However, its true nature was soon revealed.

Flash!

The previously colorless stone emitted a bright light, illuminating the entire interior of the cave.

It was a Luminous Stone provided by the Academy for emergencies. When infused with mana, it automatically radiated light.

Holding the Luminous Stone in one hand, she meticulously scanned the cave’s interior. The first thing that caught her attention was the floor.

‘Is that leather?’

Pieces of leather, seemingly used as bedding, were scattered on the ground.

Most were old and worn, but they were still preferable to sleeping on the hard floor.

Above all, each piece of leather was remarkably large. Even accounting for shrinkage due to age, their size was impressive.

‘As expected, that man is incredibly strong.’

She had already suspected as much when he swiftly killed Manki, but his physical strength was extraordinary.

Without him, Ellie would no longer be among the living. A horrifying nightmare had been narrowly avoided.

Manki was one of the most challenging monsters to hunt. Its agility, disproportionate to its bulk, could catch anyone off guard and lead to disaster.

Moreover, defeating it as quickly as he did was unheard of. Even breaking Manki’s leg with a crude stone axe was a feat in itself.

‘Most large monsters have incredibly strong lower bodies. Hm?’

As she looked around with the Luminous Stone, something suddenly drew her attention.

It was a collection of stone axes and stone spears neatly arranged against the wall. It seemed he also used spears.

Intrigued, Luna carefully picked up one of the stone axes. Its weight was palpable in her hand.

At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary stone axe. However, it was crafted with impressive dexterity, reinforced with sinew and leather.

‘Let’s take a closer look.’

She wondered if the stone axe had any special properties. The moment she had that thought, she focused her gaze.

As she concentrated, her eyes glowed blue, a gleam reminiscent of a beast’s eyes shining in the dark.

[Sturdy Stone Axe: F+]

[A stone axe reinforced with sinew and leather for added durability.]

[Though sturdily made, it will still break quickly. However, its solidity makes it effective as a weapon.]

[Special Effects: None]

Her vision was filled with lines of text, astonishingly detailing the attributes of the stone axe.

It was an ability she had possessed since birth. By focusing on an object, its related information would appear before her eyes.

This ability allowed her to discern whether food was poisoned or to identify valuable relics in advance.

It had been useful even back in her hometown, though she had no idea how she had acquired it.

‘He broke Manki’s leg with such a crude stone axe?’

Luna’s expression stiffened slightly as she read the description of the stone axe.

Items had ranks, and the higher the rank, the more diverse their abilities and effects.

But look at this stone axe. It had no special effects, and its rank was the lowest. Yet, he had used it to hunt Manki in an instant.

Even her sword wasn’t an F rank—it was a far superior B+. It had been forged by a skilled blacksmith from her hometown.

Just how strong was that man? Luna placed the stone axe back where it had been.

‘This… must be a record of how much time has passed.’

One section of the wall was almost entirely covered with marks, as if a line had been drawn for each passing day.

Counting roughly, the marks exceeded 1,000 before abruptly stopping. It was estimated that the man had lived in this forest for at least several years.

Did he stop marking after 1,000 days, or had someone else lived here before him?

Nothing could be clearly determined. However, considering that the man couldn’t understand their language, another hypothesis emerged.

‘Maybe he’s been here since he was a child.’

She decided it was necessary to properly examine his face. His overgrown hair and beard obscured his features entirely.

Having lived in the wilderness, he likely hadn’t felt the need for grooming. Luna followed the wall deeper into the cave.

The further she ventured, the more skulls, presumably from his hunts, were displayed in neat rows.

‘Judging by the size of the skulls, they all seem to belong to large creatures…’

From the Manki whose head he had smashed in an instant to the Giant Bear, everything about him was extraordinary.

If he had used that strength to threaten her and Ellie… she didn’t even want to imagine it.

Fortunately, he seemed to perceive them as the same kind, but she couldn’t afford to let her guard down.

“…Huh?”

As she followed the wall, she eventually reached the deepest part of the cave. However, something about the wall illuminated by the Luminous Stone seemed unusual.

There was a drawing on it. Crude, but unmistakably a drawing.

Luna, as if entranced, brought the Luminous Stone closer to the drawing.

‘What… is this…’

As the light revealed the entire image, the full scope of the drawing came into view.

The first image depicted a person living with their family.

Though crudely drawn with just a few lines to represent people, it was clear they were family.

It was fair to say the drawing was poorly done, but that wasn’t what mattered. What mattered was the story it told.

‘This is definitely the symbol of the United Academy…’

The symbol of the United Academy was a star. A circle formed by countless stars.

The drawing showed a person separated from their family, entering what appeared to be the United Academy, and experiencing various events.

There were depictions of battles with monsters and combat against a grotesque figure presumed to be a demon.

The drawings weren’t solely about combat.

There were also images of someone being stabbed in the back, a person lying on the ground, and another weeping while looking up at the sky.

Among them, the most striking was a drawing near the end. Luna stared at the mural as if spellbound.

It depicted a person ascending into the sky with both arms raised high.

Not only were their arms raised, but they also had ‘wings’ on their back.

‘An angel?’

It was hard not to think of the figure as an angel, said to have once opposed demons.

She couldn’t discern what these drawings meant. However, she could make some guesses.

‘The man’s life story? No, if that were the case, there would be writing as well.’

The entire wall was covered in drawings. There wasn’t a single word to be found.

What could it be? Was this mural, filling the entire wall, really drawn by that man?

Considering he knew the symbol of the United Academy, it seemed likely. But why had he drawn these images?

‘…Could it be.’

Just as she was entertaining an absurd thought—

“Luna? What are you doing there?”

“Ah!”

A familiar voice came from behind her. The cave’s natural echo startled her.

She quickly turned around to see Ellie and the Wildling standing side by side.

“Oh… um… it’s nothing.”

Luna glanced briefly at the wall behind her before stepping forward. She did so to avoid shining light on the mural.

For some reason, she had a strong feeling that she shouldn’t show the mural to them.

After composing herself as best as she could, she spoke in a slightly trembling voice.

“I was just looking around. Why did you suddenly come in?”

“Sivar came in, so I followed him.”

“Sivar?”

At the mention of Sivar, Luna tilted her head in confusion. It was a name she had never heard before.

“Damn.”

At that moment, the man muttered as if in response, his tone full of irritation.

Luna, hearing this, asked Ellie with a tone of disbelief.

“Wait, is Sivar… this man’s name?”

“Yeah. I came up with it. He keeps saying ‘Damn’ all the time, doesn’t he?”

“Damn.”

“See?”

The man—no, Sivar—responded reflexively, leaving Luna utterly dumbfounded.

Naming someone after a curse word, like naming a dog or a cat, just because they kept saying it…

It was undeniably a striking and memorable name, but it was also incredibly bizarre. Considering Sivar’s immense physical strength, it was even more so.

“Well… alright. So I just call you Sivar?”

“Damn.”

Sivar responded reflexively. It was still absurd, but at least he was reacting, so it seemed fine.

Luna glanced at the wall behind her once more before heading toward where they were.

“Did you find anything?”

“No. Nothing. Just some monster skulls, a stone axe, and a stone spear.”

She lied in response to Ellie’s question. Her conscience pricked at her, but she felt she couldn’t let them find out about it.

Moreover, it could cause unnecessary confusion, so it was better for them to remain unaware. Reaching the group, she looked at Sivar.

Facing him up close, she realized just how massive his build was. The muscles honed in the wilderness were incredibly impressive.

“Sivar.”

“Damn.”

“You are… No, never mind.”

She swallowed her words. It was a pointless question anyway since he wouldn’t understand her.

Still, she needed to understand Sivar more deeply. To do that, communication would be essential.

He was full of mysteries and potential dangers. There were so many things she wanted to ask about that mural.

“So, what now? Are we just going to take him out of here?”

While she was staring at Sivar, Ellie spoke up.

That question sent Luna into deep thought. Honestly, she wanted to take him out of here.

But starting with getting Sivar out of the forest, there were issues with how to handle him afterward.

He was a wildling who couldn’t even communicate properly. Claiming he was a missing Academy student would be difficult since his identity couldn’t be verified.

A person with no ties, whose very birth was uncertain. A wildling even more savage than a barbarian. Yet his physical strength was absurdly overwhelming.

To Luna, he was no different from a walking time bomb. There was much to ask, but the risks were too great.

“No. I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Why not?”

“What are we supposed to do with him if we take him out? He won’t even be allowed to enter, let alone enroll.”

“Wouldn’t the Special Admission Program work?”

The United Academy had a Special Admission Program. It wasn’t a formal entry but allowed under special circumstances.

The special circumstances varied and couldn’t be pinned down, but the program itself was relatively simple.

At that, Luna frowned and spoke in a tone that made it clear she found the idea absurd.

“You’re suggesting we get a professor’s recommendation?”

“Yeah. With Sivar’s skills, it should be possible.”

It was a direct recommendation from a professor. Afterward, depending on the candidate, they would either take a trial or be accepted outright.

The United Academy was a strict meritocracy. As such, cases of favoritism were nearly nonexistent.

Even in rare cases of favoritism, the individual’s exceptional skills usually silenced any complaints. Ellie was likely referring to that.

“It’s possible, I guess. If we’re only considering his skills.”

“Right?”

“But it’s just his skills. Everything else is completely unqualified—no, it’s at rock bottom. Do you see any trace of civilization in Sivar?”

Though blunt, Ellie couldn’t argue. Everything Luna said was true.

Sivar had incredible skills, enough to hunt a Manki in an instant. But in the end, he was still a wildling.

If he were a different species, he would’ve been just another beast surviving in the wilderness. That was an unchanging fact.

Knowing this, Ellie looked at Sivar. He stood there silently, not saying a word.

Then, turning back to Luna, she spoke hesitantly.

“Couldn’t we teach him? And it’s not like communication is completely impossible. Earlier, he gave me bear meat.”

“Bear… what? What kind of meat?”

“Bear meat. When I pointed to myself, he nodded. He can convey basic ideas, at least.”

How unbothered. That was Luna’s thought upon hearing Ellie’s words.

Setting aside the fact that some communication was possible, eating bear meat? It must’ve been prepared in the wilderness, so calling it sanitary would be a stretch.

Regardless, it needed to be confirmed. Hearing that some level of communication was possible, Luna looked at Sivar.

Trying to communicate with him felt daunting, but she suddenly thought of a good method. She approached the wall and knocked on it.

Tap-tap.

“Please focus here.”

“…”

Saying that, Luna drew her sword and began carving letters. She started with her own name.

“Do you know what this means?”

“Damn?”

“That’s your name. Do you know what this means?”

Sivar stood there blankly. As expected, he couldn’t read.

He couldn’t understand spoken words, couldn’t read letters—a complete mess. Forget enrolling; he wouldn’t even be able to live a proper life.

‘Oh, damn. This is seriously screwed.’

Meanwhile, the wildling Sivar was having similar thoughts. The shock was so great that he froze stiff.

He could understand everything they said. Even when they openly insulted him, he stayed silent because it was true.

But after Luna carved letters into the wall, he couldn’t help but think everything was screwed.

He couldn’t read at all. He could understand speech, but he couldn’t read.

It wasn’t English or Korean but some bizarre characters. All he could think was how utterly screwed he was.

‘Life’s a damn mess.’

He had been eagerly waiting to leave, but even if he did, it would be a problem. Unable to read, how could he possibly live properly?

While they were having similar yet different thoughts, Luna turned to Ellie and spoke as if to prove her point.

“See? Even if he passes the Special Admission Program, he wouldn’t be able to handle daily life. He’d be at the level of playing with little kids.”

“But leaving him here isn’t good either. Sivar is a person, Luna. And he’s the one who saved us.”

Ellie refused to give up. She seemed determined to bring Sivar to the Academy no matter what.

Honestly, Luna felt the same way. If she hadn’t seen the mural earlier, she would’ve just left him here and gone back.

But now that she was curious about Sivar’s identity, she couldn’t do that. If not for the practical obstacles, she would’ve gladly agreed.

Luna sighed deeply at Ellie’s determined gaze, which showed no sign of backing down. The situation was complicated in many ways.

“I’m not even sure we can take him with us in the first place. What if Sivar insists on staying here? There’s no guarantee he’ll follow us.”

“That’s true.”

“Let’s think about this later. For now…”

Just as they were leaning toward postponing the decision to take Sivar with them—

Boom!

Suddenly, the sound of thunder echoed throughout the cave. A deafening roar.

But it didn’t stop at just thunder; the ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.

“Kyaaah!”

“What, what’s going on?”

The sudden thunder and earthquake left Luna and Ellie in a state of panic. Thunder was strange enough, but the ground shaking too?

Just moments ago, the weather had been clear. Not a single cloud in sight.

Something unusual was happening. Luna sensed it immediately.

Thud-thud!

“S-Sivar?”

As if sensing something, Sivar gripped his stone axe tightly and dashed out of the cave.

Ellie called out urgently, but he was already gone.

Boom!!

Another thunderclap rang out. The entire cave shook, causing small debris to fall from above.

At this rate, the cave could collapse. Luna shouted urgently at Ellie.

“Let’s get out of here! If we stay, it’ll cave in!”

“O-okay!”

Every time the thunder struck, the ground shook. It was clearly a bad sign. This forest had always been a place where strange things happened.

They quickly exited the cave. Despite the thunder, the outside was as bright and sunny as ever.

Squinting at the sudden brightness, they soon spotted Sivar.

“Sivar?”

“Grrr…”

Despite Luna’s call, Sivar didn’t respond. Instead, he let out a beast-like growl.

He gripped the stone axe tightly in his left hand and lowered his stance. Anyone could see he was extremely on guard.

Then, what exactly was Sivar being cautious of? Luna and Ellie’s gazes naturally shifted to the front of Sivar.

And there, an entirely unexpected creature stood in plain sight.

“A squir… rel? It’s a squirrel, right?”

“It seems like it…”

It was a squirrel. Although its bulk was comparable to that of a large dog, it was unmistakably a squirrel.

Outwardly, it was an endlessly adorable squirrel. Its appearance was so cute that even when it spread its shoulders wide, it only looked endearing.

However, the action the squirrel displayed next was anything but cute. This was the Forest of Chaos, where only the strong survive.

The squirrel glared fiercely at Sivar and then suddenly spread its arms wide.

“Kyaaaang!!”

And with that, the squirrel let out an incredibly cute sound. The action was extremely detrimental to the heart.

Kwa-gwa-gwang!!

Because a blue lightning bolt struck down right in front of them.

It was literally harmful in every sense of the word.

Note: F*ck/Damn in korean is ‘Shibal’, so to their ear it sounds like ‘Sivar’