One month later.
Deep within the Shadow Forest.
Bell stood outside the cave, holding the Soul Vibration Cannon.
The black cylinder gleamed coldly under the moonlight.
Tia stood behind him, carrying over a dozen crystal bottles.
These bottles were specially made by Antinoia, designed to collect souls.
Horn crouched on the ground, adjusting the magic array on the floor.
His fingers traced across the alchemical powder, leaving ghostly blue light trails.
“Are you ready?”
Bell’s voice was soft.
Horn looked up, pushing his monocle.
“Ready.”
He stood up, dusting off his hands.
“The magic array is set up.”
“The moment you fire, all the souls vibrated out will be drawn to the array.”
“Then they’ll automatically fill these bottles.”
Bell nodded.
He looked up, gazing into the depths of the cave.
From within, low breathing sounds could be heard.
Dozens of shadow wolves, and a C rank shadow wolf lord.
All of them were inside.
“Tia.”
Bell said.
“Arrange the bottles.”
Tia stepped forward, placing the crystal bottles one by one on the magic array’s nodes.
Her movements were light.
As if she were arranging fragile works of art.
Antinoia stood in the distance, holding a notebook.
Her eyes were bright.
This was her first time personally witnessing soul collection of this caliber.
“Bell.”
Antinoia suddenly spoke.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“These shadow wolves are alive.”
Bell didn’t turn around.
“I know.”
“But I need their souls.”
Antinoia opened her mouth.
But in the end, she said nothing more.
She merely lowered her head and wrote a line in her notebook.
“Experiment start time: quarter past midnight.”
Bell raised his hand.
His finger pressed down on the red switch.
“Power set to maximum.”
“Range locked to inside the cave.”
He took a deep breath.
Then.
He pressed it.
Click.
A crisp mechanical biting sound.
The cylinder’s base glowed with dazzling red light.
The magic array activated.
Amplification factor: five hundred times.
“Ohm—!!!”
The sound was no longer auditory.
It exploded directly inside the skull.
Inside the cave, a series of mournful howls erupted.
The howls quickly turned into whimpers.
Then.
They vanished completely.
Bell lowered the cannon.
He looked into the cave.
Inside, there was no longer any sound.
Only a deathly silence remained.
“It worked.”
Horn’s voice trembled.
Not from fear.
But from excitement.
He rushed to the magic array, looking at the crystal bottles.
The bottles were already filled with translucent souls, emitting a ghostly blue light.
Dozens of them.
Packed densely.
“Oh my…”
Antinoia also walked over.
She knelt down and picked up a bottle.
Through the bottle’s wall, the soul inside could be seen subtly trembling.
“These souls…”
Antinoia’s voice trembled slightly.
“They still retain their consciousness from life.”
Bell walked over to her.
He took the bottle and glanced at it.
“Normal.”
“The Soul Vibration Cannon merely vibrates the souls out of their bodies.”
“It doesn’t destroy the soul itself.”
He handed the bottle to Horn.
“Keep them safe.”
“These are yours.”
Horn took the bottle.
His hands were shaking.
“Thank you…”
“Thank you, Lord Bell…”
Bell ignored him.
He turned, looking at the cave.
“Tia.”
“Go check.”
Tia nodded.
She walked towards the cave.
Her steps were light.
As if treading on cotton.
The cave was pitch black.
But Tia’s eyes glowed with a ghostly blue light in the darkness.
She saw them.
Dozens of shadow wolf corpses lay scattered on the ground.
No external injuries.
No bloodstains either.
They were simply, dead.
Their souls had been extracted.
Their bodies were like toys without batteries.
Unable to move again.
Tia continued deeper inside.
She saw the shadow wolf lord.
It was still alive.
But its body trembled violently.
Its eyes, once fierce, were now filled with terror.
It saw Tia.
Then.
It stood up.
A C rank magic beast.
Standing before a human.
Tia stopped.
She looked at the shadow wolf lord.
The lord let out a low growl.
Not a plea for mercy.
But a warning.
Its body began to swell.
Its black fur stood on end.
Its sharp claws gouged deep marks into the ground.
It was a lord.
The king of this forest.
It would not kneel.
Nor would it beg for mercy.
It would only fight.
Until death.
Tia said nothing.
She merely raised her hand.
Liquid magic silver flowed down her arm.
Drawing a bright silver thread in the air.
Then.
It solidified into a sharp long blade.
The shadow wolf lord’s pupils sharply contracted.
It didn’t flee.
It lowered its body.
Its limbs tensed.
Like a fully drawn bow.
Then.
It pounced.
Its speed was like a black bolt of lightning.
Tia didn’t dodge.
She merely shifted her body.
Then.
Swung her blade.
The blade cut through the air.
Emitting a shrill whistling sound.
The shadow wolf lord’s body froze in midair.
Its eyes were still open.
Filled with unwillingness and rage.
Then.
Its body split down the middle.
Blood gushed out.
Spraying throughout the entire cave.
Tia retracted her blade.
The liquid magic silver flowed back into her arm.
She turned and walked out of the cave.
Bell stood at the cave entrance.
He looked at Tia.
“Done?”
Tia nodded.
“Done.”
“It didn’t beg for mercy.”
Bell glanced into the depths of the cave.
The shadow wolf lord’s corpse still lay there.
“Very good.”
Bell turned.
He walked over to the shadow wolf lord’s corpse.
He knelt down.
His hand pressed onto the lord’s head.
An earthy yellow light emanated from his palm.
It was a soul extraction spell.
The shadow wolf lord’s corpse began to tremble slightly.
A ghostly blue light slowly rose from its body.
It was its soul.
Bell’s fingers traced in the air.
A complex magic array appeared in his palm.
The soul was drawn to the magic array.
Then.
It was forcibly compressed.
And squeezed into an empty crystal bottle.
Bell tightened the cap.
He stood up.
Looking at the bottle in his hand.
The soul violently slammed against the inside of the bottle.
Like a wild beast trapped in a cage.
Bell said nothing.
He simply handed the bottle to Horn.
“This one is also yours.”
Horn took the bottle.
His eyes gleamed terrifyingly bright.
“The soul of a C rank magic beast…”
Bell turned.
He glanced into the depths of the cave.
The shadow wolf corpses still lay there.
“Dig out the magic cores.”
“Then we leave.”
Horn nodded.
He rushed into the cave.
Beginning to extract the magic cores.
Antinoia stood to the side.
She looked at Bell.
“Bell.”
“Hm?”
“You…”
Antinoia opened her mouth.
“Don’t you think this is too cruel?”
Bell turned around.
He looked at Antinoia.
“Cruel?”
“They are magic beasts.”
“We are humans.”
“Survival of the fittest.”
Antinoia fell silent.
She lowered her head.
“I understand.”
Bell said nothing more.
He turned, looking towards the distant forest.
Moonlight spilled onto the treetops.
Everything was quiet.
Horn emerged from the cave.
In his hand, he carried a cloth bag.
It was filled with magic cores.
“All dug out.”
Bell nodded.
“Let’s go.”
The group left the Shadow Forest.
By the time they returned to the academy, dawn was breaking.
Bell walked into the dormitory.
Tia followed behind him.
She closed the door.
Then.
She suddenly spoke.
“Bell.”
Bell stopped.
“Hm?”
“That shadow wolf lord…”
Tia’s voice was hesitant.
“It didn’t beg for mercy.”
“It chose to fight.”
Bell turned around.
He looked at Tia.
“I know.”
“So?”
“So…”
Tia looked up.
Bell’s face was reflected in her ghostly blue eyes.
“It was a warrior.”
Bell fell silent.
He walked in front of Tia.
He reached out.
And patted her shoulder.
“It was a warrior.”
“But it was also a magic beast.”
“We need its magic core.”
“We need its soul.”
“That’s all there is to it.”
Tia looked at Bell.
After a long moment.
She nodded.
“I understand.”
Bell released her.
He turned and walked towards the bedroom.
“Get some rest.”
“There’s class tomorrow.”
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