The road was quiet as the carriage moved through the dense forest. The sound of wheels rolling over the dirt road and the soft rustling of leaves filled the air.
Suddenly—
"Goblins! Goblins ahead!"
One of the adventurers shouted loudly.
The carriage quickly stopped as dozens of ugly green creatures jumped out from the bushes and trees. Their sharp teeth and cruel eyes glowed in the darkness as they surrounded the road.
The adventurers immediately jumped down from the carriage.
"Protect the carriage!" the leader ordered.
Swords were drawn, shields raised, and the battle began.
The goblins attacked wildly, screeching as they rushed toward the adventurers. The adventurers fought bravely, cutting down goblins one after another.
Inside the carriage, Scarlete calmly watched everything.
Her eyes quietly followed the battle.
Suddenly she noticed something.
Two goblins had quietly moved behind one of the adventurers. The man was busy fighting the goblins in front of him and had no idea that danger was coming from behind.
The goblins lifted their rusty blades, ready to strike.
Scarlete's eyes narrowed slightly.
She slowly raised her hand.
A small sphere of water formed in front of her fingers, spinning rapidly.
"Water Bullet."
The spell shot forward like a bullet.
Bang!
One goblin's head snapped back as the magic pierced through it.
Before the second goblin could react—
Bang!
Another water bullet struck it directly
Both goblins fell to the ground instantly.
The adventurer turned around in confusion, realizing someone had saved him, but he couldn't see who had cast the spell.
The battle continued.
However, something unexpected happened.
More goblins began appearing from the forest.
First ten… then twenty… then more.
Soon nearly a hundred goblins had surrounded the road.
The adventurers' faces turned pale.
They had already been fighting for a long time, and their bodies were getting tired.
One adventurer panted heavily.
"There are too many…"
Scarlete slowly stepped out of the carriage.
The adventurers looked at her in surprise.
"You all should rest," she said calmly.
"I will handle this."
The adventurers stared at her as if they had heard something impossible
.
"But there are too many goblins!" one of them said nervously.
Scarlete didn't argue.
She simply raised her hand toward the sky.
Mana gathered rapidly around her palm. The air began to heat up as a massive sphere of flames slowly formed above her hand.
The adventurers' eyes widened.
"That… that's…""A 5th Circle Fireball?!"
The fireball grew larger and brighter, filling the surrounding area with intense heat.
Scarlete then calmly pointed toward the goblin horde.
The fireball shot forward.
BOOOOOOM!
A massive explosion shook the entire forest.
Flames spread across the battlefield, swallowing the goblins in an instant.
Their screams echoed briefly before disappearing.
When the smoke cleared…
Not a single goblin remained alive.
The forest became completely silent.
The adventurers stood frozen in shock.
"A fifth circle spell… she cast it so easily…"
Scarlete calmly walked toward them as if nothing unusual had happened.
"Is anyone injured?" she asked.
The adventurers quickly shook their heads.
"No! No, we're fine!"
After resting for a short time, the journey continued.
As night fell, the group stopped in a quiet clearing to rest. The adventurers set up tents and started a small campfire.
One by one, everyone fell asleep after the exhausting battle.
But Scarlete couldn't sleep.
She quietly walked away from the camp and wandered deeper into the forest.
The moonlight shone softly through the trees.
Then suddenly—
She heard a faint sound.
A low, painful growl.
Scarlete followed the sound carefully.
Soon she found the source.
A large white tiger lay on the ground.
Its beautiful white fur was stained with blood, and its breathing was weak. Deep wounds covered its body, as if it had fought a terrible battle.
Scarlete looked at it quietly.
"It looks like someone's contracted beast…" she murmured.
The tiger tried to growl, but it was too weak to even stand.
Scarlete slowly approached it.
"Don't worry," she said softly.
She raised her hand, and a warm golden light appeared around her.
"Healing Magic."
The light slowly covered the tiger's wounds.
The injuries began to close little by little.
After healing it, Scarlete gave the tiger some food she had with her. The tiger looked extremely hungry and quickly ate the food.
Once she was sure it was stable, Scarlete quietly returned to the camp.
The next morning, the adventurers gathered around her.
"Kiel, thank you for saving us yesterday," one of them said gratefully.
Scarlete simply nodded.
Soon the group continued their journey.
After traveling for several more hours, the great gates of a massive academy finally appeared in the distance.
Tall towers reached into the sky.
Powerful magical energy could be felt in the air.
Scarlete had finally arrived at her destination.
The Magic Academy.
After entering the academy, she completed her registration and received the key to her single dormitory room.
As she walked toward the dorm building, a strange feeling suddenly filled her mind.
Then—
A mysterious voice echoed inside her head.