The Secret Behind The Monster

CHAPTER 4

THE SECRET BEHIND THE MONSTER

The academy was silent.

Not because the students were calm.

Because nobody knew what to say.

The courtyard was destroyed.

Broken stones covered the ground.

Several magical barriers had been shattered.

The Tier-4 Magical Beast lay unconscious in the center of the ruins.

And standing in front of it was Yuuto Vance.

The same student who had been classified as having a nearly broken Inner Core.

The same student who had been placed in Course 2.

The same student everyone had called weak.

Yet he had stopped a Tier-4 monster with a single technique.

The students began whispering.

“Did you see that?”

“He didn’t even chant a spell.”

“He didn’t use a magic circle.”

“How did he stop it?”

“Was that Core Pressure?”

“No…”

“Something like that would require an enormous Inner Core.”

Kaelen stood among the crowd.

His fists were tightly clenched.

He couldn’t take his eyes off Yuuto.

Yesterday, he had thought Yuuto was simply hiding some kind of special technique.

Today, he knew that wasn’t the case.

Yuuto was hiding something much bigger.

⸻

Professor Selene slowly stood up.

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.

Then she looked at Yuuto.

“Yuuto.”

Yuuto turned around.

“Yes, Professor?”

“Come with me.”

The students immediately became quiet.

Yuuto sighed.

“I knew this was coming.”

Elena stepped forward.

“I’ll come too.”

Selene looked at her.

“No.”

“But—”

“Elena.”

Selene’s voice became firm.

“This concerns your brother.”

Elena frowned.

“That is exactly why I should be there.”

Yuuto placed a hand on Elena’s shoulder.

“It’s fine.”

Elena looked at him.

“You’re sure?”

Yuuto nodded.

“I’ll be back.”

Elena reluctantly stepped aside.

Yuuto followed Professor Selene toward the administration building.

⸻

THE INTERROGATION ROOM

The room was small.

A single table stood in the center.

Three professors sat on one side.

Yuuto sat opposite them.

Professor Selene stood behind the others.

The headmaster entered last.

His name was Orion Vale.

One of the most powerful Master Sorcerers in the kingdom.

He sat down.

“Yuuto Vance.”

“Yes?”

“Do you know why you’re here?”

“Because I stopped the monster.”

“That’s not what I’m asking.”

Yuuto remained silent.

Orion looked directly into his eyes.

“Your official Inner Core reading is three percent stability.”

“Yes.”

“Yet you defeated a Tier-4 Magical Beast.”

“Yes.”

“Without a visible spell.”

“Yes.”

“Without an incantation.”

“Yes.”

“Without a magic circle.”

“Yes.”

Orion leaned forward.

“Then explain.”

Yuuto shrugged.

“Luck.”

Nobody spoke.

Professor Selene sighed.

“You expect us to believe that?”

Yuuto smiled.

“Not really.”

Orion placed a crystal on the table.

“This is an advanced Core Analyzer.”

Yuuto looked at it.

“We want you to undergo another examination.”

“No.”

The room became silent.

Orion raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to.”

“That isn’t an acceptable answer.”

Yuuto leaned back.

“Then that’s unfortunate.”

Professor Selene almost smiled.

Orion stared at him for several seconds.

Then he slowly stood.

“Yuuto Vance.”

The pressure of a Master Sorcerer’s Inner Core filled the room.

The air became heavy.

“I’m not asking as a teacher.”

Yuuto looked at him.

“I’m asking as the headmaster of this academy.”

Yuuto’s expression remained calm.

Then—

THUM.

A tiny pulse escaped his body.

The pressure disappeared.

Orion’s eyes widened.

For a brief moment—

he couldn’t sense Yuuto’s Core at all.

It was as if Yuuto didn’t exist.

Orion sat down slowly.

“Absolute Zero Presence…”

Professor Selene looked at him.

“You know that technique?”

Orion nodded.

“It’s an ancient technique.”

His eyes remained on Yuuto.

“Only a handful of people in history were capable of using it.”

Yuuto said nothing.

Orion continued.

“And none of them were seventeen years old.”

Yuuto smiled.

“I’m talented.”

Orion didn’t smile back.

“I don’t believe that.”

⸻

OUTSIDE

Elena was waiting.

She had been standing there for almost thirty minutes.

Leon sat beside her.

“Do you think he’s okay?”

Elena nodded.

“He’ll be fine.”

“You sound very confident.”

“I know my brother.”

Leon looked at her.

“Can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“Who is Yuuto?”

Elena became silent.

Leon continued.

“I don’t mean his name.”

He looked toward the interrogation room.

“I mean… who is he really?”

Elena didn’t answer.

Because she couldn’t.

A secret like Yuuto’s could not be spoken carelessly.

Then another person arrived.

Kaelen.

Elena immediately became defensive.

“What do you want?”

Kaelen stopped a few meters away.

“I want to talk.”

“About what?”

“Yuuto.”

Elena’s eyes narrowed.

“You’re not going to challenge him again.”

Kaelen shook his head.

“No.”

He looked serious.

“I want to understand him.”

Elena was surprised.

Kaelen continued.

“Yesterday, I thought he was weak.”

He looked at his hand.

“But today…”

His fingers trembled slightly.

“When he released that pressure, my Inner Core froze.”

Leon looked at him.

“You were scared.”

Kaelen glared at him.

“I wasn’t scared.”

Leon smiled.

“You were.”

Kaelen ignored him.

“I’ve spent my entire life training.”

He looked toward the interrogation room.

“And he defeated me without even trying.”

Elena’s expression softened slightly.

“You don’t need to defeat him.”

Kaelen looked at her.

“Then what should I do?”

“Become stronger.”

Kaelen smiled faintly.

“That’s exactly what I intend to do.”

⸻

THE HEADMASTER’S OFFICE

Yuuto stood in front of the window.

Orion was behind him.

“You can leave.”

Yuuto turned.

“That’s it?”

“For now.”

Yuuto raised an eyebrow.

“You’re not going to investigate me?”

Orion smiled.

“Oh, I will.”

Yuuto laughed.

“At least you’re honest.”

Orion walked toward him.

“But there’s something more important.”

“What?”

“The monster.”

Yuuto’s expression became serious.

“You noticed the seal.”

“Yes.”

Orion placed a magical crystal on the desk.

A recording appeared.

The black symbol on the monster’s chest.

Yuuto stared at it.

“The Abyss Order.”

Orion’s expression changed.

“You know them?”

“I’ve heard of them.”

“Where?”

Yuuto didn’t answer.

Orion continued.

“The Abyss Order disappeared twelve years ago.”

Yuuto’s eyes narrowed.

“Twelve years?”

“Yes.”

The room became quiet.

Orion looked at him.

“They were responsible for an incident known as the White Night.”

Yuuto’s expression became completely still.

Orion noticed.

“You know something.”

Yuuto slowly turned toward the window.

“No.”

A lie.

A very obvious one.

But Orion didn’t press further.

Instead, he said:

“They’re back.”

Yuuto looked at him.

“And they’re targeting the academy.”

Orion nodded.

“More specifically…”

He paused.

“They’re targeting someone inside the academy.”

Yuuto’s eyes became cold.

“Who?”

Orion looked directly at him.

“We don’t know.”

⸻

THAT NIGHT

Aetheria Academy had returned to normal.

At least on the surface.

Students returned to their dormitories.

Teachers repaired the damaged barriers.

The courtyard was being restored.

But Yuuto couldn’t sleep.

He stood on the balcony of his dormitory.

The moon was bright.

He closed his eyes.

Then—

He felt it.

A faint presence.

Someone was standing on the rooftop opposite him.

Yuuto opened his eyes.

A figure in black stood there.

Masked.

Silent.

Yuuto looked at the figure.

“You’re not very good at hiding.”

The figure laughed.

“You noticed.”

“Immediately.”

The figure stepped forward.

“I have a message.”

“From the Abyss Order?”

“Yes.”

Yuuto’s expression hardened.

“What do you want?”

The figure removed its mask.

A young woman with silver eyes looked at him.

“My name is Seraphine.”

Yuuto didn’t recognize her.

She smiled.

“We don’t want to kill you.”

“Then what do you want?”

“You.”

Yuuto stared at her.

She continued.

“Your body.”

Silence.

“Your Core.”

Yuuto’s expression became cold.

“And if I refuse?”

Seraphine smiled.

“Then we take Elena.”

Yuuto’s eyes changed.

The air around him suddenly became heavy.

THUM.

The entire rooftop cracked.

Seraphine’s smile disappeared.

Yuuto’s voice was quiet.

“Don’t say her name.”

Seraphine took one step backward.

For the first time—

she felt genuine fear.

Not from a spell.

Not from an attack.

But from the pressure of something ancient sleeping inside Yuuto.

She smiled again.

“Now I understand.”

Yuuto stared at her.

“You really do care about her.”

Seraphine vanished into the darkness.

Before disappearing completely, she left one final message.

“We’ll see you at the Inter-Academy Tournament.”

Yuuto stood alone on the rooftop.

His fists tightened.

The tournament wasn’t supposed to begin for another three months.

Which meant—

the Abyss Order had already infiltrated the academy.

Yuuto looked toward Elena’s dormitory.

“Looks like my peaceful school life is over.”

Deep inside his chest—

the Abyssal Core pulsed.

THUM.

And somewhere in the darkness—

another Core answered.

THUM.

THUM.

THUM.

Something had awakened.

To be continued…

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***