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    [Location: Leoncrest Castle - Infirmary]


    [Date: June 1, y. 486 of the Fourth Age]


    Zeke drifted between consciousness and darkness for days after the Mountain Run. Brief flashes of awareness came and went, being carried on a stretcher, the rocking motion of a carriage, hushed voices discussing his condition.


    Finally, he woke up for good in the castle infirmary to find Elise sitting at his bedside and sunlight streaming through the window.


    "Am I alive?" he murmured, blinking against the brightness.


    "Much to the dismay of your enemies, yes," Elise confirmed with a relieved smile.


    "Great." Zeke tried sitting up, only to discover every part of his body protested the movement. He grinned and settled back down. "Just making sure I hadn''t become a ghost. That would''ve complicated things."


    "Nope, still solid." Elise rose and waved her hand. A small ball of light appeared in the air, then zipped out of the room and down the corridor. "Adrian asked me to alert him when you woke up. You''ve been through quite an adventure."


    "How long was I out?" Zeke glanced at the calendar on the wall. "June 1st... so four days? Five days? How many days are in May again?"


    "Thirty-one, I think. You''ve been unconscious about five days." Elise bent down and gave him a gentle hug. "I''m just glad you made it back."


    "Me too." He shifted slightly, then a thought struck him. "Please tell me they didn''t throw away the werewolf hand. I earned that trophy fair and square."


    Elise turned and gestured toward a table across the room. There, mounted on a polished wooden board, was the severed werewolf paw, its claws extended as if still trying to grab him.


    "A gift from the Headmistress, believe it or not," Elise explained. "House Dracthen is apparently quite skilled at preserving body parts."


    "I''ll keep that in mind next time I need to make a mummy," Zeke laughed. "That whole trial was something else. Make sure Ingrid knows how grateful I am for her training. No way I could''ve made it without her obstacle courses."


    "I will." Elise looked up as Adrian stepped into the room, concern etched on his face. "Don''t worry, he''s actually awake now. I''ll leave you two to talk."


    As Elise slipped out, Adrian took the chair beside Zeke''s bed. The old librarian studied him with an expression somewhere between relief and amazement.


    "Well... you''ve made Academy history again," Adrian said with a slight shake of his head. "The guards have been spreading your story everywhere. Some are saying you dragged the entire wolf back with you when you finished. It took real courage to continue the trial rather than returning immediately after the attack."


    Zeke shrugged. "I had a job to do."


    "And it''s becoming increasingly evident that you have no intention of letting anything stand in your way." Adrian paused, his expression growing somber. "I''m so sorry we couldn''t prevent the attack. I tried to sense any danger on the mountainside, but had no clue the werewolf was there until we heard the roars. By then it was far too late."


    "Hey, I knew the risks when I left," Zeke said firmly. "Not your fault at all. And honestly, if we''d stuck with the original plan and gone to Dragonpeak, I probably would''ve been werewolf dinner. Overall, things worked out pretty well."


    Adrian smiled slightly. "Fair enough. I''m glad to see you''re alright. If there''s anything you need, just say the word."


    Zeke nodded appreciatively, but as Adrian started to rise, a notification appeared in his field of vision:


    [Notice: You have a new Emblem that you have not examined. Would you like to do so now?]


    "Hang on," Zeke said. "Adrian, did anyone give me a new Emblem while I was out?"


    "Not to my knowledge," Adrian replied, frowning. "What is it?"


    Zeke mentally opened the notification:


    「?????? ???????????? ????????????????」 【Wolf Claw】 【Effect: +300% Strength】 【Trigger: Active Use】 【Duration: 30 seconds】 【Cooldown: 4 hours】


    "I''ve got a new Emblem called Wolf Claw," Zeke explained. "Gives me triple strength when activated."


    "Fascinating." Adrian stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Some powerful magical creatures can bestow Emblems upon their death. It seems the werewolf was one of them. You should be able to use it freely without adverse effects." His eyes twinkled. "Congratulations! Your first monster-earned Emblem."


    "At least I got something besides scars out of the encounter," Zeke said with a grin.


    "You got far more than that," Adrian replied. "Your reputation has grown considerably. I must get back to my duties, but know this, you''re truly rebuilding the Godfrey legacy with each trial you complete."


    After Adrian left, Zeke dozed intermittently, his body demanding rest to heal. He dreamed of running across mountain slopes with the speed and strength of a wolf, chasing enemies who scattered like leaves before him.


    Several hours later, the door swung open without warning, and Headmistress Florence swept in, her face bearing an expression that might almost be called impressed.


    "Headmistress," Zeke attempted to sit up straighter, wincing at the pain.


    "Don''t strain yourself," she said with a dismissive wave. "I don''t intend to stay long. I merely wanted to congratulate you on completing the fourth Trial. Your performance was... exceptional."


    "Thanks," Zeke said. "I''m just glad I made it back in one piece. Well, plus one wolf paw."


    The corner of the Headmistress''s mouth twitched slightly. "As am I. It would have been quite inconvenient to recover your remains from the mountainside." She clasped her hands behind her back. "For what it''s worth, we located the rest of the werewolf that attacked you. It had been mutilated by its pack, a common practice among such beasts, but we used magic to revert it to human form."


    She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Based on the emblems he was wearing, he was likely from House Minziar, though that could have been intentional misdirection. Regardless, taking down a transformed werewolf is a feat few can claim."


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    "I didn''t think werewolves were that uncommon," Zeke said, surprised.


    "In modern times, werewolves rarely attack unless they''re certain they can escape unharmed," Headmistress Florence explained. "We''ve sent the remains to the Minziar family, though we don''t expect a formal response. In any case, I trust you''re enjoying your little trophy?"


    She glanced at the mounted paw, and Zeke grinned. "It''s perfect. Thanks for that. Though I''m not sure where I''ll hang it in the dorm room. Ralph might object to having it stare at him while he sleeps."


    "Now, to the matter of your next Trial," she continued briskly. "The Fifth Trial is arena combat. Unlike your previous weapons assessment, this will require you to defeat increasingly powerful opponents in actual combat. Given your recent victory over a werewolf, I imagine you''ll find it quite manageable."


    She smoothed her robes. "I''ve scheduled it for August 25th, shortly after the Fall quarter begins. Does that arrangement suit you?"


    Zeke nodded, secretly wishing it could be sooner. The momentum of completing trials felt good. "That works fine. Gives me time to heal up and train."


    "Good. Then I bid you farewell." She turned to leave, then paused at the door. "And... well done, de''Godfrey."


    With that final acknowledgment, she was gone. Zeke let out a long breath, settling back against his pillows. Four trials down, thirty to go. And now he had a date on the calendar for the next one.


    First, though, he needed to get out of this infirmary and back to training.


    It took two more days before the nurses agreed to release him. His legs worked just fine, and his right arm had escaped injury, but his left shoulder had started oozing pus and given him a fever.


    Overnight, the infection subsided, the wound began to heal properly, and they finally gave him clearance to leave.


    "You''re good to go," a nurse said, helping him out of bed. Zeke winced as the movement pulled at his healing wound. "Just return immediately if it worsens or, and this is very important, if you begin noticing unusual hair growth. It''s a rare but not insignificant side effect of werewolf claw wounds."


    Zeke laughed, taking it as a joke until he noticed her serious expression. "Wait, you mean I might actually turn into a werewolf? That would make the next trial a lot easier."


    The nurse didn''t seem to appreciate his humor. "This is serious, young man. The treatment for lycanthropy is extremely unpleasant."


    "Right, sorry," Zeke said, nodding solemnly. "I''ll keep an eye out for sudden cravings for rare steak and howling at the moon."


    The nurse sighed and shook her head as Elise arrived to help gather his belongings, her face bright with excitement.


    "You ready?" she asked.


    "More than ready," he replied, eagerly heading for the door. "Can''t wait to sleep in my own bed again and get back to training."


    "No..." She shook her head. "I mean... are you ready to face the crowd?"


    "What crowd?" Zeke frowned.


    His question was answered the moment they stepped into the corridor. Students lined the walls, conversations stopping as he passed.


    Some tried to be subtle about their staring, while others openly gaped. Whispers followed in their wake, growing louder as they moved further from the infirmary.


    "...fought a werewolf with his bare hands..."


    "...dragged it all the way back as proof..."


    "...becoming a legend already..."


    As they approached Tower 1, the crowd grew thicker. A student wearing House Byron''s colors pushed through, stepping in front of Zeke with an awestruck expression.


    "I''m sorry, but I just... I have to shake your hand. Please?"


    Zeke nodded, extending his good hand. The moment their hands clasped, others surged forward, hands thrust in his direction.


    "Shake my hand too!"


    "Tell us what happened!"


    "Did you really drag the whole wolf back with you?"


    "Are you turning into a werewolf now?"


    "Would you consider marriage proposals?"


    The questions came rapid-fire as the crowd pressed closer. Zeke tried to maintain his smile while moving steadily forward.


    "Sorry folks, one question at a time," he said, raising his voice to be heard. "No, I didn''t drag the whole wolf back, just the souvenir you see here." He gestured to the mounted paw Elise was carrying. "And no marriage proposals until I''ve finished all 34 Trials, house rules."


    This drew laughter from the crowd, but they still pressed in from all sides, eager to touch the student who had slain a werewolf. A few noticed his discomfort and began clearing a path, but progress remained slow.


    The stairwell proved just as packed, with more people emerging from their rooms to see what the commotion was about. Each step sent fresh pain through his healing shoulder as people jostled against him.


    "Alright, make way!" a commanding female voice called out. Ingrid appeared, pushing through the crowd. "Hero coming through, step aside or I start swinging!"


    The students reluctantly parted, allowing Zeke and Elise to follow in Ingrid''s wake. When they finally reached his room, Zeke slipped inside with a grateful nod to Ingrid.


    She gave him a quick salute before turning to disperse the crowd.


    "Hey! You''ve been gone forever," Ralph said, looking up from his desk. "Everything alright?"


    Zeke stared at his roommate''s casual greeting, then burst out laughing. "Oh, Ralph," he said, flopping onto his bed with a contented sigh. "That''s exactly why I like you."


    Elise set out his things from the infirmary, prominently placing the wolf claw trophy on his desk. Ralph whistled when he spotted it.


    "Now that''s a souvenir! Where''d you buy it? Any chance you can get me the seller''s information? My sister would absolutely lose her mind if she opened a package with something like that inside."


    "It came from House Minziar," Zeke replied, stretching his legs. "You''ll need to find another supplier, though. The guy who gave this to me isn''t exactly taking orders anymore."


    Ralph chuckled. "That''s funny! Almost like..." He glanced between Zeke and Elise, then back at the claw. The color drained from his face. "No. You''re kidding me."


    "Really wish I was," Zeke said, folding his arms behind his head. "Let''s just say the Mountain Run had a few unexpected challenges."


    "Wait, so that''s an actual..." Ralph pointed at the claw, his voice dropping to a whisper. "And you actually..."


    "Killed a werewolf?" Zeke nodded. "That''s why everybody''s going crazy out there. Apparently it''s not a common achievement."


    Ralph sank into his chair, staring at Zeke with new eyes. "My roommate''s a legend," he mumbled, then broke into a wide grin. "Do you know how many girls are going to want to meet ''the friend of the werewolf slayer''? This is the best thing that''s ever happened to me!"


    Elise rolled her eyes. "I''ll let you rest," she said to Zeke, moving toward the door. "Ralph, try not to exhaust him with your schemes."


    "Wait," Zeke called, holding up a finger. Elise paused as he sat up. "I need to start attending classes again now that I''m out."


    "Do you want me to come help you get ready tomorrow morning?" she asked, concerned.


    "That would be great, but it''s not what I meant," Zeke clarified. "Any chance you took notes in my Aura class? I''ve missed about two weeks of school, and Professor Gerald definitely won''t be offering private catch-up lessons."


    "I''ve got notes," Elise nodded. "Let me run back to my room and grab them. I might be able to find some History notes too, there''s a girl down the hall who''s in your class."


    "You''re a lifesaver," Zeke said gratefully.


    As Elise hurried off, Zeke closed his eyes, savoring the familiar comfort of his own bed. Being back in his room marked a significant step in his recovery.


    Now he just needed to get back on his feet, catch up on coursework, and prepare for the next trial.


    "So," Ralph said, leaning forward eagerly. "What was it like? Fighting a werewolf, I mean."


    "Terrifying," Zeke admitted. "But also... I don''t know, exhilarating in a way. When you''re face-to-face with something that powerful, everything else just fades away. It''s just you, your blade, and staying alive for one more second."


    Ralph nodded solemnly. "And now you''ve got this crazy new Emblem from it?"


    "Wolf Claw," Zeke confirmed. "Triple strength when activated. Should come in handy for the arena combat trial in August."


    "Speaking of which," Ralph said, "Ingrid''s been organizing training sessions for you. Said something about not letting you get soft while you recover. She''s pretty scary when she''s determined."


    Zeke laughed. "That''s Ingrid for you. Always planning five steps ahead."


    A knock at the door revealed Elise returning with several notebooks. "Here you go," she said, placing them on his desk. "Aura notes, History notes, and Politics notes just in case. I marked where your classes left off and where they picked up again."


    "Thanks, Elise. I owe you one."


    "You owe me several," she corrected with a smile. "But who''s counting? Get some rest, and I''ll see you tomorrow."


    After she left, Zeke grabbed one of the notebooks and started reading. Despite his exhaustion, he was determined not to fall behind.


    The next trial might be months away, but there was preparation to be done.


    As his eyes grew heavy, he found himself wondering what his enemies might try next. Attacking him with a werewolf had been bold, their next attempt would likely be even more dangerous.


    But for now, he''d earned a moment''s rest. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, and he''d face them head-on.


    「???????????? ????????????」


    【Health: Recovering】


    【Trials Completed: 4/34】


    【New Ability: Wolf Claw Emblem】


    【Next Trial: Arena Combat - 86 days remaining】


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    [Earned Emblems:] Heart of the Warrior Endurance Golden Touch Wolf Claw


    [Active Quests:] [R&R: Recover from your Trial (ongoing)]