Extra Demon: Sacred Academy of Light

"We've finally made it out of this forest." Evelyn let out a quiet sigh to herself. For the past ten full days, all she had seen was the same endless scenery. But that wasn't even her main problem. What truly bothered her about that place was that she hadn't been able to eat fresh meat. She had been craving the taste of wild game, even just a bite, but not a single animal had appeared in the entire forest. Nothing. It was as if only those two serpents existed and nothing else.

Driven by simple curiosity, she asked Professor Emilia about the absence of wildlife in the area.

The professor's words left everyone stunned.

—"Of course there are animals," she answered calmly. "You just can't sense them. They're right beneath our feet."

As she spoke, the professor pointed at the ground.

—"The Guardians sit at the very top of the food chain in this place. And to feed such creatures, enormous amounts of prey are needed. The animals of this forest never stood a chance against them. Their only way to survive was to adapt to an underground life. And don't think it's a small space — it's larger than the Deep Forest itself. The world beneath us is filled with wild, intelligent creatures. They all hide right under our feet. And it's by no means a terrible place. It's a different world, with rivers, lakes, even mountains. A completely different biome from what you see now. Over time, the terrain shifted and evolved to make survival possible. The creatures are enormous — the oldest ones can reach nearly a kilometer in length."

—"A truly small world, wouldn't you agree, student?" —the student council president added, flashing a mysterious smile.

—"Professor, can I ask a question?" —one of the students raised their hand.

—"Go ahead," —she replied simply.

—"Are the intelligent animals here weaker than the ones from the depths?"

—"Yes. Much weaker than the ones living in the depths of the Beastly Glades, except for the two Guardians."

—"Why is that?" —another student asked.

—"Because of their blood. The creatures in this forest have low-blood. In the next area we're heading to, you'll find mid-blood creatures. And finally, in the depths of the Beastly Glades, there are high-blood creatures and progenitor-blood creatures."

She paused for a moment, then continued:

—"What's the difference between them? Evolutionary potential. High-blood creatures are extremely intelligent, and their souls are so well-developed that they could almost be compared to mine. They're capable of evolving endlessly. On the other hand, progenitor-blood creatures have the ability to create entirely new species... and they are immortal."

—"But what if someone kills one?" —another student asked.

—"It's forbidden to kill a progenitor creature. Demons, dragons, and even we humans all understand that there are rules that cannot be broken. None of the three races has ever dared to slay a progenitor. It is believed that if a progenitor were ever killed, it would instantly be reborn somewhere else. While this hasn't been confirmed, it's the most widely accepted theory. And if, for some reason, that didn't happen, its entire bloodline would vanish forever."

She shifted her gaze across the group, then added:

—"Lastly, creatures of low and mid-blood, although intelligent, are more like juveniles. They can't evolve. In other words, they're not suitable for forming contracts."

She shrugged, as if the matter were of little importance.

*****

Winter. That was the word that best described the place where we found ourselves. Snow as clear as water fell slowly to the ground, piling higher and higher, making it even harder to walk. But with Professor Emilia's help, it hadn't become a serious problem. At the moment, we were walking along a path of pristine ice, surrounded on all sides by a thick fog. Visibility was almost nonexistent, so we had to stay close together. The freezing cold was so merciless that we couldn't stop moving for long — the snow would quite literally swallow us whole if we did.

—"This is the worst place I've ever been."Leslie frowned. She wore a coat that covered her entire upper body and clung tightly to my arm, claiming it was so she wouldn't lose sight of me.

Evelyn was completely wrapped up, to the point that only her red eyes were visible behind her goggles. Every now and then, she would fall, though I couldn't quite tell why. Maybe she couldn't see properly with all that gear on.

Daniela, meanwhile, was surrounded by faint golden halos and bundled up in a thick coat. She sighed every time Evelyn fell, having to help her back onto her feet. The conditions were brutal for all of us — all except for Professor Emilia and Elizabeth, who walked ahead as if nothing bothered them, completely unphased by the cold.

We had now reached a new part of the Beastly Glades, known as The Snowy Woods.It was as large as the Deep Forest, but unlike the former, far more dangerous. It was easy to get lost in the endless snowstorm, and the poor visibility made it all too easy for anything lurking nearby to attack you. And of course, there was the extreme cold.

The Snowy Woods were full of steep, ice-covered mountains. Beyond those mountains lay the next part of the Beastly Glades: The Autumn Forest. That would be the next stop on our journey. After that, we'd finally reach the depths of the Beastly Glades — our true destination.

But to get there, we first had to cross a vast frozen lake, a place untouched by the snowstorm. Wild animals lived beneath its surface — exiled and cast out by the intelligent creatures that ruled the forest.And of course, before crossing... the area would need to be cleared.

Arthur frowned. Just like the three young women around him, he could feel small creatures following them. It wasn't just one or two — there were many. Maybe hundreds. But the snow fog was too thick to see anything.It seemed the creatures were only curious, since they hadn't launched any kind of attack.And yet... not once did they reveal themselves.