Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 22: The Hunter of the Clockwork City (1)

Five years ago—

In the southern part of the continent, the small kingdom of Durmang found itself in crisis due to a sudden outbreak of cryptids.

For over a month, the capital was a waking nightmare—wolves roamed the city streets, grotesque beasts hunted people every night, and the scent of blood never faded.

Even the city guards were helpless.

When soldiers and knights were deployed, the cryptids mocked them, slipping through every net they cast.

The situation dragged on with no resolution in sight.

Among them was a cryptid more infamous than all the rest.

A monster that haunted one of Durmang’s major cities—Jévaudan.

It had devoured three elite knights—an unmatched horror.

It was the nightmare of Jévaudan, the terror of the kingdom, and the worst cryptid of them all.

The Beast of Jévaudan.

Desperate, the King of Durmang issued a royal decree: a massive reward would be given to anyone who could slay the cryptids.

Word spread across the continent.

Freelance mages, wandering knights, and famous mercenary companies all flocked to Durmang, launching a massive cryptid extermination campaign.

Many cryptids were slain—and many people died alongside them.

The blood spilled during that time stained the earth so deeply that the entire campaign became known as “The Night of Blood.”

That night made legends out of many.

But one man stood above all the rest.

He singlehandedly defeated the Beast of Jévaudan—by far the most dangerous of them all—and recorded the highest cryptid kill count of the entire campaign.

And he was neither a famous mage, nor a high-ranking knight, nor a member of any elite mercenary corps.

He was merely... a hunter.

This hunter was a master of weapons and tools of every kind. For a full year after the Night of Blood, he traveled across Durmang, personally slaying over a hundred cryptids.

He kept his identity hidden and rarely spoke, gaining a reputation as a figure of mystery.

His name was—

Abraham Van Helsing.

* * *

Fully equipped, Ludger stepped out onto the main road.

The damp night mist clung thickly to his coat.

The orange glow of the streetlamps bled into the fog, turning the air a blurry haze.

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A musty, muddy stench lingered, but mixed within it was the faint musk of an animal.

“Takes me back.”

Bang!

Ludger suddenly kicked a nearby metal barrel.

Clang—clang—clang!

The crashing sound echoed down the street, loud and sharp.

The werewolf, prowling in search of prey, snapped its head around at the sound.

Its vicious eyes locked onto Ludger, standing alone in the middle of the road.

Grrrrrr.

Leaping from the rooftop, the werewolf landed before him with a heavy thud.

Big one.

Ludger now got a better look.

It stood over 2.5 meters tall, its bloodshot eyes filled with rage, its entire body covered in thick black fur.

On each hand, wicked claws extended like curved blades, so sharp that Ludger could feel their murderous intent from where he stood.

If they hit, even steel would tear like paper.

But what drew his attention most wasn’t the claws or the eyes—it was the metal collar clasped around the werewolf’s neck.

“Just as I thought. I wasn’t imagining it.”

There was no reason for a rampaging beast to be wearing something like that.

And it certainly hadn’t put it on itself.

That could only mean one thing—

“Someone raised or created this werewolf deliberately.”

It wasn’t entirely impossible.

This was a world where magic existed, where science had evolved down strange and dangerous paths—and Hans himself was living proof that such abnormalities existed.

Given that, it wouldn’t be strange if some shady organization had manufactured a werewolf as an experimental subject.

“But why now?”

There had been no warning, no prior incidents—and then, right after the semester began at Seorn Academy, this happens?

In the very year Ludger himself arrived?

The timing was far too suspicious to ignore.

“Well, I’ll just beat it down and find out.”

Ludger shifted into stance.

The werewolf, sensing that the human before it wasn’t running but instead bracing for a fight, bared its fangs in irritation.

AWOOOOO!!!

Throwing back its head, the beast howled to the sky, then charged Ludger like a bullet.

Its four-legged sprint was faster than a car.

Ludger watched the approach calmly, stepping back at the last second. The werewolf’s claws sliced through the air where he had just stood.

GRAAH!

It kept swinging its claws, again and again. Ludger stayed light on his feet, retreating step by step, dodging each one.

Tap.

The tip of Ludger’s brown shoe touched the ground—and a strange ripple of force spread outward.

BOOM!

Each time the werewolf missed, Ludger tapped the ground again, releasing a magical vibration into the surroundings.

Though every swipe could grind bone into powder if it connected, Ludger never let himself get hit.

RAAAWR!

Frustrated, the werewolf roared and spread its arms wide—intending to grab him in a full-body tackle.

Smart move.

A faint smile curved on Ludger’s lips beneath the brim of his hat.

Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

Just before it could pounce, the werewolf suddenly shrieked, twisted mid-air, and crashed to the ground.

THUD!

It slid through the muddy street, flailing helplessly.

“Wh-what the—?!”

Watching from a distance, Hans’s eyes widened at the sudden collapse.

Did the thing eat something bad?

“It’s probably got a hell of a headache right now.”

Ludger calmly walked over and pressed his foot onto the beast’s back ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) as it writhed.

Werewolves were more beast than man.

And as a canine, they were especially sensitive to high-frequency sounds that normal humans couldn’t hear.

Ludger’s seemingly meaningless footwork during the fight had actually been part of a spellcasting ritual—laying the groundwork for a sonic spell.

It combined vibration and sound magic in a way that didn’t affect humans but tore through the senses of a creature like this.

Even now, ultrasonic pulses were resonating in the air, bombarding the werewolf’s ears and scrambling its brain.

“No need for expensive silver or any of that nonsense.”

He hadn’t come to kill, after all. For now, subduing the creature was enough.

Now, let’s see who made something like you.

Ludger reached into his coat and pulled out a syringe to collect its blood.

But just then—

FWEEEEEEET!

“There! The noise came from here!”

“Move it—go, go!”

Police officers in uniform charged in from beyond the mist, blowing whistles and shouting orders.

They had likely been patrolling the area for days after the werewolf rumors started, and now they’d heard the commotion.

“Of all the timing...”

In the split second Ludger looked away—

The werewolf sprang to its feet.

He instinctively jumped back, narrowly avoiding getting knocked over.

He prepared for a counterattack, but...

...the werewolf didn’t even glance his way.

It shook its head, then turned and fled into the mist.

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

It escaped?

Ludger let out a long sigh and canceled the ultrasonic spell still vibrating through the air.

As patrol officers carrying magelamps began arriving one by one, Ludger decided it was time to disappear.

“There! Someone’s over there!”

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“Restrain anyone suspicious!”

The werewolf was already climbing the wall of the factory, making its way up to the rooftop.

Ludger chased after it, dashing through the alleyways to avoid the magic lanterns and the shrill sound of whistles.

Sprinting through the narrow dark alleys, he felt the werewolf’s presence growing fainter and raised his arm toward the sky.

Thwip!

A mechanical spring beneath his gauntlet’s wrist whirred rapidly, launching a hooked wire up toward the rooftop.

Clack!

The hook latched onto the rooftop’s ledge, and the wire’s gears spun, rapidly reeling in the line.

With tension snapping through the cord, Ludger used the recoil to fling himself upward.

This was the wire launcher—an old favorite from his days as a hunter.

Ludger landed gracefully on the rooftop.

Shrrrck!

He retracted the wire and hook, then spotted the werewolf’s retreating figure in the distance.

I’m not letting you get away.

Ludger channeled mana into his legs.

In today’s world, even mages widely practiced mana body reinforcement to prepare for emergencies.

With his magically enhanced leg strength, Ludger kicked off the rooftop and chased after the werewolf.

Whooosh.

The nightscape of the industrial zone zipped past him. The fleeing werewolf in the distance was gradually getting closer.

As it ran, the creature glanced back at the strange sensation creeping up its spine—and when it saw Ludger closing in, it bolted faster.

Leaping across rooftops without pause, the werewolf suddenly dove downward—toward the massive rails below.

Right on cue, a freight train loaded with mana stones was passing underneath.

Thud!

The werewolf landed harshly on top of one of the cargo cars.

Not missing a beat, Ludger leapt down after it and landed on top of the train as well.

He channeled mana through his soles to absorb the shock of the landing.

Dusting off his shoulders, Ludger locked eyes with the beast.

The werewolf, realizing it couldn’t run any further, straightened its hunched body and turned to face him.

Clatter, clatter.

On top of the moving train, they faced each other—separated by just three cars’ distance.

Ludger’s coat flared in the rushing wind.

The glow of orange streetlights stretched past in horizontal lines, scattering across the fog like reflections in water.

“I was only planning to subdue you...”

Grrrr...

“...but it seems that’s no longer an option.”

With the beast’s frenzied state and the approaching officers who’d heard the commotion, time was no longer on his side.

Steam from the train’s engine and the gusts of wind briefly obscured his vision.

Whoosh!

The werewolf seized the moment—rushing forward in a blur, aiming to strike through Ludger’s momentary blind spot.

A sharp and calculated movement—targeting his vulnerability.

But Ludger had already predicted it.

Whirr!

Just as the werewolf pounced, a strange noise echoed past its ears.

The beast instinctively halted, its primal instincts flaring.

And for good reason.

A moment later, something razor-sharp skimmed past both sides of its neck.

“Sharp instincts.”

The spinning blade that sliced across the werewolf’s skin curved in the air and returned to Ludger.

It was a boomerang, equipped with fan-like serrated blades.

Had the werewolf hesitated even a second longer, its throat would’ve been torn open.

Enraged by the cut on its neck, the werewolf’s veins bulged, and it quickly regenerated the wound.

“I was hoping to end this in one strike.”

Ludger let the regret pass and reached for the staff strapped to his waist.

This time—it was his turn to go on the offensive.

With his right hand gripping the staff, he gathered mana in his left and conjured a spell—[Glowing Stone].

He fired it like a bullet, aiming for one of the beast’s eyes.

Whip!

The werewolf ducked its head just in time to dodge the projectile. But at that moment, Ludger flicked his left index finger.

The [Glowing Stone], which had zipped past, curved sharply in the air—and slammed into the back of the werewolf’s head.

Whack!

Staggered by the sudden pain, the werewolf was caught off-guard—just as Ludger rushed forward and swung his staff at its face with full force.

The beast crossed its arms to block the blow—but at that precise moment, the bladed boomerang came slicing through, stabbing into both of the werewolf’s hands.

It was a trap Ludger had set in advance.

GRRAAAH!

Panicked, unable to move its arms, the werewolf bared its fangs and lunged—biting down on Ludger’s staff.

CRUNCH!

Its powerful jaws threatened to shatter the weapon.

Its crescent-shaped eyes narrowed with smug triumph.

Having clamped down on the staff, it figured Ludger was helpless.

The moment its wounds regenerated, it would tear the arrogant human limb from limb.

But Ludger, unfazed, made his next move.

Shffft.

With a smooth motion, the handle and shaft of the staff separated—and from within, a brilliant white blade shot out.

The werewolf, completely stunned by the unexpected development, didn’t even think to release the now-empty shell clamped in its jaws.

A sword cane.

Commonly called a “swordstick,” this wasn’t a weapon meant for open duels—it was designed for surprise attacks, to strike at a foe’s blind spot.

And in a fight where lives were on the line, there was only one moment to draw it.

When you were certain your enemy would die.

Ludger’s body spun in place.

Shhhhhk!

A thin, shining arc sliced through the night.

Delicate, almost weightless—but unmistakably sharp.

That fine line of light brushed clean across the werewolf’s throat.