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The Outcast and Her Beasts New Ep,17 RS
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00:03On the first day of term, the freshmen at Evergird Academy of Arcane Beasts gathered to choose their sacred familiars.
00:09Once the noble heirs had claimed the deadliest and most prestigious creatures, only one remained.
00:15Inside the iron cage, an iron pack bear. The instructors laughed openly.
00:20A bear that cannot cast a basic levitation charm and a scholarship butt who barely made it through the gates.
00:25Perfect match.
00:26I drew a slow breath and let a drop of blood fall onto the parchment.
00:31The moment my fingers brushed the bear's fur, something slammed through the air towards me.
00:36Get your filthy hands off it, Poffet!
00:39Elaria charged straight at me and drove her shoulder into my chest.
00:42Her dragon hide boots pounded against the greenhouse floor.
00:46Before I could regain my balance, she yanked the cage chain free and dragged the bear behind her.
00:52The starfall fox she had chosen earlier lay discarded on a nearby table like yesterday's trash.
00:58Elaria, have you lost your mind?
01:00I stared at her, my voice flat with ice.
01:03By Academy law, she had already taken the highest bloodline falital in the room.
01:08The bear was mine by right.
01:11Lost my mind. I am preventing a ridiculous fast.
01:13Disgust dripped from every word.
01:16Fae, look at yourself.
01:17A freak living off charity.
01:20Dead last in every mana assessment shin.
01:22And you think you deserve a familiar?
01:25Even this useless bear, too stupid to learn levitation charm, would be wasted on you.
01:31She gave a sharp laugh, her voice ringing through the conservatory.
01:34Listen carefully.
01:35I will not allow the records of Evergold to be stained with a contract tied to blood as low as
01:39yours.
01:39This bear belongs to me now.
01:41I will use it for the most dangerous dark magic experiments.
01:44As for you, you can crawl back to your slum today.
01:47In my last life, the bear and I survived the Everwinter curse by huddling together against the endless cold.
01:53Aurelia's rare fox had died on the very first day.
01:57If she was fighting me for the bear now, then she remembered, too.
02:01She had been reborn, just like me.
02:03I looked at her sneering face and laughed from Shir Shirayuri.
02:07The temper I had afforded in that frozen nightmare surged up all at once, too violent to hold back.
02:12If I remember correctly, each student gets one familiar, and you have no authority over anyone else's choice.
02:18I stepped toward her.
02:20Put the bear down!
02:21Do you think this academy is your private vault?
02:24That you can take whatever you want?
02:26You dare speak to me like that?
02:28Aluria's face twisted in disbelief.
02:30She was pure-bled nobility, a girl raised on obedience and flattery.
02:33My defiance was something she could barely comprehend.
02:35What if I do not?
02:36I said, lifting a brow.
02:38Then I will teach you your place.
02:40She raised her right hand.
02:41Fire coiled instantly in her palm.
02:43With a furious cry, a high-tier fireball shot straight for my face.
02:46Die, freak!
02:50Gasps rippled through the conservatory.
02:52No one had expected the head prof, famous for her elegance and kindness, to try to murder a classmate on
02:58the very first day of school over a discarded bear.
03:00The wave of heat rushed toward me.
03:02I did not even blink.
03:04My eyes sharpened.
03:05Mana roared awake inside me, and my body moved on instant, already preparing to strike back.
03:10Mana gathered at my fingertips, ready to strike.
03:13Then two blurs shot across the room and threw themselves into the fight.
03:17A thunderous roar shook the glass walls.
03:19The lumbering iron-horde bear had planted itself in front of me.
03:22At the same instant, the starfall fox cub sprang from the table and landed beside it, shielding me with its
03:27tiny body.
03:28The fireball crashed into the mana barrier formed by bear and fox, exploding in a spray of sparks.
03:32The impact drove both cubs backward across the floor, but they still absorbed the full force of the attack meant
03:38to kill me.
03:39Silence swallowed the conservatory.
03:40Everyone stared, stunned by the sight of two newborn familiars, risking themselves without hesitation to protect their master.
03:49You useless white-furred pest!
03:50Aurelia's shriek shattered the stillness.
03:53She stormed forward, seized the fox by the scruff, and hurled it across the room.
03:58The cub let out a weak cry and curled up on the floor, its fur scorched black in patches.
04:03Then Aurelia dropped to her knees in front of the bear, heedless of the dirt staining her gown.
04:08Her face crumpled with exaggerated distress as she scooped it into her arms.
04:12Oh, my poor baby. Are you hurt?
04:13That vicious freak almost got you killed!
04:16Do not be afraid! Your master is taking you away right now!
04:19I did not move. My eyes stayed fixed on the bear.
04:21That defensive stance. The flawless positioning that shielded my vital points in a split second.
04:27The fearless look in its eyes as it took the fireball for me. No newborn cub should have been capable
04:32of that.
04:33Those were our movements. Our instincts. The battle rhythm we had forged together in the Everwinter curse.
04:39Joy and grief crashed through me at once. I understood now. This was never some newborn instinct to protect its
04:45owner.
04:45The bear remembered everything. It was not only my memories that had returned. My old partner had come back with
04:53me.
04:53Professor, this ironbide bear was terrified protecting me. It is now my most precious bonded failure, and I must take
05:00it to the infirmary wing immediately for a full mana examination.
05:03Surrounded by her followers, Aurelia swept out of the Echo Conservatory with the bear in her arms. The vast greenhouse
05:09fell quiet.
05:10Only a few apprentices remained, exchanging awkward looks, and one abandoned starfall fox laying on the floor.
05:15Its bloodline was noble, but after being publicly rejected by the head prefect, it had been marked as unlucky.
05:21To these snobbish nobles, that mattered more than pedigree. No one even stepped closer.
05:27I let out a breath, and crossed to the corner. The little fox lifted its head, trembling.
05:34They may treat you like trash, but I have always had a talent for finding hidden treasure.
05:38I crouched and gathered it into my arms. A moment ago, even with its weak little body, it had still
05:44thrown itself in front of me without hesitation.
05:46In my last life, because of Aurelia's incompetence and neglect, this fox with its ancient bloodline had developed painfully slowly.
05:53On the first day of the Everwinter curse, it froze solid into an ice statue.
05:59Everyone called it a beautiful mistake, a noble freak with nothing to offer but looks.
06:03So what if it was a freak?
06:05In the Everwinter curse, anyone willing to take a blade for you without hesitation was worth more than bloodline, title,
06:11or pride.
06:12I drew my silver dagger across my palm and pressed a drop of blood to the fox's brow.
06:16I, Fae, swear to bind myself to you. We live together. We fall together. We share honor and ruin alike.
06:22Crimson light blazed across the greenhouse floor. A ring of runic symbols rose around us.
06:26This was no ordinary symbiotic pet. This was the oldest and harshest bond of all. The blood oath of two
06:33souls.
06:34The little fox seemed startled by the power of the ritual. It stared up at me with wide eyes, then
06:39cautiously licked the blood from my fingertip with its warm tongue.
06:42From now on, it is us against the world.
06:46I rubbed its soft head and smiled for the first time in what felt like forever.
06:51Even if you are a tiny thing that cannot survive winter on your own, I will never abandon you.
06:57A few days later, the Academy held its first year magic trial.
07:01Faea, get up here.
07:02Aurelia pointed straight at me, murder burning in her eyes.
07:05At her side stood the Iron Head Bear, already larger than before.
07:08I stepped on the arena platform with the sleeping starfall fox in my arms.
07:11Aurelia moved close enough for only me to hear her.
07:15Stop pretending, Faea. I know you were reborn too.
07:18But do you really think moving first changes anything?
07:20That is pathetic.
07:21With that useless freak fox dragging you down, you will never survive the first day of the Everwinter curse.
07:26This time, I am going to watch you freeze into an ice statue and shatter into pieces!
07:30As the referee raised his wand, a voice suddenly entered my mind through telepathy.
07:35Easy there, little mage. It is me.
07:37Branbor.
07:38That idiot thinks she controls everything.
07:40But on the day of the contract, I made a few tiny adjustments to the ritual circle.
07:45His tone was pure mischief.
07:46She thinks she signed a fair symbiotic pat.
07:49What I actually turned it into was blood bound servancy.
07:52And here is the best part.
07:54I am the master.
07:55She is the servant.
07:56Once the fight starts, relax and play along.
07:59I am not laying a claw on you.
08:00I nearly laughed out loud.
08:02That scheming bear was exactly the same ruthless operate I had known in my last life.
08:06The trial begins!
08:07The referee's command rang out.
08:09Alaria snapped her wand forward.
08:11Bornbor, tear her apart!
08:12Show her the absolute power of a superior arcane beast!
08:15The bear roared and charged straight at me.
08:17Behind him, Aurelia smiled in triumph.
08:20The massive paw came hurtling toward my face.
08:22I did not even raise a defensive spell.
08:24Gasps broke out across the arena.
08:26Aurelia was already laughing.
08:28Then the bear slammed to a stop.
08:30Its claws carved two deep grooves into the stone platform.
08:33In front of a horrified crowd, it calmly dropped onto its haunches, yawned, and began licking one paw.
08:39What are you doing? Attack her!
08:41Aurelia's scream cracked across the arena.
08:44Nope.
08:45Huh?
08:46The bear rolled its eyes.
08:49You feed me those cheap little mana crystals that are not even enough to fill the gaps in my teeth
08:53and now you expect me to break my back for you?
08:56You wanted a free slave. Not happening. I quit.
08:59The arena erupted with laughter.
09:01No one had ever seen a familiar go on strike in the middle of a duel because the pay was
09:04too low.
09:05Aurelia shook with rage, only to realize she could not summon any mana at all.
09:09While she panicked, I barely flicked my wand and cast the most basic mana burst.
09:13The blast sent her flying.
09:15She hit the ground face first after tumbling off the platform.
09:18Fae, you filthy freak! That win does not count!
09:21Aurelia shrieked from the stone floor.
09:23Do not get smug! Even if you won today, you and that freak fox will still freeze to death in
09:28the curse!
09:28You were born to die young!
09:30I looked down at her once, unmoved by the tantrum of someone who could not stand losing.
09:35Then I stepped off the platform and piled every mana crystal I had won in front of the fox sleeping
09:40in my arms.
09:41For days, I had poured every resource I could find into him.
09:45As the crystals dissolved into streams of light and flowed into his body, a youthful voice exploded inside my mind
09:51through our soul link.
09:52You do have decent taste after all.
09:54My steps halted. The fox's voice pierced my thoughts again.
09:57Remember my true name, Silas, and ignore the nonsense that ugly woman keeps shouting.
10:01I am not some helpless freak who cannot survive the cold.
10:04She was simply too incompetent to raise me properly.
10:07Since you offered all your resources to me, once I finish absorbing this power, I will personally protect you when
10:12disaster comes.
10:13Aurelia's humiliating defeat on the trial platform shattered the last of her composure.
10:17The coming ever-winter curse, drawing closer by the day like the ticking of a clock, became the hand of
10:22death wrapped around her throat.
10:23If she wanted to preserve her precious noble life, there was only one thing left to do.
10:28She clung to Bambor with the desperation of a drowning woman.
10:31Bambor, that so-called honest bear hiding the soul of a master con artist, turned extortion into an art form.
10:37He rolled his eyes at the mana crystals she offered him.
10:40You cannot seriously expect me to awaken an ancient sorcery ward strong enough to resist absolute zero with trash that
10:46looks like broken glass.
10:47Forget it.
10:48With one swipe, he knocked the crystals aside.
10:52Listen carefully. If you want to stay alive, do not insult me with defective scraps.
10:56You chose me, so think this through.
10:59First, bring me enough top-grade pure-blood primal mana ore to stack higher than three mountains.
11:03If spending money pains you that much, then go pick out a nice grave now.
11:07Aurelia's eyes burned red with fury.
11:10Three mountains of top-grade ore.
11:12This was not negotiation.
11:14It was robbery in broad daylight.
11:16But her family had no intention of indulging her.
11:19The pure-blood elders lounging on leather sofas dismissed all her raving about the Everwinter curse as attention-seeking hysteria.
11:26Without hesitation, they froze every family account tied to her name.
11:31With death looming closer each night and her money cut off, Aurelia finally snapped.
11:35She became a gambler with nothing left to lose.
11:37The private estate that had once symbolized her pure-blood prestige was marged immediately.
11:41The Pegasus carriage passed down through generations of her family was sold for half its value.
11:46Even the custom robes in her dressing hall and the priceless heirloom jewels her parents had saved for her marriage
11:52were dumped for bags of heavy gold, as if they were junk from an attic.
11:56When Aurelia finally dragged herself forward, dark circles under her eyes, and piled three hill-sized heaps of flawless crystals
12:02before Branbor,
12:03she believed she had bought herself a pardon from death.
12:06What she never imagined was that she was about to be robbed by a thief even more ruthless than herself.
12:11The scheming bear opened a shadow portal and sent the entire fortune straight onto the carpet of my dorm room.
12:17The pile was large enough to buy half of Evergrade Academy.
12:20I did not even blink.
12:22I scooped two handfuls into my pocket and shoved the rest toward Silas.
12:26Well, that vicious idiot has finally done one useful thing in her life.
12:31Silas lounged on top of the crystal mountain like a king on his throne.
12:35As he absorbed the mana within them, the crystals dimmed and crumbled into ash around him.
12:41Through telepathy, he issued orders in his usual arrogant tone.
12:44Try not to stand there looking useless.
12:47I burn through energy faster than you can imagine.
12:49Pick out the two purest ones and bring them to me personally.
12:53Then, the midnight bells began to ring.
12:56The moment of doom had arrived.
12:58The prophesied Everwinter curse tore open the sky at last.
13:02Temperature plunged so violently, it felt as if the world had fallen off a cliff.
13:06In an instant, every trace of life across the academy was crushed beneath the cold.
13:11Snow spread quickly through the corridors and courtyards, covering the stones in white.
13:15While everyone else was desperate to survive, wishing they could crawl inside a fireplace just to feel a trace of
13:21warmth,
13:22Aurelia chose that moment to stage a spectacle.
13:24She kicked off her winter leathers, changed into a thin silk nightgown, slipped into high heels,
13:29and strode out of the dormitory quarter with Barnbor rumbering behind her like a moving hill.
13:33A barrier shield shimmered around her.
13:36Bramber had made it just strong enough to keep her from freezing to death,
13:39while giving her the perfect illusion that she was untouchable.
13:42Pathetic freaks.
13:44Every last one of you.
13:46In the Grand Corridor, Aurelia came upon several apprentices struggling to maintain warming charm spells,
13:52along with an enchantments professor, whose hands were shaking so badly he could barely hold his wand.
13:58Whatever mask of grace and kindness she had worn as head-perfect was gone.
14:01Her true nature stood naked in the cold.
14:04She pointed straight at them and burst into laughter.
14:07Did you not call me insane?
14:09Were those pure-blood elders not so proud when they frozen my accounts?
14:13Well, open your eyes.
14:15In this frozen hell, I alone am truth.
14:17I am the winter queen who decides who lives and who dies.
14:20As for the rest of you worthless trash, enjoy the slow experience of freezing to death.
14:24The professor and apprentices stood there with blue lips and chattering teeth,
14:27forced to endure her mockery in silence.
14:30Then, just as Aurelia was savoring her power, slow footsteps echoed from around the corner.
14:34I stepped into view wearing nothing but the Academy's standard uniform shirt,
14:38Silas asleep in my arms.
14:40The vast, pure mana radiating from the starfall fox swept every trace of cold away from my body.
14:45Aurelia's laughter died instantly.
14:47Her face twisted with rage.
14:49Well, look who it is.
14:51Our poor little prodigy, Faye.
14:53She stalked toward me.
14:55And what is that in your arms?
14:56A rag that somehow has not frozen stiff yet?
14:59What happened?
15:00Your freak fox still has not finished dying?
15:02I stopped and looked at her without expression.
15:05Behind her, Branbor covered one eye with a paw and rolled the other dramatically.
15:09Aurelia lifted her chin and pointed to the floor in front of me.
15:13Faye, since luck carried you through the night, I will give you one last chance to live.
15:16Kneel.
15:17Right now.
15:17She looked down at me like royalty addressing dirt.
15:20Crawl to me like a dog.
15:21Sign a soulbond indenture.
15:22Sell your life to me, then beg through your tears for mercy.
15:25If your queen is pleased, perhaps Banbor will spare you a few crumbs of warmth.
15:28Otherwise, I will let you watch yourself rot into frozen meat.
15:31I gave a short laugh.
15:33Sign a soulbond inductrant?
15:36I raised one brow and let my gaze travel openly over her silk nightgown.
15:40Aurelia, did too much snow get into your head?
15:43I am never signing anything that turns me into your dog.
15:47Her face flushed a dark, ugly red.
15:50For a moment she nearly exploded, then forced herself into a look of lofty pity.
15:55Keep talking, Faye.
15:57Be as stubborn as you like.
15:59She sneered.
16:00In this hell of absolute zero, your ridiculous pride cannot block even one second of wind.
16:05I would bet that in less than three hours you will come crawling back to my feet like a frozen
16:09stray, sobbing for a single breath of warm air.
16:12And when that happens, even if you scream and beg, I will not spare you a glance.
16:16I yawned and did not bother answering.
16:19Silas huttered in my arms.
16:20She has completely lost her mind.
16:23Revolting.
16:24Illyria laughed and turned her gaze toward the teachers and students lining the corridor.
16:28If someone wants to die, I will not stop them.
16:30Her voice rang through the frozen hall.
16:33But what about the rest of you?
16:34Do you want to live?
16:35Anyone who wants to survive this curse inside my ward can kneel now and sign a soulbond indenture.
16:40Whoever pleases me most will earn the Winter Queen's protection.
16:43The professors and apprentice stared at her, eyes burning with humiliation and fury.
16:46In ordinary times, they were the proud elite of Evergard.
16:49How could they accept something so degrading?
16:51Then a gust of freezing wind tore through the corridor.
16:53A pane of glass shattered at the far end.
16:55Snowstorm air flooded inside.
16:57Wymanton screamed as dead grey frost over half his leg.
17:00In that instant, survival crushed Dignity flat.
17:02No one knew who moved first.
17:04A sob broke from the crowd.
17:05Then someone dropped to their knees before Aurelia with a thud.
17:08Then a second.
17:09Then a third.
17:10The corridor dissolved into chaos.
17:12Desperate mages lunged forward, fighting for a place nearest to Auraria's feet.
17:16Some clawed and shoved each other just to kneel closer to the toes of her shoes.
17:19Watching her former teachers and classmates crawl before her like dogs,
17:22Aurelia threw back her head and laughed.
17:23She basked in it, drunk on the highest thrill she had ever known.
17:26Absolute power over everyone around her.
17:28She cast one last triumphant glance at me.
17:30Do you see now, Fae?
17:31This is reality.
17:32Aurelia flicked her sleeve and delivered her verdict.
17:35Go cling to that useless freak box of yours.
17:38And wait to die in the cold.
17:41Looking down at the so-called elites groveling at her feet, she let out a satisfied sigh.
17:45Then she lifted her chin and issued another command to the bear behind her.
17:49Barn boar, give these obedient little dogs a trace of warmth.
17:53Let them witness what true generosity looks like.
17:55The bear did not move.
17:56Instead, he blew a harsh breath through his nose and let out a low, mocking snert.
18:01Cracks spread across Aurelia's barrier shield like spider webs.
18:05Then, with a sharp snap, it shattered into a storm of ice crystals and vanished into the air.
18:10The cold hit her all at once.
18:13She screamed.
18:15Every trace of her practiced elegance disappeared.
18:18Her whole body convulsed violently as if struck by lightning.
18:21Her lips turned blue as she wrapped both arms around herself.
18:24You insane beast!
18:25What are you doing?
18:26I am your master!
18:27Restore the shield right now, or I will use the contract to make you beg for death!
18:31Bran boar looked down at her.
18:32Master?
18:33You?
18:34His deep, booming voice rolled through the frozen corridor, thick with contempt.
18:39He swept one massive paw through the air, and a ronic contract array flared into existence.
18:43Open your eyes, idiot.
18:45This is bloodbound servitude.
18:46Under the law of bonds, I am the exalted master.
18:48You are nothing but a slave I can crush whenever I please.
18:50Do you know why I kept you alive this long?
18:51I was bored.
18:52I wanted to see how far a pathetic clown like you would dance before the end.
18:55The corridor fell into dead silence.
18:57Only the blizzard outside still howled against the windows.
19:00The professors and apprentice, who had just thrown away every scrap of bignity to crawl on the floor and beg
19:05for a soul bond indictment, slowly lifted their heads.
19:07When they saw the inverted master-servant contract suspended in the air, and realized Arela had never possessed any control
19:12over the bear at all, shock drained from their faces.
19:15It twisted into humiliation, then into pure, violent rage.
19:18They had been made made into fools.
19:20They had surrendered the last pride they had as mages, and knelt before someone with no power at all, someone
19:25even more pitiful than they were.
19:28You liar.
19:29One apprentice growled.
19:30He had already been on the edge of collapse.
19:33Now the humiliation of having his dignity ground into dust destroyed what little reason he had left.
19:37His eyes blazed red.
19:39Die, you lying bitch.
19:41He launched himself from the floor and slammed into Aurelia, sending the former head preferred flying.
19:46She crashed hard against the stone with a heavy thud, followed by the sickening crack of bone.
19:54If we are all going to die in this cursed weather, then you can go to hell first!
19:59He straddled her chest and wrapped his frost-blackened hands around her throat.
20:03His skin split and bled from the cold, but madness gave him monstrous strength.
20:07Her windpipe rattled under his grip.
20:10Help.
20:11Help me.
20:12Aurelia's eyes bulged, blood vessels bursting red across the whites.
20:16She clawed wildly at his arms, trying to pry him off.
20:19But her carefully manicured nails had already turned brittle in the freezing air.
20:22They snapped off at the roots one after another.
20:24Her face darkened to a deep purple-black as the air left her lungs.
20:28The other professors and apprentices advanced one step at a time, hatred burning in their eyes.
20:33I stood at the far end of the corridor with Salamis in my arms, watching the farce unfold while he
20:39gave a cold little laugh.
20:40The Everwinter curse had no shortage of tears.
20:43And Aurelia was finally paying the full price for her arrogance and cruelty.
20:48Crack!
20:49The sharp sound echoed through the hall as her neck snapped.
20:53Her suffocating body jerked once.
20:55Those eyes that had once overflowed with pride and superiority flew wide open.
20:59Blood vessels bursted across them as terror and agony froze in there forever.
21:03She stared at the dim ceiling, lifeless.
21:05The flawless head-prayer who had crowned herself the Winter Queen died at the hands of a common apprentice she
21:10had considered beneath notice.
21:11She died without dignity, and almost absurdly.
21:14She is dead! She is dead!
21:16The apprentice shook violently, then burst into laughter.
21:19He threw himself onto Aurelia's corpse and began tearing at her silk nightgown.
21:23Where is her bag of holding? She must have hidden supplies! Give it to me!
21:27That act snapped the last thread of reason in everyone nearby.
21:32In the hell of absolute zero, morality, manners, and law shattered, like thin ice before the instinct to survive.
21:38The professors and apprentices lunged as one, eyes blazing with animal greed.
21:43They swarmed Aurelia's body and buried it beneath a frenzy of grasping hands.
21:47Get back! It is mine!
21:48Give me that robe! I am freezing!
21:49She doesn't have a storage bag!
21:50That bitch traded everything for crystals for the bear!
21:53There is nothing left!
21:54The crowd spiraled into chaos. Crushing cold and hopelessness drove them into blind violence.
21:59The refined mages of yesterday clawed and beat one another over a torn cloak and a stale piece of bread.
22:04Broken frost spells and stray sparks exploded wildly through the mob.
22:08Blood splashed into the air, only to freeze into vivid red ice before it hit the ground.
22:12The academy had become a slaughterhouse without order.
22:15Then, in the middle of that blood magnus, someone slowly turned a hungry, murderous gaze towards me at the edge
22:21of the corridor.
22:22She... she looks warm.
22:23A blood-covered a murdered apprentice pointed at me, voice ragged.
22:27That fox has mana! Take it! Take her clothes and take the fox!
22:30Dozens of crimson eyes locked onto me. With screams and snarls, they charged. My expression hardened.
22:36I was just raising my fingers to cast Burst Hex when a massive shadow crashed down in front of me.
22:42Branbor...
22:42He plantanted himself between me and the mob with a roar that shook the corridor.
22:48Mana erupted outward as a shockwave, hurling more than a dozen Apprentice through the air and smashing them into the
22:54ice-covered walls.
22:55Anyone who takes one more step...
22:57Banbur growled as he rose to his full height, murder blazing in his bare eyes.
23:02I will rip your head off and use it for a ball.
23:05That overwhelming display of brute force finally brought the mob back to its senses.
23:10They staggered backward, staring at the savage beast who had turned on Aurelia herself.
23:14No one dared step forward to die next.
23:17I stood behind Banbur's entowering frame and pat his back.
23:20Thanks, old friend.
23:21He did not even look at me. He only snored.
23:25Take it easy, little mage. While I am here, this trash will not touch a single hair on your head.
23:30At that moment, I felt a strange pulse rise from the fox in my arms.
23:35Silas, who had been sleeping the entire time, suddenly grew hotter by the second.
23:39It was more than warmth. It felt like holding a miniature sun against my chest.
23:43Blinding silver-white light began to shine through his snow-colored fur.
23:48Frost in the air hissed and evaporated around us.
23:50I looked down. His small body was wrapped in a halo of starlight, and within that radiance he began to
23:56change.
23:56His frame lengthened and unfolded with impossible speed.
24:00A massive white tail burst outward behind him. Wings of pure mana, forged from condensed starlight, spread from his back.
24:07Ancient divine power rolled off him with such force it made worship feel like instant.
24:12At the center of that brilliance, Simus slowly opened his eyes.
24:15They were mismatched. One gleamed like molten gold. The other was cold as living ice.
24:20He made no sound with his mouth, yet telepathy thundered through my mind.
24:24And how unbearably loud. A swarm of low-brawn insects dares disturb my sleep.
24:29Silas rose from my arms and stood tall, his elegant star-walled fox form stretching to its full majesty.
24:35A terrifying ward swept outward from him, pressing down on everyone in the corridor.
24:39Little mage, thank you for waiting. Now let these freaks witness what a true primial phantive looks like.
24:45Around us lay wreckage, blood, and the trembling figures of rioters hiding in corners.
24:49Above them all, Silas hovered with his vast wings spread wide, radiating a sacred pressure that stole the breath from
24:56anyone who saw him.
24:57Then he turned his head toward me. Those mesmerizing eyes fixed on mine, and his cool voice rang through my
25:03thoughts.
25:03Come here. Stand beside me and witness a real miracle.
25:07I smiled and stepped across the shattered ice to his side.
25:10Through the ancient blood oath of two souls, I could feel the terrifying mana inside him, vast and violent as
25:16a supernova.
25:17He had no intention of ending this disaster alone. He was opening his soul to me willingly.
25:22Give me your mana.
25:24Silas whispered, his voice filled with absolute trust.
25:29Take all of it, your highness.
25:31I raised my hand and poured back into him the immense power he had been feeding into me all this
25:36time.
25:36Our mana met in the air and resonated perfectly.
25:39The two forces fused at once, becoming a blazing pillar of silver and gold light that shot upward from where
25:45we stood.
25:46Ancient sorcery. Breath of dawn.
25:48At Silas's command, the beam tore through the massive storm clouds that had smothered the sky above Evergrove Academy for
25:53half a month.
25:54Then the miracle began. The endless darkness split apart beneath golden sunlight.
25:58The blessed radiance of the starfall fox carried overwhelming heat and life with it.
26:03Snow piled as high as a building did not even melt into water first.
26:07It hissed once and vanished directly into steam.
26:10The enchanted thermometer hanging on the corridor wall began shrieking with rapid clicks as the red column shot upward.
26:16Negative 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
26:19Zero.
26:20Forty.
26:21Then, at last, it settled at a perfectly comfortable 75 degrees.
26:25The surviving apprentices and professors huddled in the dark corners of the corridor, staring blankly as sunlight poured through the
26:32shattered windows and fell across their faces.
26:34When they felt warmth for the first time in what seemed like forever, some collapsed to their knees.
26:40Others covered their faces and broke into uncontrollable sobs.
26:44The curse!
26:45The curse!
26:46The curse is broken!
26:47We survived!
26:49Dear God, the sun is out!
26:51Then they looked toward me at the far end of the hall with awe in their eyes.
26:55Bathed in brilliant light, I stood there without a scratch on me.
26:58To my left was the fully unfurled starfall fox.
27:00To my right stood the room bear, towering like a black iron fortress.
27:03In that moment, everyone understood.
27:05The sky over Evergard had changed.
27:08No one dared speak of pure lead prestige anymore.
27:11No one dared call me a freak again.
27:13In a world ruled by strength, I had become the only law that mattered.
27:17I ignored their stares.
27:19I simply stretched, yawned, and let the tension drain from my shoulders.
27:23Finally over.
27:24I patted Barnboa's thick leg, then reached up and rubbed one of Silas's fox ears.
27:28Come on, you two.
27:29I want a hot bath and about three straight days of sleep.
27:32Three months later, most of Evergrade had been rebuilt.
27:35Aradia's ugly death had become an unspoken taboo,
27:38and the mountains of mana crystals she had sacrificed everything to gather naturally became the private property of me and
27:43my two.
27:43For millions.
27:44With that fortune and our overwhelming power, I traded up to the most luxurious top floor duplex suite in the
27:49academy.
27:50No one dared harass me over my scholarship anymore.
27:52Even the headmaster greeted me politely whenever we crossed paths.
27:56Hey, you uncivilized brown brute, get your slobber-covered paw off my sofa.
28:01A familiar, arrogant voice rang out from the living room.
28:03I walked out of the kitchen carrying two muggas of hot cocoa and sighed at the usual chaos waiting for
28:08me.
28:08Sinus was in his human form, tall and elegant, silver hair falling to his waist in loose waves.
28:12He wore an exquisitely tailored silk shirt open at the collar to reveal a sharp sculpted collar bone.
28:17His face was impossibly handsome and thoroughly annoyed.
28:19Behind him, his large fluffy tail lashed back and forth in outrage.
28:22The target of his fury, Banbor, was sprawled across an outrageously expensive dragonhide sofa like he owned the place.
28:28He lazily scratched one ear.
28:30Your highness, the sofa was bought by the little mage.
28:34And for the record, I just chased a pack of high-tier beasts off North Ridge for her.
28:38This is my earned personal recovery time.
28:41What would a white fox who only sheds everywhere know about earning rewards through hard work?
28:46You are asking to die.
28:48Silver magic flared instantly in Sinus's mismatched eyes.
28:51That is enough.
28:53Both of you, settle down.
28:55I walked over, shoved one mug of cocoa into Banbor's enormous paw, and dropped onto the center cushion of the
29:02sofa.
29:03Silas dismissed his magic at once and slid beside me with practiced ease.
29:06His tall body folded against my shoulder like he had no bones at all.
29:10His fluffiest tail curled around my waist and tugged me gently into his arms.
29:14He lowered his head, cool lips brushing the edge of my ear in a teasing whisper.
29:18My dear, ignore that oversized barbarian.
29:20The weather is perfect today.
29:22Should we finally finish that partner ritual we left unfinished last time?
29:26Get lost.
29:27Try thinking with your brain for once.
29:29Laughing.
29:29I caught his chin and pushed his face away, though I made no effort to leave his embrace.
29:33Sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, warm and golden across all of us.
29:37On my left was a cunning fox resting against my shoulder with a quiet smile.
29:41On my right was a loyal bear already snoring loud enough to shake the room.
29:44I looked at the mountain of premium mana crystals stacked on the coffee table and closed my eyes in contentment.
29:49To hell with the Everwinter curse.
29:51To hell with class prejudice.
29:52After surviving death and a frozen nightmare, every day now belonged to me.
29:56For Fae, this was the perfect summer.
29:58And nothing in the world could defeat it.
30:00If women did not wear a photograph.
30:00It soundsģing like a
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