NOVEL WEB Chapter 6: The Hunt begins (I)
# Chapter 4: The Hunt Begins
The next morning arrived with an announcement that made everyone in the dining hall look up from their breakfast. Professor Aldric's voice echoed through the room via magical amplification.
"All second and third-year students report to the main courtyard in one hour for mandatory wilderness survival training. This exercise will take place in the Whispering Woods and is expected to last the entire day. Students should bring basic combat gear and emergency supplies."
I smiled as I took a bite of my toast. Right on schedule.
In the original timeline, this "wilderness survival training" was supposed to be a routine exercise that got interrupted by a Crimson Wolf pack. The attack would catch everyone off guard, resulting in several student deaths and establishing Ace as a hero when he saved as many people as possible.
But I knew it was coming. More than that, I was strong enough to do something about it.
[System Alert: Major story event detected]
[Crimson Wolf Attack - Original timeline: 73% casualty rate among students]
[Host intervention potential: High]
[Recommendation: Prepare for combat]
I finished my breakfast and headed back to my room to gather equipment. The academy provided basic gear for training exercises, but I wanted to be ready for anything.
As I was checking my practice sword, there was a knock on my door. I opened it to find Ace Luminhart standing in the hallway, looking uncharacteristically serious.
"Marcus," he said. "Mind if I come in?"
"Sure." I stepped aside to let him enter.
He looked around my room, taking in the neat arrangement of combat gear I'd laid out on the bed. "You're taking this training exercise pretty seriously."
"I like to be prepared," I said. "What can I do for you, Ace?"
He was quiet for a moment, studying my face like he was trying to solve a puzzle. "Yesterday was interesting. Your match with Seraphina."
"Was it?"
"She's never lost a sparring match. Not once in the two years I've known her. She's probably the best sword fighter in our year, maybe in the entire academy."
I shrugged. "Everyone loses eventually."
"That's just it," Ace said, his voice getting more intense. "She didn't just lose. She looked scared. Like she'd seen a ghost or something. What did you say to her at the end?"
I could see where this was going. Ace was the protagonist, the hero of the story, and heroes had instincts about these things. He could sense that something was wrong, even if he couldn't put his finger on what.
"I told her that maybe her information wasn't as reliable as she thought," I said honestly.
"What information?"
"You'd have to ask her."
Ace stepped closer, and I could feel the weight of his presence, that natural charisma that made people want to follow him. "Marcus, I don't know what's going on, but something has changed. Yesterday you were just another student struggling to keep up. Today you're fighting like someone with years of advanced training. People don't change that much overnight."
"Don't they?" I asked. "Maybe I was just hiding my abilities."
"For two years? Why would you do that?"
I looked at him for a long moment, this character I'd read about so many times, the hero who was supposed to save the world. He seemed younger than I'd expected, more uncertain. In the novels, Ace had always been confident and sure of himself, but now I could see the doubt in his eyes.
"Maybe I was waiting for the right moment," I said finally.
"And yesterday was the right moment?"
"Yesterday felt like a good day to stop pretending to be weak."
Ace was quiet for another long moment. Then he said, "Be careful today, Marcus. The Whispering Woods can be dangerous, even for advanced students. Stick close to the group."
After he left, I finished preparing my gear. The conversation had been interesting. Ace was already starting to question his assumptions about the world, about the people around him. That was good. It meant the timeline was shifting in ways that went beyond just my own actions.
[System Alert: Protagonist psychological profile updating]
[Ace Luminhart - Confidence rating decreased by 15%]
[Self-doubt parameters increasing]
[Note: Original protagonist beginning to question his role]
An hour later, I joined the crowd of students gathered in the main courtyard. There were about sixty of us total, divided into groups of eight for the training exercise. I noticed that Seraphina was watching me from across the courtyard, her expression unreadable.
Professor Aldric addressed the assembled students. "Today's exercise will test your survival skills, teamwork, and combat readiness. You'll be dropped at various points around the Whispering Woods and expected to navigate back to the academy using only basic equipment. The exercise will conclude at sunset."
He paused, looking serious. "The Whispering Woods are generally safe, but remain alert. Wildlife in the area can be unpredictable, and the terrain is challenging. Stay with your assigned groups and follow standard safety protocols."
I was assigned to a group with seven other second-year students, none of whom I recognized from the novel. In the original timeline, this particular group was supposed to encounter the Crimson Wolf pack first. Three of them would die in the initial attack, two more would die trying to escape, and the remaining three would barely survive until Ace arrived to drive off the wolves.
But that was the original timeline.
Our group was transported by magical carriage to a clearing about five miles north of the academy. The Whispering Woods earned their name from the way wind moved through the dense canopy, creating sounds that almost resembled voices. It was an eerie place even during the day, with twisted trees and paths that seemed to shift when you weren't looking directly at them.
"Alright everyone," said Derek, the student who'd been designated as our group leader. "According to the map, we need to head southeast to reach the academy. Stay close and watch for markers."
The other students nodded and fell into formation. They seemed nervous but not overly concerned. After all, this was supposed to be a routine training exercise.
I let them take the lead while I focused on my enhanced senses. The Combat Awareness skill I'd learned let me perceive the forest in ways the others couldn't. I could feel the movement of small animals in the underbrush, the shift of wind patterns through the trees, the subtle wrongness that indicated predators nearby.
We'd been walking for about thirty minutes when I felt it. A presence in the forest, something large and aggressive moving parallel to our path. The Crimson Wolves were already tracking us.
[System Alert: Hostile entities detected]
[Crimson Wolf Pack - 6 individuals]
[Threat Level: High for normal students, Moderate for host]
[Estimated time until engagement: 12 minutes]
"Everyone stop," I said quietly.
The group turned to look at me, confusion on their faces.
"What's wrong?" Derek asked.
"We're being followed," I said. "Something large. Multiple somethings."
"I don't hear anything," said Lisa, a girl with short brown hair and nervous eyes.
"Trust me," I said. "We need to change our route. Head more directly south."
"The map says southeast," Derek protested. "We're supposed to follow the planned route."
"The planned route is going to get us killed."
That got their attention. Several students looked around nervously, as if expecting monsters to leap out of the trees at any moment.
"How do you know?" asked Tom, a stocky boy with earth magic abilities.
"Because I can sense them," I said. "Six Crimson Wolves, moving to intercept us about half a mile ahead."
Derek looked skeptical. "Crimson Wolves don't usually hunt in packs that large. And they avoid humans."
"Usually," I agreed. "But something has them agitated. Maybe the magical energy from all the student groups in the forest today."
It wasn't true, of course. The wolves were here because this was a planned attack, orchestrated by enemies of the academy. But I couldn't explain that without revealing knowledge I shouldn't have.
"Even if you're right," Derek said, "changing our route could get us lost. We're supposed to stick to the designated path."
I could see this was going nowhere. Derek was too focused on following orders to adapt to changing circumstances. In the original timeline, that inflexibility had gotten him killed.
"Fine," I said. "But when we encounter those wolves, remember that I warned you."