The relentless upheaval of fate had imbued his eyes with a perpetual, seething hatred, a hatred that had crystallized into an aura of coldness capable of chilling the very soul of anyone who came too near. This chilling presence could penetrate to the marrow, and it was only when the night descended that he could shed the façade of falseness he wore throughout the day.
Kilan sat at the top of the mast, allowing the ferocious sea winds to buffet him without so much as a flinch. Perhaps his heart had long since become more violent, more chilling than the storm itself...
Compared to Green, the orphan from the remote island of Bissel City, Kilan's fate had been far more twisted and harrowing, a fate shared by countless lower-class civilians in the Wizarding World.
Fifteen years ago, on a tranquil night in an ordinary village, an evil black wizard descended upon it, mercilessly slaughtering all who dared oppose him. This wizard's true aim, however, was not mere destruction but to harvest fresh human specimens for his experiments.
No one could fathom the mind of a true black wizard. Their quest for forbidden knowledge had led them astray, abandoning all morality in their ruthless pursuit of greater power. To them, the weak were mere stepping stones on the path to their ascension. Yet, the true purpose of magic was never to devour humanity but to protect it from the predations of powerful beings from other worlds.
In the dark prison, Kilan spent fifteen years of endless darkness. He had witnessed the unrelenting cruelty of the black wizard, his family torn away one by one for cruel experiments, only to be replaced by fresh captives. Kilan watched as death claimed many, some in grotesque and horrific ways.
No one understood why he miraculously survived time and again, on a deathbed with barely a sliver of hope. Even the black wizard himself found it unbelievable, yet Kilan had survived, and each encounter with death had steeled his spirit, transforming his once innocent eyes into cold, unfeeling voids, as if staring into the abyss itself.
It wasn't until a year ago, when the Hunter-Wizards from the Black Sota Wizarding Academy slew the evil black wizard and freed the prisoners, that Kilan truly regained his freedom. Since that moment, he had considered the first Black Sota wizard he encountered to be his new parents.
Meanwhile, thanks to the combined efforts of the Black Sota wizards, they discovered the secret behind Kilan's repeated survival. Amongst their astonished ranks, they realized they had uncovered a once-in-a-millennium prodigy, a being with near-godly potential.
Soon after, intelligence reached Black Sota: two rare talents had emerged on the distant Eastern Coral Island. However, that island belonged to the Lilith Hut Academy, a rival institution.
Driven by ambition, the Black Sota Academy, believing in the principles of competition, survival of the fittest, and natural selection, meticulously planned their next move.
"Hooot…" In the darkness, an owl landed calmly on Kilan's shoulder. Kilan seemed unfazed, his black eyes locking onto the bird.
"At your current speed, you should reach the designated area by around seven tomorrow morning. Just scatter the substance in the cabin," the owl spoke in human language.
Kilan's response was icy, "Understood."
With a flap of its wings, the owl took off into the distance, leaving Kilan seated motionlessly, his gaze fixed on the endless, unyielding darkness.
In recent days, Green's life had revolved around two things: poring over magical texts and savoring fish and mushroom soup. Within the cabin, it was impossible to distinguish day from night, the only source of light being the flickering candles that seemed to burn endlessly.
Rubbing his tired eyes, now reddened with fatigue, Green closed the book titled The Transformation of Snout and the Mapping of Scents—he wasn't sure how long he'd been reading it. Stretching lazily, he muttered, "Been ages since Binson's shown up. Maybe it's time to take a walk."
The long period of inactivity made his joints creak, and after securing his magical stone and tome, he left the cabin.
"Morning already?" he murmured in surprise, thinking it was still deep into the night.
Boom!
Suddenly, an earth-shaking noise reverberated through the ship. Green, who had been heading to the deck, was thrown off balance as the ship tilted violently. His first instinct was that they had struck a reef.
Before he could recover, the cabin was filled with screams and confusion.
"What's happening? Have we struck a reef?"
"Help! Sea monsters!"
Panic erupted as many of the apprentice wizards rushed to the deck to find out what was happening, but at that moment, a towering, two-and-a-half-meter creature appeared at the deck entrance. Its upper body resembled a man, but its lower half was that of a serpent, its greenish scales gleaming. It held a gleaming metal trident, eyes gleaming with hunger as it stared at the wide-eyed apprentices.
A collective gasp filled the room, for it was clear that this was a monster none of the apprentices could hope to fight.
"What's going on? What is that...?"
One apprentice, still groggy, stepped out of a room to investigate, only to face the monstrous creature at the door.
"Hell, is this a dream?"
The apprentice barely managed to curse before the sea monster thrust its long trident through his body, the crude weapon ripping out a portion of his intestines as the ship was instantly flooded with a stench of blood.
"Run! It's a sea demon! A sea demon is killing us!"
Panic swept through the fifth-floor cabin as apprentices scrambled in terror, shoving one another in their flight. The apprentice who had been killed served as a horrifying catalyst for the others, and the fourth-floor apprentices were left in a dazed confusion, eager to learn what had transpired. In the crush of bodies, the cabin descended into utter chaos.
"Green, over here!" Yorkris called to Green, with Yorkliana beside him. Green's heart lifted, and he quickly made his way over.
"Wait for me!" Unexpectedly, Lafi appeared beside him, perhaps seeking safety in numbers. At the same time, two other panicked apprentices dashed into Yorkris's room to hide, pushing the door closed with all their strength.
The group huddled together, hearts racing in fear. Green could hear the horrific screams echoing from the hallway—there were more monsters than just the one. The creatures were mercilessly slaughtering those who hadn't managed to escape. Yorkris barricaded the door with anything they could find—furniture, a bed—anything to block the entrance. The room fell into an eerie silence, broken only by their ragged breathing and pounding hearts.
The death toll among the apprentices remained unknown, but from the screams, it was clear that fewer than twenty survived.
As the noise of combat and the guttural shrieks of the sea monsters filled the air, the room felt a flicker of hope—the sailors were likely coming to their rescue.
For the first time, the group found themselves deeply appreciative of the coarse, uncouth sailors.
However, even as the sailors fought back, the cabin still rang with the screams of those who had fallen. Then, suddenly, a door from the adjacent room burst open, followed by desperate cries of despair. It was clear: the sea monsters had broken through and were slaughtering everyone they could reach.
Inside Yorkris's room, none dared make a sound. The sense of doom was palpable.
"There's hope. As long as Wizard Dira intervenes, we can still kill these sea monsters!" one male apprentice said in a hushed voice.
The others' eyes lit up at the mention of the powerful wizard. They all felt a surge of hope.
Boom!
Once more, the ship shook violently, and the force sent all within Yorkris's room reeling. A sharp crack sounded as the wooden structure splintered, followed by a barrage of wooden shards, like a savage sandstorm.
The group huddled together, instinctively curling into a protective ball. A few moments later, the bright sunlight of the outside world poured into the room.
The apprentices turned in horror, their eyes widening in disbelief as a nightmare unfolded before them.
A massive hole, nearly seven to eight meters wide, had appeared in the ship's hull, right in the center of Yorkris's cabin. From this gaping wound, a gigantic, serpentine creature—its body as thick as two meters—began to crawl in, its size more terrifying than anything they had ever imagined.
"Aah!" A female apprentice screamed in agony, clutching her stomach as a splintered piece of wood had impaled her, blood spilling everywhere. Her face twisted in a final, desperate plea for help, but all around her, the others could only look on helplessly.
Green felt something cold touch his leg and looked down to see it stained with blood. A sharp plank had sliced his leg in the chaos.
Though the wound was minor, it hampered his movement.
"No!" Yorkris cried, his face stricken with grief as he covered Yorkliana's eyes, his expression wild with sorrow. A piece of wood had gouged her face and pierced her eye—though not fatal, the injury was cruel beyond measure for a girl.
"Ah!" Lafi gasped in shock, her left shoulder soaked with blood, the flesh torn apart. But compared to the others, her injury was relatively light.
In a matter of seconds, disaster had struck, leaving only Yorkris and the unknown male apprentice in a somewhat intact state.
Then, seemingly sensing the