The North Academy was peaceful.
The sound of training weapons echoed across the courtyard.
Students moved between classrooms and training fields.
Instructors corrected mistakes.
Sparring matches continued.
Nothing about the day was unusual.
For the graduating students, it was simply another day closer to the end of their academy life.
Soon, they would leave these halls.
Soon, they would begin their journey as aspiring climbers.
For Jack, Mia, Oliver, and Thomas...
It was another ordinary day.
None of them knew that yesterday, inside Professor Marcus' office, their names had already been chosen.
Jack stood in the center of the training field, lowering his weapon.
His opponent stepped back, breathing heavily.
"Again."
The student stared at him.
"We already finished."
Jack tilted his head.
"Then we should review our mistakes."
A familiar voice came from behind him.
"Of course you would say that."
Jack turned.
Oliver stood there with his training weapon resting on his shoulder.
"You treat every battle like a lesson."
"Every battle is a lesson."
Oliver sighed.
"That answer is exactly why I said that."
Mia approached while carrying her equipment.
"You two still argue the same way after three years."
Thomas followed behind her.
"Some things never change."
The four smiled.
Three years.
That was how long they had trained together.
They were no longer the inexperienced students who first entered the academy.
They had grown stronger.
They had learned the dangers of the world.
They had learned that surviving was not about being the strongest.
It was about adapting.
Soon, they would leave the academy.
Soon, they would become aspiring climbers.
The sound of footsteps interrupted them.
"Jack."
The four turned.
An instructor stood at the entrance of the training field.
"Professor Marcus requests your presence."
The students immediately became curious.
Marcus rarely summoned students personally.
Before Jack could ask why, the instructor continued.
"Mia."
"Oliver."
"Thomas."
The three looked at him.
"You are requested as well."
The four exchanged uncertain glances.
They had no idea why they were being called.
But they followed.
Professor Marcus' office was quiet.
When Jack entered, he immediately noticed who was present.
Professor Marcus.
Instructor Gareth.
Captain Rowan.
Eva.
The atmosphere was different.
This was not a normal academy meeting.
Marcus gestured toward the chairs.
"Sit."
The four obeyed.
Captain Rowan placed a folder on the table.
"I will explain why you are here."
He opened it.
"How much do you know about Ceduz?"
Oliver answered.
"A town near the Northwest Explorer's Guild branch."
Jack continued.
"It is a supply route and resting point for explorers operating in the northwest region."
Mia nodded.
"Many Explorer's Guild operations depend on it."
Rowan nodded.
"Correct."
Then his expression became serious.
"Ceduz has been attacked."
The room became silent.
"By Aswang."
The word carried fear.
Everyone knew the name.
But for Jack...
It carried memories.
His thoughts returned to the world he came from.
A world where there was a country called the Philippines.
A place made up of thousands of islands.
A place where legends changed from region to region.
Island to island.
Community to community.
Among all those stories...
Few names were as widespread as Aswang.
But Jack remembered something important.
Aswang was never a single creature.
It was a name used to describe many different kinds of monsters.
There were countless variations depending on the region and the stories passed down.
However...
Among all the legends he knew...
Five types were the most commonly recognized.
The first was the Manananggal.
The most infamous flying Aswang.
Stories described it as a creature that could appear human during the day.
But when night arrived...
Its upper torso separated from its lower body.
Large bat-like wings grew from its back, allowing it to fly through the darkness while its lower half remained hidden.
It hunted from above.
Using a long, hollow tongue, it was said to feed on unborn children or the weakness of the sick.
Because it hunted under the cover of darkness, legends often connected the Manananggal with remote villages, forests, and isolated areas where it could hide.
The second was the Sigbin.
A beast-like Aswang.
Stories from different regions described it differently.
Some described it as a black dog with glowing red eyes.
Others described it as a strange predator resembling a large cat or another wild animal.
Unlike the Manananggal, the Sigbin hunted from the ground.
It stalked roads.
Farmlands.
Forests.
Places where travelers could become separated from others.
Jack continued remembering the legends from his previous life.
The third was the Balbal and Busaw.
The Aswangs associated with death.
Unlike creatures that hunted from the sky or stalked travelers, these monsters were connected to places where the dead were kept.
Stories described them as creatures with long claws, sharp teeth, and an appearance that could fool humans during the day.
But there was always something wrong.
A terrifying smell of decay.
A presence that revealed what they truly were.
According to the legends, Balbal and Busaw were often found near cemeteries, graveyards, and funeral grounds.
They did not always hunt living victims.
Instead, they were said to dig up freshly buried corpses and consume them.
The fourth was the Wakwak and Tiktik.
Flying Aswangs that were often described as bird-like humanoids with large wings.
Their names came from the sounds they made while hunting.
But the frightening part was not only their appearance.
It was the deception behind their voices.
According to the stories, the sound of the Wakwak or Tiktik became louder the farther away the creature actually was.
A victim might hear the noise getting weaker and believe the monster was moving away.
When in reality...
It was already close.
Waiting.
Watching.
Ready to strike.
They attacked from above, using long tongue-like organs to pierce their victims and drink their blood.
The fifth was the Mangkukulam and Mambabarang.
Unlike the other types, these were not always described as physical monsters.
They were humans who practiced forbidden magic.
They did not rely on claws, fangs, or strength.
Instead, they used curses.
Dark rituals.
Spells.
Stories described them causing sickness, controlling insects, or making strange objects appear within their victims through their magic.
They were feared because their attacks could happen without warning.
Jack became quiet.
Those were the five most commonly known types of Aswang from the world he came from.
But they were not the only ones.
There were countless regional variations.
Some were only known in certain areas.
Some existed only in old stories.
Some changed depending on who told the tale.
But all of them shared one terrifying idea.
Aswangs adapted.
In the folklore Jack remembered, Aswangs were creatures that could survive in many environments.
They were often associated with remote provinces.
Small barrios.
Farmlands.
The edges of villages.
Places where people lived far from help.
They hid in areas where humans rarely looked.
Dense forests.
Thick vegetation.
Hidden groves.
Places where they could remain unseen during the day.
Some stories even connected certain Aswangs with large trees, such as santol or duhat trees, where they could hide before transforming.
But their legends did not stop in rural areas.
As humanity changed...
The stories changed with it.
Modern tales described Aswangs adapting to cities.
Hospitals.
Morgues.
Funeral homes.
Places where they could easily find what they needed.
The frightening lesson behind the legends was simple.
Aswangs did not belong to one environment.
They survived anywhere humans existed.
Jack looked back at the report in front of him.
But this world was different.
The creatures here were not stories.
They were real.
And the legends from his old life could only tell him so much.
Captain Rowan continued.
"The situation in Ceduz is worse than a normal infestation."
"The Northwest Explorer's Guild branch has confirmed the presence of powerful Aswangs."
Marcus looked at the four students.
"There is one Ancient Aswang King."
The unfamiliar words immediately caught Jack's attention.
Ancient.
King.
He understood the meaning of the words individually.
But not what they meant in this world's monster classification.
"And there are three Commander-class Gabunan."
Jack remained silent.
Another unknown term.
Gabunan.
The others also looked confused.
Marcus noticed.
"You do not need to understand everything yet."
"You only need to understand the danger."
Rowan continued.
"The Aswang King is the center of the infestation."
"The Commander-class Gabunan are leading powerful groups beneath it."
"The ordinary Aswang forces will be handled by the larger operation."
Mia looked at the reports.
"Then what is our role?"
The room became quiet.
Marcus answered.
"Your role is different."
He placed four documents on the table.
"You four will be assigned to a special team."
Oliver frowned.
"Special team?"
Marcus nodded.
"You will stall the Ancient Aswang King."
Silence.
The weight of the words settled over them.
Jack looked at the documents.
They were not being sent to fight ordinary monsters.
They were being placed directly in front of the strongest enemy.
"But we are only aspiring climbers."
Thomas spoke quietly.
Marcus looked at him.
"Exactly."
"You have not entered the Tower yet."
"You have not become climbers."
"But before you take your first step..."
"You must prove that you can survive."
Rowan continued.
"The operation will begin in thirty days."
Not a vague month.
Thirty days.
A countdown.
"You will spend that time preparing."
Eva stepped forward.
"I will train you."
Jack looked at her.
"You?"
Eva nodded.
"Your mission is not to defeat the enemy."
"It is to survive against something stronger than yourselves."
Gareth crossed his arms.
"That means your training will be different from everything you have done before."
Marcus stood.
"Your classmates will receive their briefing afterward."
The four looked surprised.
"Afterward?"
Marcus nodded.
"The graduating students of North Academy will participate in the operation."
"They will be informed of their role as aspiring climbers assisting the Explorer's Guild."
"But your assignment is separate."
They understood.
Their classmates would fight in the same operation.
But their battlefield would be different.
When the meeting ended, Eva did not allow them to rest.
The moment they left Marcus' office...
She led them toward the training grounds.
Jack looked confused.
"Already?"
Eva glanced back.
"You have thirty days."
"Every hour matters."
The training field was empty.
Except for Eva standing at the center.
But unlike other students they used to spar with.
This person was growing feathers at her hands, becoming wings.
Her feet transforming into large sharp talons.
The students looked at her with trepidation.
Eva stared at the students and smiled.
"Your first lesson."
"You do not know if the Aswang King can fly."
The four students became serious.
"You do not know if it can transform."
"You do not know if it has abilities you have never seen before."
Eva now fully transformed into a harpy, suddenly flew upwards.
Then disappeared.
The students immediately prepared themselves.
Eva shouted.
"So we prepare for possibilities."
The creature descended.
Fast.
Faster than any ordinary opponent.
Jack barely avoided the strike.
Oliver moved to protect Mia.
Thomas adjusted his position.
Eva prepared to fly upwards again.
"No."
The four looked toward her.
"Again."
They continued.
Again.
And again.
The purpose was not victory.
It was survival.
An enemy that controlled the sky changed everything.
Your formation.
Your movement.
Your awareness.
Your weaknesses.
By sunset...
The four students collapsed onto the ground.
Exhausted.
Eva looked at them.
"This is only the beginning."
Jack stared at the sky.
Thirty days.
That was all they had.
Thirty days before they faced a creature they could not defeat.
A creature whose true appearance they did not even know.
And somewhere ahead...
A captain named Aldren waited.
The person who would teach them how to survive the impossible.