"Hey—!" Shun shouted in surprise, only to watch as she created a path of ice and gracefully skated across it.
He hesitated for a moment. The path looked steep and dangerous. But the growling beasts below slapped the hesitation out of him. Without another thought, he jumped out the window and landed on the ice, skidding downward.
Unsurprisingly, he failed—spectacularly. He tried to balance himself, but it was futile. His body wobbled with every movement. Realizing he couldn't stay upright, he dropped to all fours and slid down like a feral beast.
The good news: the ride went smoothly.
The bad news: he looked like a cryptid attempting to imitate a human—creepy and awkward.
Eventually, the icy slide ended. Shun had no idea how to stop, and the inertia kept him moving—until he crashed into a tree. Face-first, to be exact.
The tree shook violently, its leaves raining down on him.
He scrambled up quickly, feeling something warm trickling from his nose. He wiped it with the back of his hand and saw maroon liquid staining his palm.
He didn't think much of it and looked toward Rakina.
He walked up to her and hesitated before speaking. "Those beasts are after you," he said. "Why?"
"I don't know. It's the first time I've seen them," she replied, then paused, as if unsure whether to continue.
"I don't know what's going on either," Shun said, "but I think we should go."
"I can't just leave after seeing a threat like this," she replied firmly.
"You're planning to fight them? They're unkillable. Didn't you see how fast they heal?" Shun frowned.
Rakina pinched her chin, falling into thought. After a while, she finally spoke.
"I've seen similar beasts in the towers. They're summoned by a summoner. They won't stop coming until we take the summoner down. Though… this is the first time I've seen a summon with such terrifying recovery speed—and in such massive numbers." Her voice dropped slightly, grim.
"Whoever summoned them is targeting you," Shun said, more serious now. "If you go after him, it's like walking into a death trap."
"And you suggest I grow a tail and run?" she scoffed. "Civilians are in danger. I can't just let him go. Besides, I'm strong."
She said it like stating a fact.
"You should go. You'll get hurt."
Shun clenched his fists. He was only level seven, sure—but he couldn't just abandon her to fight all those monsters alone.
Pride? Stubbornness? He didn't know. What he did know was that he wasn't leaving this girl behind.
"No. I'm going with you," Shun said suddenly. "Whether I die or not—that's my decision, not yours."
There was a flicker of steel in his eyes.
Rakina studied him in silence for a moment, then finally said, "Very well. But I won't be responsible for your safety."
"Fine by me." Shun smiled.
"Then let's go."
With grace, Rakina turned and walked toward the school. Shun followed.
As they walked, they heard distant growls from the building. Every now and then, the ground trembled. A battle was clearly underway inside.
"It's getting lively," Shun muttered.
"With this many monsters, the Hunter's Guild must've noticed and sent a team," Rakina replied quickly—then silence.
But Shun didn't mind the silence.
"Care to hear a story?" he asked.
"Make it brief."
"There was once a boy from a very poor family. He lived in the slums and fought in underground tournaments just to afford food. Sometimes he won. Most times, he didn't. There were weeks when he didn't eat at all.
"Then one day, his family got lucky. His little brother awakened a special class and was scouted by a top-10 guild. Their family's status flipped overnight. But despite the bright future ahead, the boy left."
"What happened next?"
"The System chose him to be a hunter. He was thrilled—he thought he'd surpass his brother. But the System gave him something unexpected."
Shun opened his status panel, showing one unfinished quest that had blocked his progress.
> [Ascension Quest:
Defeat a god – 0/1]
As far as Shun knew, this quest shouldn't even exist. Hunters usually advanced to the next stage freely—but apparently, not him. It felt like the universe hated him.
The System's mechanics were relatively simple. Each stage had a level cap. To surpass it, one had to Ascend.
Exploring the system's intricacies didn't matter much to him—he was still level seven.
"A gift?" Rakina raised an eyebrow, a little confused.
"Yes." He nodded and said no more.
Silence returned. Neither of them was the talkative type.
"Rakina, can I ask something?"
"Depends. I might not be able to answer."
"Do you hate Outer Gods?"
She didn't answer right away. Shun noticed she was the type to think before she spoke. He respected that.
"You probably already know I'm a witch," she finally said.
He grunted in acknowledgment.
He remembered. It was around five years after the first Wave. A Rift tore through space—and women in robes, pointy hats, and flying brooms emerged, laying waste to everything.
As time passed, people realized the witches were losing their minds, acting on instinct. Compassionate humans helped restore them.
Eventually, witches integrated into society, but the trauma lingered. Humanity wasn't quick to forget.
Still, over the years, witches helped humanity—clearing Rifts, sharing knowledge—and slowly gained acceptance and peace.
"Our powers come from the darker corners of the universe," Rakina said, glancing at her right hand. Blue sparks danced on her fingers as she summoned magic.
"My ancestors once sought protection from a divine being known as the Hideous Sage. Every witch carries a fragment of His consciousness, dormant within us. It changes us—for better or worse.
"For one, we can learn magic without a medium and adapt easily to mystic arts. But that sliver desires knowledge, driving us mad with obsession.
"We worship information. We crave it—no matter how mundane or dangerous. But the human mind has limits. Eventually, we lose ourselves. Our identity fades. We become driven by instinct alone."
The air turned heavy. Shun didn't mind. He let it settle, processing what she said.
So witch powers came from an Outer God—and that was why they were stronger than mages. But the cost was steep.
Unlike mages who needed grimoires or staves, witches cast spells freely. Then something clicked in his mind.
"Now I get why you tried to stop me," he said with a soft smile. "You didn't want me to end up like your ancestors. That's kind of sweet. You're not what I expected."
"No. It's more like handing a gun to a child. They don't understand what they're holding—or how dangerous it is."
"Still sweet," he insisted. "You care about others. That matters. Not everyone can do that."
He smiled again. "You're amazing, Rakina."
"Your words flatter me."
"No, I mean it."
His gaze drifted into the distance as memories stirred. He remembered standing on a bridge as a child, wind brushing his hair, golden light reflecting off the river. The smell in the air—fresh and bitter—still vivid.
He'd been ready to jump. At his lowest point. Everything had felt meaningless.
And yet… he didn't jump.
He couldn't even remember why anymore. The reason had faded over time.
"Hey, are you okay?" Rakina's voice pulled him back. She waved her hand in front of his face, concerned.
"Yes. I'm fine." He nodded and tried to focus on the present.
To distract himself, he asked, "This might be personal. You don't have to answer. Since He cursed witches… is your family alright?"
"..."
She didn't answer. Shun could tell he'd stepped on a landmine.
"Sorry."
"It's okay."
The silence turned awkward—heavily so.
"Anyway… where are we?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.
All he could see were dense trees and thick bushes. It didn't look like the school anymore.
"We're in the forest behind the school," she answered.
"I see. Where are we headed?"
"I've detected several presences below us. The mastermind must be hiding there. If I remember correctly, there's a bunker underground."
She looked around for a moment.
"Do you know how to get us in?" Shun asked.