Liora Blackthorn POV
It's been a little more than an hour since I entered the forest.
I haven't encountered a single monster.
Suddenly, I heard a familiar whistle and turned around.
"Darian Medici."
He stood there with a smirk. Hearing his name, his smile widened and he said,
"Oh… am I getting famous?"
I said angrily,
"You should leave, or I'll put you in your place."
Darian scoffed.
"Like you can. And even if you could, don't forget—you can't attack other students."
I replied flatly,
"I think the academy will make an exception considering your actions. Don't forget—they're watching everything."
His smile faltered.
"Hmm… maybe you're right. But do you dare take that risk?"
I smiled sweetly and took out Whisper and Echo.
His eyes shook, and he left.
Just as I thought. He doesn't have the courage. Maybe I'd be punished, but so would he.
After confirming he was gone for sure, I turned around and started looking for monsters again.
Suddenly, I noticed it.
"Gale Panther."
A fast feline infused with wind mana.
I have to be careful of its Wind Dash and Tearing Gust.
Let's see who's faster—you or me.
And so, we both ran toward each other.
I used my wind coating spell to increase my speed just as it used Wind Dash.
It jumped to the side upon seeing my speed increase.
It began circling me.
I layered wind around my blades and started throwing wind slashes at it. Since I use my blades as the foundation, the slashes are faster and deadlier.
Finally, it opened its mouth, and a huge blast of compressed wind flew from it. The trees that came in contact either broke apart or had deep cuts gouged into their trunks.
I used my fastest skill—
"The Shadow Leg!"
My body blurred like a shadow, escaping the strike's range.
But it jumped fifty meters and closed in an instant.
"Aero Pounce!?"
I quickly retreated but still got a small scratch as it swung its paw at me.
Then I lunged forward, seeing its weak posture, and slashed one leg.
The leg was injured, and it staggered back slightly.
"That should decrease its speed a little."
It used Tornado Swipe to force me away. That move generates a small tornado of wind—if one gets caught in it, they're thrown back.
But I couldn't retreat. Who knows, it might just escape.
I readied both Whisper and Echo, covering them with wind as I charged forward.
The clash sent me stumbling a little backward, but that was it.
Finally, I used my wind coating spell again and dashed toward it, this time passing by its side instead of clashing directly. As I passed, I buried both blades deep, carving a long, parallel wound across its body.
Now it was too injured to even run away.
I moved to its other side, rotated, and threw Whisper and Echo.
"Wind Veil!"
Both blades, wrapped in wind, shot through its eyes—killing it instantly.
"Hah…"
---
Alaric Blackwood POV
The sixth day.
The forest no longer felt like an exam ground—it felt like I'd been sentenced to death.
I moved through the thick undergrowth, boots barely making a sound against the damp soil. My sword now carried scratches and dirt along its edge. My academy uniform clung to me, torn at the sleeve, dark with sweat and grime.
I hadn't eaten properly for days. The fruit I picked the day before had already spoiled. My lips were dry, but I didn't complain. I'd gotten used to the dull ache in my stomach.
What bothered me was the silence. The only good thing was that I knew someone was here—so while I had no one to talk to, I wasn't lonely.
"Too quiet…" I muttered.
I crouched low, scanning the ground. Pawprints—large ones. Too large for any D-Rank beast I'd encountered so far. The edges were sharp, freshly imprinted. I brushed my fingers along the frost riming the pattern.
"Frost?" I whispered. "But it's midsummer…"
A chill rolled through the air, unnatural and heavy. The temperature dropped so quickly that my breath became visible.
Every instinct in me screamed run, but the swordsman in me—the one who'd survived five days of this combat exam alone—wanted to know what kind of creature could freeze the forest this quickly.
I moved forward quietly, one hand resting on my sword hilt. The forest looked different now—crystalline. Each blade of grass shimmered under a thin layer of frost. Even the trees were glazed white, their leaves brittle with ice.
Then I saw it.
At first, just the shape—large, prowling, graceful. A faint blue glow in the mist marked its position. Two points of light, like lanterns.
A tiger—no, something far greater. Its fur glowed pale blue beneath the mist, and with every exhale, snowflakes drifted from its mouth.
Frostfang Tiger.
C-Rank.
I froze. I'd only ever heard about them in lectures. Even Seraphine once said that a Frostfang's aura alone could suffocate a lower-rank adventurer.
And here I was—alone, no armor, no potions.
My heartbeat pounded so loudly I was sure the beast could hear it.
The tiger turned its head slowly. Silver-blue eyes met mine.
For a heartbeat, neither of us moved.
Then it roared.
The sound was like an avalanche—deep, deafening, and filled with shards of ice. A wave of frost surged outward, freezing the bark of nearby trees. I threw myself aside, rolling behind a trunk as shards sliced through the air where I had been standing.
"Great," I hissed through clenched teeth. "Now it knows where I am."
I could run—but if I turned my back too early, it would strike. I'd seen —predators waited for the moment prey decided to flee.
I drew my sword, letting out a slow breath. "Alright… if I can just wound it—maybe it'll back off."
The Frostfang's glowing outline flickered through the mist. I strained my eyes, tracking its movements by the faint crunch of ice. Then—a blur.
It lunged.
I barely had time to step back. I swung horizontally, my blade grazing the beast's front paw. Sparks of blue mana scattered, and the Frostfang snarled—but the strike didn't cut deep. Its hide was thick, almost crystalline.
Still, it was something. I had hurt it—barely.
I took that moment to retreat, sliding between trees. The frost beneath my boots made footing difficult, but I forced myself to move fast, ducking behind roots and frozen bushes.
A shadow passed overhead. The tiger leapt—impossibly high—crashing down where I had stood seconds earlier. Ice exploded outward, freezing half a tree in an instant.
My right arm stung; a shard of frost had grazed my shoulder. Blood seeped slowly through my uniform. I gritted my teeth.
"Damn it… its magic power is everywhere."
I needed to use the terrain—somewhere narrow, where its size would be a disadvantage. I sprinted toward a cluster of thick trees up ahead, their roots intertwined into natural barriers.
Behind me came a low growl, rumbling through the mist. The sound vibrated through my chest. Then—silence again.
I stopped, scanning left and right. My breath came in short bursts, each exhale fogging the air.
The silence was worse than the roar.
Where is it—?
The tiger's tail swung out, striking my side like a steel whip. I flew backward, crashing into a frozen bush. My ribs burned with pain. I coughed, forcing air back into my lungs.
"That… hurts."
I staggered up, one hand pressing my side. The Frostfang crouched, ready to pounce again, its fangs glinting like twin daggers.
I couldn't fight it head-on—I needed to make it miss.
As it lunged again, I rolled sideways, slashing toward its leg. My sword connected but slipped off the icy fur, sparks flying. I shifted footing, using the momentum to propel myself toward a slope nearby.
The ground tilted downward into a shallow ravine—narrow and filled with thorned bushes. The Frostfang hesitated for only a second before following.
Perfect.
I slid down the slope, half-running, half-falling. The frost made me stumble, but I caught myself on a low branch. Behind me, the Frostfang landed heavily, snow exploding under its weight. The ravine's sides were close—barely enough space for the creature to maneuver.
Now I had a chance.
I raised my sword, eyes narrowing. The beast crouched, growling low. Its breath spread a fine mist across the ravine, turning the air opaque.
I smiled faintly. "You're fast—but not in tight spaces."
I dashed forward. The tiger reacted instantly, swinging its claws, but the confined space forced it to move awkwardly. I ducked, sliding beneath its arm and slicing at the joint. This time, my sword bit deeper, cutting through fur and muscle. Frosty blood splattered across the ground.
The Frostfang roared, slamming its paw down—the impact shattered the frozen roots around us. The ground itself began to freeze upward in spikes. I leapt aside, one spike grazing my thigh.
Pain flared, but I ignored it. The wound was shallow. I had to keep moving.
The tiger turned sharply, its glowing lines pulsing brighter. Ice mist thickened until I could barely see a few feet ahead. The temperature plunged; even my sword felt cold enough to crack.
I heard the faint crunch… crunch… of the beast circling me.
I turned with it, sword raised.
A low rumble built behind the mist. Then the Frostfang roared again—this time the air itself froze. Shards of ice erupted in a wide cone. I raised my sword to guard, but the force threw me backward. Ice grazed my cheek, leaving a bloody line.
I hit the ground hard, sliding several feet. The Frostfang's silhouette advanced slowly—majestic and monstrous—its eyes gleaming with predatory calm.
If it hits me once more, I'm done.
I forced myself up, body trembling. My breath came in white bursts.
Then I heard it—drip… drip…
Water?
I looked up. Part of the frozen canopy above was cracking where sunlight touched it. Thin lines of meltwater glistened along the branches.
That's it.
I gripped my sword tighter. "Let's try this."
The tiger charged again—a blur of white and blue. I sprinted forward to meet it—not away. The sudden move startled it; it had expected me to retreat. Our paths collided beneath the melting canopy.
At the last second, I twisted aside, slashing through a weakened branch overhead. The branch broke, and sunlight spilled down—bright and warm. The thin layer of ice on the canopy shattered, sending shards and meltwater crashing onto the Frostfang.
The sudden temperature change made its icy fur hiss with steam. It roared in pain and fury, thrashing violently. I used that moment to drive my sword into its foreleg—deep enough to make it stumble.
I yanked the blade free and ran.
After running far enough, I collapsed to the ground.
The Frostfang Tiger raised its head from the shadows, one foreleg bleeding faintly where my blade had struck. Then it roared—
Everything within fifty meters froze solid.
.........
Finally, the exam was over. I was done with this.
I lay on the grass in the field outside the forest, completely exhausted.
Roderick came over and said,
"Let's go eat something."
I joked,
"Can't wait for the others? Haven't eaten anything in seven days?"
He nodded.
My eye twitched.
He said,
"I was just hunting. So I wasn't able to eat, drink, or sleep."
This monster!!!
He asked with a smirk,
"What about you?"
I smirked back. I knew just the thing to make him jealous.
"I encountered a C-Rank monster."
His smile froze.
A few days later, our final rankings were announced.
---
1) Roderick Stormrider
2) Sylwen Starleaf
3) Alaric Blackwood
.........
5) Althaea Arkwright
6) Liora Blackthorn
........
8) Rurik Hammerfall
......
18) Seraphine Nightingale