Survival 124

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An almost ambush-like charge. 

With its horns, barely half the size of my body, it looked dangerous as warned by Yegor’s warning. 

Woosh.

As a yellow deer passed by. 

Trees falling like hay along its path. 

If I were to take a direct hit, I would also collapse into the snow like those trees. 

‘Of course, assuming everything hits.’

It’s just fast. 

The preparatory movements were too large, and the trajectory was almost straight. 

I leaped out of the way. 

Now I felt like a matador. 

Just with a bipedal deer instead of a crazy bull. 

‘It’s not just a deer.’

Grrrr!

The creature’s white breath passed by through its menacing fangs. 

“Hans Byron!” 

“It’s okay. Didn’t you see it during the entrance exam? This is basic.” 

To others, it might seem like I narrowly avoided it by a hair’s breadth. 

But it was all calculated evasion. 

Now was the moment to plunge a dagger into the exposed back of the defenseless creature. 

“Ugh.” 

A fierce wind brushed past my cheek. 

It wasn’t natural. 

A powerful storm, knocking down trees hindering the snowfield, like a post-blast of a powerful charge. 

An unexpected gust. 

‘My posture is crumbling. It’s too dangerous.’

I dodged with my tongue in my cheek. 

The plan to swing the dagger was canceled. 

This way, my body would stiffen after just one attack. 

There was no guarantee I could dodge the next Wendigo attack. 

‘It’s an incredible pressure.’

Despite being a little away from me, Camilla managed to maintain her posture in the storm created by the Wendigo. 

There was a slight irritation in her voice. 

“Solving becoming vulnerable after a charge like that. Monsters can be quite intelligent.” 

“Hmph. Even so, they’re just monsters.” 

“Is that your opinion?” 

Sure, she might not have experienced real combat, but Camilla’s resolve was solid, having fought more ruthless criminals than that. 

It’s because of the antics of all the nobles she had seen so far; her expectations were higher. 

“If you make it impossible to approach, dealing with it from a distance should suffice.” 

However. 

Her blatantly staring gaze demanded my involvement. 

“Well, it’s not entirely wrong. Unfortunately, my magic is more focused on convenience. It doesn’t seem to be very efficient.” 

I could only shrug my shoulders. 

Look at that leather. 

He’s someone who’s taken dozens of logs head-on without even a scratch. 

Maybe for an aura, but with my mediocre magic, there would be no doubt that not even a single wound would be inflicted. 

“And the vampire? If she steps in, it should be easy to deal with.” 

“…She sleeps during the day, they say. Don’t bother her.” 

Her sharp gaze pierced through me. 

But how could I explain it to her? 

That Bathory was weakened in the North due to a contract with the Spada family. 

Not to mention, she was nothing but an ordinary girl, far from the predatory image she once showed to her! 

-She’s getting around just fine.

-Please let me save face.

In the moment of dealing with the premonition emanating from the shadows.

“Well, forget it. If I can’t overcome this, how can I rise to the position of student council?” 

“Are you giving up the presidency?” 

“…You speak well. How will I defeat Luciana Speda?” 

She knows her limits very well. 

That attitude isn’t bad. 

“Anyway, I think I can beat everyone else except her. If I graduate with a student council status, the successor position will lean towards me.” 

‘It’ll be tough.’ 

Including the Saint, of course. 

Magic prodigy Ricky, although I don’t like to admit it, is the overwhelming prince of the Auroras. 

You have to beat the arrogant genius. 

Even if she graduates by defeating them. 

“Well, I’ll cheer you on.” 

“What’s with that expression?” 

“It’s nothing.” 

Even if Camilla tries, will the family’s position change? 

That was something she had to figure out for herself. 

-Boom! 

“It looks very angry.” 

“Is it because the repentance attack missed?” 

“Hmm. Maybe because it’s being ignored?” 

Steam came out of the creature’s nose as it turned away after knocking down a sturdy tree. 

Followed by a charge. 

And a sweeping of the snowfield. 

Even at a glance, it seemed like a continuation of the previous charge. 

And there stood Camilla in front of it. 

Thunk! 

The deer aimed its horns and started charging again. 

However, 

I wasn’t worried at all. 

“Where to.” 

A weapon that boasts speeds faster than sound, even before the invention of guns by humanity. 

The ominous whistling of the whip was faster than the creature lifting its foot. 

-Guh?! 

The target was the creature’s face under its horn. 

The one who got hit properly staggered and went in the wrong direction. 

Camilla did well to sacrifice herself for the trees. 

‘By the way, it’s quite a powerful attack. It’s not originally the kind of power that a whip has.’

As I chuckled with such thoughts, Camilla’s eyebrows twitched slightly, showing her displeasure. 

But this was an undeniable fact. 

Of course, in the hands of a skilled user, it could show its own power, but it’s still just a whip. 

Certainly, it had no equal as a ‘tool’ for driving beasts or inflicting torture, but as a ‘weapon’ for taking lives, its performance was quite ambiguous. 

Of course, she had another ace up her sleeve, which made it possible, but that’s why I was being so negligent with the deer, and she looked at me with disdain. 

“Magic isn’t there for nothing, you know? …It seems like you already knew that.” 

“Oh, yes.” 

Although I’m seeing it for the first time, black sand floated around her. 

Sand. 

Her sand magic, which is her specialty, manifested not in the form of a workhorse this time, but in sharpness. 

‘Sand magic on a whip. It was like that in the game too, and it seems like it’s a good match.’ 

Even simple power was enhanced by the sharpness of the sand mixed with the whip’s speed, enough to say, “Go away, Auroras.” 

But it didn’t end there. 

-Grrr?

The deer, which was about to lift its foot to retaliate immediately, hesitated and flailed its arms. 

“Sand, swallow it up to the depths.” 

A swamp spread beneath the monster, along with the sand spell. 

It was the characteristic entrapment of sand magic. 

‘If we deplete its stamina like this, we can finish it off.’ 

Just as a scorpion injects venom and watches its prey die slowly. 

The cold smile she wore now was just like that. 

From her pragmatic handling of the monster to her magical prowess, Camilla clearly demonstrated why she was the 7th-ranked student in admissions. 

However, there was something she had overlooked. 

-Kyaaaah! 

-Kudduk! Kududuk!! 

Monsters from the North were different from those in the West, neither criminals nor monsters were as tough. 

Her magic was undoubtedly strong. 

But the Wendigo was more than that. 

“…You’ve nullified my magic?” 

Camilla’s gaze was fixed on the Wendigo’s ankle. 

Despite being forcibly torn away, there should have been injuries from the torn leather, but judging by its slow approach this way, it looked unscathed. 

Still, with those legs, it couldn’t use a charge. 

At the moment when I still judged this side to be superior. 

“Despair.” 

An astonished gaze was directed at the opponent. 

The creature’s forehead, torn open, was groaning. 

It sounded exactly like Camilla. 

But it was distinctly different from the deception just a moment ago, where it lured in prey. 

Well, of course. 

“Mana flow? Monsters casting spells?” 

Spells. 

The language created by magicians to refine their magic. 

Usually, proficient magicians don’t use it due to its lack of practicality, but novice magicians often do. 

But to think it would come from the mouth of a monster, of all things, not even the same student. 

“Be careful!” 

Before my warning could reach her. 

The black magic emanating from the Wendigo’s fingertips approached us faster than Camilla’s whip. 

“Ugh…!” 

At the same time, Camilla groaned and clutched her head. 

Originally, the Wendigo’s ensnarement magic extracted despairing memories as per the spell. 

There was no room for resistance. 

A seasoned magician would have blocked the flow of mana, but she was just a freshman. 

We didn’t have that ability as novice magicians. 

Kuk.

‘This is bad.’ 

I was careless. 

In the game, this despair magic was only unleashed when you chose the wrong option deceived by the voice. 

I never imagined it could be cast with just one spell. 

Soon, I also felt the creeping moisture rising from below. 

What came to mind was when I was summoned to this other world. 

Back then, calculating the difference between dying now and dying a few years later due to the calamity made me feel like an adult. 

“Showing such star-like memories.” 

I immediately opened the vial hidden on my left wrist and swallowed its contents. 

“Haha! As expected, It doesn’t match with genuine spellcasting! Items are the best!” 

The determined will to overcome painful memories? 

Such a thing suited protagonists like the Saint or her companions. 

After all, I was the weakest in full force unless I revealed my hidden identities. 

It might be different if it were a human opponent.

It’s a useless power against monsters.

But whether it’s willpower, strength, or power, anything is possible with money. The top-quality Holy Water was enough to replace it! Taking a moment to catch my breath, I immediately struck the snowy ground. 

-Grugh?! 

A clearly startled cry, different from before. Perhaps due to the recoil from the magic just now. Or maybe it was because of the injury from forcibly escaping Camilla’s magic. 

I just watched blankly as I leapt. Even closing the distance, the creature showed no signs of movement. 

“I’ll etch terrifying memories into you too!” 

Of course, whether I’ll be able to recall them or not is unknown! 

A black comet appeared from my right hand and fell onto the Wendigo’s chest. A sharp Raven claw that cut through thick leather. My black aura swallowed by the blade pierced through the leather, reaching the bone and flesh. 

And along that path, blood also scattered… 

“Huh? What’s this?” 

Sensations transmitted through the dagger. I definitely felt like I had struck it. But something was clearly different. 

From Direwolves to Yetis and even Demons. Something that should naturally be present in living beings briefly appeared and disappeared in the gaping wound. Instead of red blood, what appeared to me was black powder. 

It settled on the white snow, contrasting sharply in color. 

-Kweaaaaah! 

At the same time, the Wendigo let out a horrific scream and gradually lost its form. Its enormous horns, which it boasted about with each charge, had disappeared long ago like an illusion. 

Its yellow fur had also turned into black shadows. The only resemblance to the previous bipedal deer was its sharp fangs and long tongue. 

-Ugh… 

Now, with a voice that sounded as if it were gasping for breath, the shadow monster on the snowy ground collapsed weakly. 

Then, as if unable to maintain its form, it gradually turned into black ashes and scattered. When the sharp northern wind passed through, any trace of the Wendigo disappeared. All that remained on the ground were some fangs dulled by the whip and what could be mistaken for branches, but were actually twisted tongues. 

“…What is this.” 

It was like the final form of a monster in a game. Because of that, my mind was quickly filled with confusion. To obtain Direwolf skin, slaughter was necessary. 

Naturally, I thought the Wendigo’s body would remain.

Having witnessed similar scenes before, it was more accurate to say it was confusing. 

Once, in the game, when I defeated the Doppleganger: 

-Is this my brother, no, the last of the Doppelgangers? 

-Only the tongue remains on the fangs… 

-Horrible. As horrible as its annoying abilities.

And another time, after subduing the Doppelganger noble who took over Bathory: 

-Ck, aaah! 

Along with the external screams, the body of the creature, which had been subdued by the soldiers, disappeared, leaving only its fangs. 

It perfectly matched the Wendigo I had just taken down. 

…Now that I think about it, from mimicking voices to ensnarement magic, they’re all characteristics of a Doppelganger. 

The faint suspicion that started from a small clue soon bore fruit.

[Quest Activated!]

[Defeat the Wendigo and bring peace to the couple!]

[Reward: Bonus points, Vault Viewing ticket (limited to the 2nd basement floor), ???]

[Hidden Condition (1/1)]

[Condition: Identify the true identity of the Wendigo, one of the Northern 3 Great Monsters.]

[Hidden Mission Unlocked.]

Hidden.

For a moment, the appearance of that welcoming word after a long time brought a flicker of emotion. 

I could feel even my own face slowly sinking at what was written at the bottom of the status window. 

[Failure Penalty]

[Permanent loss of the ‘Symbol’ of the King of Doppelgangers, ‘Shadow’]

The ‘Symbol’ would likely be a treasure of the same caliber as the Jade seal of the Oparn. 

Given its significance and the treasure I had been keeping an eye on, it was a penalty that I could not afford to ignore under any circumstances. 

And that wasn’t all. 

‘…At this very moment, the artifact of the Doppelganger is lost.’

A strange intuition brushed through my mind.

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