Back in the human world, Nora sat quietly inside one of the academy classrooms.
Sunlight streamed through the enormous crystal windows that overlooked the inner districts of Asterion.
The classroom itself was filled with initiates.
Some were nervous.
Some were excited.
Others were simply trying not to embarrass themselves during today's mission.
At the front stood Awakened Rose.
Her silver academy coat flowed behind her as she looked over the students.
Unlike ordinary instructors, Awakened Rose had survived dozens of expeditions beyond the walls.
Every scar on her body represented a lesson paid for with blood.
The classroom remained silent as she spoke.
"Listen carefully."
Her voice immediately captured everyone's attention.
"Today's objective is simple."
A holographic image appeared above her hand.
The image showed a massive beast moving through a forest.
Its body was covered in jade-green scales.
Its limbs were powerful.
Its eyes glowed with intelligence.
The creature looked more like a living storm than an animal.
"The target is an Initiate Mystic Creature."
The room became quiet.
Everyone understood what that meant.
Mystic creatures were dangerous.
Far more dangerous than ordinary beasts.
Awakened Rose continued.
"The creature has not yet evolved."
She pointed toward the image.
"But if it does evolve, it may eventually become powerful enough to threaten the outer defensive walls."
Nobody spoke.
Everyone understood the seriousness.
Asterion's walls protected millions of people.
If something capable of damaging those walls appeared, it had to be eliminated immediately.
Rose turned toward Nora.
"Nora."
"Use your Monstrous Fate Wolf."
"Draw its attention."
Nora nodded.
"I understand."
Rose looked toward another student.
"Mark."
The young man immediately straightened his posture.
"Your flying ability will support Nora."
"Keep the creature distracted."
Mark grinned confidently.
"Leave it to me."
Rose then shifted her gaze.
"Sophia."
Sophia sat calmly near the back.
Unlike many students, she never appeared nervous.
"Your God Body possesses the greatest offensive power among the team."
"You will be responsible for weakening the target."
Sophia nodded.
"Understood."
Finally Rose looked toward the last member.
"John."
The tall young man crossed his arms.
"If Sophia weakens the creature, you finish it."
John smiled.
"Now that's a role I like."
Several students laughed.
Rose shook her head.
"Don't underestimate the target."
"The moment you become careless outside the walls is the moment you die."
The laughter vanished immediately.
Satisfied, Rose nodded.
"Good."
"Prepare yourselves."
"We leave now."
The students stood.
Soon they exited the academy building and entered a massive underground transportation facility.
Rows upon rows of strange silver structures lined the chamber.
Each resembled a sleeping pod.
Yet they were not ordinary machines.
Their surfaces were made from a rare substance known as Resonance Crystal.
The material allowed consciousness to travel across enormous distances without physically moving the body.
The pods themselves were called Resonance Cradles.
Nora had used them many times.
Yet every journey still felt strange.
She entered one of the cradles and lay down.
The crystal surface adjusted to fit her body perfectly.
Around her, Mark, Sophia, John, and the other initiates entered their own cradles.
Awakened Rose stood nearby.
"Mission begins in ten seconds."
The chamber lights dimmed.
A soft hum filled the room.
Nora closed her eyes.
Her consciousness immediately felt lighter.
Then—
Darkness.
A brief sensation of falling.
Followed by light.
When Nora opened her eyes again, she was no longer inside the academy.
She stood beyond the walls of Asterion.
The air immediately felt different.
Wild.
Dangerous.
Untamed.
The distant walls towered like mountains behind them.
Beyond those walls lay safety.
Beyond those walls lay civilization.
Out here—
Only monsters ruled.
Nora inhaled deeply.
She could already smell blood and danger carried by the wind.
Mark floated into the air beside her.
Sophia adjusted her gauntlets.
John rested a sword upon his shoulder.
Awakened Rose appeared nearby.
"Target detected."
Everyone followed her gaze.
Far away stood a gigantic creature.
The Jade Beast.
Even from a distance its presence felt overwhelming.
The creature possessed a massive body covered in jade-colored scales.
Wind swirled constantly around it.
The grass bent wherever it walked.
The atmosphere itself seemed to obey it.
Around the Jade Beast moved countless monsters.
Entire swarms.
Some were beasts.
Some were demons.
Others belonged to stranger races.
The Jade Beast ruled them all.
Like a king commanding an army.
Rose narrowed her eyes.
"Begin."
Nora moved first.
She summoned her spirit.
A faint glow appeared beside her.
Moments later a wolf materialized.
Unlike its title, the Monstrous Fate Wolf looked surprisingly ordinary.
Its fur was silver-gray.
Its eyes shone with intelligence.
Its body wasn't enormous.
It looked like a normal wolf.
Only the subtle distortion of space surrounding it revealed how dangerous it truly was.
Nora smiled.
"Go."
The wolf vanished.
Not through speed.
Through space.
It appeared directly in front of the Jade Beast.
The massive creature immediately noticed it.
The Jade Beast's eyes narrowed.
The wolf barked once.
Almost mockingly.
Then it darted away.
The Jade Beast became interested.
Its gigantic hand shot forward.
The movement was terrifyingly fast.
Fast enough to crush most initiates instantly.
Yet just before contact—
Space cracked.
The wolf vanished.
The creature's hand struck empty air.
The wolf reappeared several meters away.
The Jade Beast growled.
Its interest had become irritation.
Meanwhile Nora acted.
A black owl emerged from her soul sea.
Blind Owl.
Dark feathers erupted around her body.
Living armor wrapped around her form.
The black armor appeared elegant yet ominous.
Nora immediately launched herself forward.
Mark followed.
The Jade Beast saw multiple targets approaching.
Excitement flashed in its eyes.
Predator instincts awakened.
It attacked Nora first.
The massive claw descended.
Nora twisted unnaturally.
The attack missed by inches.
Wind exploded behind her.
The shockwave shattered nearby trees.
Nora landed a punch against the creature's scales.
The impact barely moved it.
Yet she wasn't trying to injure it.
She was distracting it.
Mark arrived next.
His body shot through the sky.
No wings.
No artifacts.
Flight itself was his gift.
His speed increased dramatically.
He circled the creature repeatedly.
The Jade Beast became annoyed.
Its attention split between multiple targets.
Exactly as planned.
Mark accelerated.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster.
His body became a blur.
Yet despite his speed—
The Jade Beast remained faster.
The creature suddenly vanished.
Mark's eyes widened.
A massive claw appeared before him.
He barely dodged.
The claw missed.
But a second later—
A burning wind slammed into him.
Mark was blasted downward.
BOOM!
He crashed through multiple trees.
The ground shattered beneath him.
Blood escaped his mouth.
Before the Jade Beast could finish him—
The Fate Wolf appeared again.
This time it simply stood there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Almost mocking the creature.
The Jade Beast roared.
Its patience finally broke.
It abandoned Mark entirely.
The gigantic creature charged after the wolf.
The wolf disappeared.
Reappeared.
Disappeared again.
Leading the creature farther away.
Then—
BOOM!
A tremendous impact struck the Jade Beast.
The creature staggered.
Its head snapped around.
Sophia stood behind it.
Her God Body partially activated.
Golden energy flowed across her arms.
The strike had actually damaged the scales.
For the first time—
The Jade Beast looked angry.
Truly angry.
Wind gathered around its body.
The atmosphere became violent.
Trees bent.
Dust rose.
The creature prepared a devastating attack.
Then—
A sword flashed.
So fast that nobody saw the movement.
A silver line crossed the battlefield.
The Jade Beast froze.
Everyone stared.
The creature's body slowly split apart.
A perfect cut.
A fatal strike.
Silence filled the battlefield.
Then John lowered his sword.
His expression wasn't victorious.
It was cautious.
Too cautious.
Nora immediately noticed.
John frowned.
"That wasn't the real one."
The others looked confused.
Then the creature's body dissolved.
Not blood.
Not flesh.
Only wind.
The remains scattered like a breeze.
The system whispered.
"Wind Clone Destroyed."
Everyone's expressions changed instantly.
Nora looked around.
The real Jade Beast was nowhere in sight.
Then she felt it.
A pressure.
A terrible pressure.
The ground began shaking.
Mark slowly stood.
Sophia clenched her fists.
John tightened his grip on his sword.
Nora turned toward the distant forest.
And her heart sank.
From the shadows emerged countless creatures.
One.
Ten.
Fifty.
Hundreds.
A massive pack of Overlord creatures was rushing toward them.
And they were moving fast.