“Everyone, I’d like you to meet the Wendigo,” Professor Njal smiled a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “The Bringer of Death.”
Ethan narrowed his eyes as he observed the illusionary image of the Wendigo. The sight of it sent chills running down his spine.
Unlike Koko, the Wendigo was neither bulky nor robust. On the contrary, it was quite skinny and seemed to be almost malnourished.
However, its eyes held some kind of mysterious power. Their color was between gold and red, nearly orange, and the sight of it made everyone’s hearts turn cold.
“Professor Rinehart hadn’t had the chance to fight this creature in the past, but I did, along with some of the Professors in the academy,” Professor Njal said softly. “I am not embarrassed to say that I nearly peed myself after seeing this creature up close. The moment it appears in front of you, your body will start to feel cold and your breath will turn ragged.
“Looking at its eyes was enough to make you feel as if your soul is being sucked out of your body. That’s how I felt, and if not for the fact that we have an experienced Magistratus in our group, I believed that I might have died then and there due to how menacing this creature was.
“You see, the Wendigo has a mental attack that paralyzes its victims with a single stare. If your willpower isn’t strong enough, then you might even lose consciousness. Of course, I don’t know if you will regain consciousness once the creature eats you alive.
“According to the Magistratus that were with us that day, the Wendigo would first eat your limbs, preventing you from running away or resisting. Not only does it feed on your flesh, it also feeds on your despair, and it will not kill you until you have gone mad.
“It is a very vile, sadistic, and evil creature, and may the Gods forbid that it doesn’t make its way into our academy. I for one don’t want to see it again. One experience is enough to last me a lifetime.”
The Professor’s body shuddered as the memories of his encounter with the Wendigo resurfaced inside his head.
“It likes to eat Magical Creatures whose flesh and blood are rich with Magical Powers,” Professor Njal added. “So guess what it likes to eat the most?”
None of the students replied, but everyone already knew the answer to this question.
“That’s right.” Professor Njal nodded. “Its favorite food is us, Wizards and Witches. Although not yet proven, a few experts say that it can take the memory of the people it has consumed. The horrifying part about this creature is that it can mimic the voice of everyone it has eaten, using it to call out the names of its next victims, who are very dear to the people that it had killed.
“A truly nefarious creature and I pray with all my might that the Headmaster manages to invite several Magistratus to hunt down this menace once and for all.” 𝐎𝗏𝐞𝓵xt.𝗇𝓔t
A moment of silence fell as everyone tried to digest what Professor Njal had told them.
Suddenly, one of the students raised her hand, which caught the Professor’s attention.
“Yes, Miss Asta?” Professor Njal asked. “Do you have a question for me?”
Nicole, who had raised her hand, nodded before standing up.
“If such a creature existed in the Great Eagle Forest, then why didn’t the Headmaster or anyone take any steps on hunting it down?” Nicole asked.
“Did you forget what I said earlier, Miss Asta?” Professor Njal smiled bitterly. “I, as well as other Wizards and Witches, including a Magistratus, tried to hunt it down as a group. However, our efforts ended in failure, and two of our colleagues perished in the attempt.”
Professor Njal sighed deeply as if the memory of the encounter pained him very much.
“This Wendigo isn’t an ordinary one,” Professor Njal stated. “The one we hunted is a few thousand years old, making it very Ancient… and very powerful. It is also very fast and moves like a blur, effectively evading single-target spells with ease.
“One last thing. If a Wendigo wishes to hide itself, it is impossible to track it down. The only reason why it appeared before us is because it has deemed that we pose no threat to its existence.
“Even if the Headmaster and the Elites of the Magistratus were to form a party to hunt it down, I believe that they would still not even be able to see its shadow. They could spend years trying to find it, but their efforts would be futile.”
Ethan felt his heart tremble after hearing Professor Njal’s words. If such a creature truly existed in the Great Eagle Forest, wouldn’t that mean that it could go to the academy whenever it wanted?
As if reading his thoughts, Professor Njal cleared his throat before speaking.
“The Founders of Brynhildr Academy had erected three magical barriers in the Great Eagle Forest, preventing any powerful creatures from reaching the academy,” Professor Njal stated. “The first barrier, which is located in the Northern Edge of the Great Eagle Forest, prevents the Wendigo from crossing through.
“The Barrier near the Heart of the Forest prevents Broodmother from going here. The last barrier extends up to the Camp Locations where the majority of you go during the weekends. Koko had broken through the Third Barrier a few days ago, and because of that, the Headmaster and several experts are currently doing their best to repair it.”
Professor Njal paused before continuing his explanation.
“Although these barriers can prevent these powerful monsters from reaching the academy, that doesn’t stop us from walking past them,” Professor Njal said. “Similar to Broodmosther’s webs, the barrier is invisible to the naked eye.
“This is why all of you can freely go anywhere in the Great Eagle Forest at the expense of encountering these Powerful Creatures that could threaten even the lives of the Professors in the Academy. So until the barrier is fully repaired, all of you are not to take a step inside the Great Eagle Forest, if you value your life.”
Professor Njal said a few more things before finally ending the class for the day.
He hoped beyond hope that the students would take his warnings seriously.
Because if not, then it was only a matter of time before an accident took place, the victims being those who were bold enough to ignore their warnings and enter the Forest on their own will.