On the open ground outside the mountains, Yero stood beside Scholar Heide and asked about the trial.
"Teacher, this forest seems quite different from an ordinary one." He lowered the spyglass in his hand.
"Yes. It should be the work of some Witch." Scholar Heide's eyes were deep as he recalled events from the past.
"A Witch?" Yero was rather surprised.
"That's right. You should have heard similar rumors. Witches secretly took part in the early days of the Regas Kingdom's founding."
Such rumors did have some basis. They were powerful, but their methods of cultivation and their system were entirely different from those of the Candlekeep School we belonged to." Scholar Heide thought for a moment.
"If my guess is right, the one who created this trial ground should be a powerful Witch with the Nightmare Aspect."
"Their power is enough to seep into a forest and cause it to change in some way."
Deep in the forest, Sylutia gripped the Black Steel Shortsword and fought off several charging black wolves.
Their eyes were bloodred and their fur was black. They lacked the Ti Wolf's defiant ferocity, but possessed another kind of madness, one that made them indifferent to pain and sent a chill through her.
The black blade swept around with her waist, carving a sharp half-circle and slicing one wolf in half. Another crazed wolf fearlessly leaped through the spray of blood and bit down on the girl's sleeve.
By then, the bodies of three black wolves lay at Sylutia's feet, but the remaining four didn't flee. They continued swarming toward her, trying to tear her apart and knock her down.
Seeing this, Sylutia didn't hesitate. Her left hand reached for the lantern at her waist, and an orange-red ring of fire blossomed in the dim