[Brian's PoV]
Damn! These monsters just keep coming!
Here I am, trapped, day and night, with these relentless monsters blocking my way to find Ariel.
"Enough! Die, you bastards!"
I unleashed a Flying Sword spell toward the monsters. This is one of the techniques I recently learned from Master Pendragon. This spell lets me send a slashing beam of light that can hit enemies from a distance.
RROOOAARRR!
I heard the roar of a massive monster. Turning around, I saw a 3-meter-tall Minotaur.
"Tch, here it comes again."
I've already killed this creature three times, but they keep coming after me. Honestly, Minotaurs are some of the hardest monsters to kill in this third stage of the trial.
It charged, roaring, and ran towards me.
I readied my stance, preparing to use the new techniques Master taught me.
ROAAARR!
The Minotaur threw a punch at me.
"Spinning Strike!"
I spun to gain extra power and slashed my sword at the Minotaur's fist.
"Ughhhh...!"
I was thrown back. My strength still wasn't enough to go head-to-head with this level 8 monster. I probably still need more training to fully master these techniques.
The Minotaur chased after me and threw a kick.
I dodged using the Accel spell, and its kick struck a tree behind me, bringing it down.
I kept my distance. I didn't have time to waste here—I had to find Ariel before it was too late!
Raising my sword above me with both hands, I began gathering mana, focusing it on my blade.
"I am the Protector of This Motherland..."
I started chanting one of my Profound Codex spells. This monster would meet its end with this attack.
"Destroyer of Evil... Defender of Truth..."
The Minotaur charged again, its mouth wide open, showing its sharp teeth in an attempt to intimidate me. But I wasn't afraid. The higher my courage, the stronger this spell would become.
"Roar, Incursiooo!"
With a vertical slash, I released the stored wave of magic.
ROAAARR!
My magic wave struck the Minotaur, sending its body flying back. It was driven backward until the wave crashed into a huge tree, creating an explosion.
Smoke surrounded the area. Shortly after, I saw the Minotaur's charred body lying there, its tongue sticking out and a large wound across its chest.
"This attack is incredible!"
This was only the first level of the spell. I couldn't imagine its full power once I leveled it up.
With my growing strength, I felt I could defeat any opponent. In a few months, there would be an academy tournament—I would show all the students my power and finally embarrass that Rotten Noble when the time came.
After defeating the monster, I continued searching through the forest.
Since this third-stage trial began, I had only encountered one other participant. Where is everyone? This place couldn't be as vast as the desert where the second stage took place.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
While walking, I heard footsteps from the side.
A girl with platinum hair appeared, looking exhausted.
"Ariel!"
I hurried toward her, just as she was about to faint and fall.
"Brian..."
Ariel noticed me as I caught her.
"Ariel! What happened? Where's your academy uniform?" I asked her.
But she didn't answer. She lost consciousness and fell asleep in my arms. I held her close.
I'd better find a safe place until Ariel wakes up.
---
[Ariel's PoV]
Ugh... Where am I?
The last thing I remember was the masked man telling me to run; he held off those three assassins to save me.
"Ariel... You're awake?"
Hearing someone's voice, I turned. I saw Brian sitting nearby.
"Brian...? What happened? How did I end up here with you?" I asked, still confused.
"I saved you about two hours ago," Brian said with a smile. "Didn't I tell you? I would find you in this forest."
Huh? No, wasn't it the masked man who saved me?
"I found you nearly passed out not far from here," Brian explained.
"I see. Thank you, Brian..."
Hearing my gratitude, the blond man smiled with satisfaction.
Now that I think about it, I haven't thanked the masked man yet. He has saved me and Brian twice now.
Who is he, really? How did he even get in here? At the time, I didn't have a chance to ask him anything.
I wonder how he's doing now?
"Brian, how long was I asleep?" I asked.
He checked his pocket watch. "I think almost two hours. It's still only ten. The trial will end in two more hours."
"Brian, earlier I encountered three assassins targeting you in the forest," I told him.
"Huh? So they're the reason you're like this, Ariel?" Brian said. "Unforgivable!"
"We should report this to the Instructors, Brian," I suggested.
"But Ariel, we're already close to the forest's center. If we turn back now, we won't get that crystal, and all our effort here will be wasted!" Brian objected.
"But Brian, if they find you, we'll be in danger," I insisted.
"Don't worry, Ariel," Brian said casually. "I'm much stronger now! I even believe I could take on an Instructor!" His face showed pride.
Brian did seem stronger than before, but I wasn't sure he was on an Instructor's level yet.
"If you're feeling better, we should head to the center of the forest," Brian said.
Seeing how determined he was, I had no choice but to follow him.
We continued our journey toward the forest's center. Rumor had it that monsters rarely wandered in that area, making it a safe place for participants to rest after finding the crystal.
After about half an hour, we began seeing trees with leaves that sparkled like jewels. It looked like we had reached the center.
"...!"
We stopped in our tracks upon seeing a man with black hair leaning against a tree. His academy uniform was torn as if scorched.
I rushed toward him, but Brian held me back.
"What's wrong, Brian? He looks badly injured! As a Priestess, it's my duty to heal others!" I argued.
"But Ariel, that guy has done terrible things to you! He made you cry and kidnapped you during the first trial! He doesn't deserve your healing touch!" Brian said, upset. "Besides, if he's that injured, it's his own fault for failing to defeat the forest's monsters."
Brian's words didn't sway me. I shook off his hand and stepped towards Raul.
"Tch, you're too soft, Ariel," Brian muttered.
Ignoring Brian, I knelt before Raul and checked his condition.
There was a wound on his right temple, burns on his left side, his hand was blistered and peeling, and his breathing was faint.
He was in terrible shape... What kind of monster did he fight to end up like this?
Then I realized my earlier thought was wrong. I found a stab wound in his left shoulder. These weren't wounds from a monster—they were inflicted by a human.
Focusing mana in my hands, I began chanting a healing spell. With so many injuries, it would take time to heal him completely.
A soft glow appeared around my palms as I started healing each wound. First, his head, then I moved to the stab wound in his shoulder.
Healing injuries this severe would drain a lot of my mana.
After taking care of the lighter wounds, I opened his shirt and removed each layer of his clothing.
There was a burn on his left chest, and I started healing that area first.
Sweat began to bead on my forehead as I grew tired. After several minutes of healing his chest, Raul finally started breathing normally again.
His eyelids fluttered open, revealing dark eyes like the night sky gazing at me.
"Liana..." he murmured.
Huh? Who's Liana? He must be hallucinating from his injuries. It seemed he wasn't fully conscious yet.
But I didn't know Raul had any acquaintance named Liana.
---
[Third-Person PoV]
Elsewhere, Foxy had finally escaped from the Barrier after evading the Instructors. She returned to the cave where they previously gathered.
When she arrived, she found none of her comrades there. She took out a small artifact that resembled a ball. Four slots were in the center, but only one emitted light.
"They're all dead..." Foxy muttered. "How is that possible? I drew off three Instructors, while four were needed to keep the Barrier working."
Four Instructors had checked the forest after the assassins from Ouroboros breached the Barrier. Three chased Foxy, but the whereabouts of the fourth remained unknown.
"Is it possible that the three of them could be killed by just one Instructor?" muttered Foxy who couldn't believe it. "That means, this mission is a failure."
Foxy had no other choice but to return to the Ouroboros base this time. There was no way she could return to the forest alone.
"This is troublesome, how do I explain this to my boss?"
.
.
.
The next day, the third stage of the test was completed. Of the 40 participants who went into the forest, only 28 made it out alive.
After this, the participants will return to the academy after nearly a month of three-stage survival testing.
Upon their return, the second-year students will have a ten-day break before returning to their studies at the academy.
Two months later, they will face the graduation exam and an academy tournament will be held after all students have completed the exam.