The boy raised his hands and pushed Anderson backward as his aura ran wild.
Instantly, Anderson stepped forward, his fist coiling like a spring as he launched it forward. The boy cleanly slipped under it, executing a clean uppercut that nearly connected with the solar plexus of Anderson.
Ena stepped in, her leg snapping from the side as it collided with the boy's side and hurled him to the ground, a smiteful frown appearing on his face. "And you're dead. They won't go out alone; they will always have teammates. You are not fit to be a leader, so use your little fucking pea brain and listen to him, Olus." Her words cut through the air like a sword as her gaze exuded a faint red shimmer, with her nose scrunched as if looking at a disgusting insect.
Olus raised himself to his feet and let his gaze track Ena as he walked past her, a growl emitting from his throat as he tasted defeat and hated it. The small example was enough to bring the rest of the group into submission, and Anderson was officially elected as their team leader. As soon as their votes were cast, a shimmering scroll blossomed to life above his head and majestically fell into his palms, to which he quickly read the contents inscribed within.
'This is relatively easy.' Anderson inwardly spoke in his mind.
[Objective 1: Exterminate a pack of beasts located in sector B-2-9, who are defending a cave filled with Mana Crystals, then harvest them and bring them back to your base for retrieval.]
[Objective 2: Eliminate high-value target located in sector B-3-4. He is wearing a red cape. He possesses vital information regarding the Heretics operations. Should this not be completed within [32] Hours, one other team will be chosen at random and will attain information on your whereabouts and rough estimates of objective locations.]
[Objective 3: Supply route in Sector G-2-1 is disrupted. Discover the cause and fix the route. If ignored, the supply line will be cut off within [3] Hours.]
[Objective 4: Intercept supply load from Sector D-1-3, and either destroy or take the supplies. Complete within [1] Hour.]
The first two were relatively simple and close in proximity, meaning they would definitely prioritize those first. However, when he read the last one, his plan shifted as the urgency was too threatening to ignore.
"Well, I drafted up a plan to complete our first objective," Anderson spoke out, his voice loud enough to be heard by everyone. Their heads naturally turned to him as he pivoted on his foot to face them, "We must intercept a supply load that is coming from sector D-1-3 within an hour. We can destroy or take them. The hard part is that we must complete it within an hour."
Most nodded in response; others simply kept their eyes honed on Anderson. "Who here has any long-range spells?"
Only one person raised their hand— A meek girl with black hair that covered the sides of her face. "What spell?" He asked.
"Mana Arrow."
Anderson devised a plan in his mind, and it was relatively simple but effective nonetheless.
Scout the area, position her on elevated ground, repeatedly strike the supply load until it is destroyed, and flee. He assumed there would be defenses around it, but in the case there wasn't, then they'd simply destroy it with their swords.
[Mana Arrow] was a rather common long-range spell, but far more effective than its physical counterpart. Empowered with pure mana, its striking force was amplified threefold.
He steadily explained his plan to the rest of the group, to which they approved. "Good. As soon as the timer ends, quickly make sure you have everything you need, and we'll leave. It'll take us roughly 30 minutes to get to Sector D. We won't be resting afterwards. We must also check out Sector G-2-1, a supply route that has been disrupted. We'll strategize before that."
As soon as he finished speaking, each examinee went to retrieve their weapons that were laid on a floating granite slab, Agnus picking up his sword and dagger.
The end of the dagger curved like an S, as the hook shape would allow devastating damage if it entered someone's body, and the idea of having a lighter weapon to adequately utilize his speed and agility was the most logical option.
Throughout his time training with Jason, his archetype was not built upon strength or technique, but rather quick instantaneous movements accompanied by his freakish flexibility. Ena was next to Agnus, sliding her singular sword in her sheath before glancing at Agnus, who idly stood there like a robot. "It's nice to see you again, Agnus." She spoke kindly, her eyes facing forward.
A slight tilt of his head brought Ena into his vision as he replied, "Yeah. Our chances of success are high with you as my teammate, along with Anderson, who appears competent." Ena let her eyes linger on Agnus before flicking her eyes back to their original position, a thin smile showing on her face. "Agreed. I don't see us failing any of our objectives."
Agnus internally disagreed, but knew to keep it to himself as he didn't want to accidentally threaten the morale of the group, which already seemed grimly low.
[1:21]
The others equipped their weapons and armor, and they were prepared to set out to the first objective.
Silently watching, each member of the group sat in awkward silence as the clock slowly ticked down, and restlessness seeped into their nerves.
[0:03]
They lowered their bodies, arms hanging at their sides as they prepared to burst into a full-blown sprint through the path Anderson drew out, which led them directly to the place they needed to be.
[0:02]
Anderson inhaled a large breath and let it sit in his chest before releasing it as the clock hit the 1-second mark.
[0:01]
[0:00]
A synchronized sequence of loud thumps resounded as each one of them began sprinting forward with blistering speed, with Anderson leading the pack. They weaved in and out of the trees, hopping as fallen over logs littered the ground.