The road leading away from the academy stretched far beyond the kingdom's outer districts, winding through rolling hills and vast forests that seemed to continue endlessly toward the horizon.
Tall pine trees lined both sides of the dirt path. Their branches swayed gently beneath the afternoon breeze, creating a soothing rustling sound that echoed through the forest. Shafts of sunlight slipped through gaps in the leaves overhead, painting shifting patterns of gold across the ground.
Ryusei walked alone along the quiet road.
His academy cloak fluttered lightly behind him with each step, and tucked safely beneath it was the green quest scroll he had received from the Chima Center.
Every now and then, the scroll brushed against his chest, reminding him why he was here.
A smile slowly formed on his face.
"This is my first real quest..."
The words escaped almost unconsciously.
For years, he had watched countless students leave the academy to complete missions and gain experience while he remained behind.
The F-Rank failure.
The boy who couldn't use magic.
The student nobody expected anything from.
Yet now things were different.
For the first time in his life, he had been entrusted with an actual mission.
He couldn't help feeling excited.
Curious.
Proud.
As he walked, he pulled the green scroll from beneath his cloak and opened it once again.
The contents were simple.
Quest Request – Yohei Village
Several Elementalists have disappeared in the area surrounding the village.
Investigate the situation and report your findings to the Chima Center.
Ryusei frowned slightly.
"Elementalists disappearing..."
That definitely wasn't normal.
Most villages occasionally requested assistance with monsters, dangerous beasts, or natural disasters.
Disappearing Elementalists were another matter entirely.
Still, he quickly shook his head.
"If it's just an investigation, it should be fine."
According to the map attached to the request, Yohei Village was only half a day's journey from the academy.
If he maintained his current pace, he would arrive before nightfall.
Rolling the scroll back up, he tucked it safely inside his cloak once more.
"Guess I'll find out what's going on when I get there."
With renewed determination, Ryusei continued down the road.
Completely unaware of the danger waiting ahead.
Meanwhile, outside the Chima Center, the atmosphere had become increasingly tense.
Shizen Ryugu stood near the entrance, his eyes fixed on the distant road leading away from the academy.
His expression was unusually serious.
Beside him, Kayosha paced nervously back and forth.
Her anxiety was becoming impossible to hide.
"So Ryusei really took that quest...?"
Her voice was quiet.
Yuki folded her arms while leaning against the stone wall nearby.
"If Yukino gave him the green scroll," she replied calmly, "then yes."
Shadow stretched lazily nearby.
Unlike the others, he didn't seem particularly worried.
"I still don't understand why everyone is panicking."
He glanced toward Shizen.
"It's an investigation mission, right?"
For several moments, Shizen didn't answer.
His gaze remained locked on the road.
Finally, he spoke.
"No."
The single word immediately drew everyone's attention.
"This isn't an ordinary investigation."
Kayosha stopped pacing.
"You said earlier that Elementalists were disappearing."
Shizen nodded.
"A few days ago, Yohei Village sent a request for assistance."
"Initially, I assumed it was another monster-related incident."
His eyes shifted briefly toward Yuki.
"Especially after what happened with the Sea Witch."
Yuki groaned loudly.
"Please don't remind me."
The memory still haunted her.
Shadow immediately laughed.
"Worth it."
Yuki shot him a deadly glare.
Shizen ignored them and continued.
"But after investigating the reports myself, I noticed several inconsistencies."
Shadow's expression slowly grew more serious.
"What kind of inconsistencies?"
Shizen reached inside his coat and removed a folded report.
"The missing Elementalists..."
He slowly unfolded the document.
"...weren't killed."
The group fell silent.
Kayosha felt a knot form in her stomach.
"What do you mean?"
Shizen's expression darkened.
"They were taken."
Shadow frowned.
"Taken by what?"
Shizen folded the report.
"During my investigation, I discovered traces of forbidden magic."
The atmosphere instantly became heavier.
No one spoke.
No one needed to.
Everyone understood the implication.
Finally, Shizen uttered the word.
"Necromancy."
Kayosha immediately felt a chill run through her body.
"A Necromancer...?"
Even Yuki's relaxed expression vanished.
Necromancers were among the most feared criminals in the Elementalist world.
They practiced forbidden arts that manipulated death itself.
They raised armies of the dead.
Corrupted souls.
Desecrated graves.
And often viewed living people as nothing more than materials for their experiments.
Shadow rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"So you're saying Ryusei just walked into a Necromancer's territory."
Shizen clenched his fists.
"Exactly."
Kayosha immediately turned toward the road.
"Then we have to catch him!"
Yuki pushed herself away from the wall.
"I agree."
Shadow cracked his knuckles.
"Well."
A grin appeared on his face.
"This just became interesting."
Shizen nodded.
"He left about twenty minutes ago."
"If we move now, we should be able to catch him before he reaches Yohei Village."
Without another word, the four of them rushed down the road.
Several hours later, they arrived at Stonewind Bridge.
The sun was beginning its descent toward the horizon, bathing the canyon in orange light.
Stonewind Bridge was the only route connecting the academy's territory to the lands surrounding Yohei Village.
But the moment they arrived—
Shizen stopped.
His eyes widened.
The bridge was gone.
Or more accurately...
Half of it was gone.
Massive sections of stone had collapsed into the canyon below.
Broken pillars protruded from the cliffside like shattered bones.
The remainder of the bridge lay hundreds of feet beneath them, swallowed by the raging river.
Kayosha gasped.
"What happened here?!"
Shadow walked toward the edge and examined the damage.
A low whistle escaped his lips.
"That wasn't caused by nature."
The stone hadn't merely cracked.
It had been obliterated.
As though some enormous force had smashed directly through it.
Yuki knelt beside one of the fragments.
Her fingers brushed against the damaged stone.
Frost briefly spread across its surface.
Several seconds later, she stood.
"This wasn't weather damage."
Shizen stared into the canyon below.
The river roared violently between jagged rocks.
Crossing without the bridge would be nearly impossible.
Kayosha's face turned pale.
"Does this mean..."
Shizen nodded slowly.
"Ryusei crossed before the bridge collapsed."
Shadow folded his arms.
"So we're trapped."
Shizen scanned the surrounding landscape.
"There may be another route."
"How long?" Kayosha asked immediately.
His answer came without hesitation.
"One full day."
The color drained from her face.
"A day...?"
Yuki looked toward the distant horizon.
"If Ryusei reaches Yohei Village before us..."
Shadow finished the sentence.
"He'll be facing a Necromancer alone."
The group fell silent.
Only the wind howling through the canyon broke the stillness.
Finally, Shizen turned away.
"We don't have a choice."
"We'll take the Northern Pass."
Shadow sighed dramatically.
"That's going to be a very long trip."
Shizen nodded.
"But it's the only option."
Kayosha stared toward the distant road.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Please be safe, Ryusei...
Because by the time they reached Yohei Village...
They would already be one day too late.
As evening approached, Ryusei finally arrived at Yohei Village.
The setting sun painted the sky orange and crimson as he passed through the village gates.
Yet the moment he stepped inside, something felt wrong.
The village was far too quiet.
Most settlements were lively during the evening.
People should have been preparing dinner, talking with neighbors, or gathering near taverns after a long day's work.
Instead...
The streets were nearly empty.
The few villagers who remained outside moved quickly and avoided eye contact.
Fear lingered in the air like an invisible fog.
Ryusei walked deeper into the village.
"Excuse me."
His voice echoed softly through the street.
"I'm an Elementalist from the academy."
An elderly man nearby suddenly froze.
His eyes widened.
"An Elementalist?"
Within moments, several villagers emerged from nearby homes and surrounded Ryusei.
A woman grabbed his sleeve desperately.
"Please."
Her voice trembled.
"You have to help us."
Ryusei blinked.
"What happened here?"
The villagers exchanged nervous glances.
Finally, the elderly man spoke.
"It started shortly after the Sea Witch was defeated."
He pointed toward a distant lake visible beyond the village.
"After the lake froze..."
His voice lowered.
"...strange things began happening."
Another villager stepped forward.
"People started hearing whispers at night."
A younger man nodded.
"And then Elementalists began disappearing."
Ryusei frowned.
"Did anyone see what took them?"
The villagers slowly shook their heads.
"No."
The elderly man's hands trembled.
"But sometimes..."
He swallowed nervously.
"...we see shadows moving across the frozen lake."
Ryusei turned toward the distant water.
The lake stretched across the horizon like a massive mirror of ice.
The wind howled across its frozen surface.
For some reason, merely looking at it sent a strange feeling down his spine.
Something about the place felt wrong.
Very wrong.
After a moment, he nodded.
"I'll investigate the lake tonight."
The villagers visibly relaxed.
Hope returned to their faces.
Unfortunately...
None of them noticed what was happening beneath that frozen lake.
Far below the ice.
Hidden deep underground.
A secret cavern stretched beneath the water.
Ancient green runes glowed along the stone walls, bathing the darkness in an eerie light.
Dozens of bodies lay scattered throughout the chamber.
Some wore Elementalist uniforms.
Others had long since decayed.
At the center of the cavern sat a tall figure cloaked in darkness.
Slowly.
The figure opened glowing green eyes.
A low laugh echoed through the cave.
"Hehehe..."
The voice sounded unnatural.
Cold.
Inhuman.
The Necromancer slowly raised a skeletal hand.
His fingers twitched.
"So..."
His grin widened beneath the shadows.
"Another Elementalist has arrived."
Green flames flickered inside his eyes.
Unlike the others, however, something about this newcomer immediately caught his attention.
The aura surrounding Ryusei was different.
Ancient.
Powerful.
Familiar.
The Necromancer's smile grew wider.
"And this one..."
His voice echoed through the cavern.
"...carries a very unusual light."
Above him, completely unaware of the danger lurking beneath the ice, Ryusei stood at the edge of the frozen lake and stared into the darkness beyond.
The wind howled across the frozen surface.
Night slowly descended upon Yohei Village.
And with it...
The hunt was about to begin.