Without a second thought, Shin, George, Frey, Arze, and Jason hurried inside and began wolfing down the food, their earlier struggles momentarily forgotten.
They continued to eat in silence, the tension from earlier still hanging in the air. After some time, the group rested. George, however, stood outside the cabin, waiting for Lloyd, Jack, and Reyden.
Shin sat against the wall, his legs aching as he leaned back. His mind churned with doubt. "Did I really change...?" He replayed the earlier encounter with the goblins in his head, trying to find some sense of victory in it. "I did well with the goblins... but why can't I move my legs...?" His chest tightened. "Am I still the same pathetic loser?"
Shin's thoughts spiraled into negativity. His grip on his hair tightened, a cold sweat breaking out across his skin. "B-both of you, stop..." he murmured under his breath, a trembling whisper caught between doubt and resolve.
[Lloyd and Jack POV]
Meanwhile, Jack and Lloyd chose the left portal, stepping into the darkness of a cave. There were multiple winding paths, and the students rushed forward into them. A few stuck together in groups, but Jack and Lloyd decided to team up.
"Earlier, I saw Shin and George go through the middle portal," Lloyd said, his eyes scanning the cave.
Jack shot him a glare. "Then why the hell didn't you call them?"
Lloyd scratched his head, his frustration showing. "I... I didn't know what to do." He sighed, shaking his head.
As they walked deeper into the cave, the sound of rushing footsteps echoed around them. The air grew heavier, thick with the scent of earth and something else... something sinister. Soon, they stumbled upon a nest.
"A... egg?" Lloyd muttered, stepping closer. Before he could react, the egg cracked open, releasing dozens of small, venomous spiders.
"AHHHHHH!" Jack screamed.
"RUN!" Lloyd bellowed. Both of them bolted down the nearest path, but the spiders scuttled quickly after them, relentless in pursuit.
As they neared the cave's entrance, Jack shouted to the others, "EVERYONE, RUN!"
Panic swept through the remaining students as they scrambled back toward the spawn. Some of them, too terrified to think straight, tried to find safe paths. But as the spiders, goblins, wolves, and boars poured from the tunnels, there was no safe escape.
Lloyd, his face set in a grim expression, punched a crack in the cave wall, his fist connecting with the stone. It shattered, revealing a hidden path that led to a waterfall.
"EVERYONE, THE LAND'S DOWN THERE, SWIM!" a student shouted, pointing towards the distant shore.
The students scrambled to the edge, but not everyone could swim. Those who could dove in, helping the others.
"FUCK! HELP ME, LLOYD!" Jack cried, struggling to keep his head above water.
"I'm coming!" Lloyd responded, his voice low. He dove into the water, swimming desperately toward Jack. But the creatures spiders, goblins, wolves, and even boars had followed them into the water, swimming after them with horrifying speed.
"What the hell?!" a student yelled as one of the boars lunged toward them in the water.
"Everyone, there's an exit! That way!" another student pointed frantically.
"Jack, go with them!" Lloyd commanded with a determined voice.
"But how about you?" Jack asked, his voice laced with worry.
Lloyd looked over his shoulder, his gaze hardening. "If I can't protect them, then I'm a disgrace to my family." His voice was calm, but there was a fire in his eyes. "Go. I'll handle this."
Jack's expression softened as he nodded and raced toward the forest, guiding the students along the escape route.
Meanwhile, Lloyd, bloodied and exhausted, continued to fight, ripping a fang from a boar and using it to stab and slash at the monsters. The air was thick with the sound of battle roars of the boars, shrieks of goblins, and the relentless hissing of the spiders.
Lloyd didn't stop. Every muscle in his body screamed as he fought, each blow harder than the last. His clothes were torn, his face covered in cuts and blood, but he wouldn't give up. Not while the students were still in danger.
A few minutes later, Jack reappeared, his eyes wide with shock. He found Lloyd standing among the carnage, holding the boar's fang with both hands, covered in blood. The boars and spiders were all dead, their bodies littering the cave.
"What happened here?!" Jack yelled, rushing to Lloyd.
Lloyd wiped blood from his face, his expression unreadable. "Nothing happened," he replied flatly, though his voice was strained.
Then, his body gave out. He collapsed to the ground, his breath ragged.
Jack cursed, dragging Lloyd's heavy body through the cave, and despite his own exhaustion, he fought to get him back to the cabin. The battle had taken its toll on both of them, but Jack wouldn't leave his comrade behind.
Everyone panicked as Jack and Lloyd stumbled into the cabin, both visibly battered. George and Shin's faces twisted with concern as the students who had been with them started shouting in alarm.
"DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO USE FIRST AID KITS?!" one of the students yelled, his voice desperate.
A hand shot up from the crowd. "Me! I can help him!" The student rushed forward.
Jack grabbed the student's hand, shaking it fervently. "Please, do your best!" he pleaded, his voice tight with urgency.
George quickly grabbed a medical kit from the wall and handed it to the student, who immediately set to work. The student moved quickly, stitching Lloyd's wounds with practiced hands. Once finished, he wrapped Lloyd's body with white bandages, infused with magic to heal muscles and promote rapid recovery. After that, he started to use his healing magic, a soft, glowing aura surrounding his hands.
"We'll lay him down here," the student said, gently placing Lloyd on the ground and laying a map underneath him to keep him comfortable. "He'll be okay. He might even recover before the second part of the trial begins."
Shin, Jack, and George all sighed in relief, offering their thanks.
"Thank you so much," Shin said, his voice filled with gratitude. Jack nodded in agreement.
The student smiled, a calm confidence in his demeanor. "My name is Alistair Keldrin," he said, introducing himself.
"I see. Nice to meet you, Alistair," George replied, shaking his hand.
[Rayden POV]
Meanwhile, Rayden stepped into the right portal, arriving at the rocky mountain with the other students. Upon landing, massive spiky boulders started tumbling downward, crashing violently around them. Rayden, quick as ever, dodged the first boulder with ease, using his magic to evade the debris.
"This is pretty easy," Rayden grinned, his confidence unwavering.
Around him, the other students struggled to dodge the boulders, some getting hit and falling back to the spawn. Rayden pushed ahead, determined to reach the top first. But just as he neared the summit, a loud, maniacal laugh echoed through the mountain.
A crazed student appeared, seemingly unfazed by the falling boulders. He punched the spiky rocks with his bare fists, shattering them into fragments that hurtled toward the other students, knocking them back to the spawn.
Rayden's eyes narrowed. Is he trying to eliminate everyone that quickly?
As he reached the top, Rayden grinned. "Heh, I'm first," he muttered to himself, his speed carrying him through the rocky landscape. But just as he made his way toward the forest, something caught his foot.
Suddenly, a wire tightened around his ankle, tripping him. From the trees above, three students dropped down, pinning him to the ground.
"HAHA! This is the third student we're going to eliminate!" one of them laughed, his eyes gleaming with malice.
Rayden struggled against their hold, but his attempts were in vain. He gritted his teeth, his body straining to break free. The student on top of him laughed, tightening his grip, and started punching Rayden in the face.
"F-FUCK! GET OFF ME, YOU FUCKER!" Rayden spat, blood trickling from his lip.
The student grinned, enjoying the struggle. "Oh, you're fighting back, huh? Let's see how long that lasts!"
Before the student could land another blow, a sudden flash of movement caught Rayden's eye. A man with white hair appeared out of nowhere, his crimson eyes flashing like a deadly blade. With one swift motion, the man kicked the student off, knocking him unconscious.
"What the hell was that?!" one of the other students shouted, trying to remove his body from Rayden's, but before they could react, they were struck as well, both knocked out in a blur of motion.
Rayden, still stunned by the speed and power of the white-haired man, looked up at him. The man's crimson eyes locked onto Rayden's, a chilling coldness in his gaze.
"Go," the man's voice was low, his tone carrying a chilling command.
Rayden didn't hesitate. His heart pounding, he nodded quickly and dashed toward the cabins, fear coursing through him as he fled the mysterious figure behind him.
After what felt like an eternity, Rayden finally reached the cabins. His breath was heavy, his chest rising and falling with exertion as he collapsed inside.
Rayden greeted Shin, Jack, and George after a while of casual chit-chat. The atmosphere had finally relaxed after the chaos of the trials, and they all settled down to eat and rest. As Rayden dug into his food, a timer suddenly appeared in the air, glowing faintly with an ominous countdown. It read: 10 minutes remaining. The words underneath the timer flashed: Students who do not make it to the cabin in time will be disqualified.
Shin looked up, his thoughts interrupted by the timer's sudden appearance. He furrowed his brow, his mind racing with questions. I wonder what the next challenge will be…
[Back in the Great Hall]
The King, sitting at the head of the grand table, watched intently as the events unfolded on a large screen. His expression remained unreadable behind the mask he wore, but a quiet murmur escaped him. "Wow... they're helping each other while some are sabotaging their peers. It seems like this will be a great start to the festival," the King muttered under his breath, observing the students' actions with intrigue.
Next to him, Priest Charles sat quietly, his expression thoughtful. His eyes flickered to the King before he shifted his gaze back to the screen. It seems the King is really interested in this year's festival, he thought, wondering about the King's true intentions.
The timer slowly ticked down, now reading 5 minutes remaining. The atmosphere in the cabin shifted; the students began to focus, their determination visible as they prepared for what was to come. Even Lloyd, who had passed out earlier, was starting to stir, his eyes flickering open as the clock ran out.
Shin clenched his fists tightly, feeling a rush of adrenaline build within him. Don't be pathetic, Shin, he thought, a sharp reminder to himself as he focused on what was ahead. The next challenge was coming, and he would need to be ready for whatever it threw at him.