The sky above was heavy with clouds, swollen with snow that threatened to fall at any moment. Below that grey expanse, a formation of massive falcons soared through the biting air—wings slicing the wind like blades.
Riding the majestic beasts were Kayle, Silvia, Sara, Latty, James, Nana, Rolex, Bryan Maklice, and two knights from the Maklice family.
They rode in pairs.
Kayle and Silvia shared one falcon. Sara flew with Latty, James with Nana, and Rolex with Bryan. The knights followed closely behind, maintaining formation with practiced discipline.
Their destination: the Baron Equaris estate near the edge of the infamous Garxiz Forest.
The cold wind lashed against them, but the falcons—creatures bred for aerial warfare and long-distance travel—cut through the sky with ease. The journey that would've taken three days on land passed in mere hours.
From their aerial vantage point, the snow-covered houses below looked like miniature pieces on a vast board game.
"Kayle, look! All those houses look so small from here!" Silvia exclaimed, hugging Kayle tightly from behind.
"Yeah, we're thousands of feet above the ground, that's why," Kayle replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Don't get too excited and look down, otherwise you might fall."
"How can I fall when I'm hugging Kayle so tightly?" Silvia countered playfully. "And even if I did fall, I'd just summon Phoenix; it would save me!"
Kayle smirked. "Yeah, that's true. But let's not test that theory."
A moment later, Bryan gestured with his hand—signaling them to descend.
The falcons began to dive in controlled arcs, and within moments, they landed smoothly atop the snow-laden courtyard of the Baron's estate.
Waiting to receive them stood the lord of the land himself—Baron Dex Equaris, a man in his late fifties with a graying beard and a calm gaze. Beside him stood his wife, Lady Martha Equaris, draped in a fur-lined gown that shimmered with faint magical runes.
As the falcons settled and the riders dismounted, Dex stepped forward.
"Welcome, Sir Bryan, and fellow knights and mages," he said with a polite bow. "I am Dex Equaris, Baron of this land. This is my wife, Martha Equaris. It is an honor to receive you."
Bryan chuckled and waved his hand casually. "Please, Baron Dex, no need for formality. We've known each other for years."
"But as a vassal of House Maklice, it's my duty to greet you, my lord," Dex insisted, maintaining his respectful posture.
"These are the students from Venessa Academy," Bryan introduced, gesturing to the group. "They are the ones who will be undertaking the monster subjugation this time. Everyone, this is Baron Dex Equaris and his wife, Mrs. Martha Equaris. They are the lords of this land."
"Hello, Baron Equaris. I'm Kayle, a student from Venessa Academy and the leader of this mission. It's a pleasure to meet you," Kayle said, offering a polite bow.
"The pleasure is mine, Mister Kayle," Baron Dex replied, his eyes widening slightly as he took in Kayle's appearance. "I read about you in the newspaper and have been waiting to meet you since you took the mission. I must say, you're very handsome. And here, she is my wife, Martha."
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Martha Equaris," Kayle greeted.
Lady Martha, however, remained silent—her eyes fixed on Kayle with an unreadable expression. Kayle noticed her lingering gaze and offered a polite smile.
After a few seconds of awkward stillness, Dex gently nudged her with his elbow.
"Oh... ! Apologies. I'm Martha Equaris. It's my pleasure to meet you, Mister Kayle," Martha finally managed to say, a slight flush on her cheeks.
"Thank you, ma'am," Kayle replied, unfazed.
"Please, come inside. You guys must be exhausted from the long journey," Baron Dex offered.
"Thank you , Baron Equaris, however we need to go," Kayle stated firmly. "We can't delay the mission any longer. It's already afternoon, and we have to come back before the sun sets, so we must go now."
"Well, if you say so," Dex conceded. "Then, go five miles southwest; when you cross the frozen river, you will reach the border of Garxiz Forest."
"I know. I have a map of this place and Garxiz Forest," Kayle confirmed, patting his coat.
"Everyone get ready, we're heading to Garxiz Forest!" Kayle commanded, his voice ringing with authority.
Kayle, Silvia, Sara, Latty, James, Nana, Rolex, Bryan, and the two knights left the Baron's house and headed directly for the forest.
With swift coordination, they mounted again and soared south. The falcons cut through the cold winds, and in a short time, they descended just outside the thick snow-covered woods of Garxiz Forest—a place cloaked in silence and dread.
The moment their feet touched the snowy ground, Bryan dismounted and issued orders.
"Now, everyone, enter the forest," Bryan instructed. "My knights and I will be on standby and will step in if we feel like you can't keep up. Okay?"
Everyone nodded in agreement, and with a shared sense of determination, they entered the forest.
The students dismounted and adjusted their gear. Swords were checked. Mana flared subtly beneath their fingers.
Before them, the Garxiz Forest loomed. The trees were ancient and impossibly tall—branches intertwined overhead, forming a dense canopy that choked the light. Though it was still daytime, within the forest, it felt like night.
Kayle led the way, snow crunching beneath their boots.
From the moment they stepped into the forest, an eerie silence fell. No birds. No wind. No movement. Just the sound of their footsteps on snow.
"It's very dense right from the start. We haven't even gone deeper, and this silence is already giving me chills," Latty whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Yeah, now I understand why people call it one of the most dangerous zones," Rolex added, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Everyone, keep silent," Kayle commanded softly. "We're not alone here; the monsters are hiding very well. So don't let your guard down."
And with that, the group pressed forward—into the white silence, where death waited in the shadows.
They moved deeper into the forest, the canopy above swallowing the last traces of daylight. Everyone followed behind Kayle, stepping cautiously, senses on edge.
Kayle had already activated his Detection skill the moment they entered. His field of awareness expanded in a perfect 360-degree radius, every motion, vibration, and presence echoing in his mind like whispers. Roughly 400 meters ahead, he sensed it—several signatures, hiding in wait.
Kayle raised a hand. Everyone froze.
"Be careful. Up ahead, there are monsters hiding around 300 to 400 meters away. Everyone, be ready," Kayle warned, his voice low.
Bryan and his knights followed them from above, circling on their Falcons.
They took a few more steps forward, then Kayle placed his hand on the ground and, with his other hand, signaled for the others to get into formation. Through his detection skill, he knew the monsters were hiding in the tree branches: Monota Lizards.
Monota Lizards were two-star risk rating monsters known for their ability to camouflage themselves perfectly with their surroundings, making them incredibly difficult to spot. They would stick to one place, patiently waiting for their prey to let down their guard. Once they attacked, these lizards would kill everything, leaving not a single drop of blood behind.
Kayle raised his hand. "Flame Arrows!" he commanded.
Multiple flaming arrows shot upwards, streaking towards the tree branches ahead.
BOOM! BOOM!
The canopy exploded into flame. The hidden monsters screeched as they were wrenched out of concealment. Dozens of Monota Lizards—light green with three sinister eyes—revealed themselves in a frenzy.
They attacked all at once.
"Everyone, charge!" Kayle ordered.
James, Nana, and Rolex sprinted forward, taking the front lines while Kayle, Silvia, Sara, and Latty provided magical firepower from behind.
"It's time to put all those training into action!" James roared, a battle cry on his lips.
"Yeah, let's kill them all!" Rolex added, eager for the fight.
All three of them clashed with the lizards, their swords moving in a blur.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
They began cutting down the lizards like vegetables. Other lizards, hidden in different directions, emerged, drawn by the screams of their kind.
Screeeeeee! Screeeeeee!
The forest echoed with the shrill cries of the attacking lizards. From above, some lizards launched themselves at James, Nana, and Rolex.
Then, a flurry of IRON BLADES materialized, multiple blades striking the airborne lizards, slicing them in half mid-air.
"Hmph, not when I'm here!" Sara scoffed, her eyes gleaming. She glanced at Silvia, who stepped forward.
"Let me show you how to use my Kayle's hybrid spells!" Silvia declared, a confident smirk on her face.
LIGHTNING ICE SHURIKEN!
Dozens of razor-sharp icy projectiles struck the monsters, followed by a thunderous charge of lightning. The combination stunned and electrocuted them, leaving nothing but scorched corpses.
"Don't forget I'm also here!" Latty called out, not to be outdone.
FLAME HURRICANE!
She conjured a massive, swirling hurricane of fire, incinerating all the affected trees and lizards, leaving behind only ashes.
Up ahead, James, Nana, and Rolex had already dispatched all the lizards in their immediate vicinity.
Then, more lizards swarmed from all directions, their numbers seemingly endless.
"Change the formation!" Kayle shouted, his voice cutting through the din.
They quickly shifted, forming pairs of two and taking a specific direction. James and Silvia stood in front of Kayle, Nana and Sara to his left, and Rolex and Latty to his right, creating a triangular formation with Kayle at the center. It was a perfect one-mage, one-knight arrangement.
It was a custom Knight-Mage Pairing Formation—each knight covered their mage, and each mage provided destructive support.
"Activate them," Kayle said.
In perfect sync, James, Nana, and Rolex slammed their boots onto the ground.
The enchanted boots—engineered by Kayle himself—activated, transforming into high-speed propulsion systems.
They all sprinted towards the monsters from every direction, their speed unmatched. James, Nana, and Rolex slashed the lizards with instinctual precision, giving them no chance to react.
Slash! Slash!
Beside them, Silvia, Sara, and Latty assisted their respective partners, all of them fighting fiercely at the front.
FIRE WIND SLASH!—'Latty'
THUNDER WATER CANNON!—'Sara'
BLAZING EAGLE!—'Silvia'
BOOOOOM! BOOOOOO! BOOOOOM!
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
ZIIIIING! ZIIIIING!
Kayle, standing in the center, supported everyone with pinpoint accuracy.
ICE SPEARS!
Kayle assisted them all at once, his aim incredibly precise, attacking only the lizards and ensuring no friendly fire.
Above, Bryan and his knights looked down, dumbfounded.
"Impressive! Look at them hunting those lizards like flies," Xavier, one of the knights, remarked. "Monota lizards are only two-star difficulty monsters, but dealing with hundreds of them at once can give anyone a headache."
"Absolutely," Karl agreed, his eyes wide. "And that tactic, pairing one mage with one knight, is amazing. Mages usually avoid fighting on the front lines unless they're Fifth or Sixth Circle. Plus, those spells they just used? I've never seen anything like them."
"Those are Hybrid Spells," Bryan explained, his voice filled with awe. "Kayle created them two years ago. They made the whole world kneel before his genius."
He then muttered, more to himself than to his companions, "I must report this to Father. He knows about Kayle's genius, but he doesn't realize he has this much combat sense, too. With his talent, he's destined for greater heights. Now I truly understand why Father wants to marry Scarlet to him."
On the battlefield, the team stood victorious.
"It's honestly refreshing to fight real monsters instead of dummies and students," James said, wiping his blade.
"Yeah, how many were there?" Rolex asked, looking at the scattered remains.
"Might have been hundreds of them," Nana replied, shaking his head.
"Wow, Kayle, you supported all of us at the same time! You didn't even miss a single lizard!" Latty praised, impressed.
"You're a phenomenal leader," Silvia added warmly.
"Well, I must say, these boots that Kayle made are fantastic!" James exclaimed, admiring his footwear. "I could easily run at twice my normal speed and jump hundreds of meters with them! You're fantastic, Kayle!"
"Seriously, Kayle, you're insane," Nana said. "Making things like this… If the Magic Tower saw this, they'd kidnap you."
"I'm glad that they're useful," Kayle said, a modest smile on his face. "Now, let's move. We have to exterminate them all before nightfall."
And so, they moved deeper into the forest.
As they ventured further, they encountered a pack of Steel Tusk Wolves.
AAAOOOOOOOOO!
Steel Tusk Wolves were three-star risk rating monsters. As their name suggested, they possessed two tusk-like protrusions made of steel that could tear apart any monster. They hunted in packs, making them formidable opponents.
"Everyone, charge!" Kayle ordered, his voice unwavering.
They maintained the same one-mage, one-knight formation. James, Nana, and Rolex, thanks to their rigorous training, were now able to utilize mana as an aura. They unleashed aura blades, and although it wasn't a perfect aura, with the aid of Kayle's boots, they moved with incredible speed and precision.
SLASH! SLASH!
CUT! CUT!
Silvia leaped high into the air. "You filthy dogs, get away from my side! INFERNO BINDING!"
She conjured numerous blazing chains that wrapped around the wolves' necks, burning them and splitting their heads apart.
AAAWWW! AAWWWWW!
The wolves screamed in pain and agony.
"Hmph, you just watch!" Sara declared, stepping forward.
METALLIC SPIKES!
She generated Countless razor-sharp spires erupted from the ground, skewering the beasts mid-charge. tearing apart the wolves that had managed to escape Silvia's attack.
Witnessing their own kind being massacred, the remaining wolves began to retreat, howling in terror.
"Don't let them run away! Kill them!" Kayle commanded.
They pursued the fleeing wolves. The wolves ran for their lives, eventually leading them to an open clearing in the middle of the forest.
Then—FWIP! a fire arrow pierced through a wolf's neck, bringing it down.
Behind them, Kayle, Silvia, Sara, and Latty were wearing some kind of strange golden glasses. With these, their vision was incredibly clear, and they could see a wide range with perfect clarity.
They were all the magic engineering tools that kayle made for his friends with the knowledge of another worlds.
"Amazing, Kayle! It feels like I'm standing right beside them!" Latty exclaimed, adjusting her glasses. "These glasses are so advanced; I can see the vital points of those wolves! With this, I can never miss any shot!"
James, Nana, and Rolex watched from behind, utterly surprised by Kayle's magical engineering tools. First, these incredible boots, and now these advanced glasses!
After a while, all the wolves were exterminated, and the group regrouped, their faces flushed with the thrill of battle.
Above them, Bryan and his knights watched with amazed expressions.
"What was that?" Xavier asked, still bewildered. "They killed all those wolves from such a range difference! They're mages, not archers! What are those things they're using?"
"I don't know, but those things are incredibly useful," Karl replied, his voice filled with wonder.
Bryan's eyes widened further, a profound thought echoing in his mind. "I've never seen something like this in my life. Kayle, just who are you?"
On the ground, Kayle and his team stood in the clearing, the aftermath of their fight with the wolves scattered around them. Kayle pulled a map from his coat, unfolding it carefully. Everyone gathered around him, their eyes following his finger as he traced a path.
"We're here, at this open ground in Garxiz Forest," Kayle explained. "From here on, it's likely the start of the second layer of the Forest. You guys check your gear and equipment; from here on, we'll be facing much stronger monsters. And here," he said, reaching into his Storage Ring.
With a soft gleam, he produced seven pairs of gauntlets, gleaming in hues of gold and black.
"Change your gauntlets and hand gloves to these," Kayle instructed, holding them out.
Their eyes widened, not just at the appearance of the gauntlets, but at the Storage Ring itself—a rare and valuable artifact.
"Kayle, you even have a storage ring?" Nana exclaimed, her jaw dropping. "How did you get something so valuable? Even small storage pouches and bags cost hundreds of gold coins, and you're using a ring that can contain seven gauntlets! Don't tell me you made that also?"
"Hey, what do you think I am?" Kayle chuckled. "I'm not an enchanter; how could I make this? Before leaving the academy, Headmaster Elizabeth gave me this."
Silvia, Sara, Latty, James, Nana, and Rolex exchanged glances.
"Well, what you said is true," Latty mused.
"Only high-circle mages can make them. At your level, it's impossible."
"But give us these gauntlets, Kayle. We're mages; we don't need them," Sara said, crossing her arms.
"They're not your simple gauntlets. I specifically designed them for both mages and knights," Kayle clarified, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I crafted them with Sebirius scales, Swamp Serpent skin, and Adamantium. They improve your grip on your sword, and you can block monsters with your bare hands, even fight with them. You can destroy boulders. And the last thing: try to insert your mana into the fingertip."
James inserted his mana, and suddenly, sharp, black claws, reminiscent of a wolf's, erupted from his fingertips.
"Ohhhh, what is this, Kayle?!" James roared, flexing his hand. "They're like the wolves' claws we just killed!"
"Impressive, isn't it?" Kayle smirked. "With this, you can tear apart any monster."
"And as for your gloves," he continued, gesturing to the mages, "they're made for heat and cold resistance. When you insert your mana into them, it'll create a shield, so you won't have a hard time while hunting." He demonstrated by inserting his mana, and a large, transparent shield materialized from the back of his hand.
They were all utterly amazed by Kayle's inventions, their jaws practically on the ground.
Then, Latty, unable to contain her excitement, lunged and hugged him tightly. Sara and Silvia, witnessing this, glared at Latty and then at Kayle with murderous gazes.
"You're fantastic, Kayle! My love for you just increased so much!" Latty declared, looking triumphantly back at both Silvia and Sara.
"Latty, stop doing this and focus on the mission!" Kayle said, trying to push her away gently.
Latty, with a final squeeze, let him go.
"So, shall we go?" Kayle asked, looking at the eager faces of his team.
"Yes!" they answered in unison.
Kayle and his team delved deeper into the forest. As they entered the second layer, the atmosphere grew heavier, and they soon faced their next challenge: a pack of Red Orcs.
Red Orcs were four-star risk rating monsters, distinguished by their crimson skin, two protruding fangs, and glowing red eyes. They were formidable, with large, heavily muscled bodies.
"Finish them off!" Kayle commanded.
They swiftly approached, their movements enhanced by Kayle's boots, which allowed them to move at incredible speeds. The gauntlets made their grip on their swords much stronger.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
They all moved in unison, aiming for the limbs of the red orcs.
"They have sturdy bodies! I can't cut off their limbs like this!" Rolex grunted, his blade meeting thick hide.
Then, an orc lunged at him with a massive axe. Rolex, reacting instinctively, used his other hand, encased in the new gauntlet, to block the attack. He gripped the axe head with his bare hand.
"Holy cow!" Rolex exclaimed, disbelief coloring his voice. "It could have cut off my hand, but it's still intact, and I'm not even feeling any pain! Kayle, you must be something else!"
He then pulled the axe from the orc's grip. With both his sword and the axe in hand, he chopped off the orc's head.
CHOP!
On the other side, Nana was facing three orcs at once. She swung her sword in a wide arc.
CUT! severing the head of one orc.
From two other directions, two more orcs charged at her. She jumped and swiftly spun in mid-air, expertly countering their attacks. She pierced the chest of one orc with her sword, but as she tried to pull it free, the orc's hand clamped down, holding the sword tight. He grinned at Nana, a sinister, bloody smile.
From behind, another orc attacked her. Nana, with a quick decision, let go of her sword, dodged the attack, and swiftly sprinted. She leaped at the orc, then RRRIP! tore apart its chest with her newly clawed gauntlet, creating a gaping hole. Nana held the orc's still-beating heart in her hand, then DUMB! DUMB! DUMB! she squeezed it, crushing it.
She then retrieved her sword from the other orc. "Filthy beasts! Thinking they could hunt me without a sword! And these gauntlets, they are very useful! If it weren't for them, they'd have gotten me!" Nana exclaimed, wiping blood from her face.
And the hunt continued. Kayle, Silvia, Sara, and Latty were a whirlwind of elemental power. They froze the orcs with blasts of ice, tore them apart with wind and earth, sliced them with precision, and incinerated them to ashes with fire.
But the one who was truly having a blast was James.
He was surrounded by five orcs, covered head-to-toe in their blood.
"What are you looking at, you red knuckle-head?" James roared, a savage grin on his face. "I'll send you off to meet your partners!"
Then, an orc stepped forward, throwing its crude weapon to the ground, challenging James to a bare-handed fight.
James's grin widened. He accepted the challenge, sheathing his sword.
He stood before the orc, both warriors locking eyes before erupting into a furious fistfight. James dodged every single one of the orc's punches with astonishing agility, his movements unbelievably quick and fast for his height, build, and weight, a testament to his three years of rigorous training. Kayle's boots further amplified his speed. The orc, frustrated, landed a punch with its full might, but James easily blocked it with his gauntleted hand.
"Is this all you've got?" James taunted, a confident smirk.
The orc, enraged, began throwing punches irregularly, a flurry of wild swings. James punched back, their fists clashing with thunderous impacts.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
"Hahahahahaa! Now you're fighting like a beast!" James laughed, reveling in the fight.
"But your bad luck, I'm your opponent!"
He grabbed both of the orc's hands, then planted his foot on the orc's chest and CRUNCH! RIP! pulled off its arms from their sockets.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
The orc screamed in unimaginable pain, writhing like a bug on the ground. James approached, the severed arms still in his hands. The orc looked up at James, who stood over him, his expression like that of a grim reaper. The orc died instantly, not from its wounds, but from sheer terror and shock.
The other orcs who had been watching were now paralyzed with fear. James's gaze swept over them.
"So, only you guys remain, hmm?" James said, a dangerous glint in his eye.
Then, without wasting any more time, he moved. The severed orc arms were still in his hands. He used them like a crude flail, beating the nearest orc to death.
CRUSH!
He smashed its head.
The other three orcs scrambled, running for their lives, but James caught one. RRRIP! He tore the orc apart with his claws, splitting it into two pieces.
Another orc was still running when James suddenly appeared from the sky, landing squarely on its shoulder. He then CRACK! pulled off the orc's head.
AAHHHHHHHHH! The orc screamed its last.
The final orc was far away, but James used his boots, jumping high into the sky with full power. James then hurled the severed head of the orc.
WHIZZ!
It struck the running orc directly in the head, causing it to explode.
BURST! BURST!
"Headshot," James said, a satisfied smirk on his face.
Above them, witnessing this sheer madness, Bryan and his two knights were utterly stunned. Their eyes were wide open, and despite the biting cold, sweat beaded on their brows. The formidable red orcs had been cut down like wooden blocks.
"Tell me this is a dream! Hey, Xavier, pinch me!" Karl stammered, unable to believe his eyes.
Xavier pinched him, hard.
"Ouch! Why did you pinch me so hard?!" Karl yelped.
"I also wanted to confirm if it's a dream!" Xavier retorted, equally flabbergasted.
"Sir Bryan," Karl turned to his leader, his voice awestruck. "What are those gauntlets? How can he fight those sturdy orcs bare-handed? He tore them apart like paper, slicing them like vegetables! How is that possible?"
Bryan, equally surprised by the brutal efficiency of the display, murmured, "I don't know. Those boots, those gauntlets, and those glasses aren't simple tools. They're innovations of a new era."
He thought to himself, his mind reeling: "Kayle, this boy isn't simple. Words like 'genius,' 'prodigy' are nothing in front of him. He is truly once in a millennium. Thankfully, I witnessed his creations and intelligence before anyone else. When he publishes his innovations to the world, everything will change. Other noble houses will line up their daughters to marry him. I must report this to Father. We cannot lose him."
At this time half of the had ended. And they have only few hours remain to complete this mission.
"They have pretty much exhausted themselves now we can start our plan." Some said from the shadows.