The following morning, the expedition departed before sunrise.
A thin layer of frost covered the grass surrounding the campsite.
Adrian noticed it immediately.
The previous evening had been relatively warm. Even in the northern region, the sudden appearance of frost was unusual.
He crouched and touched the ground.
Cold.
Much colder than it should have been.
"Strange, isn't it?"
Adrian looked behind him.
Gareth stood with his spear resting against his shoulder.
"Did you sleep well?" Adrian asked.
"Not particularly. Someone was shouting during the night."
"Probably a nightmare."
"Maybe."
Gareth looked toward the forest.
"Do you think the wolf is responsible?"
"Possibly."
Before Gareth could respond, Captain Roland called everyone together.
"Listen carefully. We discovered a destroyed merchant carriage approximately two kilometres north of here. Our first objective is to investigate the site and locate survivors."
The students divided into three groups.
Adrian was assigned to the second group, alongside Gareth and several other students.
Leon joined the first group.
Kael was also assigned to the first group, while Elena accompanied the medical team.
Adrian considered the arrangement fortunate.
He preferred investigating without being directly involved in Leon's decisions.
The group moved through the forest.
The trees became thicker, and the temperature gradually dropped.
After twenty minutes, they reached the destroyed carriage.
Its wooden frame was broken.
Bloodstains covered the snow.
Gareth examined the tracks.
"These aren't ordinary wolf footprints."
Adrian approached.
The footprints were nearly twice the size of a normal wolf's paw.
Their edges were covered in frost.
He activated his system.
[Ancient Beast Bloodline Signature Detected.]
[Distance: Approximately 1.8 kilometres.]
Adrian's expression remained unchanged.
He looked at the tracks.
"They lead toward the north."
One of the knights nodded.
"We'll follow them."
Adrian stood up.
He had no intention of following blindly.
The tracks were too obvious.
A powerful creature would not necessarily leave such a clear trail unless it wanted to be followed.
He looked around.
There were smaller footprints near the carriage.
Human footprints.
They disappeared behind a group of rocks.
"Captain."
Roland approached.
"What is it?"
"Someone may have escaped toward those rocks."
The knight examined the ground.
After a moment, he nodded.
"Good observation. Two people, perhaps."
The group moved toward the rocks.
They discovered a young man lying beneath a fallen tree.
Elena immediately rushed forward.
"He's alive!"
She placed her hand against his chest.
A soft golden light spread from her fingers.
The injured man opened his eyes.
"Please..."
His voice was weak.
"Don't go into the forest."
Captain Roland crouched beside him.
"What attacked you?"
The man trembled.
"A wolf."
He swallowed.
"But it wasn't hunting us."
"What do you mean?"
The survivor looked toward the deeper forest.
"It was running away from something."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
Something stronger than the ancient wolf?
The man grabbed Roland's arm.
"There's something beneath the mountain."
His eyes widened.
"It woke up."
Then he fainted.
The forest became silent.
Adrian looked toward the distant mountains.
His original plan had been to find an ancient beast and inherit its bloodline.
Now he was beginning to suspect that the wolf might be the least dangerous thing in the region.