Chapter Thirty-Four: Changes Unnoticed

Heading ever southward, Han Shuo and his group of twelve had been on the road for a full eight days. Along the way, the magical beasts they encountered grew ever more formidable: first the unicorn-like charging bull-beasts, then the massive lizard-beasts, followed by wind blade-casting demon wolves, and even frost-breathing sky eagles. Where once they had handled these threats with ease, in the past day the group had felt the mounting pressure with every perilous encounter.

At first, everyone subsisted on the provisions they had brought, but when their supplies dwindled, they turned to butchering and roasting the magical beasts they hunted. While these beasts grew fiercer, their meat was not always palatable; the lizard-beast’s flesh, for instance, carried a strange odor, making it nearly impossible to swallow.

Yet the more powerful the magical beast, the more valuable its parts became—especially those capable of casting rudimentary magic. Such creatures bore within them magical beast cores, which were exceedingly precious and, depending on their grade, could fetch high prices on the market.

Their harvest was remarkable: over the past few days, they had acquired four such cores—three from the Wind Blade Demon Wolves and one from the Frost Sky Eagle. These cores were classified into six grades, with grade six being the most common and grade one the most coveted, almost never seen. Cores could be fashioned into powerful magical artifacts that amplified a mage’s spells; some rare cores could even enhance a mage’s spiritual strength, making them incredibly valuable.

The Wind Blade Demon Wolf’s core was of the fifth grade, fetching about twenty gold coins apiece, while the Frost Sky Eagle’s was a rarer fourth grade, worth around one hundred and fifty gold coins. Even after deducting the fifty gold coins needed to rent their horses, their profits from the beast cores alone were substantial.

Beyond the cores, other parts of the beasts were also valuable: the pelt of the Wind Blade Demon Wolf and the unicorn of the Charging Bull-Beast, for example, could command excellent prices. Taken together, their spoils far exceeded Vanny Jean’s expectations.

“These days of trial have yielded great improvements in everyone,” Vanny said, her beautiful face aglow with satisfaction as she addressed the students in a gentle voice. “You no longer panic before the magical beasts—this is most important in real combat. And we have been fortunate; our harvest on this expedition surpasses any in recent memory. When we return to the academy, the gold from selling these spoils will be distributed among you.”

Han Shuo, ever watchful, had observed the transformation in his companions—the once-clumsy students had grown calm and composed under the pressure of battle. Thanks to his own cultivation in demonic arts, Han Shuo’s senses were sharper than anyone’s. His early warnings had often played a decisive role in their survival, though no one could fathom the source of his uncanny acuity—not even Vanny, who had inspected him thoroughly to no avail. In the end, she resolved to have him examined with the academy’s magical apparatus upon their return.

Han Shuo’s early warnings and his skill at preparing delicious roasted meats had quietly elevated his standing within the group. Only Buck Bella and his cohorts remained hostile, their animosity fueled by their “misfortune” in always receiving the least appetizing portions. The others, however, no longer barked orders at him; a few, even, had begun to seek his friendship in hopes of tastier meals.

“Miss Vanny, when will we reach the Graveyard of Death?” Lisa asked eagerly after Vanny had finished speaking.

Vanny frowned, fell silent for a moment, then sighed softly. “I’ve only heard that the Graveyard of Death is somewhere in the southern depths of the Shadowy Forest, but I don’t know its exact location. In truth, our main goal here was to teach you to remain calm and properly cast necromancy spells in the face of danger. Judging by your progress, you have all met the standard.

“As for the Graveyard itself, I’m not sure it even exists. You must have noticed that the magical beasts we encounter grow ever more powerful. If it weren’t for Brian’s early warnings, someone would have been hurt by now. Even so, our escape from the Frost Sky Eagle yesterday was perilous enough. If we press further south, I fear not only injury but the loss of life. I believe it’s time we turned back.”

The students were taken aback. Jean nodded and said, “She’s right. We came here to train; the Graveyard of Death is unconfirmed, perhaps even a myth. Our experience yesterday proved how dangerous it’s become. We’ve already gained much—there’s no need to risk our lives.”

With both instructors in agreement, the more timid students recalled the dangers of recent days and all nodded assent. “Very well, let’s return to the academy—the risks are growing.”

“Buck, you’re such a coward,” Lisa sneered. “Without danger, there’s no reward! If not for yesterday’s peril, we wouldn’t have gotten the Frost Sky Eagle’s core. We should keep going south—maybe we’ll find even greater treasures. Then, when we return, the other departments won’t dare look down on us necromancers.” She cast a scornful glance at Buck, then glanced at Han Shuo, who was quietly roasting meat, and asked, “Brian, what do you think?”

Once, Han Shuo’s opinion would have been ignored, but now, with Lisa’s question, all eyes turned to him—even Vanny and Jean seemed to await his decision.

Han Shuo was momentarily taken aback, then gave a sheepish grin. “Adventuring is part of the process. Since no one’s been hurt yet, why not venture a little further? We might find even more treasures.”

Vanny regarded him curiously, then nodded and said in her gentle voice, “Very well. In that case, we’ll continue south until someone is injured—then we’ll turn back.”

“Come, let’s eat!” Han Shuo called out with a light laugh. Lisa, Vanny, and the others rushed over, abandoning decorum as they snatched the two largest pieces of meat he offered.

Late that night, beneath the cool moonlight filtering through the Shadowy Forest, most students lay asleep in their simple tents while a few, fighting fatigue, stood guard.

Without a sound, Han Shuo slipped away, making his way through the shadows of towering trees.

Beneath the canopy, Han Shuo’s not especially robust frame moved with the agile grace of a panther, weaving skillfully through the forest and changing direction with ease. Soon he had left the tents far behind and pressed deeper south.

Suddenly, Han Shuo halted, raised both hands, and began chanting the incantation to summon a skeleton: “Fallen undead warrior, by the will of the dark messenger, reveal your presence!”

At his words, a small, jet-black skeleton wielding a bone knife materialized from the darkness. Its bones seemed tighter and darker than before, merging seamlessly with the night like a spirit of shadow.

As Han Shuo moved swiftly on, the little skeleton flexed its leg bones in silence, its seven spines on its back fanning out, allowing it to glide alongside Han Shuo through the forest.

Suddenly, two Wind Blade Demon Wolves appeared in their path, feasting on the corpse of a boar-like beast. One of them pricked up its ears, alert, green eyes scanning the gloom.

A bone knife, cold and glinting, flashed through the night, tracing a strange, elegant arc in the air before plunging into the vigilant wolf.

At the same instant, from the shadows, a lithe figure lunged at the other wolf. A faint purple streak glimmered in the dark, eerily beautiful.

Two anguished howls rang out as the ferocious beasts fell before they could react—one slain instantly by the bone knife through its skull, the other collapsing as a chilling frost poured from its body.

“Heh, two more fifth-grade beast cores!” Han Shuo smiled in satisfaction as he finished.

Nearby, the little skeleton had already begun expertly skinning the wolf, its practiced motions betraying long familiarity with the task.