“A giant monster, huh? It’s been a while.”

Ludger gathered mana at the tip of his staff and drew it out into a long extension.

The mana formed at the end of the staff sharpened into a blade, transforming into something like a massive sword.

However, rather than being meant for slashing, it was clearly designed for piercing.

“You’d rule as a predator anywhere else, but unfortunately for you, this time you picked the wrong opponent.”

Most mages or knights don’t have reason to fight giant beasts.

Cryptids do exist in this world, but even among them, one would rarely encounter such a creature unless venturing into a particularly remote area.

Places like Jévaudan in the Kingdom of Durmang were exceptional cases.

Meeting and fighting a massive, mana-enhanced beast on a mountain trail like this was virtually unheard of.

But Ludger was different.

He was one of the few who hunted such monsters professionally.

And not just any professional.

He stood at the pinnacle of hunters.

He had singlehandedly hunted the beast of Jévaudan.

That monster had been far larger and more terrifying than the Giant Bear now before him.

Naturally, Ludger knew very well how to deal with monsters.

‘These things have bodies that are absurdly tough—beyond anything you could imagine.’

To move such a massive body freely on solid ground, their bodies had to withstand immense weight.

Their bones were thick and harder than steel, and the muscles layered over them were dense and elastic.

On top of that, their hide was tougher than synthetic rubber, and their fur was thick and coarse.

To pierce that in one blow would be impossible for anyone less than a master-class knight.

Which is why attacking the torso of a giant beast was the act of an amateur.

Underestimating a beast just because it’s an animal only leads to shock when it shrugs off your attack without flinching.

So then, what’s left?

‘The eyes and ears.’

No matter how iron-like the skin, the eyeballs and inner ears remain vulnerable.

Especially the eyes—they obstruct vision and disorient the enemy, making them the top priority.

Just like now.

Shluk!

Ludger’s staff drove deeply into one of the Giant Bear’s eyes as it lay toppled.

Even though the beast had fallen, this was the kind of attack that couldn’t be pulled off without exceptional composure and precision.

‘It’s not enough to just take its vision. I have to end this right here.’

Ludger poured more mana into the staff, intending to detonate it at the tip.

If the mana traveled along the optic nerve and into the skull, it could turn the brain into mush.

But at that moment, the Giant Bear, sensing the imminent threat of death, responded.

ROOAARR!

With a thunderous roar, it unleashed mana from its entire body.

A burst of raw mana exploded out like a shockwave and slammed into Ludger.

It only lasted a split second, but it felt like a storm had surged up right in front of his nose.

Unable to withstand the blast, Ludger’s body was thrown back.

He had cast a defensive spell just in time, mitigating any direct damage.

Twisting in midair, Ludger corrected his posture and landed safely on the ground.

The Giant Bear was now slowly rising, mana leaking from its whole body.

The density of mana was so high that trees brushing against it disintegrated into powder.

It looked like a bear, but its behavior was more like that of a porcupine.

‘Too bad. That could’ve ended it.’

Even so, Ludger decided to be satisfied—he had achieved his objective.

Blood was pouring from the bear’s left eye.

With one eye turned to mush, the beast now had a significant handicap.

“Are you alright?”

Derrick Olson approached to check on Ludger.

Brushing wood dust from his collar, Ludger replied calmly,

“Yes. That was close, but I’m fine.”

“...Incredible. I can hardly believe what I just saw. Do mages normally fight like that?”

“In exceptional circumstances, you respond in exceptional ways. I learned that in the military.”

As if.

No institution follows protocol and manuals more rigidly than the military.

Ludger’s actions could easily be seen as violating military conduct.

But Derrick couldn’t bring himself to criticize him.

The monster bear was still alive.

“Wounded in the eye or not, it might regenerate quickly. The beasts around here have incredible healing ability. With a body that size, it’ll probably recover in under a minute.”

“You needn’t worry about that.”

As Ludger spoke, he gave his staff a wide swing.

Splatter!

The blood coating the staff scattered across the ground, immediately sizzling into white smoke.

Derrick caught the scent with his nose and widened his eyes.

“Poison? And a potent one at that.”

“I applied it to the staff tip before striking.”

When facing a massive beast, you had to use every method available.

These creatures existed on a completely different scale from humans—direct confrontation was hopeless.

That’s why hunters who dealt with such monsters used tranquilizer guns, poison, and traps as their primary methods.

The fight was never fair from the start, so neither were their tactics.

Of course, weak poison was useless.

To reach a lethal dose for a creature that massive, you'd have to pour in a whole cauldron of the stuff.

So the poison Ludger had used wasn’t meant to kill outright—it was formulated for extreme long-term toxicity.

It hindered regeneration, paralyzed skin, and caused necrosis of the cells.

He’d gotten the idea after witnessing the poisonous mist Chris Bennimore had used in the underground sewer and had Bellaruna craft the toxin.

Thanks to that, the monster bear still couldn’t regenerate its eye.

It would’ve made sense for it to thrash in pain, but instead, it had collapsed flat on all fours, leaking mana erratically.

“It won’t last much longer. If it keeps releasing mana like that, it’ll expel the poison soon enough.”

“But it’ll be more than enough time to drain that beast of its mana.”

The Giant Bear, with its life on the line, was releasing mana indiscriminately without regard for reserves.

Partly to stop the poison from reaching its brain through the optic nerve, but also to defend against magical attacks.

The aura of mana radiating from its body crushed anything it touched.

An impenetrable shield, essentially.

In other words, the moment it began leaking mana at such a density, it was already overexerting itself.

No matter how strong or cunning it was, it was still just a beast.

The concept of holding back strength for later didn’t exist in its mind.

‘Still, it’s a bit of a shame I can’t follow up now.’

The right move after seizing the upper hand was to strike without pause.

Relentless pressure shortens the battle.

But that would require using techniques he kept hidden.

And this was not the place to reveal such things—there were too many eyes watching.

In a way, the fact that this many people were around was a restriction for Ludger.

‘Even so, all things considered, this is still the best-case scenario.’

It was nothing like the time he fought the monster of Jévaudan.

For one, the scale of the enemy was different.

Compared to that monster, this Giant Bear was like a teddy bear.

A teddy bear that could tear a knight apart—but that was hardly something Ludger worried about.

He remembered that city—an endless nightmare.

The stench of rotting blood, the rancid beastly odor in his nostrils.

The howls of monsters tormented by eternal hunger.

The countless red eyes blooming from the darkness.

Creatures that slithered slowly up walls, iron railings, and rooftops, reeking of the blood they had just consumed.

Amidst the waves of murderous intent rushing from all directions, one thing stood out—a beast so massive, it seemed it could touch the crimson moon hanging in the sky.

Ludger had fought that creature in hell.

And he had hunted it.

Compared to that, this Giant Bear was nothing but a child’s tantrum.

‘Besides, I’ve got a hundred reinforcements this time.’

Though everyone was frozen in shock, now that the Giant Bear had stopped moving, people were slowly regaining their senses.

“Sir Derrick. When I give the signal, please order a full volley.”

“Understood.”

Derrick also realized that now was the perfect chance to bring down the monstrous bear.

He immediately went to Gregoryum, the commander of the Old Mage Tower, and reported the situation.

Once the command was issued, the mages held their formation and began gathering mana.

Even as they prepared, the Giant Bear continued to emit mana from its body.

The clearly defined aura of mana enveloped the Giant Bear like a cocoon, protecting it.

Seeing it release mana at that density—it truly was a predator.

But it couldn't last forever.

That meaningless war of attrition was bound to end eventually, and Ludger’s prediction hit the mark.

It's coming.

The mana the Giant Bear had been pouring out began to fade.

The streams of mana that had been gushing from its skin gradually thinned, until finally, its bare hide was exposed.

Even bare skin was tough, but compared to the mana shell that had been protecting it, it was a world of difference.

Ludger looked at Derrick and gave him a nod.

Derrick instantly gathered mana into his hand and fired it into the sky above.

BOOM!

The mana exploded into a dazzling light.

That was the signal.

“Now! Everyone, fire!”

Around eighty mages fired their spells at once.

Each mage unleashed their strongest magic, launching spells in high arcs toward the Giant Bear.

The spells flew {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} in near-perfect coordination, washing over the beast in quick succession.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

A series of deafening explosions tore through the air.

The shockwaves shattered nearby trees, and the earth shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck. Thick clouds of dust billowed high into the sky.

Even the mages who had caused the spectacle were momentarily stunned by the sheer destructive power.

When the dust finally began to clear, the center of the impact zone came into view.

“It’s... it’s still alive?”

Astonishingly, the Giant Bear was still breathing.

Right before the spells landed, it had wrapped the remaining boulder mana around its body as armor.

But its condition was far from good.

The rock armor had been half-destroyed by the explosions, and its exposed skin was riddled with wounds.

Some were so severe that bone was visible.

In essence, it was barely clinging to life—a half-dead corpse at best.

“Wh-What? It’s getting up!”

The Giant Bear slowly rose to its feet, showcasing its unbelievable vitality.

It glared intensely at the group of mages—and especially at Ludger.

ROOOAARR!

The beast let out a thunderous roar.

The mages tensed up, fearing it might charge.

A wounded predator was always the most dangerous.

If it decided to fight to the death now...

But then, the Giant Bear turned its back.

“Huh?”

The mages, tense and ready to cast, were caught off guard.

The beast that had seemed ready to die fighting—chose to flee.

“It’s gone.”

The fight ended more anticlimactically than expected.

The mages let out collective sighs of relief.

If that monster had continued rampaging until the end, there would’ve been casualties.

Honestly, it would’ve been no surprise if someone had already died. The fact that no one had was nothing short of a miracle.

And that miracle had been made possible by the people who fought at the front.

Ludger Cherish, Derrick Olson, and Valentina.

Without the three of them, there would have been many victims.

“Ludger Cherish... I knew he wasn’t just an ordinary teacher, but that was...”

“Unbelievable nerve. When he said he’d served in the military, he wasn’t exaggerating.”

As the gazes turned toward them, Derrick shrugged and spoke to Ludger.

“So, how does it feel to be in the spotlight, Professor?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Still... where exactly did you learn to fight with poison on your weapon? Don’t tell me you learned that in the army too?”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“Well damn. Maybe I should enlist at my age if I want to become like you.”

“That’s a pretty terrifying thought.”

Derrick chuckled at Ludger’s dry joke, but he didn’t neglect organizing the situation.

It was fortunate they had driven off the Giant Bear without casualties—but bear hunting hadn’t been their goal to begin with.

“Still, it looks like the enemy’s run out of tricks. No magic traps left, and thanks to that monster, none of the other beasts dare come near.”

“I agree. Let’s move quickly.”

Valentina also nodded and began preparing to advance.

BOOOOM!

But the massive explosion from the mountain path ahead made it clear that even a brief rest wouldn’t be granted.

Just great. They really don’t know when to quit.

The explosion had erupted in the direction of one of the five ley lines flowing through the Kasarr Basin—at least according to their calculations.

Valentina's expression grew grim.

“Don’t tell me... they’ve found it?”

“I don’t think so,” Ludger replied, shaking his head.

Though the explosions continued, the distinctive phenomena that accompanied a ley line eruption—like what happened at the mansion—weren’t present.

The enemy was getting desperate, so they were lashing out recklessly.

BOOM. BOOM.

The explosions echoed at regular intervals.

They hadn’t found the ley line core yet. But it was clear they intended to keep detonating until they did.

It’s fine for now. So far, the only ley line that’s erupted is the one beneath the mansion...

Just as Ludger was thinking that—

The massive white dome of mist covering the Kasarr Basin rippled violently.

The mages felt it.

For just an instant, something enormous had exploded.

It was something different—something on another level compared to the blasts from before.

Bigger.

More dangerous.

“No way...”

Valentina leapt from branch to branch, climbing to the top of a tall tree.

After a moment, she descended with a hardened expression.

She delivered a stunning report.

“One of the ley lines has erupted.”