With my team protected by the tent, we can finally relax. This test was much more stressful than the first test and when I say that, I am not referring to the obvious increase in difficulty that was expected, but rather the responsibility I feel for the life of my teammates being the team leader i feel like i am carrying a weight on my shoulders in the first test i was only responsible for two lives and in this i led a group of four some people may think that there is not much difference, but for me there is a big difference the more lives i am responsible but price i feel with every important decision i make.
Maybe I'm not a good material for leadership.
But now that the danger is over I feel really good about my success in completing the task and keeping my entire team safe.
Sitting at one end of the tent my team rests, but I direct my gaze to the forest using my aura in my eyes the first thing I notice and the thin layer of wind element intertwined with mana that originates from the center of the tent and continues until it ends on the ground it gives me the answer about this tent was common or was it a magic tool .
But the real spectacle and seeing the mana and elemental energy that covers the forest is getting stronger and stronger, but its shape does not change even with the large amount of energies moving, it didn't turn into chaos as in the previous days.
As the hours go by, the deadline arrives just missing a group leaving the forest and for the suffering of Ingredi that group and that of her sister Hilda tried to cheer her up the only thing I got was insults and punches from her I don't know if I'm bad or she is just crazy.
When it was only thirty minutes before the end of the test, I see a group leaving the forest as well as all the teams that left the forest, everyone is in a very sorry state, but I see Hilda all leading the group, which is good news for Ingredi that this is some seconds of a mental breakdown.
" See your sister is fine, there is no need to cry anymore, everything is fine."
This time I am not attacked by Ingredi who is crying with happiness.
With the arrival of the last group the test is finished and the teachers start to collect and count the resources taken from the forest my group and the third this time then it didn't take long for us to reach beyond the core of the magical beast and a few kilos of its flesh that we were unable to consume before the end of the test, we found nothing very unusual.
We have a good harvest of herbs and magic cores and a few ores that were close to the surface I think they will not improve our score much more with the mission completed and with our arrival before the deadline I believe we have a good chance of staying with the first place.
With the count of the last group being made, Professor Balder distances himself from the other teachers.
"Congratulations on having survived yet another survival test this time, only one group failed the test despite being sad for the group that failed. I am extremely happy with the improvement you have had in the last few months."
"I see that the survival courses that were recommended to you were successful in teaching you how to survive since not one of the examiners had to save your ass from being killed by animals or magical beasts that live in the forest."
"But unfortunately, I still see some bad seeds in mine when the final test result comes out, plus a lot of students will be expelled from the institute."
"In the next two days you will be able to rest peacefully, but on Monday the students will receive the test result in their dormitories and for those who are not expelled there will be a meeting in the school auditorium where the head mistress of the institute will explain to you how the months of class before the final test that will be held at the end of the year. "
"Dismissed."
With the end of the teacher's speech I say goodbye to my team and I go straight to take a shower and rest before dinner on my way to my room I think about the teacher's words it seems that there will be more changes besides the addition of specialized courses.
When I finally manage to take a shower and clean up all the dirt that I accumulated during the test, I start to feel better even when muscle fatigue decreases when I lie down on my bed, I review my decisions that I made in the last few days until I fell asleep.
When I wake up I feel my body completely sore, but my tiredness goes away, but unfortunately when I look at the window I see the sun in the sky it seems that I missed dinner and slept all night.
Heading to the canteen for breakfast I find the brothers Holt and Raziel already eating together with them.
"How was it to sleep in a comfortable bed after spending four nights sleeping in the forest?"
"I rest better in a bed than buried in a hole covered with logs and hoping to be drowned by the rain or being attacked by magical animals are you Erick?"
"I have the same preference as your Raziel ."
Looking at Sten, I only receive silence and not even an answer for Erick and Raziel's cuteness.
"Now we go to more questions interesting where Torris and Ingredi are ?"
"When I checked here I saw Torris leaving and Ingredi didn't see her."
"Well since it doesn't make sense to wait for the group to get together, I wonder what your plans are for this weekend without classes?"
"I'm going to rest maybe to visit the family."
"Me and Sten are going to stay right here and I plan to sleep as much as possible before classes return."
"Is our fearless leader what his plans are?"
"I'm going after Professor Frey and Liv and I have some questions for them and I'm going after Ingredi to see how she is doing ."
"Ho didn't know that you are interested in her."
"I'm not Raziel."
"So what about her sister you are looking to make friends with her to get closer to your sister and a clever strategy."
"Don't try to guess my intentions."
"You will fail Raziel."
Finishing my coffee, I head to the library with Sten.
"So you intend to continue studying Sten runes?"
"Yea."
"Are you going to write in any course more than runes?"
"I do not know."
"OK"
So fun to talk to Sten.
"If you have a craft course, will you take them?"
"I knew that applying runes to equipment is more common, but to a very large market on accessories with engraved runes."
" Maybe ."
"I am interested in magic tools I hope I have a course on them and do you have any interest in magic tools?"
"Not a lot."
"OK"
I've known Sten for months, but he barely talks to me but I saw him talking to Ingredi a lot.
Doesn't he like to be my friend or is he interested in Ingredi.
Thinking about couples time does not talk to Anna and Luke got me focused on my cultivation in recent months they must have completed the training base of the church and of the guard.
After the speech on Monday, I'll see if I can find the time to visit them. Do I try to send a letter beforehand or do I just show up there?
Visiting the church is fine and going straight there, but visiting the guard barracks maybe you should try the letter first.
Arriving at the library, I look for information about the magic tool we recovered in the forest and take the opportunity to see if I can find anything about the phenomena that happen in the forest.
My research proves to be useless even at the second level of the library. I found nothing about the forest or identifying the magic tool.
It seems that I will have to resort to asking Professor Frey for help about the magic tool and about the forest. Perhaps Professor Liv, who was a student here, should be able to help me, I just don't know if she will tell me.
I spend the rest of my day relaxing, but at the end of the day I didn't find Ingredi or saw Torris.
During my last day of rest I practice my wind and fire control a little bit, but I avoid heavy exercise my body is still recovering from the test I wonder how far I am from advancing to the peak of the black nucleus or how long it will take to advance to the gray core.
Now that I have passed the test I have to strive for the art of the Red Blade that I have neglected because it would not help me during the survival test to improve my combat ability which is very much focused on my wind element I need to master the Red Blade and improve my ability to reinforce my fire element using my wind element.
I bumped into Torris over dinner, but I didn't see Ingredi or Hilda during the end of the week.
When I asked Torris how he was behaving in an oddly nervous and evasive manner when I asked him if he knew anything about the changes that will be mentioned tomorrow he got a few shades lighter.
He's hiding something, but what is it that makes him so nervous?
Unfortunately my rest period ends with the arrival of a new day.