Dan woke up just before sunrise, with his heart pounding like he was already in battle. He sat on his bed, staring into the void for a moment, before exhaling heavily and rubbing his face with both hands.
"Just do your normal routine. She's just a girl... strong... angry... and she already hates you."
He turned to see Cain lying comfortably on his other bed, snoring softly.
Dan muttered under his breath:
"How insensitive of you."
He got dressed quickly, grabbed his lightweight bag, and headed out of the room, making a beeline for the quad.
He gets to the quad and sees the students lined up in groups. The sounds of conversation and laughter filled the place, but he felt like he was standing on an isolated island in a sea of strangers.
Then, as if by fate, he saw Ellen coming his way.
She walked quietly, but her steps had an invisible weight to them. She was wearing an academy uniform.
She stopped in front of him and looked at him like she had a question.
"You're Dan Noctine, right?"
Dan took a deep breath and said, trying to keep it together:
"Yes."
She looked at him like she was evaluating an old piece of junk, then muttered:
"Well, at least you're good enough to take the hits for me."
Dan almost responded sarcastically, but he stopped himself. This wasn't the time to lose her completely.
Then he saw someone coming up from a distance.
Dan, it looks like you've found a special someone.
Dan turned to face the speaker.
"Oh, Mariln. We just happen to be on the same team."
Marlin replied with a smile:
"That's good. I was worried you wouldn't find a partner. I was going to join you."
When Dan heard that, he was almost in tears, but he kept it together.
I put myself in that position like a fool.
Dan said apologetically:
"I'm sorry about that. What about you?"
Marlin smiled and said:
"Don't worry. I saw Rowen a little while ago. He seems to have forgotten about the test and was looking for you too. I'll go and tell him so we can team up."
When Dan heard that, he felt like a few tears had slipped out of his eyes.
I'm really a big idiot... and I got myself in trouble.
Dan said bye to Mariln, who left to meet Rowen.
A few minutes later, Ms. Serena showed up on a raised platform and started explaining the test:
Serena said in a clear and firm voice:
"Today's test is going to be in the forest near the academy."
"Each team will get a Guidance Crystal, which is how you reach the endpoint.
But this crystal needs to be fed with a core extracted from the creatures of the forest."
Serena stepped forward, holding a small glowing crystal.
"You've got to feed the crystals at least once an hour. If you don't give it life essence during this time, it'll immediately go out. If you get rid of the last one, your team has failed and you're out of the test."
She gave a cold smile:
"There are two ways to keep your crystal burning: You can collect gems from the forest creatures or... take another team's crystal and use it to feed yours."
Some students were totally frozen when they heard this, but Serena just kept going in her cold tone:
"If your crystal gets taken by another team, you're out of the test. The more you take care of your crystal, the easier it will be for it to find its way to the end of the forest."
She looked at them all defiantly:
"Remember... the jungle is unforgiving. Rivals are... less merciful."
Then she ended the call in a serious tone.
"Failure will mean additional lessons.
Dan glanced at the small crystal he'd received with Elaine.
The students had gathered in the square in front of the forest, standing in rows, waiting for final instructions.
Dan stood next to Ellen, trying not to show his nervousness. Ellen was examining the small crystal they had just received, ignoring his presence.
Nearby, other teams were preparing. Some reviewed attack and defense plans, while others glared at their opponents.
Serena, standing on a raised platform, gave a slight smile as she watched the excitement and tension in the students' eyes.
She said in a stern tone:
"When the test begins, you will not enter the forest on foot."
She waved her hand, and a glowing magic circle appeared on the ground next to each team.
"The teleportation device will randomly transport you to different places within the forest. No one knows where it will land. You may encounter enemies or dangerous creatures. Be prepared."
Dan whispered to himself as he stared at the glowing circle beneath his feet:
"This is worse than I expected."
Serena continued:
"Remember: you must feed the crystal with life essence every hour. Use creature cores or other teams' crystals. If the crystal is not fed, it will shut down and you will fail immediately."
A tense whisper rose among the students.
Cain approached Dan, waving maliciously from afar, as if to wish him "good luck" in a dubious manner. Dan didn't respond.
He whispered to himself:
"Just another day in hell.
Serena smiled coldly and added:
"Remember: the map that leads you to the finish line becomes clearer the more energy you crystallize. You are free to ally, betray, or fight."
She waved her hand, and the magical circles glowed brightly under everyone's feet.
"The test of survival... begins now."
In an instant, each team disappeared in a flash of light, traveling deep into the forest. Then calm returned to the arena.
Dan and Elena were transported to the forest, near a still lake.
Elena surveyed her surroundings intently, while Dan swiftly calculated his next step.
He broke the silence, speaking in a low tone:
"Do you have a plan, or are we just going to go with the flow?"
Elena raised her hand, cutting him off and whispering:
"There's someone nearby."
Suddenly, two students appeared out of the trees, staring at them with clear intentions.
One of them said with a wry smile:
"Guys, there's no need to be nervous. It's just a test. Hand over the crystal and you'll be fine."
Dan glared at them, then drew his sword and said in a cold tone:
"Really? What if we decide not to give it to you?"
The other student smiled wickedly and replied:
"We'll take it by force.
Dan tightened his grip on his sword, while Elena leaned her body slightly forward, as if preparing to attack.
Dan said with a Sarcastic smile:
"I advise you to rethink your plan."
However, one student failed to provide them with additional time.
He charged forward, wielding a small axe covered with a wind, signaling that he was using the element of wind to boost his speed.
Elena didn't move a single step. Instead, she reached out her hand toward the ground, and wooden roots gathered from the dirt grabbed the attacking student's leg before he could reach Dan.
The student screamed as he fell hard to the ground, releasing a small dust cloud.
The other student seized the opportunity and attacked Dan directly.
Dan smiled confidently, held his sword at the perfect angle, blocked it with ease, and then pushed his opponent back with a lightning strike.
Dan said calmly:
"That's easy."
However, the two students did not intend to give up.
Elena smiled slightly and said:
"Dan, let's finish it quickly."
Dan nodded in agreement.
In a coordinated move, the two lunged together. Elena immobilized one of the opponents with another root that emerged from underground, while Dan brought the other down with a direct blow to the stomach.
The two students collapsed on the ground, panting, recognizing their defeat.
Pointing to their crystal, Dan said:
"We'll take this one."
He seized the crystal from one of the students and took the one he held with Elena.
The crystal glowed with a slight radiance, and the road map on its surface became clearer, showing them a direction to the northwest.
Elena stated in a businesslike tone:
"We need to get moving. "Someone must have noticed the fight."
Dan nodded as he returned his sword to its sheath and said with a crooked smile:
"I wonder how much trouble awaits us there..."
They set off together, disappearing into the shadows of the dense trees.