"Were we transported somewhere?... Or is this somehow fake?" said Rhamn with intrigue and suspicion at this impossible situation.
They walked underground only to end up in the wilds.
It's like I am back during that trip with Myra...
Cyril turned to look behind him. The entrance upstairs was still there, sticking out from the side of a hill, appearing like a dark cave leading into some dungeon.
At least we can go back. Cyril thought with relief.
It's not that we were transported somewhere and are now stuck against our will.
"That would've been exciting."
This forest still differed from the one Cyril had seen.
Near the cave he exited was a clearance where the 'sun' above was clearly visible. However, a few steps ahead, trees began showing in great numbers, their crowns completely blocking out the sky.
The plants were darker, the colors moodier. It felt like countless unseen creatures were hiding in the shadows created by the towering trees.
The whole forest carried a mystical, almost ethereal feel to it.
"Morpho, stay with me for now."
Cyril reined in the eager ones and walked ahead.
Behind a tree he soon found his professor of Combat Training, standing with a wide grin on his face.
"Student Cyril! First time seeing something like this, eh? Hahaha."
The man crossed his arms and laughed heartily, his booming voice scaring a flock of black birds from the trees.
"Professor Rendel, where are we right now?"
"Beneath the academy, of course! This might look like a pleasant forest, but actually all of this was conjured up by magic. It's not real."
I wouldn't call this forest pleasant…
"It's the principal's spell, incredible, right?" Rendel motioned with his hands around him, awe on his face.
The principal's.
"She is back in Ailanthus?"
"Of course. Came back just a few days ago."
So this must be illusion magic?
With intrigue, Cyril walked over to a plant nearby.
He tore off a single leaf from a plant, looking it over in detail. It appeared just like a real one.
A healing herb. Its leaves should have medicinal effects, even when taken on their own.
Cyril remembered what they learned from Potion Making.
So under Rendel's confused stare, he put the leaf in his mouth.
It tastes real.
"The moment you ingested it, it was gone."
"Ahem! It's undoubtedly not real. You didn't actually eat anything. What you are feeling is fake as well." Rendel explained after a cough.
A subtle sense of disappointment hit Cyril for some reason.
"Let me give you another example. If you were to get hit by a falling tree, you'd feel the pain of being crushed and be stuck under it, but in reality you are not in any danger."
Rendel pointed towards the sky. "This is illusion magic. It's tricking you into experiencing things that aren't there."
"Impressive," simply replied Cyril.
"Where are the other students, Professor? What about the test?"
Rendel smiled and narrowed his eyes. "Wait a little more. I'll explain when the others will be here."
Cyril calmly nodded and walked away.
"Then I'll explore for now."
"Don't go too far. The forest is rather big," warned Rendel as he left.
Is the vastness of this space just an illusion, or is it real?
Cyril gazed at the unending trees around him.
"It must be real. Otherwise, what? If we reach a wall in reality but not in the illusion, would we just walk straight into it as if nothing were there?" argued Rhamn.
Then Ailanthus must have quite the underground.
...
Eventually two more students arrived, Cedric and Myra.
They similarly had a surprised reaction to their surroundings, though Myra recovered fast.
Rendel called them and Cyril over.
"Alright! It's time to explain the test!"
I thought we would wait for more people.
"This test will be two teams fighting against each other. And you three are team number 1." Rendel said with a grin.
Huh?
"And who will be on the other team?"
Rendel's grin grew wider. "The rest of the students, of course!"
"All students from classes I to V will be tasked with finding and defeating you or a special crystal you'll be protecting, with their scores depending on their performance."
"Your task is to survive for as long as possible and protect that same crystal, with a bonus score for every classmate you take down."
The three students stared blankly at their professor, each thinking something different.
"Is this not a bit too difficult?" cautiously said Cedric.
"Maybe so, but those students need to learn life isn't so easy," Rendel solemnly shook his head.
"I don't mean difficult for them!" Cedric waved his arm in denial. "Us three against a small army? The balance is all wrong."
"That's no army! It's a bunch of no-good wannabe mages. Ptui!" Rendel spit on the ground, his face showing disappointment.
At this moment Myra stepped forward.
Briefly glancing at Cyril, she crossed her arms and raised her head a little bit higher.
"Think of how to utilize your environment, Cedric. Don't give up right away, that's too weak!"
"...Okay." Cedric slowly nodded, his face growing helpless.
Cyril looked at her face, silent. Her black eyes shook as they tried to keep a proud expression.
"Really?"
"That's correct, Myra!" Rendel nodded at her with clear satisfaction. "Took the words right out of my mouth."
"Alright, about the crystal you are supposed to protect. All of you have a personal 'base,' with your crystal stationed inside. It's connected to your bracelets, they will show you the way."
"Go there and wait for the beginning of the test. Eventually the students should find you. You are free to use whatever tactics you can come up with. Now go, we are starting soon."
Rendel pointed in the distance with an excited face.
The students exchanged glances and all began moving.
Before leaving, Cyril woke up Tigris, who was sleeping on his shoulder, and carried him to the professor.
"Could you look after Tigris for the duration of the test?"
"No problem! It will be staying with me in the control room. There is a good view there." Rendel reached with his hands to meet the feline.
"Meow!"
However Tigris roared as the man's hand neared, pawing it away.
"Tigris!" Cyril's voice turned a bit colder, freezing him.
"You can't and don't want to fight, so stay put until this is over."
Soon the tiger's body hung limp as the professor slowly received him.
Cedric and Myra observed from the side with intrigue, while Rendel awkwardly held onto the kitten.
"I'll have to burden you."
"No worries! If it's for my star students, I can open a pet store if you want me to! Hahaha!"
Right.
With this solved, the three students started walking in the same direction.
"You didn't have to be so tough on him."
I disagree.
Morpho's insect eyes slowly observed the white cat staying behind, and she twiched her antennae with determination, as if to say 'watch me!'
Tigris only flicked his tail in response.
...
After a few minutes, they no longer saw the entrance, surrounded by gloomy woods from all around.
A butterfly cautiously flew in the air, staying close to the group. Her red color appeared particularly vivid among the dark.
"It's a bit of an unorthodox test, isn't it?" mumbled Cedric as he warily looked around.
Myra walked with her head straight, replying without too much emotion.
"Knights usually work together in small teams like ours. I guess this test tries to emulate that."
"For us, sure. But what about the other students?"
"They are taking the roles of common soldiers."
Cedric's face became more complex as he whispered jokingly, "So... to them you take the role of archdemons? An overwhelming foe they must take down?"
"..."
Cyril froze in his footsteps, recovering after a second.
He gave the others a side-glance, before calmly staring forward.
"...Don't use a comparison like that." Myra replied with a frown.
"Sorry, haha." Cedric awkwardly scratched his hair, "It was insensitive of me, the Tower incident just happened..."
They walked in silence for a while.
"What a clown." Rhamn scoffed as she walked near Cyril and turned towards him, her red eyes losing their sharpness.
"I rather like this test. It's the only way for you to have a barely enjoyable fight with your classmates."
"Unfortunately for them, a weakling in numbers is a weakling still!"
The test does feel novel. Though the need to protect an object is bothersome...
Cyril raised his arm. The bracelet he was wearing suddenly lit up with an arrow showing a specific direction.
Myra and Cedric both repeated the action, their bracelets showing them elsewhere.
"It seems we split up here. Good luck! ...And sorry again." Cedric raised a thumbs-up with a sheepish smile and soon left.
Myra remained silent as he left, soon turning to Cyril and giving a small wave.
"Bye, good luck."
"You too."
Cyril nodded to her and continued on his way.
"We don't need luck!"
...
One thing is for sure: without his bracelet, Cyril would've gotten lost many times already.
The forest was vast. Its tall, giant trees and dense vegetation threatened to swallow any human foolish enough to disturb its peace.
Eventually Cyril reached a hill with a path opened up through the soil, leading underground.
The illusory arrow on the bracelet pointed right in there.
That's my 'base,' then?
Cyril curiously walked in. His surroundings became even darker as he passed by roots and random stones, until the lack of light soon turned into complete pitch black.
Rhamn, can you turn my eyes- Actually, better not. We have spectators, most likely.
"Yeah."
Instead, Cyril activated a simple magic light spell.
It revealed an ordinary-looking cave, with a ceiling covered in roots.
Mostly empty, there was an old withered tree growing from the stone at the very end of the cave.
Inside of its trunk was embedded a disc-shaped crystal.
So I must protect this thing?
Cyril walked up to the tree and pulled on the crystal with curiosity.
But it didn't budge.
Don't tell me...
Cyril's expression became a bit more awkward.
Am I supposed to sit in place and defend this dark cave for the whole test?
On his shoulder, the butterfly's wings were drooped lower, her spirits somewhat dampened.
"Maybe something will change once the test begins?"
Hopefully.
Cyril looked around, finding nothing else but stone, dust, and dirt.
With no place to sit, he stood, gently brushing Morpho's wings.