I spent the next two weeks focused on the production of an explosive mine and with all the dedication I put in I was rewarded with success.
Until the beginning of the test, I believe that I can manufacture eight explosive mines with this long goal in mind, the preparations for the survival test then complete.
The last few weeks before the test went smoothly for my team, but the rest of the class didn't.
The atmosphere of the classes is depressed and tense the closer the test is the pressure on the students is increasing and with that conflict between the students has intensified the duels have occurred more frequently .
To my surprise I was not challenged I was extremely surprised by this I swore that Hilda would challenge me before the test, but Ingredi explained to me that she is having a problem with her team and ran out of time to challenge me when I asked if we should offer help for her I received a death glare from Ingredi and after that I was warm.
I do not understand the problem that the twins have I cannot identify how their relationship works I saw Ingredi defending her sister who is something normal more when I ask if we should help it seems that I had offered to help her mortal enemy that and very confused.
The rest of the team members are focused on group training but for my happiness the unique personalities of the team members do not conflict so our team work has improved a lot.
We trained several formations to be adaptable to the challenges that the test had presented us with the only problem and the task that we will receive on the day of the test.
When the test day started, my team met before the test started.
"I hope everyone is ready for the test because yesterday I discovered that this test will last for five days, not seven so we will have little time to do the task and seek resources in the forest so we will have to move quickly and with the least number of breaks possible."
Receiving a wave from the members of my team I noticed their nervousness even with all our preparation and it is normal for this to happen if they do not want to fail the test and be expelled from the school even though the chance of this is minimal.
We went to the entrance of the emerald forest and the first thing I noticed was the feeling that is getting from her there is something different in the forest, but I can't identify what is wrong with her.
"Did you notice anything different in the forest?"
I get a puzzled look from most of my group but there was an exception Sten.
"I realized that the climate in the forest is different seems more dangerous."
"I don't feel anything different and you Ingredi?
"I don't feel any difference and don't behave as if we were friends, Erick.
"It's bad to say that to a teammate before the start of a team test.
Erick's stupid smile doesn't falter even when his face was hit by Ingredi, but the smile of the rest of the team only increased when he was ignored by Ingredi.
Although this scene seems dramatic it has already become common and normal, but I believe that one day Erick will realize that he is destroying any chance he has with Ingredi sincerely I think that Sten has more chance than Erick to win over Ingredi.
As time goes by the teams will gather at the edge of the forest I still haven't found a plausible explanation for changing the forest better to give up because when I enter it I will find out better to focus on the competition .
Despite not having a perfect memory and remembering the level of cultivation of my colleagues, I can see that most of them have already left the initial stage and went to the intermediate stage, but the few that have reached the advanced stage and among them is Hilda.
Now I understand Ingredi's behavior, her sister's problem was an excuse for not telling me about Hilda's progress and a pity more the attempts to cover her sister did not work it seems that after the test I will be challenged by Hilda.
This is going to be a complicated duel since I have no hope of advancing my stage before him and I doubt that Hilda will hold on and do a fair duel like Torris.
I see that I will lose my place in the rank.
While I am stuck in my negative thoughts, Professor Balder had arrived to start the test.
"Good morning everyone, I hope you are all ready for the test. The special task that each group will receive will be delivered to you now and in ten minutes the test will start. The groups will be released at different entrances in the forest and the order of entry will be decided by the rank of group members. "
"Any questions ?"
The wizard from Hilda's team raises his hand and I notice that he and the fire wizard from the advanced combat class feel sorry for Hilda having to put up with this guy.
"Teacher, the test equipment was delivered by the school so that the teams have the same difficulty in the test, but there is a team that is loaded more items and they are equipped with better equipment they may appear to be using the same maturity that the other teams use , but I can see that they have runes engraved on them. "
"I want to know why are you letting them cheat on the test?"
The idiot has good eyes for noticing the runes, but he just accused the professor of being part of a conspiracy instead of just accusing our team of cheating him and a really big idiot.
"You little shit are you accusing me of helping a team to cheat?"
"You have a lot of courage to do this and for your information, Fenris' team has better equipment than yours because the members of his team recorded the runes on the equipment."
"And they are carrying more luggage than you are because they made several items to use in the test everything they are carrying was made by them under the supervision of a teacher and if you talk more idiocy I expel you from the annoying brat school."
I have never seen Professor Balder so irritating and insulting a student I think he has a problem with cheaters .
Right now my team has become the focus of the test.
As the murmurs increased in each team, a student I don't recognize asked.
"Teacher, because in the test rules that were announced, they don't talk about being able to make items to use in the test?"
"In the rules it says that you cannot use or take equipment and items purchased for the test the basic equipment and rations will be delivered by the school, but at no time do we forbid you to bring manufactured items and allow time for you to burn runes on the equipment of the test."
"The team led by Ulric Fenris asked him for the test equipment in advance to record runes under the supervision of Professor Frey and all manufactured items were inspected by the faculty to ensure that not one of them violates the rules."
"The fact that you will not notice the flaw in the rules and your problem."
"Cheating or violating the test and school rules will not be allowed and anyone caught doing so will suffer consequences commensurate with their crime."
"Now we are going to start this test as soon as students drive to the forest entrances and an examiner will give the signal for their team to enter the forest."
After Professor Balder's speech, I opened the envelope containing the test information.
My team's entry was from the center and we would be the first team to leave and our special task was to retrieve a magic tool from the forest and collect at least ten different resources from the forest, the description of the tool and a drawing of it were on the back of the Letter.
The tool was a bronze-colored metal plate and it was a shadow element tool, it seems that it has the basic hiding property of the shadow element. This was done to make it difficult to track the tool, but for me it only helped the shadow element. it must be common in the forest so just find a black diamond with my eyes to find the magic tool .
In the letter there is a part of a map of the forest with a painted aria, but it only served as a clue because it was torn up to make it difficult to locate using the map. You would have to look for a landmark that the map has when exploring the forest.
I show my team the map frequency and ask if anyone recognizes anything in it, unfortunately I get a negative answer until the map reaches Raziel's hand.
"Guys, I recognize the drawing style of the map. I've seen maps like that in the library. The maps drawn with that style were made by a student. The book I found them. begins your exploration in a straight line from the entrance to the forest with the goal of crossing the entire forest your path must not have deviated much from it, but the book I read was only the first chapter so I cannot be sure if this map is the central aria of the forest.
That and interesting information , but only if you are right.
"Are you sure about that, Raziel?"
"Yes, I spent the past few weeks reading about the emerald forest to find out where there might be rare resources in it in case our mission was to harvest a specific resource.
"Well, if you have a better track, let's drive on a more central route, avoiding too much deviation towards the south and north ends of the forest. Everyone keep your eyes open to find any landmark that is on the map."
We spent the time before the test started recording in our minds any feature depicted on the map to have a better chance of finding the magic tool .
We were interrupted by an examiner who approached the group carrying a watch. She looked at us and held up her hand when her eyes never left the watch .
I put the map in my backpack and saw the examiner giving the signal for us to enter the forest.
My prepared team advanced into the forest.
I wonder what kind of danger we are going to face in the emerald forest in this test.