Chapter 249: Progress

The vast grassland inside the Chrono Cube stretched endlessly under the pale white sun.

In the middle of it—

Maera sat still.

Legs folded, back straight, hands resting on her knees. Her eyes were closed, her breathing slow but deep as she tried to calm herself.

Around her, the distant sounds of battle still echoed faintly—Selene and drevin3 fighting, moving somewhere far away—but all of it was slowly fading from her awareness.

Right now, she had to focus.

Only on herself.

Zane walked around her in slow, measured steps, observing quietly before speaking.

“Concentrate…”

His voice was calm, but carried weight.

“Feel inside you… the beast of your bloodline.”

Maera’s brows tightened slightly as she focused inward.

“Find it.”

Zane’s steps stopped behind her.

“And I’ll send you to it.”

A brief silence followed.

“Take a portion of its power… and manifest it within yourself.”

Then his tone sharpened just a little.

“But to do that…”

“You’ll have to fight it.”

Maera’s breathing faltered for a moment—but she steadied herself again.

Zane stood directly behind her now.

“…Are you ready?”

For a second, nothing moved.

Then—

She nodded.

Zane placed his palm gently on her back.

“Off you go.”

—

Darkness.

Total darkness.

Maera’s eyes snapped open.

There was nothing around her at first—just an endless void stretching in every direction. No sound, no ground, no sky.

But slowly…

The darkness began to fade.

Shapes formed.

Stone raised and ground formed.

Walls rising around her.

And within seconds—

She stood inside a massive colosseum.

A circular arena surrounded by towering stone stands, worn with age and soaked in a heavy, primal atmosphere. The air itself felt different—thick, ancient, almost alive.

It was familiar.

This was not just any place.

It resembled the battle arenas of beastman culture… where warriors fought to prove themselves.

Maera looked around, her heart beating faster.

“…Where am I…?”

“You’re where you need to be.”

She turned immediately.

Zane stood a short distance away, hands in his pockets as if this was completely normal.

Maera’s eyes widened.

“Professor… you’re here?”

He nodded slightly.

“This is your consciousness.”

His gaze moved across the arena.

“A space shaped by your instincts… and your bloodline.”

Maera swallowed.

Zane continued, calm but firm.

“If you die here… you’ll return to reality.”

A brief pause.

“But the damage won’t disappear.”

Her body tensed.

“It will transfer to your real body.”

Silence.

The weight of that settled deep.

Zane looked at her one last time.

“Get ready.”

“To fight.”

Maera clenched her fists.

“…Yes, Professor.”

Zane gave a faint smile.

And then—

He vanished.

Leaving her alone in the arena.

Waiting for what was coming next.

Maera stood still in the middle of the arena, her eyes slowly scanning the surroundings.

The colosseum felt… wrong.

Too quiet.

She exhaled slowly and tightened her fists.

“It should be here…”

Her voice was calm, but alert.

“The Storm Wolf… the beast of my bloodline…”

She steadied her breathing and focused. Her senses sharpened, and her wolf ears twitched slightly as she tried to pick up anything unusual.

Then—

A faint sound reached her.

“Grrr…”

A low growl.

Maera’s eyes snapped toward the direction.

Nothing.

Just empty air.

But her instincts screamed.

Behind her.

She didn’t think.

Her body moved instantly.

A sharp claw tore through the space where she had been standing a moment ago, the air itself exploding outward from the force.

Maera slid across the ground and quickly turned—

And then she saw it.

The Storm Wolf.

It wasn’t a normal creature. It didn’t even have a stable form. Its body looked like a living storm, made entirely of swirling wind and mist, constantly shifting as if it couldn’t stay still. Faint streaks of silver-blue lightning flickered along its edges, crackling softly.

There was no solid body.

No fixed shape.

Only a storm… given the form of a predator.

Its presence alone made the air heavy.

And its eyes—

Two glowing red voids stared directly at her, burning with an intensity that felt almost alive.

The beast let out another low growl, deeper this time, like distant thunder rolling through the sky.

Maera didn’t move.

Her gaze locked onto it.

“There’s no doubt…”

She took a step forward, steadying her stance.

“That’s the Storm Wolf.”

—

The colosseum stood silent under a bruised, storm-heavy sky. Wind howled through the empty stands, sweeping dust across the arena floor as Maera faced the beast of her bloodline.

The Storm Wolf circled her slowly.

Its body was a shifting vortex of silver-blue mist and crackling lightning, never fully solid, never still. Its crimson eyes—empty, glowing voids—stared at her with something that felt far too aware.

Maera’s ears flattened slightly as her fangs showed. Her red claw gauntlets pulsed with sharp wild mana.

This was her trial.

She didn’t hesitate.

With a sharp roar, Maera lunged forward. Her claws cut through the air in a wide arc, striking the wolf’s form. The attack didn’t hit flesh—it tore through layers of storm, scattering wind like torn silk. Lightning burst across her gauntlets, and for a brief moment, she felt it—

A fragment of its power.

Wild. Violent. Uncontrolled.

It surged into her veins.

But the Storm Wolf didn’t react.

It simply dissolved.

Its body scattered into wind and vanished.

Maera’s instincts screamed.

Before she could turn—

Impact.

A compressed wave of air slammed into her back like a thunderclap, sending her flying across the arena. She hit the ground hard, sliding across the sand, claws digging into the surface to stop herself.

She forced herself up—

But it was already there.

The wolf reformed instantly, striking again. Invisible currents wrapped around her legs, pulling her off balance, followed by another blast of force that hit her chest and knocked the air out of her lungs.

Maera swung back instinctively, her claws slicing through the storm—

But there was nothing to grab.

The beast flowed around her attack like wind slipping through fingers.

It was too fast.

The Storm Wolf’s eyes burned brighter.

Wind gathered.

A vortex formed around her.

In the next moment, Maera was lifted off the ground, her body caught in a spiraling storm. She twisted mid-air and struck again, her claws finally grazing the wolf’s form. A thin streak of lightning snapped and hissed where she hit it.

But it wasn’t enough.

The wolf let out a low, echoing howl.

There was no anger in it.

Only something ancient.

Something mocking.

Before Maera could react—

The storm closed in.

Its jaws formed from compressed wind and crushing pressure, clamping around her throat. The force tightened instantly, cutting off her breath.

Her body struggled.

Her gauntlets sparked.

But her strength was fading.

Her vision blurred, breaking into flashes of red lightning and swirling silver-blue chaos.

And then—

Darkness rushed in.

—

Maera’s eyes snapped open.

“Hah… hah… hah…”

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she gasped for air, her body still trembling from the pressure she had felt just moments ago.

For a second, she couldn’t tell where she was.

Then slowly—

Her vision cleared.

A room.

A simple one.

She was lying on a bed.

Maera pushed herself up slightly and looked around, still breathing heavily.

“…?”

Sitting beside her, on a chair, was Zane.

Calm as ever.

A book in his hand.

“You’re awake.”

He didn’t even look at her.

Maera opened her mouth as if to say something—

But no words came out.

The memory of what happened in the arena hit her again.

The Storm Wolf.

The overwhelming power.

Her helplessness against it .

Her gaze dropped.

“…I failed, Professor.”

Her voice was quiet.

“I failed you.”

Zane finally looked at her.

For a moment—

Then he smiled.

“…You didn’t fail anyone.”

Maera stayed silent.

Zane closed the book and leaned back slightly.

“It’s been just one day here.”

A small pause.

“You’re talented.”

Then his smirk returned.

“But not that talented.”

Maera blinked slightly.

Zane continued casually,

“If you could acquire partial transformation in one day… then what was the point of bringing you into the Chrono Cube giving you fifteen day’s worth of time ?”

He paused, then smirked a little more.

“Besides… you did feel a fragment of its power for a moment, right?”

That moment—

When lightning surged through her veins.

Zane says

“That counts as progress.”

The words were simple.

But they hit differently.

Maera stayed quiet for a moment.

Then—

A small smile appeared on her face.

Zane noticed.

“…So, I assume you’re out of your bad mood?”

Maera let out a light breath.

“Yeah…”

Then she looked at him, a bit of her usual energy returning.

“You bet, Professor.”

Zane smirked.

“Good.”

Then—

“But not now.”

Maera froze. “…What?”

Zane stood up, stretching slightly.

“Your soul took a shock.”

He glanced at her.

“Dying inside your consciousness isn’t something you repeat carelessly.”

Maera frowned slightly, listening.

“So recover first,” he continued. “Dinner’s almost ready. The others are in their rooms too resting after their training.”

Just then—

A soft glow appeared beside him.

Eira manifested.

“Boss, dinner’s ready.”

Then she turned toward Maera, giving her a quick look.

“You too. Come on.”

Maera blinked, still adjusting, but nodded.

Zane gestured toward the door.

“Let’s go.”

Maera got off the bed and followed.

She was still thinking about Storm Wolf

But this time—

There was no doubt in her eyes.

Only resolve.

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