Liam and I were already waiting as the last group went in to collect their weapons. A variety of weapons could be seen—mostly close-combat tools, as expected. However, there were still others who chose bows, throwing knives, or daggers. Even rarer were those with crossbows, which are seldom used due to the long reloading time.
One person stood out. It was Lunaris Duskthorn, unmistakable as she held a scythe nearly larger than herself. The weapon's cutting edge didn't even reach her head as she clutched it close to her body.
She wants to be a scout? Really?
While scouts can use a variety of weapons—both close-combat and ranged—stealth remains a crucial factor. With a weapon like that, subtlety seemed… complicated.
"She's pretty, huh?" Liam asked, probably noticing me looking in her direction.
"You're jumping to conclusions," I replied. "Besides, she's engaged to Astrel."
"That fool?" Liam scoffed. "He makes fun of her in every way possible. You can't even count how many times he's flirted with other women at parties—right in front of her. And no one says a word. Not even the Duskthorn clan."
Liam looked at me expectantly, clearly fishing for my agreement—or at least sympathy—in his disdain for Astrel.
Sorry, but getting involved with Astrel in any way is too dangerous for me.
"You seem to know the lives of the upper echelon quite well," I remarked.
Liam puffed out his chest, pride evident on his face.
"Dear sir, let it be known that I'm the representative of the new generation of the Forest Guardians guild. You should feel honored to know someone as important as me."
Unexpected.
The Forest Guardians guild was relatively new in human territories. Despite their short existence compared to the veteran guilds, they already dominated the espionage and information acquisition markets in elven territories. On top of that, their business selling precursors for various substances was the most affordable on the market.
I bowed my head mockingly. "I'm truly honored to be having a dialogue with such a majestic person."
"Of course, of course," Liam replied, accepting my sarcasm without hesitation.
Instructor Michael stepped forward, ensuring the warehouse was now empty.
"Now," he began, his deep voice carrying across the group, "we'll start with a little practice. You have 15 minutes to prevent me from touching you. You can use anything that comes to mind—run as far as you can, hide, or organize an unexpected attack. If you succeed, you'll be exempt from the first totalization."
He paused for effect, scanning the group.
"You have 5 minutes before I begin the hunt. Time starts… now!"
The moment he finished, chaos erupted as students scattered in every direction.
As soon as everyone heard those words, the armors of those around me activated, including my own:
Mana Armis: Left Foot + Hand + Right Shoulder – 2nd Form Condensation.
Head armor… I'll leave it for exceptional situations.
"Come on, let's stick together—I have a plan!" Liam said, his leg and hand armor also glowing with activated mana.
By the time the vegetation thickened around us, no one else was in our field of view. Liam and I moved steadily through the underbrush as he explained,
"Michael is my older brother. He's going to find us really quickly, so our only chance to survive these 15 minutes is to set a trap."
"You really think that's going to work? He's definitely a professional ManaWarrior."
"He's a ManaMaster."
That makes even less sense.
"He's forbidden to use more than one mana armor component, so there's still a chance."
It had already been 10 minutes. Liam and I had moved far from the starting point—probably the furthest away of anyone. The thick vegetation and silence confirmed as much.
We found a spot crowded with trees and dense bushes. I began to create false tracks, as though Liam and I had split up and he had hidden in the area alone. In reality, I climbed a tree before the clearing where Liam was and began to reduce my presence as much as possible.
Suddenly, I heard a voice.
"Brother, I'm so happy to see you!"
Immediately, I began to charge an arrow with aether, staying hidden in the treetops. I heard faint movements—not footsteps, but light, rhythmic landings. He's here.
"That's enough." I said with two arrows in my hand.
I rose to my feet. My bow was already in combat mode, an aether-charged arrow nocked and the bowstring drawn. From above, I saw Liam lying on the ground while Michael, his right hand wrapped in mana armor, lunged at him with speed that sent dust flying.
I released the arrow.
It flew silently, its trajectory enhanced by wind currents, but the moment it neared the instructor, his gaze snapped from Liam to my arrow.
In a motion that seemed like slow-motion, Michael's armored hand redirected mid-air. Instead of striking Liam, his fist met my incoming arrow.
Archery Technique: Tornado Archery (4 ☆)
2nd Stage: Wind Slash - Stab
The arrow's wind-powered strike collided, but it wasn't enough to deal significant damage. However, Liam seized the opportunity. Mana-enveloped daggers glowed in his hands as he darted toward Michael to strike.
Perfect timing.
With another motion, I fired a follow-up shot:
2nd Stage: Wind Slash – Horizontal Slash
A blade of wind emerged, hurtling toward Michael's body. Just as Liam's dagger neared its target, and the wind slash closed the gap, only millimeters remained between their combined attacks and Michael's body.
The instructor rotated mid-air, forming an enormous current that deflected both my arrow and Liam's dagger. Our first attempt had failed. Liam was already exhausted, and I had nothing left in my arsenal that could affect a ManaMaster. Tightening my bow, I moved toward Liam.
When I reached him, I found my partner slumped against a tree, breathing heavily. Michael stood nearby, arms crossed, looking as though he had been waiting for me.
"Hello, Mr. Instructor," I greeted.
"Hello, Kail. Please help this idiot get to the medical section."
"Hey! Hah! This HAI you did—threw me HAH against the tree!" Liam wheezed out between breaths.
"You're the one who forced me into that situation," Michael replied coolly.
"You're an instructor! HAH! It's your responsibility HAI to take care of the students—not throw them into trees!"
They continued their back-and-forth while I crouched down, pulling Liam's arm over my shoulder to offer him support.
"In which direction should I go to get there faster?" I finally asked, ending their debate.
"A little to the left of the direction you came from," Michael replied.
"Is there anyone left?" Liam asked, his voice slightly steadier now.
"You were the last," Michael replied.
"Then you know we're exempt from the totalization," Liam said triumphantly.
Michael paused, staring at us as if he hadn't heard correctly. Then he facepalmed.
"You'll have to go through the first totalization anyway."
"Hey, at least respect your own words!" Liam shot back.
"You're talking as if I'm the only instructor in this academy," Michael replied, shaking his head. "I'm not even the main instructor for this subject. You and Sungur need to understand—I caught you both a long time ago."
"At least give us some extras or compensation!" Liam protested.
"Liam, admit it—we failed this test," I said firmly, cutting through the discussion.
"But time passed, and he didn't touch us! Those were his exact words!" Liam argued.
Michael sighed. "Do you really think I couldn't have caught you hundreds of times by now? I let it play out, that's all."
Eventually, Liam gave in, though he still looked bitter about the situation. By now, he seemed to have recovered, walking on his own. The three of us decided to head back to the original meeting spot, where the rest of the students had gathered.
We emerged together, with me pulling my hood up over my head. The instructor went straight to address the students, while Liam and I blended back into the crowd.
"No one passed today's test," Instructor Michael declared, his voice firm and final. "As a penalty, you are not allowed to change the equipment you previously selected. From now on, you will stick with what you have. If something breaks or is lost, the academy will not replace or return it."
Liam looked ready to explode, his face red with frustration. Just as he opened his mouth to voice his indignation, I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. My gesture silenced him—though from the glare he shot me, he clearly didn't appreciate it.
"Now," Michael continued, unbothered, "each of you will enter the warehouse. Inside, you'll find personal lockers. You will store your equipment there. Enter in groups of 30."
Since Liam and I had been the last to arrive, we were placed in the final group. As we passed by the warehouse door, Michael leaned in and whispered for us to wait until everyone else had gone inside.
The warehouse looked entirely different this time. The towering stacks of boxes had vanished, replaced by walls lined with small lockers—each about 150 centimeters high and 40 centimeters wide.
Liam and I found two open, unregistered lockers near the back. We carefully placed our weapons and bracelets inside, but we didn't close the lockers. Instead, we waited, watching as the other students finished and filed out.
Once the warehouse was empty, Michael reentered. After a few swift movements on the holographic display of his watch, several lockers shimmered and were replaced by familiar supply boxes—the same ones we'd seen earlier.
"You get a new dagger," Michael said, turning to Liam. Then he looked at me. "And Kail, you can take a set of arrows. I can't give you more than that."
Liam huffed dramatically. "When we get home, you'll see what I'm going to do to you," he grumbled at his brother.
Michael only smirked in response, unbothered by the threat.
It wasn't until later that I realized how much that single set of arrows would end up saving me.