46 Apex Predator of Great Eagle Forest
The faint crackling sounds of the campfire could be heard within the camp, while the members of Dud Manor waited for their dinner to cook.
High above their heads, countless stars twinkled in the darkness, making Ethan sigh in wonder.
“No matter where we are, the stars remain the same,” Ethan muttered.
“Well, at least in some places, the stars are the same,” Henry commented as he stirred the embers, making sure that their food wouldn’t be burned with too much heat. “There are places in Eastshire where you won’t see the stars. Only dark clouds hang in the sky, and the atmosphere is always gloomy.
“Fortunately, since all of you are First Years, you will not be sent to the Desolate Lands to do your missions. Only Second Years and above are allowed to go there.”
Henry then shifted his gaze to Luna, who was looking back at him with a serious expression on her face.
“Luna, since you are a Second Year, it is inevitable that you will go there,” Henry stated. “So, before you accept any missions regarding the Desolate Lands, make sure to arm yourself to the teeth.”
Luna nodded. “Yes, Head Prefect.”
Chloe, who had been silent the whole time, frowned and shared what she knew about the Desolate Lands to Ethan.
“According to the book I’ve read, the Desolate Lands is one of the places where the battle between the Demons are fiercest. Countless lives have been lost in that place and, because of it, the land has been tainted, spawning Monsters who often raid the villages, and towns, in the surrounding regions.”
“You’re right,” Henry replied. “And because of this, the Academy regularly sends people there to decrease the Monster population, in order to prevent stronger variants from appearing.
“The weakest monster there is probably the Boss Monster Ghoul that you have faced in the Initiation Ceremony. The deeper you head inside the Desolate Lands, the stronger the monsters become.”
Henry then took the pot out of the fire and placed it to the side.
“Let’s eat first,” Henry proposed. “I will tell you about the things that you should know as First Years in the Academy. Truth be told, all the Head Prefects of each Manor will take their newest members on trips like this in order to share this information with them.”
No one had any objections to their Head Prefect’s proposal because all of them were truly hungry.
The hike to reach their campsite wasn’t an easy one, and although the Third and Fourth Years were the ones who fought against the Beasts that attacked them along the way, the tension was enough to make Ethan and Chloe feel exhausted.
“First and foremost, there are many types of Magical Monsters in the world,” Henry explained as he poured some stew in a wooden bowl and passed it to Ethan. “The Boss Monster you fought belongs to the Undead Category, and they are weak against fire, and light magic.
“Usually, Wizards and Witches fight these monsters by taking advantage of their weaknesses whenever they fight against them. Of course, some Wizards simply use their superior magic to overcome everything.
After Henry had finished giving everyone their share of stew, he poured himself a bowl and began to 22:44
eat.
“It’s the same for other monsters. Dire Bears are inherently stronger, but Dire Wolves are faster. Also, the Wolves are a bigger threat because they usually move in packs, overwhelming their enemies through sheer numbers. You’ll learn more about this in your Study of Magical Creatures Classes.”
After Henry had finished giving everyone their share of stew, he poured himself a bowl and began to eat.
Noah, who had finished eating his food halfway, decided to continue where their Head Prefect left off to give Ethan a better understanding of the different Monsters that he might face in his missions.
“Just like Head Prefect said earlier, as long as we know how to effectively use the monsters’ weakness against them, we can repel their attacks, or subdue them completely,,” Noah stated. “But, if we can run, or hide. It is preferable to just do so. Since we Duds can’t rely on our magic powers, avoidance is our top priority, especially when we are facing strong monsters that have certain immunities to magic.
“In the upcoming missions, the First Years are only allowed to enter an area with very weak monsters. This is also true for Dungeons. Don’t worry, when you are first given missions, you will be accompanied by a Senior. 𝞸𝔳𝗅xt.𝓒𝒪𝓂
“This task usually falls to Second Years, or Third Years, that specialize in offensive magic to ensure the safety of the group. They will be acting as your supervisors, and will only give you tips for how to handle certain situations. Rest assured. If things really get dangerous, they will step up to handle the situation.”
Ethan nodded as he continued to eat the delicious stew that Henry had cooked. Although he had eaten his Grandma’s cooking, which he considered very delicious, the taste of the meat he was eating was richer, and the vegetables tastier.
When they finished eating, the Third Years shared their experiences of the missions that they had undertaken in the past.
As people who couldn’t depend on their magic even if their lives were at stake, they had developed certain strategies to deal with different situations.
The knowledge they imparted was quite interesting, and Ethan took it all to heart.
Henry joined and told Ethan which of the Monsters were pacifists, and those that he should avoid at all cost.
“Earlier, Mr. Oak, the Treant, told us that Big Foot is currently active,” Henry said with a serious expression on his face. “The true overlords of the Great Eagle Forest are the Giant Eagles. Very few Magical Creatures in Eastshire can contend with them.
“However, there is one other Monster here in the Forest that is just as strong, and maybe even stronger than the Giant Eagles. The Academy and the Creatures of the Forest refer to him as ‘Big Foot’. There have been sightings of him in the past, and he is considered a very strong Magical Creature.”
Henry paused for a bit to allow Ethan and Chloe to digest his words before continuing his explanation.
“The Academy hasn’t given any missions to subjugate him because he hasn’t attacked any students from the Academy,” Henry stated. “But, there were some close calls. If you see a Monster that resembles a giant gorilla that is around four meters tall, you should hide, or run away from it as fast as you can.
“Although it hasn’t killed anyone from the Academy yet. That doesn’t mean that it will not kill anyone. Remember, at the end of the day, this is a Magical Beast, a very intelligent beast that can be considered an Apex Predator of this Forest. One wrong move and you might end up as its lunch, if you’re not careful.”
Just as Ethan and Chloe were about to nod their heads in understanding, an amused voice reached everyone’s ears.
“He’s right, you know?”
Ethan’s body uncontrollably shuddered because the voice he heard was coming directly behind him.
The blue-haired boy slowly turned his head to the side, with his heart wildly beating inside his chest.
The first thing he saw was a body covered in white hair, that faintly glistened due to the light of the campfire.
Ethan gulped before raising his head to look up at the creature whose sinister smile made Chloe, who was seated beside him, faint from fright.