With its still dark and still several hours before sunrise, I'm on my feet finishing up getting my equipment ready for the second part of the test that will start shortly, I'll fully prepare myself before going to sleep. I'm pretty confident that I can get through this phase of the test, although during it I don't know what kind of rule and objective I'll have is who my new teammates will be, but since the chance of having a worthless idiot in the group is small. since most of them have already been eliminated I am much more comfortable in this second part of the test than before entering the illusion matrix during the first part of the test.
It's funny that I feel less pressure on the second part of the test, which should be harder than the first, but without the imminent threat of death and less incompetent students, I feel more confident and confident. If the principal knew my current thoughts, she would be extremely angry and frustrated, she really had fun putting fear and despair on the students.
As I moved towards the emerald forest entrance, I saw the tired faces of several students, it seems that many of them didn't get to rest well before the test or are people who can't wake up early, I wonder if there will be any students without equipment today. It would be very funny to see teachers throwing students without even a weapon in the forest, it's tragic for the student, but for me it would be a very funny situation.
I even considered the idea of trying to take the test this way, I believe I have a good command of unarmed combat and also have practical experience, I fought so much against other warriors, animals and monsters. But I still thought it would be very dangerous to face a level two magic beast in the forest, even if the chances are small of that, I still prefer not to risk that much, normal humans cannot easily subdue magic beasts without weapons when the cultivation level between them it's pretty close.
The rewards would be good, since doing the second part of the test unarmed, I wouldn't need to participate in any other phase of the test, I would basically have passed the test instantly, which greatly decreases the chance of getting hurt and failing the test. Thinking about the end of the test, I still have no idea what the exact reward will be for passing the deadly test, I know that students taking the test will be part of an 'elite' unit during the early stage of the war.
It's very interesting the unwritten rule that large-scale conflicts always ate with warriors is a black and gray core mage, even in the conflict of the nobles of the southern region of the kingdom, there is no breaking of this rule, only after a long-time people with green cores entered the conflict and then those with orange cores entered the battle, but they still hide in the shadows fighting small combats, basically duels.
A war between kingdoms will be slightly different from the conflict between the nobles, but the progression and intensification of the conflict dries up the same order, maybe it escalates more quickly as it involves many more people and many of them have strong core, I'm surprised by that. In a world ruled by people with great individual power, conflict is controlled to prevent useless deaths or damage the environment, the gods have a direct control in mortal society, they don't even disguise much.
The gods are frightening beings that even a mortal should not oppose or break their rules, I believe the reason wars are fought this way is because the gods wish it to be that way. I may not know what the gods gain from their worshipers, but if they allowed people to fight regardless of the consequences the environment, we live in would be much wilder and that would affect the gods' believers.
The power of the churches is very great, but what all kings, emperors and rulers fear are the gods, throughout history the gods have acted directly in the mortal world at times, and the record of this is erased, were it not for the clear indifference of the gods, the blatant holes in the story wouldn't be so easy to read, in reality this is the way the gods warn mortals without throwing them in their face that they are violent and bloodthirsty beings, but that's not something a weak person like I must get involved.
I must focus on getting a good grade, but I can't be one of the first on the test, even though it's very difficult for me to be one of the people with the best scores. I prefer not to stand out too much as the prize will be a combination of resources with dangerous missions, it is one of the objectives to create groups of 'elites' and it is natural that they will be made to fulfill difficult missions at the beginning of the war and ensure a good position for the kingdom.
If hey is too useless I become an expendable soldier, and if hey is too good I will have to do suicide missions. My best bet is to be mediated up, I will be able to avoid the deadliest missions, but I will have the authority and freedom not to be easily sacrificed on a battlefield.
Because the royal family and the army are so committed to creating a war, it is ridiculous to think that I am to blame for being the person who theoretically made it possible for this war to be waged, as the conflict in the southern region began with the fall of the family of that idiot who had nefarious plans for the Vania of the Yates family.
The only reason the conflict is escalating this way is because the nobles and the royal family wanted it that way, I was just a convenient fragment to set this last phase in motion. If I could go to the past, I would avoid getting into all this shit, maybe this a few more months or years for me to be strong enough to more easily survive the war, or have the ability to leave the kingdom, with my current strength is unreal a think ai can live well when fleeing the kingdom, without even a support or security I'm an easy target for anyone.
This is really sad and frustrating, but I better not let it put me off. Upon my arrival at the entrance to the forest I find a few groups of students and few teachers, most teachers should be prepared to go hunting students, even though I think that unique will be stupid enough not to show up, but teachers can't not even a risk of letting a student slip away from the test, so most of them should be prepared to shut the students up at the institute.
This would be a very comical sena is memorable, but unfortunately, I doubt it becomes real, as time went by more students arrived at the entrance to the forest. I found a grumpy Hilda, she doesn't like to wake up early, the others were closer to her normal self, apart from the nervousness only Raziel seemed affected by sleep, but was still better than Hilda who mumbles insults to the headmistress for making her wake up early.
"Are you okay, Hilda?
"Fuck you."
He really isn't a morning person like Ingredi, who is in a normal state alongside Hilda.
"She doesn't like to wake up too early and as she is so excited for the audition, she ended up not being able to sleep very well. After she kills some animals, she should get back to normal."
Nothing beats a little exercise to wake up the body, but I doubt most people associate exercise with killing magical animals.
"You can get screwed too."
"Until then she will send people to shit all the time. Ready to enter the forest?"
"Yes, I'm actually more confident that I can do well in this part of the test than the last one, but it's a shame that it's not possible to carry a lot into the forest. We'll probably stay in it all day."
"Now I want to tell you to fuck yourself, Ulric. You don't need to rub it in my face that I'm not physically fit to run around in the woods all day."
"I didn't mean it that way, Ingredi. I just wanted to say that it's more stressful to know that you have a pretty good chance of teaming up with idiots, now that most of them have been eliminated it's so much easier to have competent people on your team."
"That may be true, but I would still prefer not to have to spend the entire day in the forest, even the illusory matrix can be more comfortable than the wet forest. In case you don't know more about this one, it's going to rain in the forest today."
"How do you know that?"
"At this time of year, it always rains in the forest in the afternoon, even if it is little water, it still rains. Hope you brought a cape or you're going to catch a cold."
It would be easier to think that Ingredi was worried about me if she wasn't smiling when she said I'm going to get wet, which won't happen because I have a cape in my backpack, even a small cape is more than enough to protect the upper body, but I won't tell her that.
"Well, stop because you're going to have an advantage in a fight today, Ingredi. Having rain will really help anyone with the water element."
"Not so much, it's a rain not a flood. I can spend less mana, but the forest is not the place to do very big spells, I will have a hard time keeping myself hidden in the forest and avoiding being ambushed, I should have spent more time training my physical skills."
Before I can console Ingredi or poke Hilda who is almost a zombie on our side. Professor Balder appeared with two students tied up, it seems like people who are going to face the principal's challenge without weapons, but from their confident posture it seems that their situation is something purposeful, brave people.