Salvos (A Monster Evolution LitRPG)

617. Chilling Loneliness

It was time to act.

Oriur clambered out of bed, before poking his head out of his room. The hallway was empty. Everyone was out. Ms Centina, Ms Kron, and even his two siblings. They had all gone out during the evening to train and level up amongst the low-leveled monsters in the surrounding area of the academy.

When Centina had first introduced this idea, Oriur was ecstatic. He had even accompanied his siblings in traveling to the outside world the first few times they did it. But when he realized it was to hunt and fight— when he realized he couldn’t actually explore Mavos Academy or interact with the other students there— he opted out for the future sessions. And instead, he concocted a plan to escape.

It was very simple. Oriur had noticed that there wasn’t actually a key that locked or unlocked the front door of this prison. Because it wasn’t actually a prison— it was Clayton Skyshredder’s office. Instead, there was a magical runic code that needed to be entered to open the front door.

Apparently, it was something only Centina knew. Kron didn’t care enough to learn what it was, and neither Novis nor Bellum paid enough attention to even notice this. However, Oriur was a very attentive baby Wyvern.

He made sure to spy on Centina each time she keyed in the runic code to unlock the exit. Perhaps she never noticed his spying, or maybe she assumed that casting basic magical spells were beyond his abilities. Unfortunately for her…

Oriur grinned as he quietly strode up to the front door. He brought a hand up and placed it against the wizened wooden surface. Taking in a deep breath, he reached for the strands of mana that expanded around him, composing the world. And then he pulled it into the complex network of magic that was etched into the wood.

There was a flash of light. Runes of all shapes and sizes appeared right before the baby Wyvern. He stared at the glowing symbols, before rearranging them with his claws. All he had to do was copy the structure that Centina made, and—

Click.

The door swung open.

Oriur pumped a fist in the air, squeaking in excitement.

“I did it!”

He caught himself a moment later, not wanting to make too much of a ruckus. He didn’t want to draw any attention to himself. He knew that there wasn’t anyone around nearby, but it was better to be safe than sorry. So he proceeded quietly until he reached the enchanted platform they called an ‘elevator’.

Oriur knew how it worked. When he had first seen it, it had been afraid to even step foot onto it. But now, he didn’t care. He got on, and its magic activated. Immediately, the platform began to descend, and when he looked up, he saw another platform take its place at the top.

“I’m actually doing this…”

The baby Wyvern swept his gaze over his surroundings as he descended down a glass-tube. He had been residing in Clayton Skyshredder’s office— located high above the clouds over Mavos Academy. So he could see everything.

The plethora of buildings— all constructed in different kinds of styles of architecture. They rose up from the ground, some of them with domed roofs, others with spiraling towers, and more that were built like brick boxes. A few of them were even more unique. There was a glass-like pyramid located right by a massive botanical garden, and there was a floating stadium right at the edge of the campus city.

Well, the floating stadium wasn’t floating right now because it was night. However, when it was used, it would fly hundreds of feet up from the ground through gravity magic.

Oriur had spent a lot of time studying a bunch of different topics while he was trapped up here. From learning how to cast basic spells to reading up on the history of the Human lands, he learned it all. And now, he was finally free to roam as he wished— to befriend Humans as he wanted!

Oh, how he had longed for freedom for so long. He smiled to himself as he watched the platform reach the first floor of the tower. He was practically vibrating where he stood. Giddy in excitement. The platform came to a halt, and he skipped out as he hummed to himself.

Oriur immediately came to a halt as he faced down a lady with glasses standing there down the hallway. He froze for a moment, thinking he had just been caught by Centina. But the realization slowly sank in that that lady was too old to be Centina.

With Kron’s illusions, Centina looked like she was in her early 30s at most. This lady with glasses looked to be in her mid-to-late 30s.

Oriur wanted to sigh in relief. He was glad that he wasn’t caught by Centina. He shook his head and smiled at the lady with glasses.

“Hi, my apologies, but I—”

Unfortunately, the baby Wyvern couldn’t finish because the lady with glasses screamed.

“Monster!”

She stumbled back as she reached for her pocket. Oriur blinked a few times, before waving a hand.

“Wait, I am not a monster. My name is Oriur—”

“How is it talking? Stay back!”

The lady with glasses whipped out a crystal wand, pointing at Oriur. It flashed with a bright light, and only then did the baby Wyvern think to use [Identification] on her. What he saw boded poorly for him.

[Mage - Lvl. ???]

“Oh no…”

Oriur took a step back, realizing he would be killed in an instant. He tried to raise his hands placatingly. But the lady with glasses moved first.

“[Lightning Bolt]!”

She pointed at him as a flash of light filled the room. Oriur winced, his heart jumping in his chest. He couldn’t even react. He couldn’t even think. He just knew he was going to be in a world of pain. He braced for it— however, the attack never came.

The baby Wyvern blinked a few times as he slowly raised his head. He lowered his hands to see a ball of light hovering just before him, sizzling with smoke. No— it wasn’t a ball of light. It was… a ball of flames. A ball of blue flames, to be exact.

“Uncle Willy…?”

Oriur mouthed slowly. The [Will O’ Wisp] danced back and forth as the lady with glasses narrowed her eyes.

“Instructor William— why are you protecting that monster?”

Willy sighed, before drifting backwards. His flames flashed, and Oriur found himself floating up. The baby Wyvern thrashed in the air as the [Will O’ Wisp] carried him back towards the elevator.

“Sorry.”

That was all the Grand Spirit said. The lady with glasses frowned, watching them go. But she eventually shook her head and marched away as she harrumphed under her breath.

“...I always knew we shouldn’t have accepted him into our faculty.”

Meanwhile, Oriur struggled as he was carried away by the [Will O’ Wisp]. He desperately tried to break free— he had finally found his freedom. He couldn’t go back up there.

“Let me go, Uncle!”

Oriur exclaimed, but Willy ignored the pleading.

“Please don’t bring me back up there!”

The baby Wyvern squirmed, watching as they approached the platform. Again, the Grand Spirit didn’t seem to care. Oriur clenched his jaw, feeling a sense of terror and dread well up within him.

No— he thought as he shook his fists. I was finally free… I was finally— He opened his mouth, trying to find the words. But he couldn’t speak. His body grew cold, and his hands went numb. The fact that his plan had failed finally settled in.

The creeping chill of loneliness swept over him, and an aching grew in his heart. Oriur’s breathing grew heavy as Willy brought them both over the elevator. And all at once, the baby Wyvern unleashed his feelings.

“I don’t want to be alone anymore!”

Oriur screamed as a blast of ice shot out of his mouth. The frost breath almost struck Willy, but he dodged out of the way as it crashed against the wall. The [Will O’ Wisp]’s concentration must have broken because he dropped the baby Wyvern from the air. All he could do was stare for a moment.

“What?”

Oriur, too, was confused. He lay on the ground, wide-eyed at what he had just done. He tried to work his jaw, but all that came out were eddying snowflakes. He looked down at himself, realizing what just happened.

“That was… my frost breath?”

He whispered softly. It was not something he had ever been able to do before. However, he had read up about how every Wyvern was born with an affinity to a certain element, giving them the natural ability to unleash a magical breath once they were old enough.

And as a baby Frost Wyvern, Oriur should not have been able to use his frost breath until he was at least three years old. But the words resounding his head confirmed that it was what he thought it was.

General Skill [Racial Skill: Frost Breath] learned!

Experience is awarded for learning a General Skill!

Subspecies [Juvenile Wyvern] Level Up!

[Juvenile Wyvern - Lvl. 15] -> [Juvenile Wyvern - Lvl. 16]

Gained 5 Stat Points and 3 Skill Points!

“How…?”

Oriur stared at his hands, before noticing a bright light draw closer to him. He looked up at Willy who was floating closer, and the baby Wyvern immediately scrambled back.

“No, Uncle. Please… I just want to explore and make friends…”

He begged desperately, and the [Will O’ Wisp] came to a halt. Willy stared at the cowering baby Wyvern for a long moment. Neither one moved. Oriur was too scared to even blink.

And Willy must have seen it— the fear in the baby Wyvern’s eyes. The crushing loneliness of being locked away and trapped. Perhaps, even, the [Will O’ Wisp] understood it. He had no face, but his flickering flames that changed from a white to a gold indicated something had changed in his heart.

He finally sighed.

“Fine.”

Oriur’s face lit up as he heard that word of affirmation. He immediately leapt to his feet, and Willy drifted back.

“Follow.”

“Yay!”

The baby Wyvern cheered, hopping excitedly beneath the ball of flame.

“Thank you, Uncle Willy!”