After my team recovered from the attack before dawn on the second day.
We continue on our way towards the center of the emerald forest.
Our morning was quiet until the moment I noticed a change in the mana in the air.
The mana in the air has started to move in circles and its speed is gradually increasing and as if it is preparing for something.
"Let's take the lunch break now, let's eat rations to finish quickly. I feel like something bad is going to happen in my day."
When we took the rations Raziel asked me what I was feeling.
" Ulric, what do you mean, something bad is going to happen?"
"Pay attention to the atmosphere of the forest, it's getting more dense and I feel the mana in the air is changing remember about the storm during the first test I don't think the teachers chose the test date by chance and yes they are trying to test us as we adapt when we suffer from natural disasters the attack at dawn was already strange. "
"We should expect to suffer from animal attacks or a violent climate, maybe both at the same time. We must be aware of any changes in the environment.
I see Torris worried .
" Maybe we should take a defensive stance to set up a camp to defend ourselves?"
"You can be sure Torris , but we must do this at night setting up the camp early, we will have more time to rest before possible attacks, but now during the day we must keep moving if not our chances of completing the task will be zero."
We finished eating our lunch before the sun reached the midday position. I could already see that the mana in the air is getting more chaotic than before, but I can't even see an anomaly in the sky.
"We will move at a lower speed and we will use a more compact formation Torris you will go ahead I will stay in mine to protect Ingredi I will point our way everyone prepare for combat if I am sure we will be attacked by a bunch of magical animals."
We organized ourselves in our new formation and went further into the forest.
With mana in the air being a glaring sign, my assumption proved correct when we were attacked by a flock of magical animals. They were made up of wolves, wild boar and deer, but luckily for us there are no birds in the flock.
When we saw the gang coming towards us Torris was already preparing to block them.
"Ingredi creates a barrier with his earth element around the team, just leave the opening in front. I, Raziel and Erick will use arches to decrease their number when Sten kills anyone who tries to jump through the barrier. . "
With my orders given Torris covers himself with his elemental cloak and uses it to increase his blocking area with his shield enhanced with the defense of the earth element he blocks the onslaught of the flock .
With three people targeting them with arrows the number of them started to decrease, but they easily bypassed our group, but with the earth element barrier they had no way to attack us easily and when the wolves tried to reach the Sten group it was already ready for us defend.
After a few minutes the terrain around us and as the barrier was covered by a layer of mud made of water and earth, but to the disadvantage of the animals, I create a much stickier and thicker clay than I had seen her use during the first test her magic not only became stronger but she must have achieved a deeper control and understanding of her elements.
With our solid defense I, Erick and Raziel can attack the wolves without obstacles, but unfortunately the number of animals has not decreased, but it has increased we are being attacked by a ridiculous number of animals it seems that we were being targeted by an endless army.
When there was ten minutes of constant combat, I was already close to reaching three digits in the number of animals killed, even so the number of them was not decreasing. I was hoping that we would suffer a heavy attack, but this number of enemies is getting ridiculous. it will last I have already spent a quarter of my aura and energy from the element Torris wind that is blocking the onslaught of animals must be spending more energy than me.
But the one who reached her limit first was Ingredi she spent a lot of mana to create a solid defense and adding a layer of slime must have drained a good part of her mana at least she must have spent half of her mana.
Most of her mana has been spent, but in order to keep her defense functional she still has to cast magic from the water element otherwise the sludge will dry out. I don't know how long Ingredi can maintain the defense.
As time goes by I am already close to reaching three digits in the amount of animals killed.
We were shot for more than ten minutes by the never-ending flock of animals that does not diminish at that point. Ingredi had already reached its limit and with that the disadvantage that our enemy suffered with the terrain would end and thus the attack that arrives in the group will increase.
But luckily for us the stone barrier will still hold and hinder them allowing us to maintain a full defense.
But luckily the number of animals seems to have come to an end or more of them have fled away but this is not important but the attack is coming to an end if it continued our group would have run out of arrows I'm already using the last one quiver I have I do not think Raziel and Erick are in a better situation than mine despite using little aura and minimal elemental wind energy in my arrows with constant combat my energy levels have already decreased considerably I am already reaching half of my energy and my biggest concern is Torris he must be spending a lot more energy than I would not be surprised if he is close to his limit.
With the number of animals decreasing with each passing moment, the attack comes to an end I don't think we will be able to maintain a solid defense for much longer when there were no animals attacking us the first one to fall was not Torris but Erick, but he he's only doing drama by taking out Ingredi who's already resting only Torris has reached his limit and so he collapsed in a pitiful state he is panting and covered in sweat it looked like he had jumped into a lake being a defensive warrior is not easy.
As Raziel and I started harvesting the cores of the dead animals I noticed the mana in the air is still chaotic, but this is decreasing during the combat, the mana in the air was at a completely different level than now I reflect on my actions and realize that Torris was right we should have looked for a better place to set up a defensive camp I underestimated the challenge that was coming I cannot make the same mistake my team was already reaching the limit I must remember that in this test my team is still the one with the lowest number and with that the proof of survival would be impossible to win only by using force.
I must be more alert and prepare a more solid defense for the next attack, they should only get bigger with each passing day.
It took a while for Ingredi to recover his mana and Torris is still tired, but we have to move and get out of this pool of blood and dead bodies this time we collected three hundred and sixty-two cores.
We moved calmly through the forest after the outbreak that heard there were not many animals in our path, most of which appeared until it was hurt claw marks covered their bodies it seems that without a target like our group the animals would fight each other.
I wonder why this happens, I don't think air mana is responsible and the easier it is to be more of a victim not the cause of it I hope that after this test the teachers can tell us the reason for these events in the forest.
As the hours pass we cover a good distance I am looking for some reference point that is on the map fragment that we have already covered a good distance from the entrance to the forest
But I could n't find a point of similarity between the map and the forest around us.
With dusk approaching I decided that we should find a place to set up a defensive camp for us to prepare for the night attack that we are likely to suffer.
Today we were lucky to find a good place to camp it had few trees and a ditch of moderate size to a good part of it that it was almost a meter and a half deep we will use it as a barrier to reduce the enemy attack area.
"Can you use your magic to improve the height of the camp? Leaving the camp in a higher position will be better to defend. "
"I don't have the ability to do this as much as I can move a layer of earth to create a slope around the camp."
"So do this and lift obstacles around the camp and climb thick walls around the camp. Let's spend your mana now so as not to overwhelm you later."
"I have no mana to do all of this Ulric I have no mana to create a fort."
"Do what you can now Ingredi and rest before bed you can complete our defense I will plant some mines near the edge of the ditch when if we are attacked from behind the mines will destroy the edge of it and hopefully increase the ditch prevented any attack for her."
We spend time preparing our defense and cooking meat from the animals we killed earlier after a meal and a rest. Ingredi uses up the mana she has regenerated and she starts to sleep to rest.
The rest of the group started to rest in shifts. I hope we don't have an attack and we can have a quiet night, but I doubt that will happen.