The Novel's Professor

Inside a dark spacious room. In the middle, a long-glass table was situated. the glass table shone like moonlight admist the darkness. From beside, Twelve, tall intimidating figures wearing a cloak colored mix hue of gold and purple—stood, facing each other.

All of them stared at each another, none opening their mouth. The silence stretched long, until one of the cloaked figures decided to speak, "...The Earthern Dragon, Loterra..seems to have awoken much earlier than our agreement with it."

"Right, and above it an Anomaly of another has occured.."

"If it's an Anomaly, shouldn't we just let The Sojourner handle this matter then?"

? "Normally, that should be the case—the TAOJ could perfectly handle the dimensional anomaly," A cold, mature void spoke. "But this time, The Earthern Dragon has awoken, the TAOJ can't handle it alone."

"Heh, it's just a meager dragon. The Earthern Dragon one at that. You're telling me the one responsible for the kingdom noble's safety and privacy can't do anything about it? I wonder what the King had thought to put you in such an important position."

"Shut up. I'm not getting down to your level, you cur. I have no idea why The Council itself even accepted you as it's twelfth memb—"

Crack—!

A loud crack echoed in the room, stopping both of the cloaked figures from talking. The glass table shattered as a finger touched it's texture. From the top side of the table, a figure with a long, white beard spoke up. "Now, now. Settle down young folks. Calm down. This isn't the time for quarrels, Combatant. Don't forget, you're part of the Council now—uphold it with responsibility."

"..Tsk, fine." The Combatant nodded, averting his eyes.

"Well, that's good isn't it? Moving on...what do you think of this issue, Sojourner?" The figure with a long white beard asked.

"As I said, the TAOJ can handle the dimensional anomaly in itself. It's a simple matter. But with the Earthern Dragon..." The Sojourner answered.

"Hm, hm. It's true that the Earthern Dragon might be the weakest among the four remaining dragons, but it's also the hardest to deal with...well, we can compromise with this. Combatant, go deal with this."

"W-what?!" The Combatant shouted, "Are you really going to send me down to face a worm, an earthworm of an enemy no less?!"

"Tsk, tsk. You, younglings tend to underestimate the might and terror of the dragons. Back in the Dragonic Era, when the dragons invaded—their might was unstoppable..." The figure replied, shaking his head. "In any case, a decision has been made. You can't disobey me."

"Goddamit! Fine!" The Combatant said, his back turning around. Who made such a shitty rule that the Wizar's decision is the finale, unless the King says otherwise anyway?! It was a stupid rule, in his opinion. "I'l get this over quick. Tsk."

All the other cloaked figures stared at The Combatant exit the room. Their eyes never leaving his body. From the side, The Sojourner spoke up, "Focus on the Earthern Dragon, Combatant. The TAOJ will handle the dimensional anomaly."

"Don't order me around, Sojourner. You're not that damn Wizard," The Combatant responded, his figure leaving the room completely.

—

"Haa..." Rio panted, his body furiously running without rest. Faster, he needed to be faster. "Haa...!"

Whoosh—!

In that moment, a sharp claw descended above him. Just before the claw could grasp onto him, he breathlessly dodged at the last second—evading the clutches of the beast. Rio rolled to the side, looking at the large maddened falcon that attacked him from the side.

Without pause, he stood up as he activated a skill. Fiery flames erupted ontop of his arm. He ran to the mad beast, slamming his fiery fist to the maddened falcon, blowing it away as its body burned to cinders.

However, before he could rest, two other more sharp claws descended above him. 'I can't dodge the other..! I have to take it!' Rio thought as he stepped to the side, avoiding the left claw.

Rip—!

"Grh!" Rio growled, his hand immediately covering the wound on his shoulder. Using his other hand, he grabbed the claw of the winged beast. He masterfully manipulated magic as he activated a skill.

?Corrosive Touch?

The winged beast wailed, it's body evaporating into nothing as the acidic properties of the skill quickly corroded it's skin.

Rio gripped it's body, leaving nothing of the winged beast remains. He turned his back, looking over the shattered remains of the forest. He didn't even know if there was still anything remaining in the forest. The forest had been ravaged. It's trees broken, tored down and shattered apart.

He didn't know how could this happen. It—it was too sudden. After the loud wail of an ancient sounding beast, all other magical beast of the forest ran, afraid and terrified. The hundreds of different beast formed a stampede; completely overrunning the whole forest into it's current state.

Not only was everything too sudden, it shouldn't have happen in the first place! It didn't made any sense! There was by no point of the novel this happened. This was a key area of a plot point, it wasn't supposed to be shattered; destroyed or tored down.

Nothing made any sense to him right now. From the ancient sounding wail, the Rank B Miracle Invoker in the forest, the sudden stampede of demons. Nothing. Those shouldn't had happen.

...He had a lot of questions, a lot. But still, he was sensible enough to form a conclusion from the current events. It was a conclusion he had thought of long ago. Never did he imagine it would be proved far too soon. 𝐟𝐫𝗲𝙚ｗ𝚎𝐛𝙣𝐨𝙫𝘦𝗹.c૦m

The storyline, somehow, has railed away from it's original course. In short, his knowledge of the novel's current plot was obsolete.

Rio shook his head. He needed to escape this forest fast. He didn't have time to hesitate. Surprisingly, even with the knowledge of the novel's inaccuracy, he didn't feel much surprise. Nevertheless, he should get going.

He slowly turned his face to the front. Let's g—however, his thoughts were suddenly stopped by what he saw. In front of his face, a large ancient eye curiously stared at his body, analyzing his movements.

Whoosh—!

"Human...?"

The wind blew harshly as the face infront of him whispered. The whisper was loud, it rang through his ears—repeatedly echoing as if an addicting rhythm.

Rio gasped, audibly. His body taking a step back. The voice was the same as the wail he heard earlier. It was regal, and ancient—mythical in a sense. He looked at the being.

The being was large. Overwhelmingly so. It towered over him. It towered over everything. It's body was full of oldened, scales filled with soil and moss. Even if dirtied and battered, the authority and royal regal within it seemed to not lost luster.

Behind it's towering back, two wings slowly rose—the wings were the same as it's body, filled with soil and moss. The being, less than terror incarnate, was more of an presentation of nature itself.

If there was one thing he could describe the being infront of him, it would be. Earth. Rio didn't why the word came to him, but it passed through his mind naturally.

"W-what are you..?" Rio asked, his eyes widening. He staggered, falling to the ground.

The Earthern Dragon raised it's body, staring beneath him. It spoke—making the earth rumbled, "The Earthern Dragon, One of Fourth Primordials of Dragonic Realm, Lord of Terra's, Loterra."

Dragons..? Rio thought. It was not exactly a foreign concept to him. He knew general fantasy. Dragons were almighty, supreme beings capable of terrorizing lands and mountains. The most surprising thing was it's appearance here. He also noted down the term, Dragonic Realm.

Before he could even respond, the Earthern Dragon flapped it's wings loudly; suddenly blowing him away to afar. He crashed against a tree, the bones in his back shattering from the impact.

Rio groaned, wanting to quickly stand up. However, behind him—the tree sprouted out thick, sturdy mossy vines that strangled his limbs. He couldn't move. No scratch that, he couldn't even speak.

"Now, show yourself—visitor of earth," Loterra murmured, making the land quake. "Reveal, and announce what is your goal. For what reason such killing intent is directed towards earthern nature itself?"

From afar, Rio watched silently. Not that he can speak either way.

"You won't reveal yourself?" Loterra frowned, it's eyes irritated. "If so, then just...die."

Loterra's voice rang through the forest. The Earthern Dragon simply stood and the land beneath quaked itself. The land—no, nature itself was it's beck and call. There was no need for commands, no need for magic. It was simply authority over land.

"Alright, alright...jeez," A loud voice rang out from the forest. It was raccuos, and prideful. "Aren't you a bit too aggressive?"

"Do not reason with me no longer, any of it is useless—" Loterra said, "Before your way here, you destroyed this nature. And will destroy it further. You aim to kill me, is it not? Cur."