Love Letter From The Future

The week of training under Professor Derek was intense.

We had to be prepared for all kinds of situations, and I was often beaten up for the sake of reality. I believed that the more one was pushed to their limits, both mentally and physically, the stronger they would become. On the first day of training, Senior Elsi declared her intention to quit, but sadly, there was no way to get off the ship that had already set sail.

Once on board, there were only two choices: to drown or to see it through to the end.

No one would choose the former. Senior Elsi was no exception. In the end, thanks to my encouragement and the support from my hand axe, she somehow managed to complete the training.

Celin and Ceria, who were aware of Professor Derek’s reputation, approached the training relatively willingly.

The training was focused on prepping for the hunting festival. It was clear that no one was more suitable for the role than Professor Derek, a legendary monster hunter. No matter how difficult it was, it would be worth it.

However, even Celin and Ceria had their doubts. This was not Derek’s fault; it was my responsibility.

When I asked Professor Derek to help with the training, I made a special request.

“Could we proceed with the training assuming we would face a powerful monster?”

Professor Derek looked at me for a moment in surprise, as if my condition was unexpected. Then he asked me.

“How strong of a monster?”

“One worthy of a name.”

Professor Derek closed his eyes in thought before nodding in agreement. It seemed he assumed I was envisioning an extreme scenario.

In truth, I wasn’t, but facing a named-level monster was the challenge I had to confront and would soon be facing.

And thus, hell began. Named-level monsters were creatures that surpassed common sense. They not only possessed incredible physical power, but also had various peculiar traits.

A week was an endlessly short time. Even for an exam, starting a week in advance would be considered cramming. In physical training, where instinctive movements had to be ingrained through repeated practice, it was even more insufficient.

So I limited the conditions as much as possible. Though it was a short period, I aimed to maximize the effects of the training somehow.

One point of concern was that I didn’t know the traits of the monster we would face. The only information written in the letter was a single line.

“The horn is its weakness.”

Aside from that, I had no other information about the monster. Since the methods of dealing with monsters could vary greatly depending on their traits, the situation became increasingly complicated.

I felt a strong urge to send a reply to the person named “Sepia.” Asking for more detailed information would have been nice.

However, I had no means to send a letter to a future seven years away. I had to be grateful that even that small piece of information was provided to me.

If it hadn’t been, a major catastrophe might have unfolded at the festival where high-ranking officials from various nations had gathered.

If a named-level monster rampaged, there would be far too many students among the hundreds who would die or be injured. It would be one thing if the Academy noticed, but that monster had been hiding in the forest for nearly a year.

It was surely skilled in stealth. We had to be wary of ambushes.

However, this was a story limited to my knowledge of the future. It wouldn’t work with Senior Elsi, but it wasn’t the same for Celin and Ceria.

They expressed doubts about the focus on one-to-many training rather than varied scenarios. In actual combat, countless situations could unfold.

For example, the monsters I defeated in the past did so. The wolf-like monsters were accustomed to pack behavior. Though I had ambushed them with Emma’s potion, there were times when I had to face two of them simultaneously.

The pack leader wolf I had fought back then was a higher-level monster. Normally, catching a monster of that caliber at the hunting festival would at least earn me a prize, and with a bit of luck, I could aim for victory.

No matter how vivid Celin and Ceria’s imagination was, they could not anticipate the future where we faced named monsters at the hunting festival. Especially since we were focused on solely one scenario in training meant to prepare for various situations.

In fact, I didn’t know whether named-level monsters would come in groups or face us alone. I simply chose the option that seemed most likely.

If a named-level monster had minions? Then, regardless of what we did, we wouldn’t win. The only possibility would be one.

We take down the named-level monster that is alone by combining our strengths. That conclusion, which could only exist in a youthful novel, was the only answer.

Still, Ceria seemed to accept it to some extent, as her trust in me remained steadfast, but Celin was not the same. She was someone who couldn’t stand mysterious questions.

Celin abruptly asked me.

“Ian Oppa, why are we only doing this training?”

It was a break during the middle of training. Though it hadn’t been long, Senior Elsi was already sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.

Celin and Ceria, being swordswomen, were in slightly better condition. Just a while ago, they looked like they were on the brink of death, but now their breathing had settled down somewhat.

I had to take more time to recover since I didn’t have the same amount of magical energy as them. Pouring water from my canteen over my sweat-drenched hair, I glanced at Celin.

“…What?”

“Why are we only doing this training? Shouldn’t we prepare for a variety of situations?”

Drying my sweat-drenched hair with a towel, Celin looked at me with weary eyes. Repeated training could easily feel tedious and exhausting. However, the fact that Celin was asking such a question indicated that she still had some motivation.

It was a positive sign. Since she had decided to participate, it seemed she intended to do her best. I thought so and remained silent for a moment.

If it were up to me, I would have wanted to lay everything out truthfully. While that might not work with Senior Elsi, Celin and Ceria had some level of trust established with me. I was confident that if I persuaded them all night, I could eventually convince them.

But it was impossible. I had tried multiple times before, but it never worked. My words would only be distorted, and I couldn’t convey detailed information about the future.

The only thing I could say was one thing. With a peculiar smile, I said.

“…I had a prophetic dream.”

There was some truth in that statement. However, the reaction was not good.

As if worried about Celin’s question, the eyes of Senior Elsi and Ceria, which had been focused on me, instantly dulled.

Celin was no exception. She crossed her arms, wearing a dissatisfied expression while tapping her arm with her finger.

She was demanding a proper explanation. However, anything beyond that would ultimately be lost in translation.

“Believe me, just once.”

At my quiet voice, Celin eventually raised her hands in resignation.

“…You’re still cowardly.”

How could I not trust Ian Oppa?

The voice that added that line still seemed to resonate in my ears.

And the result of that trust was now becoming evident.

With every step, the smell of blood grew stronger. At first, I was the only one who could smell it, but now everyone felt the overwhelming stench of blood.

The atmosphere was heavy. The scene was not yet visible, but the scent of blood was far too strong. This meant a substantial amount of blood had been spilled.

At the very least, it was not a trivial opponent. Celin and Ceria cautiously advanced, keeping their senses alert. Senior Elsi’s expression grew even more serious.

A faint voice slipped from her small mouth.

“…Magic.”

Though not loud, it was sufficient to capture everyone’s attention, as only silence surrounded us.

There were no sounds from insects or even birds—an eerie stillness. I recalled having witnessed this kind of scene before.

When I hunted a high-level monster in the Southern Forest, the forest then also bore no signs of life.

Any living being would yearn for life. They must have left in search of it. This meant this place was one where death reigned.

“I’m sensing traces of magic; the concentration is high.”

“Could it be that a monster is being born?”

It was a chilling voice. It was Ceria who asked the question.

Unexpectedly, her words flowed smoothly without hesitation. Given the risk of communication problems, it seemed the directive to speak freely as thoughts came to mind was effective.

In other words, Ceria was treating this situation as if it were already real combat. Senior Elsi’s blue eyes, which had been closed as she sensed the magic, sharpened with renewed focus.

“That’s not it. If that were the case, the concentration of magic would be rapidly increasing, but it’s calm. It’s like a still lake, filled with water….”

The atmosphere grew heavier. There was only one meaning to her words.

The enemy waiting before us was drawing in magic.

Magic calls to magic. It was also the reason that experts known as ‘Masters’ could wield the power to shake the heavens and earth with just a handful of magic. The higher the density, the more easily magic could be drawn forth. If magic filled this area, it indicated the existence of a significant source of magic.

It was highly likely to be a monster. Senior Elsi carefully retrieved the wand she had fastened at her side.

“…Be careful, it’s strong.”

Even Senior Elsi, the one with the most combat experience among us, wore a stiff expression. She was a senior who had gone through the notorious fourth-year practical assignments countless times. That alone conveyed that even she was feeling the tension.

The rest of us didn’t need to be mentioned. Celin swallowed hard and slowly moved her hand to her side.

She was ready to draw at any moment. Ceria, too, scanned the surroundings with alert eyes.

Our steps came to a halt a little while later.

“Corpses….”

Dazed, a voice escaped from Celin’s lips. They were not human corpses. However, there was no denying that there were chunks of flesh that were once alive scattered around.

It was a sea of blood. Could I find any other expression for it? Every corpse had spilled enough blood to fill a bucket, exposing their innards.

From herbivores like deer and rabbits to the monsters unleashed for the hunting festival, the kinds were diverse. All these differently-colored beasts lost their lives and were displayed in the same manner.

It was a grotesque sight. My mind briefly flashed to the high-level monster I had hunted in the forest.

It, too, had enjoyed spilling the guts like this. At that time, I had thought it was simply a repulsive preference born from the monster’s aggression, but what if that wasn’t the case?

If it was something learned somewhere.

Then it was likely that they learned from their parents. Monsters were beasts as well. And beasts also carry the love of a parent for their offspring.

The rage of parents that lost their children was beyond imagination.

We stifled our breathing and suppressed our presence. A hazy light shimmered in the distance. It was a clearing. The smell of blood and magic felt most intense there.

In the face of that terrible sight, Celin had a more tense expression. As her body trembled slightly, I quietly placed my hand on her shoulder.

Her slightly frightened amber eyes turned toward me. I nodded silently, and only then did Celin start to calm down a bit.

Next was the real combat. The fewer variables, the better. With me at the front, the four hunters slowly moved toward the clearing.

There too, numerous corpses lay sprawled, their insides spilled as grotesque attractions. But unlike the road to the clearing, the bodies there appeared to be of an exceptionally high caliber.

There were beasts resembling bears and others that looked like lions or tigers. They were all at least high-level monsters. Yet, they had all been taken down.

Only by one monster.

Eyes filled with shock and fear were directed toward that creature—a wolf gnawing on the flesh of a monster that had once dominated a territory.

It was easily over 3 meters tall. I couldn’t even understand how that mass could navigate between the trees. The wolf, colored darkness as if the light had been erased from the area, slowly arose, yawning.

Its eyes were pitch black. If not for the glimmer of its whites, one might have thought it had no eyes. That wolf was silently glaring at us.

Even though we hid as best we could, it was impossible to deceive the monster’s primal instincts. It was a monster that even Senior Elsi was mesmerized by. The very plan of an ambush had become useless.

The wolf released a faint breath without a word. Yet from its eyes, I sensed a burning madness. That eager, sadistic gaze.

It was then that I snapped back to my senses and shouted.

“Prepare for battle!”

A sharp horn sprouted from the center of the wolf’s forehead.

This was the encounter with the monster that would later be named the “Intestine Collector.”

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