Chapter 87: An Unusual Encounter
Chapter 87: An Unusual Encounter
The ancient forest stretched endlessly in every direction.
Towering trees rose toward the heavens like silent sentinels, their tangled branches weaving together to block out most of the sunlight. Damp earth softened every footstep, while distant monster roars echoed intermittently through the dense foliage.
Vespera moved cautiously between the towering trunks.
Ever since Professor Alaric had explained the rules of the entrance examination, she had been carefully weighing her options.
Charging recklessly through the forest in search of monsters wasn’t her style.
Although she possessed extraordinary talent, she understood her own strengths and weaknesses better than anyone.
Her magic excelled in support, defense, and prolonged battles.
It wasn’t meant for reckless solo combat.
A party...
That was the safest choice.
With capable allies holding the front line, she could unleash her magic without exposing herself to unnecessary danger.
Her sapphire-blue eyes swept across the quiet forest once more.
"So far..."
"...I’ve been fortunate."
She hadn’t encountered any powerful monsters.
Nor had she crossed paths with another student.
Waiting was frustrating.
Yet patience often yielded far greater rewards than reckless haste.
Just then—
A familiar voice echoed across the entire forest.
Professor Alaric.
"Attention, students."
"The examination has now been underway for some time."
A brief pause followed.
"Fifty participants have already been eliminated."
"Only two hundred and fifty students remain."
The announcement vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Vespera’s sapphire eyes widened slightly.
Already...?
Only a short time had passed.
Yet fifty students had already been eliminated.
The examination was proving far harsher than she had imagined.
She tightened her grip around her silver staff.
"I need to find someone soon..."
"...before things become even more dangerous."
Without another moment of hesitation, she continued deeper into the forest.
---
Several kilometers away...
Clang!
Steel collided with razor-sharp claws.
Sparks scattered through the air as Lucian’s sword met the attack of an E-Rank Shadow Wolf.
The beast snarled viciously before lunging once again.
Lucian calmly shifted his footing.
His blade flashed.
A streak of silver light swept through the forest.
The wolf froze.
A thin crimson line appeared across its neck.
Moments later, its body dissolved into countless particles of light.
Lucian lowered his sword and released a slow breath.
"So this is the entrance examination..."
Despite defeating the monster, he felt no satisfaction.
Instead...
His thoughts drifted elsewhere.
His life had changed so dramatically over the past year that it still felt like a dream.
Not long ago...
He had been nothing more than an orphan raised by the Church.
His parents had abandoned him before he was old enough to remember their faces.
He had possessed neither noble blood nor wealth.
There had been no promising future waiting for him.
Then...
Everything changed.
The Goddess had chosen him.
He awakened an S+ Rank Talent.
People who had once overlooked him now greeted him with admiration and respect.
The Church entrusted him with responsibilities he had never imagined carrying.
And above all...
He had met Vespera.
A true friend.
Someone who had never judged him for his humble origins.
Lucian looked quietly at the sword in his hand.
The polished blade reflected his thoughtful expression.
"Sometimes..."
"...I still wonder if I deserve any of this."
The blessings, the talent, the title of Hero... They all felt too great for someone like him.
Yet one thing had never changed.
His resolve.
His grip tightened around the hilt.
"I may not deserve these gifts..."
"...but I’ll use them to protect others."
A low growl interrupted his thoughts.
Lucian slowly raised his head.
Two more Shadow Wolves emerged from the shadows between the trees.
Their emerald eyes glowed with predatory intent.
Lucian smiled faintly.
"Looks like there’s no time for daydreaming."
Mana flowed smoothly through his body.
He raised his sword.
The wolves lunged.
---
High above the forest floor...
Andras Darkmoor leaned comfortably against the thick trunk of an ancient tree.
The examination continued beneath him.
Occasional explosions echoed through the forest.
Distant monster roars mixed with the sounds of clashing steel.
Somewhere below...
Students were desperately risking their lives for points.
Meanwhile...
Andras calmly finished the last sip of his aged rum.
He corked the empty bottle and placed it beside him.
A thin ribbon of fragrant smoke drifted lazily upward from the ebony pipe resting between his fingers.
He took another slow draw before exhaling.
The sweet aroma of pipe-weed lingered among the branches.
His violet eyes remained half-closed.
There was no reason to rush.
Everyone else believed they needed to fight relentlessly if they wished to earn a place in Class A.
He knew better.
Knowledge was the greatest advantage in this examination.
Andras mused inwardly.
I only need one move.
I already know who will finish with the highest score.
In the final moments... all I have to do is defeat them.
Simple.
Efficient.
Why waste time fighting dozens of monsters when someone else could gather the points instead?
At the decisive moment...
He would simply harvest everything they had earned.
A faint smile touched his lips.
A perfectly efficient strategy.
Then—
Echo Resonance stirred.
A heartbeat.
Light.
Steady.
Almost weightless.
Something was approaching.
Not from the ground.
From above.
The branches overhead shifted.
Leaves rustled softly.
Andras calmly lifted his gaze.
A graceful figure descended through the canopy before landing effortlessly on a neighboring branch.
She balanced there with impossible ease.
Long silver hair cascaded over her shoulders like flowing moonlight.
Crimson eyes shimmered beneath the scattered rays of sunlight filtering through the leaves.
Her porcelain skin possessed an almost ethereal beauty.
Two elegant black horns curved gently from either side of her head.
Behind her, a pair of dark wings folded neatly against her back.
She tilted her head curiously before offering him a gentle smile.
"Hello."
"My name is Lenore."
Her crimson eyes drifted toward the empty rum bottle resting beside him.
Then they returned to his face.
"And what is your name?"
Andras studied her quietly before answering.
"My name is Andras Darkmoor."
"A pleasure to meet you."
Lenore’s gaze lingered on the empty bottle once more.
Andras noticed.
He lifted it slightly.
"Are you interested in this?"
"I have several more bottles in my spatial ring."
Lenore immediately shook her head.
"Oh, no."
"I can’t drink alcohol."
A faint look of disappointment crossed her beautiful face.
"I’m a vampire."
"If I drank even a single sip..."
"...I’d probably spend the rest of the day vomiting."
One of Andras’s eyebrows rose slightly.
"Then why were you staring at an empty bottle of rum?"
Lenore looked away awkwardly.
For several long seconds, she remained silent.
Finally...
She let out a small sigh.
"I smelled the alcohol."
"And..."
"It reminded me of something."
She rested one hand against the branch beneath her.
"I’ve always wondered..."
"...what it feels like to become drunk."
There wasn’t the slightest trace of deception in her voice.
Only innocent curiosity.
Andras remained silent.
She hesitated.
Then smiled sheepishly.
"But..."
He looked at her calmly.
"But...?"
Lenore scratched her cheek in embarrassment.
"For alcohol to affect a vampire..."
"...we can’t drink it ourselves."
"Our bodies reject it completely."
She paused.
The tips of her ears slowly turned pink.
"The only way..."
"...is to drink the blood of someone who is already drunk."
Silence.
A gentle breeze drifted through the towering trees, carrying away the lingering scent of aged rum and fragrant pipe-weed.
Andras stared quietly at Lenore.
Lenore stared back at him.
Neither spoke for several long moments.
Far below...
The entrance examination continued in chaos.
Students fought desperately for survival.
Monsters hunted through the forest.
Yet high above the battlefield...
A human and a vampire sat face to face upon the branches of an ancient tree, engaged in perhaps the strangest conversation taking place anywhere within the examination grounds.