Chương 21: The Beast with the Collar

The fourth morning in the Mist Forest began without rain. A thin layer of mist covered the ground around the camp, drifting between the tents before slowly disappearing beneath the rising sun. The students were becoming accustomed to the forest. That was probably why the camp felt different. The first morning had been filled with caution. Now there were arguments over breakfast, complaints about sore muscles, and students from both academies sitting together as though they had known each other for years.

Amon was standing beside the fire with a wooden spoon in his hand.

"I still say Rowan cheated." Rowan looked up from his breakfast.

"How exactly does someone cheat during a cooking competition?"

"You distracted me."

"By cooking?"

"Exactly." Masha covered her face.

"Your logic is impressive."

"It usually is." Leo walked past them with a cup of water.

"It isn't." Amon looked offended.

"You could at least pretend to support me."

"I don't lie before breakfast." Rowan laughed. Alice smiled. The morning continued normally. No one noticed anything unusual. After breakfast, Professor Gareth gathered the students.

"Today's route will take you farther south." A few students immediately became more attentive. Gareth unfolded a map.

"The area is still considered safe for your current level, but the terrain is more difficult." He pointed toward several marked locations.

"You will collect samples from three different plants and record the magical beasts you encounter." Amon raised his hand.

"Can we fight them?" Gareth looked at him.

"If necessary." Amon lowered his hand.

"That wasn't the answer I wanted."

"It was the answer you received." Several students laughed. Gareth continued.

"Remember what happened yesterday. If you encounter a beast above your assigned threat level, report it and withdraw." The students nodded. Their groups were assembled. Leo's group remained the same. Leo. Alice. Amon. Masha. Marcus. Elena. They entered the forest shortly afterward. The deeper they went, the quieter the camp became. The familiar trail disappeared behind them. Roots pushed through the earth. Large stones covered parts of the path. The trees grew closer together.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Marcus checked the map.

"We're approaching the southern boundary." Amon looked around.

"Still nothing." Masha glanced at him.

"You're disappointed?"

"I didn't say that."

"You were hoping for another fight." Amon smiled.

"Maybe." Leo walked ahead of them. The forest smelled different here. Less like wet earth. More like moss and stone. Alice noticed him looking around.

"Something wrong?"

"No."

"Then what are you looking at?"

"The terrain." She smiled.

"You always notice things like that." Leo shrugged.

"Old habit." They continued. Their first stop was a cluster of silver-leaf plants growing beneath a fallen tree. Elena immediately recognized them.

"Moonleaf." She crouched down.

"These are useful for treating mana exhaustion." Masha helped her collect several. Marcus recorded the location. Amon sat on a nearby rock.

"How many plants do we need?"

"Enough."

"That's not a number." Elena looked at him.

"Twenty." Amon stood immediately.

"Then let's collect twenty." Masha laughed.

"Suddenly you're motivated."

"I want to go back before sunset." Leo looked toward the trees. For a moment, he thought he heard something. A faint scraping sound. He turned. Nothing. Only branches moving in the wind. He looked back toward the group.

"Let's keep moving." Nobody questioned him. An hour later, they encountered another magical beast. A Greenfang Wolf. It emerged from the bushes and stared at them. Marcus immediately recognized it.

"Low level." Amon smiled.

"Finally." The wolf growled. Amon stepped forward.

"Don't." Leo stopped him.

"It's injured." The wolf's front leg was bleeding. A piece of bark was embedded in its fur. Amon lowered his hand.

"Oh." Elena approached carefully.

"It probably hurt itself running through the undergrowth." She crouched several meters away. The wolf watched her.

"It isn't aggressive." She slowly removed a small piece of healing herb from her bag. The wolf hesitated. Then moved closer. Elena treated the wound. After several minutes, the wolf stood. It looked at the group. Then disappeared into the trees. Amon watched it leave.

"That was surprisingly peaceful." Masha smiled.

"Not every encounter needs to end with someone being punched." Amon looked at Leo.

"She was looking at you when she said that."

"I noticed." The group continued south. By midday, they reached a narrow ravine. Marcus stopped.

"This isn't on the map." The others gathered around him. The ravine was shallow but long. Fresh earth covered one side. Something had recently fallen through the soil. Amon crouched.

"Looks like a tree collapsed." Marcus shook his head.

"No." He pointed toward the ground.

"Look." There were marks in the mud. Large footprints. Four toes. Deep impressions. Masha looked toward the forest.

"What made those?" Marcus studied them.

"Something heavy." Leo crouched beside the tracks. The marks were recent. The mud around them was still wet. But there was something else. A thin line had been dragged through the soil beside the footprints. Leo followed it with his eyes. Then stood.

"Let's keep moving." Marcus looked at him.

"You think we should report this?"

"Yes." Marcus nodded. He took out the communication crystal.

"Southern group reporting unusual tracks near the southern ravine." The response came quickly.

"Understood. Avoid contact and continue toward your assigned marker." Marcus put the crystal away. They moved on. No one followed the tracks. Their final marker was near a small clearing. They found it without difficulty. A stone pillar stood between two enormous trees. Marcus recorded the location.

"Third marker." Masha stretched her arms.

"Finally." Amon looked toward the path back.

"Let's go." They turned around. Then Leo stopped. Something had moved between the trees. He looked toward the sound. Nothing. A second later, branches shifted. A creature stepped into the clearing. It was a large wolf-like beast. Its fur was dark gray. Its body was covered with scars. But the first thing everyone noticed wasn't its size. It was the metal around its neck. A thick black collar. A faint blue light pulsed across its surface. Masha frowned.

"What's that?" Nobody answered. The creature growled. Marcus raised his spear.

"Don't move." The beast lowered its body. Leo noticed the collar again. It wasn't decorative. There were small runes carved into the metal. Magical runes. The creature suddenly staggered. Its eyes widened. It tried to move forward. Then the collar flashed. The beast collapsed. Everyone froze. Elena stepped forward.

"Wait." The creature struggled to breathe. She looked at the collar.

"That isn't normal." Marcus nodded.

"Agreed." Amon clenched his fists.

"Should we remove it?"

"No." Marcus stopped him.

"We don't know what it does." The beast suddenly stood. It looked terrified. Not angry. Terrified. Then it ran. It disappeared between the trees before anyone could react. Amon stared after it.

"That was strange." Masha nodded.

"Very." Leo looked at the place where it had disappeared. The question wasn't why a beast had attacked them. It hadn't. The question was why a wild magical beast was wearing a magical collar. They returned to camp before sunset. Gareth listened carefully while Marcus explained what they had found.

"A collar?"

"Yes."

"Did you touch it?"

"No."

"Good." Gareth turned toward another instructor.

"Send someone to inspect the area." The instructor nodded. Several students began discussing the incident. Some believed the collar was an abandoned magical tool. Others thought a hunter had placed it on the beast. Nobody had an answer. The conversation eventually moved to something else. Dinner was served. The campfire was lit. And the expedition continued as usual. Far from the camp, beyond the southern boundary, a small wagon moved between the trees. No academy insignia. No royal crest.

Nothing that would identify its owner. Two men walked beside it. A third sat at the front. Inside the wagon were several cages. A beast moved inside one of them. Its claws scraped against the metal floor. The man sitting at the front glanced backward.

"Is the southern route still clear?" One of the men nodded.

"For now."

"And the students?"

"They're closer than expected." The driver frowned.

"Then we'll change routes." The man beside him looked toward the cages.

"What about the collars?"

"Keep them active." The beast inside one cage suddenly slammed against the bars. The driver didn't react.

"Move the cages tonight."

"Where?" The driver looked toward the dark forest.

"North." The wagon continued through the trees. Behind it, the tracks slowly disappeared beneath the mist. And somewhere far away, the students sat around their campfire, unaware that the forest had begun carrying something much more dangerous than wild beasts. End of Chapter 21.