Two students walked through the forest, paying close attention to their surroundings.
"Are you sure it was a good idea to go on our own? Maybe we should've tried inviting more people..."
One of them closely scanned the trees around them with shaking eyes, his voice somewhat trembling.
The other sighed and covered his face with a palm, replying in annoyance.
"It's a fake forest, don't be scared of something not real. We just need to avoid him, and we'll be fine."
"It's a perfect chance to find-"
"Ah!"
His companion suddenly screamed.
"What's wrong!?" The student turned around with his sword ready.
His friend stared into the trees, his expression terrified.
"I saw something move there!" He shakily pointed into the dark.
"..."
The other student warily looked in that direction.
There was nothing in the shade of the tall gloomy trees, no matter how hard he stared.
"...What is something?" A bead of sweat rolled down the student's forehead.
"I don't know! Something red moved in the corner of my vision."
"...You are just scared! Stop with that!" The student shook his head and turned around, walking forward without looking back.
"Let's go already! I really want to find some treasures. There are things here that are hard to buy with money."
But after walking for a while, no other set of footsteps joined him. He only heard the sound of leaves gently swaying in the wind.
The silence gave him a sinking feeling.
"...Are you kidding me?"
The student sharply turned around and flinched, his pupils constricting into dots.
There was no sign of his companion anywhere. Tall trees stood menacingly around him, their shadows suddenly becoming deeper.
His body started trembling as he warily looked everywhere around him, spinning in place.
His breathing quickened, as did his heartbeat, becoming louder and louder.
"What kind of special lesson is this…!" He whispered to himself.
Every sound of the forest now seemed louder, every snap and every fallen branch rang clearly in his ears, giving his heart a terrifying jolt each time.
Finally, he shot forward, running away with all his speed.
"Aaah!"
But just as he ran a short distance, his vision was completely filled with red.
His head flung backwards, his body following soon after, and the student fell to the grass, the barrier around him broken.
A terrible pain assaulted his head, but no scream left his mouth no matter how hard he tried.
He felt his body dragged somewhere, hitting all the twigs and random stones on the way, before stopping.
Soon, twisting and shaking, the student's body started disappearing into nothingness.
From behind a tree nearby, walked out a student with blond hair and blue eyes, their coldness appearing particularly vivid in the dark forest. In his hand he held a disc-shaped crystal.
A strikingly red butterfly soon landed on his shoulder, her antennae twitching in proud triumph.
"Good job."
Cyril gently brushed Morpho's wings with a subtle smile.
"But did you have to be so... theatrical?"
The butterfly fluttered her wings defensively.
"She was just testing herself! Brute strength alone is not enough to become the strongest." Rhamn appeared nearby, nodding her head up and down.
I think she was just having fun.
"Is there anything wrong with that?"
No.
"Admit it, it was rather fun. We should do something like this as well!"
...We'll see.
Cyril looked around and walked away.
The forest was still as dark as ever, giving him an eerie feeling of being observed at all times, but slowly he got used to it.
He raised his arm, staring at the bracelet.
Soon number 37 appeared in thin air. It gave him a subtle pleasant feel.
It's getting there.
It's also getting somewhat harder...
"And not in the good way either. Tsk."
...I would've preferred if they actually learned to work together. No one properly utilized their numbers advantage. It's not one against an army at all.
As he stared at the bracelet, a scream suddenly erupted up ahead, like someone saw a ghost.
"Aah!"
Cyril looked forward, finding a student who fell on his butt. It was a familiar face he had already fought in this lesson.
He shakily stared at him, his arm slowly reaching for the air.
No…!
Cyril shot forward, but it was too late.
Before the student was hit on the head, he successfully managed to cast a fireball spell, or rather a variation of it.
An abnormally bright red flame shot in the air, its light even reaching through the dark crowns of the trees.
"Tsk."
Cyril audibly tsked and kicked the student's body as it was disappearing, feeling frustrated.
He managed to send the signal...
At this moment his enhanced hearing picked up vague, hurried footsteps that soon grew distant.
Whatever student was around before now retreated as far as possible from here.
Morpho on his shoulder flew in the air, hesitating over what sound to chase, but gave up after a while.
She landed back on his shoulder, twitching her antennae in disappointment.
Cyril gently brushed her wings and sighed in solidarity.
Rhamn appeared near them, her hands on her hips as she clenched her teeth.
"Who would come up with cowardly tactics like these? The point of this lesson for them is to defeat you, why would they avoid us like a plague?"
"If we find who came up with this tactic, we'll make them pay!"
No use guessing...
Cyril sped up, running away from this desolate zone as fast as he could.
The lesson has been going on for a while already, during which he discovered a few things.
Whoever was defeated returned after a short while, there were no direct eliminations.
Whatever treasures he'd seen are few and far between.
So far he has only discovered that plant from before and some jewelry with no apparent magical value.
Someone failed to escape in time!
Cyril caught the sound of someone rushing through the woods and sped up. The butterfly flew in the air near him, her antennae twitching in excitement.
After a short pursuit, he discovered a young man with brown hair running away, a two-handed sword on their back, making him slightly slower.
"Morpho."
A red blur shot forward, striking at the young man's legs.
"...!"
The student fell on the grass, rolling a few times before coming to a stop.
He lay face up, his brown eyes staring at the sky for a second, and quickly tried to get up.
I know this one.
"Albert, are you really going to flee without trying anything?"
The man froze as he got up. Soon his face was colored red.
"It's easy for you! You are strong, of course you don't understand how we feel!"
Albert's fists clenched at his sides, his eyes were bloodshot, trembling with barely contained rage.
"Fuck you, Cyril! You were just lucky to be born with talent!"
Huh?
"Where did that come from?"
Cyril stared at the passionate young man for a few seconds in wonder.
He stopped himself from ending the encounter quickly, finding himself wanting to reply for some reason.
"That doesn't excuse your own lack of strength."
"You refuse to even try to be strong, giving up immediately upon noticing me."
Cyril shook his head, his cold face showing obvious disappointment.
"If you think you are weak, then you are."
Albert suddenly pulled out his two-hander, his face completely twisted in rage.
With a shout he swung desperately at Cyril, who effortlessly dodged the slow-moving attack.
Missing with such a hefty weapon, his body was left completely open.
Cyril, in a single move, hit him on the head with the spear.
The young man was flung to the ground, the barrier breaking.
"At least something." Cyril coldly stared at the rage-filled brown eyes that soon disappeared.
"Still pathetic."
The butterfly landed on his shoulder, twitching her antennae in impatience.
"Yeah, let's go. Thank you for leaving this one to me."
Cyril sighed and moved on, continuing his run through the dark woods.