The next morning.
Shirone woke up at dawn and prepared for the hunt. The group would share specialized tools, but everyone had to prepare their own basic equipment.
Shirone rolled up the rope into a large bundle to keep it from tangling, strapped it to her backpack, and checked her bow and arrows. She packed cloth and glue to make a torch and added nails and a hammer to her bag.
'Ready for the hunt, it's been a while.'
After recalling the essentials, Shirone added extra arrowheads to a leather pouch, packed some dry food, and grabbed a whistle in case of an emergency.
"Alright."
As she put on her backpack, she felt its familiar weight.
Shirone kicked open the door and walked out, thinking to herself, I'm not dead yet. The kids, already geared up, were waiting outside.
"Hey, Shirone. You're late. You're missing something, huh?"
Shirone smiled awkwardly.
As expected, people who worked regularly were always on time.
"Haha, sorry. It's been a while since I've done this, so I'm a little out of practice."
"Anyway, let's go. The sun sets early in the mountains. We need to get climbing."
Alto led the way, with Shirone and Lumina in the middle and Martin at the rear.
After two hours of walking, they reached the cowbear's habitat and set up a temporary camp.
Lumina lit a fire and started cooking. Breakfast was corn soup with melted sheep's cheese and bread.
Shirone dipped the bread in the soup and ate.
"As expected, Lumina's a great cook."
"Is it good? I'm glad."
Lumina smiled shyly.
In the past, she might have snapped at him, telling him to pay his share.
Thinking back, the kids had definitely changed a lot.
But it was a positive change, and Shirone was happy to see his friends doing well.
"Now that we've eaten, let's go. The cowbear's probably moved higher up."
Alto led the group as they climbed.
As expected, they found bear marks on every tree.
Martin pointed to a half-broken tree.
"Look at this. It must be really strong."
Alto squinted at the marks.
"Hm, this should be fine. It doesn't look too big, so we can catch it with a trap."
"But the tree…"
Martin still looked worried.
Shirone had only hunted smaller animals before, so hunting a bear was a new experience for him.
Alto reassured him.
"The strength of cowbears is well-known, but they're slower than other bears. Don't worry, we'll catch it without anyone getting hurt."
Shirone frowned uneasily as he inspected the claw marks on Alto's back.
Something's wrong.
The marks were sharp, almost like a quick strike rather than raw power.
Just then, Alto took out his bow and looked back at the group, arrow drawn.
"I think we should start from here. Be careful. Let's set up a trap on that ridge."
The group continued up the mountain quietly.
The kids, used to hunting smaller, quicker animals, moved with the precision of adults.
Meanwhile, Shirone entered his Spirit Zone.
Though his field of vision wasn't as wide as an experienced hunter's, the absence of blind spots gave him an edge.
Something's still off.
As they neared the ridge, a strange feeling crept through Shirone.
When Alto turned around and noticed Shirone had stopped, he called out.
"Shirone, what's the hold-up? We're not setting up a trap here."
"Alto, something feels strange."
"What? I don't sense anything."
Alto brushed it off, thinking he was the expert here.
Just then, Shirone's eyes widened.
An ominous presence in the forest was unmistakable, and it was coming closer.
Over there!
Suppressing the nausea threatening to rise, Shirone bolted into the forest.
Alto cursed, following quickly behind. Acting impulsively could put everyone in danger.
"Shirone, if you keep this up, we'll…"
Alto was cut off, horrified by the scene unfolding before him.
Even he, a skilled hunter, felt the urge to vomit.
"What… what is this…?"
Wild animals were torn apart and hung on tree branches like laundry.
Among them were some fierce carnivores.
"Stay quiet!"
The children who arrived late covered their mouths.
By staying silent, they were able to maintain their dignity as the sons and daughters of mountaineers.
"Alright, Alto. What happened? Did Cowbear really do this?"
Martin's voice trembled, and Lumina turned her head away, unable to look at the gruesome scene.
Shirone made a quick decision.
"Let's go back down. This doesn't seem like something we can handle."
"No, let's go a bit further. I need to know what did this."
"Alto, this is serious."
"That's exactly why we need to go! If something like this has entered the mountain, all the game will leave! We'll starve to death!"
Alto's stubbornness was clear, but his argument wasn't entirely without merit.
"I understand that, but it's too dangerous. Let's just head back to the city and report it."
"Report? Have you lost your mind hanging out with nobles? Who's going to care about us?"
"You fool! I'm telling you, this is no small matter! Look at those beasts over there! Don't you see how dangerous our situation is right now?"
Martin intervened and pointed ahead.
"Hey, Shirone. Alto. Look over there…"
At the sound of rustling trees and bushes, Shirone and Alto quickly notched their arrows and turned to face the noise.
The rustling of the leaves heightened their tension.
As they stood ready, the creature responsible for the carnage appeared.
Shirone and Alto had to adjust their positions from their original spot.
It wasn't walking on four legs.
"This… this can't be happening…"
Even Alto, known for his bravery, spoke with a voice filled with fear.
A wolf-like monster, over two meters tall, crouched down and stared at the children.
Its chest muscles bulged like balloons, its waist was thin, and its arms reached down to its knees, ending in hooked claws as long as a human's little finger.
The creature's knees bent in an unnatural way, and it supported its body with long, cat-like paws.
Martin managed to find his voice.
"No, it's a monster."
Evolutionists believe that humans and animals share a common ancestor, evolving from a single source organism. However, monsters are thought to have evolved from entirely different origins, making them impossible to fully understand using a typical animalistic approach.
Monsters were stronger, faster, and even smarter than normal creatures.
The shape of a wolf, walking on two legs. It's a wolf.
Shirone recalled what she had learned from her studies.
Although Ulk had limited language skills, he could express many emotions vocally and was social enough to live in a tribe.
Ulk was a balanced type with sharp claws, great agility, and strong muscle strength. When in groups, they were formidable opponents, even hunters were reluctant to face them.
But why is it here? There aren't supposed to be any monsters in this area.
One thought immediately came to mind.
The Ulks, who had been defeated in a tribal war, might have moved their residence and migrated to this area.
Sure enough, Ulk had various wounds on his body, but they were difficult to assess because they were mixed with the blood of many different animals in his fur.
"Ah, ahh…"
The children's terrified cries stirred Altora's sense of responsibility.
As the leader, it was his duty to protect them.
It's a living creature. If I hit it with a stick, it'll die instantly.
Altora aimed his weapon.
Even though Ulk knew he was being targeted, he remained calm, watching his prey from the tree. It was a sign of his intelligence.
Die, you filthy beast!
Altora shot his arrows, but Ulk easily dodged them with a slight turn of his head.
A low, mocking growl came from Ulk's throat.
"Krrrr. Krrrr."
The children were amazed at how swiftly Ulk dodged the arrows.
But then, despair set in.
Crack!
Ulk broke the tree stump with his jaws and roared at the group.
"Kuaaaang!"
"Damn it! Run!"
The power of Ulk's strike made Altora hesitate to reload his arrows.
While everyone ran upward, Shirone stayed behind and shot an arrow at Ulk.
"Kuaaaah!"
Shirone's provocation only enraged Ulk further, but it gave the children time to escape.
Ulk, leaping with the power of a wild animal, swung his claws at Shirone's head. At the same time, Shirone's body became a flash of light, and he teleported into the air.
"Krung?"
As Shirone floated in the air from his teleportation, he looked around.
It was deep in the mountains—too far to safely use teleportation.
I need to get to the top.
Meanwhile, Altora was supporting the children and running as fast as he could.
It was the right decision not to go downhill. If they had gone down, they would have been caught by Ulk before they could escape.
"Hurry! Keep running!"
The children discarded their weapons and supplies and climbed up the mountain, out of breath.
Lumina screamed.
"Where's Shirone? I can't see him!"
"I'm just buying time! Keep climbing!" Altora urged.
Though worried about Shirone, Altora knew he couldn't help him in this situation. He had to focus on getting the children to safety.
"Kuaaaang!"
As the children reached the top, Ulk was closing in on them, moving with incredible speed.
Altora frowned. If Ulk was chasing them, it meant Shirone had either escaped or… wasn't coming back.
"Damn it! There's nowhere to hide!"
The top of the mountain was a flat area, with a cliff at the edge.
It was 20 meters high, not very deep compared to the rest of the mountain, but there was no time to climb down.
"Altora! The monster's here!"
The children saw Ulk climb up, his powerful muscles rippling under the bright sun.
Altora, who had fallen behind, decided to make himself the bait.
"Over here! This way!"
"Kuaaaang!"
The plan worked, but there was still no escape.
With the cliff in front of them, Altora turned around, his heart sinking.
His daily training had done little to prepare him for a fight against such a beast. He was ready to face his death, but as a leader, he couldn't give up without a fight. He raised his fist.
"Come at me, you bastard! Aaaah!"
Altora's punch felt like hitting solid rock, and the pain shot through his hand.
"Ugh, krrrrr!"
Altora's face went pale as he looked up at the sound of mocking laughter.
Ulk's massive right hand loomed overhead, ready to crush him.
I'm finished...!
Just as Altora braced himself, a flash of light appeared, and Ulk vanished from his sight.
"Run! Quickly!"
Shirone's voice broke through the chaos. When Altora looked back, he saw Ulk tumbling in the distance.
"How...?"
While Altora was stunned, Ulk raised his claws at Shirone.
But then, in an instant, both Shirone and Ulk vanished in a flash of light, reappearing 10 meters away.
The children stared, wide-eyed.
"Is that magic?"
It was the first time they'd seen teleportation.
No matter how fast Ulk moved, he couldn't keep up with Shirone, who kept teleporting and dodging his attacks.
"Kuaaaah!"
Ulk roared in fury, but his rage was different from that of a typical beast.
In frustration, Ulk turned around and ran towards the children.
"Eww!"
The children scattered in all directions, but Lumina, fragile and scared, froze in place.
"Lumina! Run!"
"Coffee…" she muttered, half-conscious.
Shirone reached out to Ulk.
He intended to blind Ulk with photon energy, but his Spirit Zone was too far to reach.
Too far.
As soon as the spirit zone shifted to a four-way target type, Ulk found himself trapped at the end of the cross.
Photon output!
A powerful flash of light, created during the presentation, stretched out and hit Ulk's eyes.
The sudden burst of light made Ulk scream and cover his eyes.
"Kuaaaah!"
"All right! Shirone did it!"
The force of the beam was so strong that the children watching thought Ulk's face had been shattered.
However, Shirone, knowing that photon output had no physical power, immediately ran to Ulk.
"Lumina! Run quickly! There's no time!"
Lumina jumped forward, fearlessly thinking she had two more chances to escape.
But her legs were stiff, and she collapsed to the floor like a log.
The children stamped their feet, realizing Shirone's magic had no real destructive power.
"What should we do? I feel like I've blinded myself."
As Ulk, regaining his sight, charged at her again, Lumina crawled forward using only her upper body strength.
"Whoa!"
Ulk's claws caught on her hair tie, snapping the elastic and sending her hair flying.
At that moment, Shirone grabbed Ulk's waist and casted teleportation.
The flash of light that had been rising endlessly started to plummet down the cliff.
"Shirone! No!"
Every time Ulk struggled, Shirone repeated her photon magic.
Setting the direction of teleportation to the ground was a dangerous move, one forbidden even at school, but it was the only way to keep Ulk under control.
During the brief fall, Shirone was troubled.
What do I do now?
Even if Ulk fell, he wouldn't die. Since the photon state had almost no mass, the fall's impact would be zero.
But if she stopped using magic, she wouldn't have the power to resist Ulk's strength.
Mass.
What is needed to create a shock.
For a moment, goosebumps ran down Shirone's body.
As always, it was sharp and keen, piercing through his nerves, but strangely, it didn't feel unpleasant. It felt sharp, as though it had hit the exact spot where his jaw should be.
Ah...
A flood of thoughts rushed through his mind.
The beginning of the world, gauge symmetry, vortices swirling over the bed.
It was mass!
A special power that originated at the dawn of the universe, hidden on the other side of the world for a fleeting moment.
What Shirone perceived, through his sense of perspective, was something that defined mass.
Omniscience and omnipotence collided for the first time.
He wasn't sure what it would be, but he had a vague prediction.
Light has mass...
The moment he casted teleportation, the atmosphere exploded with a loud bang.
Using inertia, he threw Ulk, whose body was falling headfirst, and it bounced heavily off the ground.
Kuuuuung!
"Haa. Haa."
Shirone, having avoided the inertia with Rainbow Drop, checked on Ulk once they landed.
"..."
It was instant death.
The reason Ulk's skull shattered during the photonization was because mass had been applied.
It was gravity that made the dust rotate.
And the fact that gravity had been created meant that mass had also been created.
Matter and mass are not the same, but separate. Some special force gives mass to matter and hides it. That's why the symmetry seems broken.
Shirone clenched his fist.
"I finally found it."
At that moment, the true identity of the portrait that had been tormenting him for over a month was finally revealed.
Suddenly, a scream came from the top of the cliff.
"No way?"
Shirone quickly raised his head.
Ulk was a social monster. Even though he had lost the tribal war, the chances of him escaping alone were low.
This...!
Shirone, who had teleported back down the cliff, tensed at the sight before him.
Dozens of ulks surrounded Alto's group.
The whole tribe moved.
He hadn't expected Ulk to be alone, but Ulk's social nature was far stronger than he had anticipated.
The children were sobbing.
"Oh, what do we do? We're all going to die now."
"I haven't even gotten married. I don't want to die like this."
Shirone didn't want to die either, but at least now he had a weapon.
"I'll try to do something."
"What are you going to do? Don't! You should run away. You can escape using magic."
"I'll be fine."
Shirone looked ahead.
"From now on, I won't be breaking any rules."
With those words, Althor, in a panic, shouted as he rushed toward the ulk group.
"Shirone! No!"
Shirone didn't stop.
The best way to fight was to keep his distance from the group.
"Cruck! Cruck!"
The silver-furred wolves, clearly the leaders, shrugged their shoulders as if they were above the rest, then turned toward the largest of the wolves and gestured to them.
"Kuaaaah!"
Ulk immediately lunged forward, and Shirone focused the photon energy in his palm.
Stronger...
The light began to gather in his hand, gradually brightening until it emitted a pale white glow.
"Kurrrrrr!"
Meanwhile, Ulk was quickly closing the distance with Shirone.
Amidst the children's screams, Ulk's claws scraped Shirone.
At the same moment, Shirone's body transformed into a flash of light, retreating one meter.
There was barely any time gap, and Ulk hadn't even gotten into position after his attack.
'Now's the time!'
Shirone, her eyes locked on the target, released the photons she'd gathered in her hand.
The flash of light shot out, and as it struck Ulk's abdomen, it compressed into a sphere. Then, it pushed Ulk back and extended as a golden line.
"Kuaaaah!"
The wolf, knocked back by the tremendous force, screamed as he collided with another wolf and tumbled down the mountain.
Alto's group couldn't believe what they had just witnessed.
"That's unbelievable. Did you see that? That massive monster was sent flying dozens of meters away."
The Ulk group was equally shocked.
The chieftain, witnessing Shirone's flash, rubbed the bridge of his nose. His intelligence seemed notably high, as he spoke in human language.
"Wizard."
At the sound of those words, the hostile Ulks hesitated.
Meanwhile, as the enemies grew more panicked, Shirone kept his focus on the chieftain.
If you're good at reading people, capturing the leader is the most effective strategy.
'I think I can win.'
Although the mass contained in a photon is minuscule, the impact of hitting at sub-luminal speed is far greater than expected.
Also, this was Shirone's special magic that only he could use in the world.
'Gwangyangjapo.'
It was a photon cannon.