Chapter 35 : Chapter 35
Chapter 35 : What the Hell
Under Ryan’s incredulous gaze, the two ferocious black wolves did not even manage to finish their screams. Their bodies, filled with violent Mana, rapidly turned transparent and illusory within the emerald streams of light.
Like sand sculptures dried by the wind, they disintegrated inch by inch, dissolving into the tiniest specks of magical light.
The particles were then completely absorbed and annihilated by the green radiance, leaving not the slightest trace behind.
In the blink of an eye, the two demonic wolves that had been powerful enough to threaten his life vanished completely, as if they had never existed.
The forest returned to silence.
Only the murmur of the stream and Ryan’s slightly uneven breathing remained.
He lowered his head and looked toward his chest.
At the opening of his clothes, the green light was slowly fading. Yet the gemstone known as the Emerald Wind Oath floated out on its own, hovering before his chest.
The emerald glow within the gem—once flowing slowly like liquid—now surged violently, radiating astonishing vitality and the breath of wind.
The disguised outer shell on the surface of the gem quietly peeled away under the pressure of that immense power, revealing a fragment of its inner essence.
What lay beneath was even more crystal-clear and magnificent, as if it had condensed the very essence of the entire forest and the rhythm of the sky itself.
Before Ryan could recover from the sudden transformation, the gem’s light changed again.
After absorbing the essence of the two mid-tier demonic wolves, the green radiance no longer remained restrained.
Instead, it began to take shape.
The light gathered and rose, outlining the form of a massive and elegant creature in the air before Ryan.
It was a bird.
A gigantic bird composed entirely of vibrant wind and life energy.
Its wings spread wide, nearly covering the patch of sky above Ryan’s head. Along the edges of its wings flowed a jade-like glow.
Every feather resembled a carefully carved emerald leaf, its veins clear and alive with the power of the wind.
Its tail feathers were long and magnificent, trailing scattered specks of green light.
The bird’s head was held high. At the top was a cluster of feathers resembling a crown, formed from even denser wind energy.
Its eyes were sharp like the purest emeralds, yet deep like ancient pools of water.
At that moment, they quietly gazed down at Ryan.
Powerful.
Majestic.
Ancient.
Yet at the same time, it possessed a beauty that embodied nature and harmony.
Merely by hovering there, the surrounding air seemed to come alive. Gentle currents of wind circled around it, and the nearby grass and plants subtly bent as if bowing.
Ryan held his breath, staring up at the sacred, dreamlike creature that had suddenly appeared.
His mind was momentarily blank.
Then a voice sounded directly within his heart.
It was not heard with his ears.
Instead, it echoed within his consciousness—gentle and calm, carrying the mature resonance of someone who had lived through countless years, yet strangely reassuring.
【Kind-hearted one…】
The gaze of the great bird—no, the existence sleeping within the gem—seemed to soften slightly.
【After a long slumber, I awaken because of your peril and the pure aura of wind surrounding you. Since you awakened me and destroyed those defiled claws… then according to the ancient covenant, you are now my contracted partner.】
A contract?
Ryan froze.
Before he could respond, the giant bird suddenly raised its head and released a clear, resonant cry.
The sound was not loud, yet it seemed to stir the wind and life of the entire forest.
Its enormous body began to emit even brighter green light.
The light was no longer dazzling, but warmly enveloped Ryan.
Ryan felt his Mana responding to an unseen call. It instinctively resonated and intertwined with the emerald radiance.
A wondrous connection rapidly formed between him and the wind sacred beast before him.
It was deeper and closer than any magical contract he had ever experienced—almost as if it had been engraved directly upon his soul.
He lowered his head and looked at the back of his right hand.
There, a complex and beautiful green mark slowly appeared and condensed.
The pattern of the mark resembled a simplified feather.
Or perhaps a spiral of rising wind.
It carried the same aura as the great bird.
As the mark finished forming, the enormous and majestic phantom of the wind sacred beast in the sky began to change.
Its massive body suddenly contracted inward.
The dazzling radiance faded along with it.
Under Ryan’s astonished gaze, within a few breaths, the giant bird that had covered the sky shrank and condensed until it became…
A palm-sized, fluffy green chick.
The tiny creature was covered entirely in soft emerald-green down.
Its body was round and plump, with small stubby wings and short pale-yellow claws.
Only its eyes remained the same vivid emerald color.
Though much smaller now, the liveliness in its gaze—and the faint lingering trace of dignity—still carried a hint of the majestic creature it had been moments ago.
It flapped its little wings twice, apparently still unaccustomed to its miniature form.
Then it wobbled forward and landed on Ryan’s slightly raised shoulder.
The little creature stepped lightly on the fabric of his shoulder, searching for a comfortable position.
After settling down, it tucked its tiny head into its fluffy feathers and let out a faint, satisfied chirp.
Then…
It closed its eyes and fell asleep.
Ryan stood frozen in place.
He felt the almost negligible weight on his shoulder and the faint warmth coming through his clothes.
He glanced down at the clear green contract mark on the back of his hand.
Then he recalled the shocking scene just moments earlier—the wolves devoured in an instant, the descent of a sacred beast.
He slowly raised his other hand and rubbed his forehead.
Wonderful.
He had simply gone out for a practical class.
He was ambushed.
Almost fed to wolves.
Then the junk gemstone he had bought suddenly transformed, instantly destroyed the attackers, and finally handed him a sleeping… green chick as a contracted partner.
Was this plot development not a little too abrupt?
On his shoulder, the small green fluffball seemed to be sleeping soundly.
It even let out a tiny snoring sound.
Ryan looked at the faintly warm contract mark on the back of his hand, then glanced at the contracted beast on his shoulder, and let out a long sigh.
Well.
At least he was safe for the moment.
As for this suddenly acquired partner and the clearly more troublesome mystery behind the elven relic…
He would worry about that after returning.
Ryan followed the path he had taken earlier back toward the exit.
The small green fluffball on his shoulder slept deeply, gently rising and falling with his steps and occasionally letting out soft chirps.
The forest around him was strangely quiet.
The scattered Mana fluctuations and creature auras he had sensed earlier seemed to have hidden themselves away.
Along the entire journey, he did not encounter a single living creature, nor did he meet any of his fellow students.
Only when the light ahead gradually brightened and the familiar stone archway appeared did he realize that he had become the last one to leave.
When he stepped out of the stone gate of the Whispering Forest, the afternoon sunlight was slightly dazzling.
He saw that the other students from his group, as well as those from several other groups who had already finished their practice, had gathered in the open space of the Spirit Whisper Garden.
They were quietly chatting with one another, their eyes occasionally glancing toward the forest entrance.
Clearly, they were waiting.