The village elder walked ahead, leading all the Awakened children towards the Dark Woods, occasionally checking behind him to make sure they were following.
Many of the kids were talking among themselves—some were excited about facing monsters, while others were genuinely terrified. As Chris walked beside Elara, he glanced at her from time to time, checking to see if she was scared or uneasy like some of the other kids. But all he saw was determination on her face.
After a few minutes of walking, everyone reached the entrance to the forest. The dark vegetation and eerie energy made everyone shudder in fear, except for a few kids.
The village elder turned to face the children, his expression stern and focused. "We have reached the Dark Woods. This place is home to dangerous monsters; many people have lost their lives here, Awakened or not."
He paused, observing the small crowd with a sharp gaze. "If you value your life and do not wish to participate in this training exercise, please turn back now and return to the village," he said, his tone serious, his eyes conveying the gravity of his words.
Many children immediately began having second thoughts; the dangers of this place were truly terrifying. From the crowd, a small hand shot up. It was a little girl with short black hair and blue eyes, her eyes wide with fear and on the brink of tears.
"I... I'm going back," the girl said as a single tear rolled down her cheek. The village elder nodded in approval, and the young girl immediately turned back toward the village.
Another hand shot up, then another, and another. Many of the Awakened children raised their hands to leave, unable to withstand the thought of death; it was too terrifying for them.
One by one, all the children began to leave, leaving only a few behind. Chris, Elara, Jack, and three other children remained. The village elder let out a sigh, a bit disappointed in the small number of participants, but he brightened as he saw that the village's two prodigies had decided to stay.
He smiled at the determination and bravery in their eyes, particularly Chris, who showed no hint of fear, his expression calm. The elder clasped his hands together as he began to speak:
"Excellent. It seems I will have to manage with you few." He narrowed his eyes in thought as a sudden idea came to him.
"Though you only Awakened yesterday, you have yet to harness your abilities and use them efficiently. So, before we enter the Dark Woods, we will have a short training session."
"This will help you use and understand your magical attributes better because one day, you kids will have to leave the village and do something greater with your lives."
Chris looked at Elara, who nodded, giving him a ready smile as her eyes beamed with resolve. The other kids turned to their partners, feeling prepared for the training.
The village elder nodded to himself and spoke again:
"Now then, we shall begin. During this exercise, I will use my Earth magic to summon Stone Golems to serve as training dummies." He clapped his hands once, and the ground began to rumble slightly.
The earth split open, and out of it, six large golems emerged. Their bodies were made of tough cobblestone, sturdy and tall, standing at about six feet.
Chris blinked as he laid eyes on one of them; the system identified it as a Stone Golem, and it was level 10 with an average stat of 80. He was surprised to realize he was twice as strong as the Stone Golem, and a smirk broke out on his lips as confidence surged through him.
The village elder noticed his confidence and raised an eyebrow, curious about why he was so self-assured.
"Confident, are we?" the village elder asked skeptically, but Chris just casually shrugged it off.
"I'm ready for whatever you throw at me," Chris said confidently.
The village elder decided not to probe further and turned to the other kids. "You may begin," he said, his voice echoing in the wind.
Elara was the first to act, charging at one of the Stone Golems with impressive speed. The golem stood tall and firm, ready to counterattack if necessary. Elara shot her hand forward and materialized a small fireball. Though its size wasn't very big, it packed enough power, crackling with energy.
The flame traveled quickly, hitting the golem square in the chest, causing a small explosion as it stumbled back with chunks of its body flying everywhere. The village elder watched with keen eyes, a proud smile breaking out on his lips as he was thoroughly impressed.
'She's pretty good!' Chris thought, nodding slightly with his arms crossed.
But Elara wasn't finished. She followed up with a series of other fiery attacks, each landing a solid blow as the golem slowly began to crumble from the damage it was taking.
The village elder continued observing as Elara fought her golem with determination, a look of pride and mild surprise on his face as her flame abilities grew stronger and more controlled. She focused, gathering her energy before sending a final burst of fire straight into the golem's chest. The creature staggered, cracks running down its stone body before it collapsed, crumbling into pieces.
"Impressive, Elara," the elder called, his voice carrying a rare warmth. "You're beginning to understand your power. Remember—it's not just about strength, but also control."
Elara nodded, breathing heavily but smiling, her face flushed with a mix of exhaustion and pride. She glanced over at Chris, who returned her look with a confident grin, clearly eager for his own turn.
Without a word, Chris stepped forward, his eyes locked on his own golem. He took a steadying breath, then dashed toward it, moving with surprising speed. With a powerful leap, he planted his feet and delivered a crushing punch to the golem's chest. The impact resonated through the clearing, and in an instant, the golem shattered, its pieces scattering across the ground.
The clearing fell silent as the other kids stared, wide-eyed at Chris's display. The village elder's expression softened into a look of satisfaction, though he kept his gaze steady. "Good," he said simply, a hint of approval in his tone. "Very good."
Chris stood over the shattered golem for a few seconds as it slowly disappeared with a soft glow, a look of irritation flashing across his face.
'Damn it! The Stone Golems don't give any EXP or drop Souls!' Chris complained inwardly, but he soon calmed down.
Elara walked up to him and gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder. "You were excellent. I knew I picked the right partner," she said with a smile.
Chris chuckled as he nudged her back playfully. "Hey, you were great too, Elara. Your attacks were really amazing. With enough practice, you'll become very strong one day."
The two shared a look before bursting into laughter. With strengthened camaraderie, they continued to watch the others face their golems. All the kids were trying hard, and Jack seemed to be doing fine as he attacked from a distance with his water magic.
Chris and Elara's laughter faded as they turned their attention to the others, watching as each child struggled against their own golem. Jack moved gracefully, weaving around his opponent as he directed streams of water at the golem with sharp precision.
Though his attacks didn't have the force of Chris's or Elara's, he displayed a surprising level of control and timing, using his water to chip away at the golem's structure bit by bit.
The village elder's keen eyes watched over all of them, nodding quietly at each display of effort. "Remember, there is no shame in retreating," he reminded, his voice calm but firm. "You are here to learn and test your limits."
One by one, the remaining children wore down their golems, each adapting their unique skills to overcome the stone opponents. Though some struggled, bruised and exhausted, there was a growing glimmer of pride in their eyes as each obstacle crumbled before them.
Chris glanced at Elara, his grin growing. "Looks like we're not the only ones getting stronger today."
She returned the smile, determination brightening her gaze. "We're just getting started."
The village elder stepped forward, his stern face breaking into a small, approving smile as he surveyed the exhausted but triumphant group. "Good work, all of you," he said, his voice filled with unusual warmth. "This is only the beginning of your journey as Awakened. Remember that strength alone will not protect you—it is your resolve and courage to face the unknown that will make you true adventurers."
He turned to face the Dark Woods, the long shadows cast across the trees and ground adding a foreboding atmosphere. Looking back at the kids, he said with a warm smile:
"Rest up. We'll be venturing into the Dark Woods any minute now."
Chris and Elara shared a look and nodded as they sat down on the grass next to each other. While the other kids were determined and somewhat excited to hunt monsters, Chris knew it was only a matter of time before they discovered the bodies of the Dark Hounds all over the place.