A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 9

The reason Soul World has such a solid fanbase is not only because of its captivating world-building but also due to the high praise its system receives.

Not the notoriously frustrating combat system, but the growth system. At first glance, it might sound ordinary.

What stands out is that growth applies not only to the player but also to NPCs and even monsters.

For instance, if you fail to hunt a monster and it escapes, that monster could later evolve into a stronger one.

How do you know this? The system informs you, or you can identify it through scars engraved on the monster.

Like becoming one-eyed or having a large wound etched across its chest, and so on. This is one of the reasons enthusiasts call it a God Game.

‘But what the hell did that bastard do?’

I stared at Porori, now cloaked in Blue Lightning and as large as a big dog.

Porori, whose original size was smaller and who didn’t even have lightning. Yet, in the time I hadn’t seen him, he had achieved tremendous growth.

This phenomenon wasn’t even something I had seen in the game. Many people had chosen to let Porori go instead of hunting him.

Even in those cases, he would only grow but never transform like this. Could it be because I adapted to the wilderness?

Up until now, Porori and I had fought countless times, and we frequently invaded each other’s territories out of boredom.

As a result, both of us were able to grow. However, the gap widened significantly after I awakened my Red Mana.

‘What is this, Pikachu?’

Should I start calling him Pikachu instead of Porori now? This is absurd.

But there’s no time for useless thoughts. Just the fact that he controls lightning makes him dangerous.

‘To directly control lightning… it would have to be Divine Power.’

The god presumed to have brought me here. Among them, there exists a god who aids in controlling lightning.

If Porori truly received power from that god, he can no longer be called a “Monster.”

In the Soul World lore, he might have evolved into an extremely rare existence, a “Spirit Beast.”

Crackle!

As Porori took a step forward, blue sparks flew. His intent was clear.

It seemed today would be a grudge match. In our last battle, I had claimed victory and left my mark.

When I took a step forward in response, Luna, who had been watching from behind, spoke in a flustered tone.

“W-We should back off. It’s dangerous here.”

“But Sivar…”

“If you don’t want to get struck by lightning, move quickly!”

“Ah, got it! Don’t die, Sivar!”

With Ellie’s not-so-encouraging cheer, they distanced themselves from me. Thanks to that, I could fight without worry.

Porori, too, seemed to dislike interruptions in the fight, as he began approaching faster the moment they left. I matched his speed.

At first, it started with walking, but it gradually turned into running. Soon, Porori charged powerfully on all fours.

I, too, moved my legs vigorously and gripped my axe tightly. Perhaps because of the lightning, the closer I got to him, the more my body hair stood on end.

“Kyaang!”

Finally, the dog-sized Porori leaped high and swung his tail. Even his tail was flickering with blue lightning.

Tail Whip, one of his signature moves after Iron Mountain Strike. I remember getting hit by that once and having all my ribs shattered.

I swung my firmly gripped axe with all my might. The axe faintly shimmered with red mana.

Clang!

The sound didn’t seem like a collision between a tail and a stone axe. It was clear and resonant, like metal striking metal.

Kaboom!!

Regardless, the massive clash of power created a tremendous shockwave.

It was so strong that both Porori and I were flung far away. The time I spent suspended in midair felt incredibly long.

Crash!

My body collided with a hard, rock-like surface. Having been flung quite forcefully, debris rained down on me.

Ignoring the sharp pain, I hurriedly got up. It seemed I had been thrown deep into the cave, hitting the wall.

The murals I had carved out of boredom were completely destroyed. As a bonus, the cave now had an additional entrance.

“Phew.”

While brushing off the debris from my head, I located Porori’s position. Since he was flung far away like me, it would take him some time to recover.

In the meantime, I needed to prepare myself. First, the axe I had been holding in my left hand.

Perhaps because it clashed with a lightning-clad tail, only the handle remained. Considering the material, it couldn’t be helped.

To prepare for moments like this, I had made spares. I grabbed a stone axe and a stone spear neatly placed against the cave wall.

‘He’s coming.’

My instincts told me so. Porori had regained his composure and was heading my way.

I started walking slowly, then quickly picked up my pace. I spread mana throughout my body, sharpening my senses.

When I finally emerged from the cave, I saw a blue light flickering in the distance.

Flash!

With one flash, the light grew brighter.

Flash!

With another flash, the distance between us shortened.

Like real lightning, the gap closed rapidly with each burst of light. That must be another newly acquired ability.

Porori had grown stronger. Unbelievably so compared to before. It seemed he had been grinding his teeth and training hard.

‘Truly impressive.’

Still, I remember it vividly. The day I fell into this forest, that guy pooped on my face.

Until now, our fights had always ended in a draw, but recently, I finally managed to get my revenge. That must be why he’s so determined now.

In the past, my mindset was “I’d rather die than lose.” But after meeting them earlier, my perspective changed.

‘I absolutely can’t die.’

Now that I’ve found hope, how could I give up? I tightened my grip on the spear in my left hand and stepped forward with my right foot.

Then, pulling back my left arm to prepare my stance, I hurled the stone spear just as Porori reached close range.

One of the techniques I developed while living in this forest, “Throwing.” As the name suggests, it’s the act of throwing objects.

It’s an extremely basic technique, but if you train it to the extreme, it becomes a different story.

Would you believe me if I said a simple pebble could have the power of a bullet just by throwing it?

I possess the strength and skill to make that possible.

Whoosh!

With the sound of air bursting, the stone spear left my hand and flew toward Porori. It moved so fast that “like a shot arrow” would be an apt description.

Of course, Porori seemed to anticipate this attack and dodged it effortlessly with a flash. I had expected that too.

The limitations of a stone spear are clear. When fighting him, it’s better to think of it as a disposable item.

After all, it can’t even properly contain Red Mana, so fighting barehanded is much more effective.

Kaboom!

The missed spear struck the ground and caused a massive explosion upon impact. The surrounding terrain features were utterly destroyed and scattered in all directions.

Because I infused it with my mana, even a slight shock triggered the explosion. For some reason, Red Mana behaves like gunpowder.

There have been countless times when I almost injured myself, so I always have to be cautious. Luckily, I can control it easily now.

Anyway, back to the point—

Crackle!

Using the speed of lightning, Porori closed the distance in an instant. His entire body was enveloped in blue lightning.

It felt like something I’d seen somewhere before, but it didn’t matter. What mattered now was beating that guy.

Honestly, I don’t think I’ll lose. Until recently, I had been freely wandering in and out of his territory.

Still, I shouldn’t let my guard down. After being bitten by a viper with its head cut off, I learned never to be complacent.

Buzz—

Once again, red energy surged through my axe. I had infused it with as much mana as it could handle, and it felt like it might explode at any moment.

Meanwhile, Porori spun around and leaped high into the air, swinging his tail down with great force.

Using centrifugal force, his Tail Whip became even stronger. I poured more mana into my stone axe and swung it upward with all my strength.

Clang!

Once again, a clear and pure sound echoed.

Kaboom!!

With a massive explosion, my vision was engulfed in bright light.

******

The warning roars of beasts or monsters, the chirping of insects, the chorus of birds, and so on.

These are the sounds you’d hear in the forest, far from being noisy. Even roars don’t echo throughout the forest unless it’s nighttime.

Bang! Crack! Clang! Boom!

But now, the forest was filled with all sorts of noises. The sound of lightning tearing through the air, explosions like bombs going off, the sound of something breaking, and so on.

The once tranquil atmosphere was now filled with tension-inducing noise, leaving the forest’s creatures on edge, fearing the sounds might draw closer.

The birds that had been perched on branches, singing in harmony, flew far away, and both predators and prey alike distanced themselves from the source.

Luna and Ellie were no exception. They waited in a relatively close spot.

-Haaaahhhhh!

-Kyaaaahhhng!

“··· ···”

The roars of a human and a beast echoed throughout the forest. Luna’s expression hardened as she heard the sound.

A roar so terrifying it made one instinctively step back. It was hard to believe it came from a human and a squirrel.

‘That squirrel definitely used lightning······’

Luna recalled the lightning the squirrel had wielded. Only those who carried Divine Power within them could command lightning.

For a beast to wield Divine Power was practically impossible. Beasts were creatures driven more by instinct than reason.

To obtain Divine Power, one needed patience—endurance through asceticism and self-denial. Such trials were not something a beast, governed by instinct, could endure.

However, that squirrel was different. It wielded the lightning, a testament to Divine Power, with ease. And now, it was locked in a fierce battle with Sivar.

‘Is it truly a Spirit Beast?’

A Spirit Beast, said to appear only in legends. If it truly was one, even the Academy couldn’t overlook it.

Spirit Beasts were rare simply by existing, and their strength was beyond imagination. While they rarely posed a threat to humans, the occasional exceptions were problematic.

Those rare exceptions often caused significant damage. Spirit Beasts didn’t always confine themselves to nature.

In the distant past, Spirit Beasts were objects of worship, but now they were seen as mere Monsters—just Monsters capable of communication.

Thus, upon returning to the Academy, it would be reported immediately. That would undoubtedly cause chaos for a while.

“Are we really okay staying here?”

“······We have to see the result.”

Even so, the reason they stayed nearby was singular: they wanted to see the result.

Regardless of who won, they would leave the forest, but whether or not they reported it depended on the outcome.

If Sivar won, they would still report it, but it wouldn’t turn the Academy upside down.

“Are you sure this is okay? Shouldn’t we help?”

“If you want to get struck by lightning and die, go ahead.”

“Luna, you’re the top student. Can’t you do something?”

“I’m not from the Hwan Empire, so there’s nothing I can do.”

The Hwan Empire, a nation in the east and part of the Federation, was known for its mysterious abilities.

One of those abilities was deflecting falling lightning as it was. A technique that redirected the Force of Nature.

Luna had only heard of it and had never seen it herself. While the Academy had many students from the eastern nation, they were all fairly average.

“But what if Sivar dies like this? He’s the one who saved us.”

“He won’t die so easily.”

“Can you be sure? Maybe we should······”

As Luna listened to Ellie’s impassioned words, she sensed something strange. Ellie’s lips were moving, but no sound came out.

It was as if she were silently mouthing words. At first, Luna thought Ellie was playing a prank.

Flash!

That was until a pillar of light, a mix of blue and red, shot up from the center of the forest. They turned their heads toward the source of the light.

It was a pillar of light so bright it seemed blinding just to look at. Seeing the lightning flicker within it, it wasn’t hard to guess who was responsible.

Kwooooom!

The pillar of light began to expand gradually. Its area widened, swallowing everything around it.

At the same time, an ear-splitting explosion struck their ears. That was why Ellie’s words hadn’t reached Luna.

Whiiiiiish!

“Kyaaaah!”

“Ugh!”

The massive explosion’s impact didn’t discriminate by distance. A tremendous gust swept past them violently.

The gust was so strong that they nearly got blown away. Ellie, in fact, lost her balance and tumbled to the ground.

As the storm gradually subsided, Luna, who had been shielding herself with her arms, slowly opened her eyes.

“······Oh my god.”

And as soon as she opened her eyes, she gasped at the sight before her. Even calling it devastation didn’t do it justice.

Everything around the pillar of light had been completely annihilated. Not only the towering trees but even the small thickets were entirely gone.

How powerful must it have been to cause such destruction? If they had been even slightly closer, they might have been caught in the explosion.

They had thought they were far enough from the blast radius, but they had miscalculated.

“Ugh······ Huh? What, what is this? Where did the forest go?”

“··· ···”

“Sivar. What about Sivar? Is he okay?”

“We need to check.”

Finally regaining her composure, Luna began to move. Ellie followed closely behind, her face filled with anxiety.

With an explosion of that magnitude, neither Sivar nor the squirrel could have survived. They might not even find their bodies.

They soon arrived at the source of the explosion. The blast had created an enormous crater.

Near the crater were fragments that appeared to be from Sivar’s cave. Naturally, the mysterious murals were gone as well.

“L-Luna! Look! Over there!”

“······I see it.”

It didn’t take long to spot Sivar and the squirrel lying unconscious at the center of the crater.

Whether they were unconscious or dead was unclear, but their forms remained intact despite the explosion. Both seemed to have incredibly durable bodies.

The two cautiously descended into the crater and approached them. They started with Sivar.

“Sivar! Are you okay······!”

Ellie stopped mid-sentence and gasped. Luna, who had followed behind her, also stiffened at the sight of Sivar’s condition.

It was severe. Beyond severe, they even doubted whether he was still alive.

His entire body was charred black, as if struck directly by lightning, and it was hard to find an unscathed part of him.

His limbs were twisted, and some parts were crushed inward. Anyone would think he was a corpse.

Strangely, the rag covering his lower body was intact. But there was no time to dwell on such details.

“P-Potion. Let’s give him a potion quickly.”

“······Ellie.”

“If he drinks the potion, he’ll be fine. So······”

Ellie, panicked by Sivar’s condition, hurriedly pulled a Healing Potion from her bag. It was something she had brought for emergencies.

However, seeing Sivar’s state, it was clear that a potion wouldn’t help. Ellie knew this too.

She was grasping at straws. She didn’t want to let go of the person who had saved her.

“Don’t. It’s already too late.”

Luna felt the same regret. She had especially wanted to ask about the murals, but now it would remain a mystery forever.

Despite Luna’s words, Ellie ignored her and poured the Healing Potion over Sivar’s body.

She wanted to feed it to him, but his flesh was too damaged to allow it. Still, she was determined to do her best.

‘What about the squirrel······’

While Ellie desperately tried, Luna turned her gaze toward the squirrel. It had been less affected by the lightning and wasn’t as charred as Sivar.

Instead, it had far more visible injuries than Sivar. Including its tail, all its limbs were twisted in grotesque directions.

Most striking, however, was its chest. There were five deep claw marks, as if inflicted by a beast.

‘How could a mere squirrel······’

Even seeing it with her own eyes, she couldn’t believe it. As expected, a Spirit Beast was truly extraordinary.

Just as Luna was about to step closer for a better look, it happened.

Crack! Crackle! Crack!

A strange sound began emanating from Sivar, who had been lying as if dead. Luna froze in her tracks.

When she turned her gaze back to Sivar, she witnessed an astonishing sight.

“W-What?”

“What in the world······”

He was reverting. Even the word “recovery” felt insufficient to describe how Sivar was returning to his original state.

Like molting, the charred skin peeled away to reveal white skin underneath, and his shattered limbs realigned themselves.

His lightning-scorched hair and beard didn’t return to their previous state. Instead, they grew out sharply, with clear edges.

Crack! Crackle!

With the sound of bones realigning, it didn’t take long for him to return to his former appearance.

The speed and regenerative power were beyond what one could attribute to a human. Could Ellie’s potion have had an effect?

“Mmm······”

While the two stood there with dumbfounded expressions, Sivar, who had recovered his body, let out a low groan.

Then, blinking his eyes that were hidden beneath his bangs, he slightly turned his head. The direction he turned to was where Ellie stood.

“S-Sivar! Are you conscious? H-How many fingers do you see?”

Ellie waved two fingers in front of him.

In her urgency, she seemed to have completely forgotten that Sivar still couldn’t speak properly.

“Damn······”

As expected, Sivar only managed to utter the word “Damn.” It was a simple response, but its meaning was different.

‘Move your hand away, I feel dizzy.’

That’s what he meant.

[You have dramatically survived a brush with death! Stamina increases!]

Well, how thoughtful.