My System Just Exploded, And You Ask Me to Become a God?-Chapter 44 --The Fearsome Magical Beast

At Ilan Royal Academy, the campus had fallen into a rare, solemn silence.

After experiencing a major battle not long ago, the students had become more determined than ever. A harsh reality had finally settled into their hearts: even the once seemingly invincible Ilan Principality was not as powerful as they’d imagined. If a true threat came knocking, annihilation could be just a matter of days—or even hours.

In the end, only by becoming stronger could they stand a chance at resisting powerful enemies.

Especially for those students selected to participate in the Trial of the Luminous Pearl, a sense of urgency and ambition had taken root. Each of them trained fervently, determined to raise their magic levels as high as possible before the trial.

The academy spared no effort in supporting them. Resources were distributed generously.

Even though most knew deep down that aside from Leit, the majority of the selected participants probably didn’t stand a real chance, the academy still refused to give up on them.

After all—what if?

What if, by some miracle, another student succeeded? Then not only would their future be transformed, but Ilan Royal Academy would also reap great rewards.

But where was Joad?

No one seemed to know. He had vanished from the academy grounds.

The First Grand Duke Ilan felt deeply guilty. He had personally selected Joad to participate in the trial and wanted to ease the boy’s resistance by providing him with additional magical resources. He even went to Joad’s dorm multiple times, only to find it empty every time.

Eventually, he asked the dormitory supervisor and was shocked to learn that Joad hadn’t been back in days.

"This kid... he didn’t do anything stupid, did he?" Ilan murmured, worry creeping across his face.

Standing beside him, Bachelor Geoffrey shook his head with absolute certainty.

"Don’t worry, Your Grace. Even if every other student at the academy lost their minds, that one wouldn’t. If I had to guess, he’s probably off somewhere living his best life right now."

"He has such a strong will?" Ilan looked genuinely surprised.

Bachelor Geoffrey looked like he wanted to pass out.

Strong will? Are you serious, old man? You’re really calling that nonsense "mental fortitude"?

Apparently, Grand Duke Ilan had gone senile.

Still, Ilan didn’t dwell on it. As long as Joad was safe, nothing else mattered. After leaving the resources behind, he turned and left.

At that moment, Joad was perched atop a remote peak deep within the Skydome Mountains.

The location was well-hidden—far into the mountain range, a place rarely touched by human feet.

But for Joad, it was perfect.

There were no people here, meaning he could absorb magical elements freely and without concern.

Unfortunately, the region’s mana density was abysmal.

Joad sat and meditated for only an hour before the surrounding magical elements were completely drained. With no choice, he had to pack up and find another location to continue cultivating.

And so, the days passed. One week. Then another. A full month came and went.

In that time, the Skydome Mountains were plagued by expanding zones where mana had become unusually sparse. The magical beasts native to those parts, struggling to survive in the mana-deprived environment, were forced to abandon their territories.

It was a pattern: wherever Joad had meditated, magical beasts inevitably fled.

Previously, Joad rarely meditated outside for long periods, so the region’s ecology had remained relatively stable. But now, everything had changed.

He, of course, remained blissfully unaware.

It wasn’t until two months later that Joad finally stopped and looked out over the endless Skydome range. His eyes drifted to the misty peaks beyond, and he couldn’t help but sigh.

"What a great place... Why’s the mana so weak though?"

Still, he figured enough time had passed. He ought to return to the academy before Leit and Harvey started worrying.

No sooner had Joad arrived at the dorm than his older brother Harvey rushed in.

"My dear brother, thank the heavens you’re safe!"

"...Why wouldn’t I be?"

Joad raised an eyebrow. He had just been out meditating for two months—what was all the fuss about?

When Leit went into closed-door cultivation, he was gone for half a year, and no one batted an eye.

Harvey frowned deeply.

"Something’s wrong in the Skydome Mountains. You need to be careful. Best if you stay inside the academy for now."

Skydome Mountains?

Joad was completely puzzled. What could possibly be wrong over there?

He had just come back from that very mountain range. It had been peaceful and quiet.

Harvey’s expression turned even more serious.

"You probably don’t know this, but recently, a terrifying magical beast appeared in the Skydome Mountains. It’s said to be incredibly violent—and it has slaughtered countless wild creatures."

"...What? That serious?"

Joad was stunned.

Harvey nodded solemnly.

"Just recently, some professors noticed that the mountain paths connecting the academy to the Skydome range have experienced abnormal mana depletion. It’s caused a massive migration of magical beasts.

Now the academy suspects that this mysterious, violent beast has made its way close to us."

Wait a minute... those trails—the ones with depleted mana—aren’t those the very same routes where I was meditating?

Joad froze.

Meanwhile, Harvey gave him a few more reminders before hurrying off—apparently the headmaster had summoned him.

As Joad watched his brother walk away, he sank deep into thought.

To verify the situation, he strolled around the central plaza. Along the way, he overheard several students talking about the mysterious magical beast, and with each retelling, the rumors grew more exaggerated.

"Did you hear? That magical beast is insanely powerful—some say it’s reached Archmage level!"

"I heard it drained huge areas of magical energy, and that it might even be from Hell!"

Listening to the wild gossip, Joad couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.

Seriously? What are they even talking about?

There wasn’t even the faintest trace of abyssal energy in the area. How could a demon possibly appear here?

Suddenly, a terrifying thought struck him.

Wait... Could it be... that magical beast they’re talking about... is ME?!

His face went slack.

He was at a loss for words.

To be fair, though, his activities over the past two months hadn’t exactly been low-key... 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Over the next few days, Joad noticed a surge in visitors arriving at Ilan Royal Academy.

The reason for their visits wasn’t hard to guess.

Some were likely searching for the Ilan Manuscript, while others might be hunting for the Rogue Thief Kid who had recently shaken up the region.

Joad had no interest in any of that.

After resting for two days, he quietly left the academy once more. But this time, he took a different route—heading north, deeper into the Skydome Mountains.

There was still time before the Trial of the Luminous Pearl began. He wanted to take advantage of every remaining day to meditate and grow stronger.

After some searching, he finally found a spot where the magical energy was relatively abundant. Just as he sat down and began preparing to absorb the mana...

...he felt it.

A strange sensation—like something else was drawing from the same mana pool.

A second presence.

Someone—or something—was competing with him for magical energy.