"Lady Luna, are you here because of me?" Eve trailed to the back of the group that had been travelling across the woods for tens of minutes. Being the Head Professor, Aurum was guiding them from the front. Since she was the Assistant Professor, it was her job to watch the rear, but since she lacked any combat power…
"Oh! Maybe," Luna clapped her fist on her palm, realising, "I thought he asked me here for various other reasons. You not having any combat power must be one of them."
She tilted her head to look at Eve with big brown eyes, "Then again, your Head Professor is weak too. You can take your time to gain enough strength to protect others. Especially now that you can."
"Oh," Eve raised her head. It was a secret that Maiden of Seraphim couldn't even become Bronze Rank, though they could even control Gold Rank with their charm alone so no one dared to assume their true strength, "You know about that? You must be closer to mother than I thought."
"I wonder," Luna cheekily grinned. Though that grin soon turned into a pout, "never mind that. I was thinking about getting some proper clothes for your brother. It's unfair that he struts around with that half naked body without thinking about what it does to us!"
"Clothes for him?" Eve tilted her head to the side, seeing the visage of her big brother in front of the group, there was only the fur pelt around his waist, from his feet to calves, and muscular thighs, from his back with impossible cuts that others wouldn't possess even after decades of hard work, to his arms that all she could imagine was being wrapped around her body, to his long figures that would tease her day and night.
She let out a hot breath, stepping near Luna with reddish cheeks, darting her eyes towards Aurum bare feet and fingers, "Let's get something to cover every inch of his skin. It is too unfair."
"I knew you would get it," Luna giggled, following Eve's sight when her eyes met with his crystal blue eyes, making her heart skip a beat. She made a fist, hurriedly nodding, "Mm, let's get something to cover his face and eyes too. Something to hide his hair, and to hide his neck. It is a crime against women-kind to have an inch of him visible to them!"
Eve chuckled, "Isn't that going too far?"
'I say that…but…maybe we should get something to hide even the shape of his body. Or I would never stop wanting him,' Eve took a deep breath, "No, I can't keep getting distracted here."
Meanwhile,
"What are those two doing?" Aurum covered his face in embarrassment. Since he was bare feet, he could read the memories of the surrounding land, about 100 to 200 Meters. Although this technique had a time lag of a few mini-seconds, it was good enough to know everything that was happening around him, which meant their talk.
"Professor! Professor! How are you going to train us! Can I ask you a few more questions! What do you know about sexual energy! Do you know how it works?! Professor! Are you listening to me!"
"For god's sake will you shut up!" Teagan slammed her fist onto Luis's head, shutting the boy up for a few moments. She covered his mouth, apologising to Aurum, "Sorry about him, Professor. He doesn't understand that you are focusing to make sure beasts don't attack us."
"Professor is?!" Kael raised his voice, walking near Aurum since they were familiar with him. Everyone was excited about coming into the woods, even the other classes only got the chance before the First Hunt Event. Right now, others were honing their skills in the school while they got the chance to come outside.
"Of course! Didn't you notice we have been changing the direction for a while now?" Sergei looked at his friend, "it's not because we are on a walk. Somehow Professor is sensing where the others are and he has been avoiding the beasts till now."
"Um…didn't we come here to fight against the beasts?" Kael scratched his head, "Wasn't that the purpose of outdoor training?"
"Yeah, that is the purpose of it," Aurum answered him. Now that he was disturbed after hearing Luna and Eve's nefarious plans, he was finally paying attention to the students who were literally talking behind his back, "I am still trying to find a beast that won't kill you with one hit."
"Uh," Jax scratched his cheek, "Professor…can you not put it like that?"
"Hm? Good timing. I finally found one," Aurum took a right, having them follow him. Since there were these gigantic trees in the woods, each with a wide canopy and thick trunk. These trees were strong enough that not even Bronze Totem Warriors were able to break them down. It provided a natural barrier against the Beasts that came from the Valley.
They only had to walk past two or three trees when the beast hidden behind one of the tree trucks came into their sight. It was a majestic creature; unlike any they had encountered. It possessed a sleek and muscular physique that exuded raw power and speed.
Sharp, gleaming fangs protruded from its formidable jaw, revealing its predatory nature. Its piercing amber eyes held a mix of intelligence and ferocity, radiating a sense of unwavering focus and power.
The moment their eyes lay on the ebony creature, their ears were filled with whispered that made their skins crawl, making their head shake, their knees buckled one after the other, "Nooooo!! What is that!"
"Those whispers!! Nooo!!" Kael fell on his knees, slamming his head on the ground.
"I can't breathe," Teagan covered her mouth, "what is that—puuuhhhhhh!"
"How is that possible—Professor! We need to run!" Luis held his throat, looking at the creature with panicked eyes, "that's!! That's—"
"A Vaelith Shadow Stalker," Luna appeared in front of them, causing thick roots to come out of the ground and surround them all, "It is just a Bronze Rank Creature but it whispers fear itself into the mind of those who see it! Even Silver or Gold Rank creatures fall to it! No one has seen one in a long time!"
"Yeah, it took a lot of effort to find it," Aurum watched in awe at the roots coming from the ground. They were thick and powerful. He was sure that with his current power, 'Not just that. Her Level. It's not 2000 anymore…does that mean the activation of Totem increasing not just their power but level? Is this what Luis from Wise Owl Tribe was talking about. Like having two people's strength in one.'
He shifted his crystal blue eyes towards Luna, mainly towards her feet and calves which were covered in vine like totem on her legs, reaching her knees, 'that must be a special beast, for it to lack shape.'
"What do you mean you found it! Are you planning to get them killed?! Aurum!" Luna furiously looked at him only to see him look back at her with slight surprise.
"Professor! Last time someone meat a Vaelith! The whole Tribe was nearly wiped out!!" Luis held his throbbing head. Now that there were the roots forming a barrier to protect them, they were finally saved from the deadly whispers that put them to the ground.
"That's not an expression I have seen on your face before," Aurum scratched his head, chuckling, "but you know Luna…it is getting old. You babying me. Now you are making my students doubt me."
'What…what is that…? What kind of Totem would make that possible,' Luna wasn't the only one shocked seeing the change in front of her. Luis couldn't even comprehend what it was.
'I remember…I think Teagan said something about it…that day…'
Then,
"Hey, that's Head Professor Aurum, the White Demon, isn't he? I can't believe I am in his class!"
"Would you stop gushing, power without knowledge is worthless," Luis leaned forward on the table, looking at his childhood friend happily gushing at the man sitting at the back of the class, seemingly asleep.
"Shut up. You are just jealous of him. It is said that White Demon has travelled far and wide. His knowledge is exactly why you agreed to come here," Teagan scoffed, pissing Luis off. He wanted to shout back at her when their Head Professor woke up and started walking to the front.
"Tsk, shut up. As if I am jealous of a pretty boy," Luis looked away from them, resting his cheek on the palm of his hand, "Hm. Doesn't something about him feel different?"
"Yeah? I was thinking the same thing," Teagan blinked, "He feels lighter…less suffocating…and those eyes."
"What about them?" Luis glanced towards Teagan, 'as a child I used to run around where the most interesting, the newest thing was. Most other children weren't even able to keep up with me, but Teagan was different. She has this wild, unreal intuition. Just a whiff of it and she is able to understand the deepest secrets of anyone or anything. Last time she said…'
"Just a few minutes ago…he was filled with sheer, overwhelming power. Now it feels like he is empty. No…not empty," Teagan looked at the eyes of her Head Professor, "those eyes. They were always snowing. Now…they are like the warm blue sky on the snowy day. Just looking at them…"
Teagan widened her eyes, feeling a tear slide down her cheek, which she hurriedly wiped, "it is filling me with so many emotions."
Present,
'A warm sky…that's how she described his eyes…but…but…what is this…' Luis widened his eyes, seeing the black dot between his Head Professor's eyes rotate. It was as if it was sucking up all the blue sky inside it, leaving behind the dark void of a starless sky. The moment the last of blue disappeared, the dot burst out, causing these lights as numerous as stars in the sky appeared in his both pupils.
The void and stars leaked out of his eyes like wind, spread through the space behind him, which turned and twisted, enveloping his body. As the void and stars enveloped his body, the very fabric of reality was being reshaped in front of their very eyes.
Within the vortex of darkness and stardust from the depths of the cosmic energy formed the intricate strands of ethereal light. They began to weave and intertwine around his body. They formed a delicate lattice of luminescent threads that wove together to create a garment befitting his transcendent presence.
The flowing and regal attire adorned him in a manner that surpassed moral imagination, the fabric shimmered with an otherworldly glow, shifting hues of nebulous clouds of distant galaxies.
His robe cascaded in pristine white, resembling a celestial cascade of stardust. His snow-white hair took on an even more radiant quality, each strand glistening with a silvery luminesce akin to moonlight, reflecting off a fresh layer of snow. He glanced towards Luna and the beast from the corner of his eyes. His body phased through the roots, looking at Luna, "Weak I might be. I am still…Aurum."