*swoosh*
The guest of fast-blowing wind hit Layla in the face, and she put her hand in front of her to block the wind.
She and the other kids entered the forest as soon as possible, but they needed someone to give them instructions.
"What the hell-! What do we do now? Where are we? This is not like last year's test."
Someone complained from Layla's other side.
He was not the only one who looked bewildered by this sudden development. Any kid who had tried to get information about this test needed clarification on the sudden change.
Layla was disturbed by this sudden change in the test as well, but her mental state was far better than other kids her age.
'I should not stay with the crown for too long. If my experience thus far has taught me anything, crowds lead to problems. Rather, I should look for a place to spend the next two days.'
This scenario could not even be imagined in Layla's previous world.
Rather than being encouraged, the school that tried to do such a thing would be fined and then closed for neglect.
Having magic at one's disposal also changed one's outlook toward life.
*Grrrr*
The sound of a wild animal growling got louder all of a sudden. Layla's proved to be right in the end. She did need to run if she wanted to live.
She saw the wild animals jump out from the corner of her eyes, but she was ready.
Layla had anticipated being in danger, so she already had an invisible spell ready to be activated. It blocked her from sight and her scent from being smelled by other monsters.
That was how she survived the first trouble she ran into. But this was just the start. There were still two more days she had to spend in this god-forsaken place before she could return home.
"Let's find a place to camp and put up protection spells. It will take me some time to do that."
It ended up taking Layla two hours to get everything ready and running. But once she was done, she had to cook her meal.
Layla had packed a lot of food that needed to be warmed before it could be eaten. So, she used a warming spell before her first meal in the forest.
Sleep was not an option for her, but Layla's body refused to cooperate with her.
Before she knew it, Layla's eyes had dropped, and she was out like a light.
Luckily, her instincts were sharp enough to wake her when they felt like someone was looking at her.
"Ugh, my back hurts. Why are most Romantic Stories written in a historical setting where people have magic to enjoy most of the luxurious, but they cannot even invent necessities for those without magic?
I will surely focus on this once I return home."
Layla complained as she felt her back ache from sleeping on the ground. She had found a sleeping bag adjacent, but it did nothing to stop the rocks from digging into Layla's back.
'What woke me? I am sure that it was not because I am done resting. I think…something was looking at me?'
Layla quickly looked around, but nothing seemed to be out of place. It also did not seem as if anyone or anything had followed her.
But the feeling of eyes looking at her did not lessen even slightly.
If anything, the more Layla tried to ignore it, the more paranoid she got about it.
'I need to get out of this safe zone. If these spells did not alert me, then my opponent was too high of a level for me to fight alone.'
Layla did not know about her opponent, and the opposite was untrue. So, she needed to find a place to give her a strategic advantage during this fight. The best place would be a cave with only one entrance.
It might sound like a bad idea, but Layla had a lot of teleportation scrolls ready to use.
If worse came to worse, then Layla would run away. She had nothing to lose.
...
Layla kept a lookout while she set up her base.
But unlike last time, she did not make the mistake of unpacking many things.
Since she had an inventory and external storage, Layla did not need to keep things out in the open. She could use her system to keep things inside without worrying about losing them.
That was why she was ready to run away as soon as she heard footsteps heading her way.
But the closer they got; the more Layla realized there was no need to.
Whatever was trailing after she made no noise, but since she could hear the noise this time, she could tell that this was a human.
And a young kid at that.
"Hello, is anyone in here?"
Layla recognized that voice, and all her suspicion vanished in an instant.
This was one of the kids from the trio who extended their hand toward Layla on Henry's orders.
It was a coincidence that Layla happened to run into him here, but she also felt lucky for this encounter.
"Hey, if you are there, then answer me. Otherwise, I will attack you and-"
Layla was small and malnourished for her age. This made her look like a twig compared to other kids around her age.
She was starting to get proper meals, but recovering would take some time.
That was why her sudden appearance made her look like a ghost. Her white complexion and hair added to this illusion and made Layla seem demonic.
"Aww, w-who are you? What do you want from me? S-Stay back! I am warning you to stay back-!"
The unnamed kid cried as soon as he saw Layla before he tried to run out. But before he reached the entrance, a monster appeared and blocked the way.
The loud yell had attracted something, after all. And that something turned out to be a monster Layla needed to deal with if she wanted to live.