The forest behind Belgrave University was almost completely dark.
Tall trees blocked most of the moonlight, leaving only faint silver patches on the ground where light managed to pass through the branches. The deeper Lucas walked into the forest, the quieter the world became.
No students.
No campus noise.
Only the sound of leaves rustling under his footsteps.
Lucas moved carefully while keeping Mana Sense active.
The strange energy signature he had felt earlier was still there.
But now it felt closer.
Stronger.
And far more dangerous.
"This definitely isn't normal magic," Lucas murmured quietly.
The energy felt wild and unstable, nothing like the controlled mana used by members of the Hermetic Order.
That meant only one thing.
A supernatural creature.
In the world of The Order, Belgrave wasn't only home to the Order. Other hidden factions existed as well, including the mysterious Knights of Saint Christopher.
Lucas stopped walking.
The energy signature had suddenly moved.
Fast.
Very fast.
A moment later, he heard something heavy land behind him.
Lucas turned slowly.
Standing a few meters away was a large figure.
At first glance it looked human.
But the moment the creature stepped into the moonlight, Lucas saw the truth.
Fur covered its arms.
Its eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
Sharp claws extended from its hands.
"A werewolf," Lucas whispered.
The creature growled quietly, watching Lucas with intense focus.
Lucas already understood what this meant.
The Knights of Saint Christopher had their own members who transformed into werewolves using magical hides.
And one of them had just appeared in front of him.
The creature took another step forward.
Lucas raised his hand calmly.
Mana gathered in his palm.
The werewolf's eyes narrowed slightly, noticing the magical energy.
For a moment neither of them moved.
Then the system spoke.
Ding! New Enemy Detected — Saint Christopher Guardian.
Lucas smiled slightly.
"So that's what you are."
The werewolf suddenly lunged forward.
Its speed was incredible.
Lucas barely had time to react before the creature's claw slashed toward him.
He jumped backward, releasing the Mana Bolt at the same time.
The compressed blast struck the werewolf's shoulder.
But unlike the monsters from the ritual circle, this creature didn't disappear.
Instead, it staggered slightly before regaining its balance.
The werewolf growled louder.
Lucas narrowed his eyes.
"Stronger than the trial monster."
The creature charged again.
Lucas activated Mana Flow Control, gathering energy faster than before.
He fired two Mana Bolts in quick succession.
The attacks struck the werewolf's chest, forcing it back several steps.
But the creature still didn't fall.
Instead, it crouched low before launching itself forward again.
Lucas quickly moved to the side, dodging the attack.
The werewolf crashed into a tree, splintering part of the trunk.
Lucas used the opportunity.
He compressed a larger amount of mana than before.
The glowing sphere in his palm became small and incredibly dense.
"This should work," Lucas muttered.
The werewolf turned toward him again.
Lucas fired.
The Mana Bolt shot forward like a streak of light and struck the creature directly in the torso.
The impact forced the werewolf backward several meters.
This time the creature stayed down.
For a few seconds it didn't move.
Lucas waited carefully.
Then the werewolf slowly stood up again.
But instead of attacking, it simply stared at Lucas.
Its glowing eyes studied him carefully.
Then something unexpected happened.
The creature turned and ran deeper into the forest.
Lucas blinked.
"…It retreated?"
He lowered his hand slowly.
That hadn't been a normal monster.
It had intelligence.
And it had chosen to retreat rather than continue fighting.
A moment later, the system spoke again.
Ding! Combat Completed.
Ding! Skill Progress Increased — Mana Compression Lv.2.
Lucas exhaled slowly.
"That thing was tough."
He walked toward the spot where the werewolf had stood earlier.
Deep claw marks covered the ground.
The power behind those attacks was impressive.
Lucas crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"If that was just one member of the Knights of Saint Christopher…"
Then the entire faction was probably much stronger.
Behind him, another system message appeared.
Ding! Hidden Quest Discovered — The Wolves of Belgrave.
Objective: Investigate the Knights of Saint Christopher.
Lucas smiled faintly.
"So the hidden war has already started."
He turned back toward the campus.
The forest was quiet again.
But Lucas knew something important now.
The Order wasn't the only powerful group in Belgrave.
And if the Knights had noticed him tonight…
Then they might start watching him too.
Lucas walked back toward the university with a calm expression.
The system had just given him a new enemy.
And for Lucas, that meant only one thing.
More opportunities to grow stronger.