Chapter 12: Finally! A clue

After crying for hours, I wiped my tears and returned to the tree.

"Sorry for crying like that," I said, a little embarrassed. My eyes were still red from crying so much.

"No, it is fine. Thank you for playing with the children," the tree said in a thankful tone.

"Now, for your reward, I shall answer any two questions."

"I want to know more about Ancient Beasts," I said.

"Ancient Beasts, I see..." it said, deep in thought.

"Tree?" I called out.

"Yes... We Ancient Beasts have been around since the beginning of time. As the first beings to exist, we were born through magion," the tree said.

"We have the ability to communicate with any race, and all of us have magion crystals embedded in us," it added.

That explained why the Serpent could speak, but I didn't see a magion crystal on it. Maybe it was those green lines between its scales?

So, Ancient Beasts are ancient beings identifiable by the magion crystals embedded in them.

"The one that attacked you was still very young," the tree said with disappointment.

"H-How do you know that?" I asked, surprised.

"I used World's Eye," the tree replied.

World's Eye... That was the skill I saw when I used [Ei]. When I first saw this skill, I had a faint idea of what it did.

"Do you know why it attacked me?" I asked.

"It is for the same reason you eat food. The difference is that you possess a small amount of pure magion, which is why it was so rash," the tree said.

"Pure magion?"

"Is that your next question?" the tree asked.

"N-No," I quickly replied.

The main reason I agreed to play with the fairies after hearing that the tree would answer two questions was because of the question I was about to ask.

"Do you know what happened to my mother, Sharlea Lustra?" I asked, hopeful.

"Unfortunately, I do not. I cannot see the events that happened inside the barrier your Founder placed," the tree said with a somewhat sad tone.

I clenched my fists and bit my lip in frustration.

"But I can tell you one thing. One of the three royal families is connected to your mother. I do not know exactly which," the tree said, trying to comfort me.

"R-Really?" I said, my face lighting up.

"Yes," it replied.

Finally, after so many years, I had found a clue about my mother's death.

When I first arrived, I never expected to leave with such valuable information.

[Skill: Copy Activated]

What? Why did my skill just activate on its own?

[Skill: God's Sense: Imperfect. Copied]

And it copied a skill on its own. What just happened?

I had never heard of a skill activating on its own. I wanted to test it on the tree, but I was planning to ask for permission. It just activated?

"Is something the matter?" the tree asked.

"N-No, I was just thinking of heading back," I said, still confused.

"Oh, that's a shame. The children will be sad," it said.

"Thank you for answering my questions," I said, walking back toward the tunnel.

"Bye, human," a fairy said, waving at me.

"Come play again!" another said.

"Human, take this," a fairy said, flying up to me with a small container that looked like it held water.

"Silver, remember! Do not go to an upper level," the tree yelled.

What did it mean by "upper level," and how did it know my name? Was it because of that skill?

I forgot to ask. Why did it call me "human" in front of the fairies? I guess it doesn't matter anymore since I'll never see them again.

I walked back through the tunnel to the cabin. There were still two days left until I returned to the academy. I decided to spend the next two days eating fruit and learning new spells. I also figured out what my new skill did.

It allowed me to sense anything within a small distance—living beings, non-living things, magion, air. It was a great skill, though the range only covered the inside of the cabin.

The day of my return to the academy came unexpectedly. I rushed to the book, and immediately after, I was back at the academy.

Looking around, I noticed fewer students than there had been when we first arrived. The atmosphere was gloomy—some students cried, others looked scared, and a few showed no emotion.

"Silver! Is that you?" a voice from behind me called.

It was Lily. She looked shocked to see me. Well, anyone would be shocked—I did look different from when we first met.

"Yes, it's me," I said, standing up and dusting off my clothes.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing," I replied nonchalantly, holding the book in my hand.

"You... look so... cute!" she said, a sparkle in her eye. She looked at me like I was a small, harmless creature.

I decided to ignore her comment and focus on Victor, who stood on the stage. Melody was also there.

"Students, welcome back, and... congratulations on passing the test," Victor said in a somewhat disappointed tone.

"And do not worry about those who failed the test. They are all in a safe place," he added.

"Now, all of you will be placed into classes depending on your test performance and magion levels," he said, receiving a document from Melody.

"The bracelets you all received will monitor and perfectly estimate your magion limits," he continued.

"The classes rank from F to S, with S being the best. I shall now read the names of those placed in the S class," he announced, preparing to read from the paper.

"Theo Klein, 22,000, 1st."

"Silver Lustra, 15,000, 2nd."

"W-What? Silver, you... were that strong?" Lily exclaimed, her face full of shock.

Other students looked surprised as well. I also noticed Emily in the distance; her expression seemed both surprised and a little sad. Why did she look like that? Shouldn't she be happy?

"Lily Drayula, 10,000, 3rd."

"Emily Bloodsworth, 7,000, 4th."

"Kent Ylohv, 5,000, 5th."

"These students have used this opportunity to raise their magion limits, so they are placed in the S class," Victor said, his voice louder.

"I shall now name the A class..."

We of the S class were then called to get our uniforms and dismissed.

I went back to my dorm room, but first, I needed to cut my hair.

***

(An Ancient Beast's POV)

"My lord, the Serpent has been killed," I said, staring at my lord's noble figure. He was truly fit to be the lord of all Ancient Beasts.

"Was it only him?" my lord asked, his voice noble and calm.

"Yes, my lord. The tree sentinel is still alive," I said.

"To think the youngest has died first," my lord said, sighing with a hint of sadness.

That idiot. We always told him not to go down to a lower level. Why couldn't he listen? Now he has brought sadness to our lord. I should have locked him up and chained him.

"Did you collect his magion crystal?" my lord asked.

"Yes, I have it here," I said, presenting it to him.

"Bring it here," my lord commanded, holding out his hand.

I approached the throne and placed it in his hand.

"Yes, this is his. At least now he will become part of my power," my lord said, crushing and eating the magion crystal.

It was truly an honor for us Ancient Beasts to be consumed by our lord, even in death.

"How did he die?" my lord asked, wiping his mouth.

"His magion was absorbed, my lord," I replied.

"A Vampire?" my lord asked.

"No, every drop of his magion was absorbed, my lord," I said.

When I said this, I saw a faint smile on my lord's face before he covered his mouth with his hand.

"You are dismissed," my lord said.

"Yes, my lord," I said, exiting the throne room.

"Hahahahaha."

I could hear my lord's laughter echoing inside the throne room.

If my lord was laughing, it could only mean one thing: it had something to do with those beings.