"A Jiao-type Magical Creature has been spotted on the outskirts of Hunting Zone A. It resembles a Hungarian Tree Wasp; its strength is high, nearing the limit of a High-Tier Registered Wizard. It is continuously approaching the Winter Hunt zone... Hilda Patrol Team has begun attempting to drive it away!"
"A Jiao-type Magical Creature has been spotted on the outskirts of Hunting Zone D. It is suspected to be a Tanggula Ice Chi variant, approaching Archwizard rank, and is steadily closing in on the warning line... Thomas Patrol Team has begun attempting contact and persuasion!"
"A Jiao-type Magical Creature has been spotted on the outskirts of Hunting Zone E... Hoshino Gen Patrol Team has begun sniping!"
"On the outskirts of Hunting Zone B..."
"Hunting Zone C..."
Less than three hours before the Winter Hunt ended, a flurry of urgent, piercing alarms rang out in the Winter Hunt observation room outside the hunting grounds. Accompanied by glaring red lights, one piece of terrible news after another came flooding in—at least twenty wild dragons with Magic Power fluctuations nearing Archwizard level had emerged from deep within the Silent Forest and were advancing toward a series of hunting zones on the outermost perimeter of the Winter Hunt.
"Did some Archwizard raid a dragon nest?"
A male wizard from Starry Sky Academy looked at the red-lit screens, his eyes sparkling as he spoke with a hint of envy. "How much would so many wild dragons be worth?"
"No other hunting activities without permission are allowed during the Winter Hunt," someone immediately replied. "That includes both individuals and hunting teams. None have filed reports. That has always been the rule!"
To prevent expeditions like these from disturbing certain monsters Deep within the Silent Forest, the school generally did not approve any private individuals or hunting