Just as Luna disappeared, the shadow beneath the humongous King Ape squirmed. A figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
"Indeed... I really can't keep up with some of these Mythical Beings."
Elric let out a quiet sigh as he stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Even after hiding within the King Ape's shadow throughout the entire battle, his neat, buttoned three-piece suit remained almost completely untouched, his refined appearance making him look more like a young noble attending a formal gathering than someone who had just survived a battle between a Mythical Being and an enormous monster.
Taking a slow breath, Elric turned toward the direction Luna had disappeared, his eyes carefully examining the destruction she had left behind.
"Flight. An extraordinarily durable body. Nine tails capable of producing fire powerful enough to melt stone..."
His gaze drifted toward the enormous corpse behind him. The King Ape had been reduced to little more than a blackened mass of charred flesh. Elric sighed before shaking his head.
"I even had to use several healing pills and mana-rejuvenation pills."
He raised a hand toward his chest.
"If my Shadow Domain had collapsed while she was still fighting—" He glanced at the destruction surrounding him. "—I would've been caught in the middle of that."
The thought caused a small frown to appear on his face. He had entered the King Ape's shadow to observe Luna, but her battle had become far more destructive than expected.
The King Ape had been thrown through countless buildings, smashed into the ground, and repeatedly launched across the city, and every time its body moved, its shadow moved with it — Elric had been forced to remain hidden inside.
Maintaining the Shadow Domain beneath the pressure of Luna's attacks had drained an absurd amount of mana, and he had nearly been forced out several times.
Fortunately, the King Ape had died before his skill completely collapsed.
Elric looked toward the academy bracelet around his wrist. A holographic screen appeared.
[MIDVEST ACADEMY — FINAL SELECTION EXAMINATION]
[PHASE ONE: EXPLORATION, ENCOUNTER, AND SURVIVAL]
Candidate: Elric
Tier: Legendary
Time Remaining: 20 Days, 10 Hours
Core Objectives
Exploration — Required Points: 0 / 500, Extra Points: +0
Meet Students — Required Points: 70 / 1,200, Extra Points: +0
Defeat Monsters — Required Points: 0 / 1,500, Extra Points: +0
Take Points — Required Points: 0 / 1,000, Extra Points: +0
Survive — Required Points: 0 / 800, Extra Points: +0
Required Points Acquired: 70 / 5,000
Additional Points Acquired: +0
Total Academy Points: 70
Core Objectives Completed: 0 / 5
Phase Status: In Progress
Elric stared at the interface.
"So... meeting a Mythical Being grants seventy points."
He nodded thoughtfully.
"That's useful."
His expression gradually became more serious.
"Still, I'm far from completing the objective."
He looked toward the distant city.
"Master said he would find us."
His brows slowly furrowed.
"Does that mean I should remain in one location? Or would moving make it easier for him to locate me?"
He considered the question for several seconds, then shook his head.
"Standing still would be a waste. Master can teleport. If he truly intends to find us—" A small smile appeared on Elric's face. "—he'll manage."
He turned toward the distant buildings.
"For now, I should complete as many objectives as possible."
He stepped backward, his body slowly sinking into the shadow beneath his feet.
"Let me get something done. I'm sure—"
Elric suddenly stopped, his body freezing halfway inside the darkness. A strange sensation had appeared behind him — not hostile, not threatening, simply present. Slowly, Elric turned around. His eyes met those of a youthful boy.
The young man appeared no older than a teenager, his face youthful, almost childish, his short stature making him look even younger.
Yet something about him felt wrong.
Not physically — his aura was calm, almost completely harmless.
But Elric had already learned enough about Midvest Academy to understand something important: the people who appeared the least dangerous were often the ones who required the most caution.
The boy tilted his head.
"A shadow skill, huh?"
His eyes briefly moved toward the darkness beneath Elric's feet.
"Nice skill, kid."
Elric immediately straightened.
"Thank you... Senior."
The young man nodded.
"No problem."
He casually placed his hands inside his pockets.
"Seems like you and I are unfortunately running errands."
Elric remained silent, not entirely certain what the boy meant. The young man noticed his hesitation and shrugged.
"Relax. I'm a Mythical Being. You know very well I can't hurt you."
Elric frowned slightly. The boy looked younger than him, and hearing someone who appeared to be a teenager call him kid felt strangely uncomfortable. Yet that only made him more cautious.
'How old is he?'
The boy didn't appear concerned about Elric's silence. He simply stood there with a relaxed expression. Elric slowly nodded.
"I understand, Senior. If you'll excuse me—"
He turned toward the city. The young man raised a hand.
"Wait. I have a question."
Elric turned back.
"What is it?"
The boy glanced toward the direction Luna had disappeared.
"Why were you following Luna?"
Elric immediately tensed. His expression remained calm, but internally his thoughts were anything but peaceful.
'Had he been here the entire time? Did he see me emerge from the King Ape's shadow? How much does he know?'
For several seconds Elric carefully considered his response. Then he remembered something Lexa and Vexion had taught him — when shit hits the fan, blame it on Master. He won't care, and if it becomes a problem, he'll deal with the mess himself.
Elric calmly nodded.
"It was an order from my Master, Senior."
The boy blinked.
"Your Master?"
"Yes."
The young man casually removed a bag of snacks from his spatial ring, opened it, and placed one inside his mouth.
'Now then. Luna is strong. If I'm going to eliminate that girl, it would be best to gather as much information as possible.'
His eyes quietly studied Elric.
'Perhaps the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Apart from Qwarian, is there someone else who wants Luna dead?'
The boy swallowed the snack.
"Who's your Master?"
Elric hesitated. Then, for the first time since the conversation began, his confidence visibly increased. He straightened his posture.
"My Master is Mythical Lord Dante. A half-elf."