CHAPTER 133: COLD

"Hahahahahaha~!" A young man’s wild laughter echoed through the forest as he slashed clean through the head of a mana beast in one fluid motion. The severed head sailed through the air as he delivered a powerful kick to the creature’s body, sending it crashing against a nearby tree trunk with bone-shattering force.

But before he could fully savor his victory, something lunged from the shadows with predatory intent. His reflexes kicked in with inhuman speed—he twisted mid-air after launching himself skyward in a graceful leap, his glowing sword carving a luminous arc through as it sliced the attacking creature cleanly in half. The wolf-like beast collapsed in two pieces, its single crimson eye still glowing malevolently even in death, its three tails twitching in final spasms.

"Is that all you’ve got... come on, give me something interesting!" he roared in pure exhilaration, his blood singing with the intoxicating thrill of battle. In a blur of motion, he dashed toward another creature that had been skulking behind a trunk, sword raised for a killing blow.

"Derrick!" A girl’s voice rang out with urgent alarm, and in the next instant, an invisible force yanked him backward just as the hidden creature’s eye snapped open, revealing something that ’Nearly’ terrified him. ’Nearly’ being the operative word—instead, Derrick grinned with manic delight, stomped the ground with enough force to crack the earth beneath his feet, and let his mana flare outward in golden waves.

"Thanks for the assist, Claire," he called out with that same reckless grin, swinging his sword in a wide arc. But the golden-eyed wolf’s body erupted in crackling lightning, its massive claws extending to meet his blade in a shower of sparks.

"Don’t you dare die on me, damn it!" he heard Claire’s frustrated voice carry over the sounds of battle, and he couldn’t help but chuckle internally. He’d never admit it aloud, but he genuinely treasured those moments when Claire worried about him.

BOOOOOOM!

The blade of his incandescent sword collided with the wolf’s razor-sharp fangs in an explosion of light and sound that shook the very foundations of the forest. Both combatants were blown backward by the tremendous force, but even as he flew through the air, Derrick regained his bearings with practiced ease. He slammed his feet against the ground and shot forward like a golden comet, leaving a brilliant trail of light in his wake.

"First Form!" he roared, his voice carrying the weight of absolute conviction. "UNTRACED!"

In less than a blink, he materialized behind the tree where the wolf had been thrown, his sword already completing its deadly arc.

Whoosh!

A heartbeat later, the wind caught up with his impossible speed, and the massive oak began to sway ominously. Then—

GRRRRR!

BOOOOOOOOOM!

The ancient tree collapsed in a thunderous crash, and beneath the destroyed trunk, the wolf’s decapitated body could barely be glimpsed among the splintered wood and scattered leaves.

"YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT!" Before he could celebrate, something slammed into his gut with the force of a battering ram, dropping him to his knees as he coughed and... laughed even harder.

"YOU’RE STILL LAUGHING?!" Claire’s voice pitched higher with indignation, and he looked up, trying desperately to control his expression when he saw just how genuinely furious she was this time.

His eyes met cascading platinum hair that flowed down to her slender waist, left free to sway with the breeze. Her eyes were the purest shade of emerald green he’d ever seen—like precious gems that held depths of genuine worry and fury. Her figure, though perhaps slightly lacking in certain frontal attributes, more than compensated with the graceful curves that followed her slender waist.

"Come on... I was just working out," he said with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head. "I can’t afford to get rusty now that we’re headed for the academy."

She sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead in exasperation before extending her hand toward him. "Stop making me worry over nothing, you reckless fool... You could have been seriously injured—or worse—if I hadn’t pulled you back there."

He grasped her offered hand and pulled himself to his feet, then scratched the back of his head with that same boyishly innocent smile that always seemed to disarm her. "Come on, I wasn’t even worried about that. Do you know why?" he asked, his expression radiating such pure, disarming charm.

She was completely caught off guard by how his appeal seemed to multiply exponentially with just that simple smile, and she found herself stuttering slightly. "W-why?" she managed to ask.

"Because you’re here!" he declared with such genuine warmth that it made her heart skip several beats. Before she could react, he pulled her into a tight, protective embrace that made her feel safe. "You’ll always have my back, right?" he asked softly, his voice carrying a vulnerability that he rarely showed.

She felt her cheeks burn with an intense blush. "... Shut up!" she stammered, regaining her composure as her hand shot out in retaliation, but he had already predicted this reaction and jumped back just in time to avoid her attack, laughing with that carefree, lighthearted sound that always made her heart flutter despite her best efforts.

He moved away to examine the fallen mana beast, searching for a core—after all, a decent core could fetch a substantial amount of money, and they’d need every coin they could get for the academy.

"Hmph!" She snorted indignantly, folding her arms and turning away from him with an exaggerated pout. But as she looked away, a voice spoke directly into her mind, and in that instant, her smile vanished completely. Her eyes transformed from their natural emerald green to a brilliant, otherworldly violet, and her flushed expression was replaced by one of chilling coldness.

’Don’t get too attached to him, my child... you might at some point have to kill him, if he turns out to be the ’one,’’ the voice whispered with divine authority, and she closed her eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath before responding.

’I... know that,’ she replied, though her mental voice carried clear hesitation that she couldn’t quite suppress.

’I hope you truly do... I don’t want to have to force you if that time comes,’ the voice continued, and she lifted her gaze to the sky above.

’All those years ago... you yourself told me to get close to him, to earn his trust. Now you turn around and say the complete opposite?’ she challenged, and the voice fell silent for a long, contemplative moment.

’The situation has changed, my dear child... The first cataclysm couldn’t be avoided despite all our preparations, and now, to prevent the END itself, the ’one’ must be eliminated when found. I just want you to prepare your mind and heart for what may come. I don’t want you to suffer unnecessarily when the time comes to kill him—if you’ve already developed deep emotional attachments, I strongly advise you to sever them now,’ the voice said. Though it sounded tender and caring, the words themselves were anything but gentle.

’... What exactly is this ’one’? What was that cataclysm you mentioned? Why do you continue to keep me in the dark about everything? Am I nothing more than a tool to you?’ she asked, her mental voice thick with frustration and hurt.

’You are still too weak, my dearest daughter. Just know this—the ’one’ is the enemy of all gods, including you, my beloved child. After all, you are a god,’ the voice replied with what sounded like genuine affection, and she sighed deeply.

"Hey, Claire!" Derrick’s voice snapped her back to reality, and her eyes immediately reverted to their natural emerald hue as she turned toward him.

"Yeah?" she responded, fighting to keep her voice steady and normal.

"I can sense something happening up ahead. Let’s check it out," he said with that same carefree attitude that both endeared and frustrated her in equal measure. She looked at his relaxed posture, took another deep breath to center herself, then sighed softly before wearing a charming smile that caught him completely off guard.

"Sure,"