Chapter 4 - Part 41 (Book 1 - Fantasy World)

Slowly getting up, Valessandria felt her legs tremble, her body struggling to stand with all the armor she still had on her. She gritted her teeth and vowed her body would get the rest it required once they returned to Illumin. She tried to disregard how the destination felt worlds away from where they stood in the dark of a lethal area and already having lost members to mysterious creatures.

"You... going to be alright?" William began to reach out to support his leader before wavering and returning his hand to his side.

She nodded, comprehending why he would be concerned. Straightening, a groan escaped from her mouth. Her head, for a moment, felt light and caused her to take a step forward to preserve her balance. But the wave only lasted for a fleeting moment, likely stemming from the weariness built up from the long day on top of the tension and emotional pain upon learning that the people she had sent out were eaten or killed by whatever was in the grassland.

"My Lady..."

Waving a hand, Valessandria shook her head. "I do not think I can avoid it, especially with how things are advancing."

"Are you sure?" William raised an eyebrow.

Sighing, "Unfortunately, being conservative in our current situation would not be wise and could cause us to forfeit more men." She reached into the pouch that held the crystals. Without the gloves, the moment her hands made contact, there was a muted charge from her skin exposed to the refined crystals. Pulling one out, she held it in her hands. The effects were nearly immediate, even in her hands. She could feel her mind shrugging out the fatigue like one would remove a thick blanket off of themselves on a frigid morning and be mentally awakened by the cold hanging in the air.

Rather than letting it be in her mouth, she decided to keep the crystal in her hands. Fortunately, the rate at which her body would absorb the mana would be notably less than if she placed it into her mouth. The hazard of the crystal would be less, even if it was refined.

Grinning, "Feeling better?"

She nodded, the world becoming vibrant and humming. What she relished was how much of her confidence and strength oozed throughout her body. It helped her regain the resolve which allowed her to survive in such an environment that came with her life path, especially after becoming an orphan early in her life. But a portion of her mind was aware of how much of it was synthetic. It stemmed from the item supplementing her mental faculties. Her mind still needed time to wind down and have a chance to process everything. She comforted herself with this fact. This was only a bandage. An emergency measure.

Even with her sharper vision, mana was redirected into her eyes and ears, the sensory magic helping to pull in all the details around her. Seeing a flashing of lights around them, she turned her head towards the light.

A student rushed up to where the two stood, next to the lifeless horse. In the student's hands were portable mana lamps.

"Lady Knight," The student slowed and approached her and William.

William reached out for both lamps. Keeping one for himself, he passed the other one to Valessandria. He then turned to the student, "I want a perimeter set up around this horse, at least fifteen horses wide. While cutting down the grass, report any clues that may be discovered."

The student saluted and quickly darted back to the two columns to transmit the order.

With the lamp in her free hand, she illuminated the horse. Her eyes, boosted by her mana, widened upon catching how the injuries weren't aligned with what she was used to witnessing from an attack.

Indicating with a finger, "Assuming that the horse had not stopped and kept on going, what do you make of the length of the gash?" She directed her attention to William, hoping that she was imagining, and arrived at the wrong conclusion despite the help of the mana crystal.

William stared at the horse, a hand on his chin. Time slowly passed, but his eyes stared at the slash she indicated on the horse's side.

Behind them, the students assembled teams, with each appointed leader giving out commands to their group. Two were assigned to stand close to Valessandria and William, directing their attention to the other side of the road. Each of them had placed their lamps to hang from the side of their waist to allow their hands to be free to use their swords if necessary.

Other groups began using their swords to slash at the tall grass while also keeping an eye out for any of the native monsters. As the night passed by them, slowly, a perimeter was constructed to permit them to see anything that would approach them, even under cover of the night.

Valessandria shifted her attention to the students, frowning at if her decision was correct for them to stop. The problem was that if they were to continue toward Illumin without properly making an assessment, it could have a negative impact. On top of that, seeing the injuries on the horse gave her a sour feeling, like something was off about the situation. It was why she hoped that William would put her mind at ease and assert that what she was thinking was utterly off the mark.

The grasslands were already perilous, even if not more so than any other region depending on the time of year, as predators became active for whatever reason, whether for the mating season or to prepare for the season becoming colder. There was also the persistent reminder of The Overflow, which is set to arrive soon. Seeing the unusual patterns on the horse and the students that failed to return made her concerned that there was a connection. And if it was due to The Overflow, then the Student Council would need to be notified. Preparations would need to be made.

"These slashes are too long for swords and don't match up with chowon gwemul attack patterns." William broke his silence.

Looking to William, "Why do you think that? In this area, if an attack is not caused by bandits, the likelihood is great that it would be a chowon gwemul." Her stomach slowly began to sink as she tried to offer alternatives to the deduction she had also arrived at.

William turned his head to look at her, his eyes directly looking into hers. He was already cognizant that she knew why it couldn't be the case. "These are not wounds from the claws of a chowon gwemul."