NOVEL WEB Chapter 35: Something That Lurks in the Darkness
Before nightfall, Victor had hunted two magical beasts in the forest; a pair of Thornback Boars. Their habitation seemed concentrated in the western vicinity of the academy, given how often he encountered them in that area. Though finding magical beasts wasn’t that difficult for an Initiate Attunement acolyte like Victor — he could sense their mana fluctuations through “mana sense.”
He allocated one of the boars to the kitchen and tossed the other into the essence converter, bringing the total essence points to seventy-one. This marked a substantial improvement over the previous total, which had been just shy of fifty, following the conversion of the Mossback Turtle from two days earlier and the summoning of thirty players (ten currently incubating).
A satisfied smile tugged at Victor’s lips. “Looks like I won’t have to worry about essence points for a while.”
Allowing himself a moment of relaxation, Victor reclined in his chair and redirected his focus to the System’s main tab — something he hadn’t checked in a while.
Academy Name: Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi
Headmaster: Victor Asteriscus
Academy Points: 250
Academy Grade: Level 1
Total Acolytes: 25/100
Progression Value: 10/100
“Master, I have something to report.” Lizbeth materialized out of thin air, perching herself upon Victor’s head. With a sense of urgency, she declared, “There’s a new personal side mission in the Headmaster’s Journal section, and it appears to be quite urgent!”
Urgent? What kind of mission would cause her to be so concerned? Victor paid no mind to her suddenly sitting on his head, opening the Headmaster’s Journal tab without delay.
—— [Headmaster’s Journal] ——
Mission: Is It Right to Fear the Unknown?
The current status of the academy’s barriers is unknown. It is your responsibility as the headmaster to locate and determine their conditions.
Type: Side mission
Reward: One Aleph-tier spell model for each normal and rare element
The reward immediately caught Victor’s attention, as it presented an extraordinary opportunity. With this reward, he could open a virtual shop for the players. Each Aleph-tier spell model was priced for at least ten academy points on the System, so this was a great boon.
Still, to find the magic formations of the academy’s barriers? But where on earth am I supposed to begin searching for them? Victor pursed his lips in thought. His pupils then focused on the dangling little flawless white legs on his forehead. Right…
“Liz, shouldn’t you know where to find it?” She was the assistant of this academy’s headmaster and the original inhabitant of this place. She should know better than anyone where to look.
Lizbeth, however, only gave him a shrug. “Dunno. I might be a fairy, but I’m not some all-knowing oracle, you know.” A peculiar sense of pride tinged her words for reasons unknown.
“So, what you’re saying is, you’re not much more than a mascot?” Victor couldn’t help a wry smile as he said that.
“How rude! I’ve been a lot more than just a mascot.” So, you don’t deny that. “For your information, I led two classes today — simultaneously, I might add. Admittedly, I used a recorded video from your previous lecture, but still…”
Well, there was no denying that she had proven herself to be invaluable in more ways than he could count. Funnily enough, her involvement in conducting the class had led the players — both newcomers and veterans — to affectionately dub her the “Tutorial Fairy.”
“Anyways, if you do know where to find the source of the barriers, then tell me,” Victor urged, the gravity of the situation weighing on him. “If there is a problem, better to nip it in the bud before we run into more trouble down the line.”
There were unprecedented dangers that would crop up if the magic barriers were to collapse. Magical beasts would only be one of the many problems; the location of the academy could be revealed to prying eyes and attract potential adversaries. Furthermore, supernatural phenomena originating from the Thornwood Forest might start manifesting near this place.
“Naturally. However, I do have one place in mind regarding their potential location,” Lizbeth remarked, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. “But, as you so kindly put it, I am no more than a mascot, and mascots do not furnish information.”
“Fine then. Once there are more staff in the academy, consider yourself promoted to the role of vice headmaster.” Obviously, this was only an empty promise. Not only was it unknown when Magi, if they ever so wished, would join the ranks of the Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi — a sham academy. It was up to Victor to trick them, just like he did with the players.
“Deal!” She agreed without a second thought.
“Now, would you kindly enlighten me on this potential location?”
Lizbeth’s demeanor shifted to one of playful innocence. “Oh dear, I seem to have forgotten. Silly me! Teehee!” She softly hit her head. “Rest assured, I’ll recall it and let you know ASAP.”
“Why you little—!” Exasperation edged Victor as he lunged for Lizbeth, perched atop his head. Yet, with a remarkable intuition, she effortlessly evaded his grasp, slipping away like a wisp of air. “Come here, you!”
“Hehe! You won’t catch me that easily!”
As the exchange unfolded, the enigmatic task of uncovering the source of the academy’s barrier remained an enigma, momentarily overshadowed by Lizbeth’s impishness.
***
Amidst the darkness of the forest, an unsettling presence moved stealthily through the undergrowth. Moonlight cast eerie shadows on its form, giving it a sinister outline. With each delicate step, its appendages rustled the leaves, its movements a grotesque ballet of grace and menace. This creature navigated the dense foliage through sinuous strands that adorned the trees.
As it advanced, its keen senses detected a faint disturbance, an anomaly amidst the otherwise untouched forest floor. Following an inexplicable instinct, it veered toward the source, a scent that seemed out of place — foreign to the usual symphony that filled the woods.
Humans… Humans had encroached upon the edge of its territory.
The fields of magical flowers that extended far and wide now bore the signs of human incursion. Trampled petals and gouged earth bore witness to their intrusion, and the soil carried alien scents that tainted the sanctuary, causing the creature’s primal urges to boil.
Its form pulsated with anticipation and unyielding hunger. The craving for human meat echoed like a throbbing heartbeat. The creature’s focus sharpened, iridescent eyes gleaming with malevolent intent as it set its sights on a hunt.
***
William quickly hopped into the game with his Prominence account after returning from work. He was now the leader of the foraging group — a position envied by many players of Magus Academy Online. As a leader, it was his responsibility to log in early and guide his fellow players.
Just like any other day, he planned to recruit new players for his group, so he patiently waited for the conclusion of the headmaster’s daily speech. By now, he was used to the daily occurrence of shock and amazement on the faces of new players.
The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a warm glow across the academy’s landscape. William surveyed a group of a dozen or so people gathered before him, all carrying tools and sacks for foraging. ThunderLord999, despite joining two days later than him, was promoted as the leader of the newly formed construction group and suggested a collaboration. The plan was for their groups to pool efforts and collect Thornwood Flower stems and thorns to be used as construction materials.
“You guys ready?” he addressed his companions. “Today, we will delve back into the Thornwood Forest. Our goal is clear: gather the stems and thorns of Thornwood Flowers. Remember, we rise as one, or we fall as one.”
His words resonated with the group, eliciting nods and eager expressions. He always wanted to say those words. Becoming the main character in famous movies and uttering cliché yet empowering lines had always been his childhood dream, and now he had the opportunity to act like one thanks to this immersive game world.
With William at the helm, both groups ventured forth, navigating the verdant labyrinth with practiced ease. Soon enough, they arrived at the field of Thornwood Flowers. The small pink flowers in the sea of thorns gave off a hallucinatory effect despite their small sizes. Caution was needed when handling these magical plants.
Out of the blue, Thunder sidled up to William with an eager glint in his eyes. “You see, the trees here, around this part of the forest, they’re distinct from the ones nearer the academy. Take a look at their trunks — they’re thicker, and have you noticed the sparse thorns adorning their bark? I had a chat with the headmaster yesterday, and I believe they’re called ironthorn trees.”
“Well, we can tell that just by looking at them. What does it matter anyway?” William scratched his chin and tilted his head.
“It’s important!” Thunder exclaimed with eyes full of excitement. “Can you fathom that these trees yield wood that is harder and many times more durable than pine? I mean, it’s surreal to witness such marvels, even if it’s all within the confines of a game. Think about it — the kind of sturdy furniture or, better yet, construction materials we could craft from these ironthorn trees!”
“Right…” William didn’t bother engaging further with this crazy player and his unconventional train of thought. Instead, he shifted his focus back to the task at hand and directed the group to begin harvesting the stems.
The pay for this task was pretty good. For every kilogram of cut stem, he would be rewarded with one merit point. As for separating the thorns from the stems, that would be the job for Thunder and his construction group, and the pay wasn’t bad either. Perhaps this was attributed to the inherent risk involved in this job — being outside the academy’s magic barriers.
The chopping had to be done carefully, though. Not only the thorns could injure people, but the stems also had to be cut as long as possible with a minimum length of one meter. Or else, there would be a reduction in the points gained.
With determination, the foraging group set to work, blades slicing through the sturdy thornwood stems. All was progressing according to plan until…
“Huh, what are these things?” A puzzled voice rang out, breaking the rhythmic cadence.
“What’s wrong?” William responded promptly, striding toward the source of concern. There, a player pointed at a web-covered mass nestled high in the canopy.
“Something is amiss.” Thunder, who was in the vicinity inspecting the trees, approached the scene. A solemn realization crossed his features. “Look at the marks on the canopy… Some of the branches even have bite marks and bloodstains on them.”
Magical beasts!
Those words lingered unspoken yet ominous, hanging heavy in the air. There could be no mistake; this was the nest of a magical beast. The pristine white webs hinted at an entity — likely a spider-like creature — of substantial size, possibly as large as a human.
“The devil is that thing?!”
“Crap! Are we going to have our first encounter with a magical beast?”
“What encounter? This isn’t the time to get excited!”
The other players nearby were attracted by the scene and reacted with a mixture of emotions. Some were curious and excited, while others were afraid and anxious.
“Mhm. We must regroup,” William declared firmly, recognizing the gravity of the situation. “According to the academy’s protocol, we should gather all personnel and retreat from this area. We’re in uncharted territory here, and we have no idea what we’re facing.”
Nods of agreement rippled through the group. It was indeed within the academy’s protocol to prioritize safety over recklessness. The reality of their immersive gaming experience was starkly evident — the thrill of encountering magical beasts was no mere spectacle but a genuine danger that demanded vigilance.
They quickly shifted into action, coming together in a huddled formation, their gazes scanning one another to ensure the presence of their fellow players. Yet… one was missing among them.