CHAPTER 131: THE WHITE TIGER’S SLAUGHTER

The ground shook.

The army surged forward, an avalanche of destruction crashing through the trees.

The White Tiger King sprinted ahead, a blur of white fur and muscle. Faster than any beast behind him, he tore across the land like a falling star.

The White Tiger reached the outer wall of the city. His glowing blue eyes locked onto two human sentries posted near the gate.

With a flick of his clawed hand—

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Two ice lances materialized in the air and shot forward like silent arrows.

Squelch! Squelch!

Both sentries dropped lifelessly, ice spears buried in their throats. Neither had time to scream.

He moved like a phantom through the gates—a ghost cloaked in snow and death.

No sound was raised. Every guard he encountered died before they could draw breath, let alone sound an alarm.

He was fast. Efficient.

A butcher disguised as a beast, with the precision of a trained assassin.

By the time the first screams pierced the night, the White Tiger had already reached the inner zone of the city.

Screams filled the air—

Children.

Women.

Men.

To him, they were no different than chickens being slaughtered by humans. Their fear, their pleas, their cries—he welcomed them like a song.

Blood splashed across the streets. Smoke and fire chased each other between homes. Panic spread like wildfire—but it was already too late.

In the White Tiger’s paw hung a small, lifeless body, no older than five. The child dangled in the air like a broken doll, blood dripping steadily from the wound at his neck.

The monster’s snow-white mane was now stained crimson, clumped with blood. His jaws dripped fresh gore as he smiled.

A satisfied predator. A king in his conquered jungle.

He brought the child’s throat to his mouth and drank deeply, the sound of screams echoing through the air like an orchestra warming up for its final performance.

He walked calmly through the burning city—it was only a graveyard painted in red.

As the sun rose, its golden rays fell upon the crimson-stained ruins of Romania City.

Light touched the scorched rooftops and blood-soaked streets—

Only to be reflected back, painting the skyline in a mourning red.

The sun grieved for the city.

When it had set, the city stood whole.

When it rose again, only ashes remained.

Romania City vanished from the map of the world—

While the rest of humanity slept soundly in their warm homes.

Back in the academy—

A world still peaceful, still ignorant.

Alex woke up feeling strangely refreshed. He slid down from the bed, sat cross-legged on the cold floor, and once again dove into his mind space.

In the deep sea of elemental essence, he tried—like the night before—again and again to form a single drop, to cause even a ripple.

But nothing.

Again and again, he failed.

Still, he kept going. Until pain wracked his mind and mental exhaustion yanked him out of the void.

His eyes opened.

He collapsed on the ground, panting, sweat pouring from his brow, hair clinging to his face. His head throbbed. Gritting his teeth, he began circulating the wood element, warm energy easing the pain little by little.

After a while, his breath steadied.

He sat up and looked around.

The sun was already high. Late morning.

His companion, Hati, was standing by the door—staring at him with an unmistakably accusing look in his eyes.

Alex gave a tired smile and said,

"Alright, alright... I’m up. Just give me a minute. Need to freshen up first."

They left the dorm room.

But as they stepped into the cafeteria, a heavy tension hung in the air—thick and suffocating.

Students whispered, their voices hushed but piercing.

"Romania City vanished... They say it was destroyed by monsters."

Alex froze mid-step.

His body went cold.

A sharp chill climbed up his spine.

Another voice came, confirming the fear tightening in his chest:

"Yeah. White Phoenix Clan confirmed it. The city fell last night. No survivors... Not even a kid."

The hum of the cafeteria felt distant now.

Disbelief and horror spread through the air like poison.

Another whisper echoed:

"They said it was an S-rank humanoid... It bypassed every line of defense. Went straight to the inner zone."

Alex clenched his fists.

Hands trembling, he forced himself to move.

Step by step, he walked toward the counter—slowly, hesitantly—

The cafeteria was steeped in quiet sorrow.

The aunty chef, understanding the mood, didn’t say a word. She simply brought over a tray filled with warm, light food and placed it gently in front of Alex.

He picked it up with trembling hands and walked to a corner of the cafeteria.

Hati followed silently.

They sat together at a small table, still and quiet, staring into empty space.

Not a single bite was taken.

Alex exhaled slowly, then looked at Hati.

His eyes were glossy, but he forced a small smile and gently patted his companion.

Hati cooed softly in response, curling against his side.

Alex wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and whispered,

"Hati... eat. You’re hungry."

But Hati didn’t touch a thing.

Alex picked up the coffee cup, took a slow sip, and slumped back in his chair. He stared blankly into the distance, the warm drink doing little to ease the cold inside his chest.

After a while, Hati quietly began to nibble at the food—mirroring his partner’s slow, hesitant movements.

A heavy, suffocating silence blanketed the room.

Whispers still floated around, but even the voices of gossip carried grief.

Students mourned—some silently, some with quiet prayers—for the lives lost in Romania City.

No one needed to have known the victims.

The tragedy itself was enough.

A part of humanity had been taken, and everyone felt the wound.

Alex still remembered—vividly—the first time he entered Romania City.

The laughing guards at the gate.

The bustling streets.

The two kids he had saved during a monster storm.

And Aisha—the receptionist at the Hunter Guild.

She had been kind to him. Unusually kind.

Now... all of it was gone.

His vision blurred as silent tears slid down his cheeks.

He looked up at the ceiling of the cafeteria, blinking fast, taking a deep breath to compose himself.

Then he stood up.

Hati followed quietly, without a sound.

They walked through the long, empty corridors until Alex stopped in front of a familiar door—Teacher Emilia Aurelwyn’s office.

But taped across the wood was a sign written in neat, elegant handwriting:

"I’M UNAVAILABLE.

PLEASE CONTACT VICE PRINCIPAL JASPER IF YOU NEED HELP WITH ANYTHING.

– Emilia Aurelwyn"

Alex stared at the message for a few seconds.

Then he sighed—softly, knowingly. He understood. There were more urgent matters now.

He turned around and walked away.

Hati padded behind him as they made their way slowly back toward the dorm room.

In the dimly lit office of the Vice Principal, a man dressed entirely in black stood silently across from the bald-headed Jasper, who sat at his desk wearing a disturbingly pleasant smile.

The man’s voice was low and muffled, heavy with accusation.

"So... it was you who orchestrated the massacre at Romania City?"

Jasper’s smile widened, his tone almost playful.

"No, no. I wasn’t involved." He tilted his head. "I don’t enjoy the slaughter of commoners. But nobles?"

His eyes gleamed. "Their deaths are always welcome. Still... some sacrifices are necessary."

The man in black narrowed his eyes.

"You realize this makes our mission harder, don’t you?"

Jasper waved the concern away lazily.

"On the contrary. It’s the perfect distraction. Thanks to the chaos, several key instructors have already left the academy—Emilia Aurelwyn, Lucius Aurelwyn, Theodore Stormgaze. All gone."

A glint of satisfaction passed through the other man’s eyes. He gave a slight nod, then vanished into thin air like smoke dissipating into the shadows.

Jasper leaned back in his chair, still smiling.

He muttered to himself with a wistful sigh,

"I do like that Dark Element skill... I wish I had it."

His eyes wandered to the ceiling, and his voice dropped to a whisper—soft, tender, almost broken.

"My son... my lovely wife... I’ve sent some of those trash to hell already.

Wait for me.

We’ll be together again... forever."