"Five minutes remain until the break is over, so all students please get to the testing zone now." Leon stood immediately after hearing the announcement.
Five minutes later.
"My students, it's nice to see you all gathered here."
All the students turned towards the holographic figure of the principal.
"So now you shall face not yourselves… but monsters…Goblins and Orcs."
Murmurs erupted.
"What?" "Orcs?"
"Those monsters are really.. dangerous."
"Alright your second trial begins…now."
Principal Kim Soo-Han pointed at the gates behind the students.
"Oh…before I go…" he paused, "your teams remain the same.... and the more monsters you kill…" he grinned "the more points you earn."
He walked forward, he stopped, turned back, "and note that Orcs earn more points than goblins…best of luck my children."
The display disappeared without warning.
Moments later, the colossal gates groaned open.
Darkness lingered beyond them.
Then came the eyes.
Hundreds of crimson eyes glimmered from within the shadows, staring at the students like predators observing their prey.
An uneasy silence swept through the arena.
Several students unconsciously took a step back.
Others tightened their grips on their weapons.
A few simply stared, their expressions calm and unwavering.
Then a monstrous roar erupted from the darkness.
The silence shattered.
Hundreds of goblins poured forth in a frenzied stampede, their shrill war cries tearing through the battlefield like jagged blades. The
ground trembled beneath their charge as they rushed forward without fear,
without hesitation, driven by nothing but savage bloodlust.
Their appearances were enough to send chills down the spine of even seasoned warriors.
Dark green skin stretched tightly over lean, wiry bodies.
Their ears stood upright like sharpened spears, twitching at every sound. Long
pointed noses jutted from their faces like the dangerous tip of an arrow, giving them a predatory appearance. Their red eyes glowed with malice, while twisted grins exposed rows of jagged teeth stained with blood and filth.
Their physiques were unnaturally built for hunting and killing.
Their waists were thin, almost skeletal, while their chests protruded forward as though ready to pounce at any moment. Their stomachs curved inward, giving them a starved and feral appearance. Long, thin arms swung wildly as they ran, clutching crude but deadly weapons.
Mallets studded with rusted spikes.
Crooked swords.
Bone axes.
Jagged spears crafted from sharpened scraps of metal.
Most disturbing of all were their legs.
Bent like those of wolves, their limbs allowed them to sprint with terrifying speed. Every leap carried them several meters forward,
their clawed feet tearing chunks of earth from the battlefield as they charged.
They looked less like intelligent creatures and more like predators released from a cage.
Dust rose into the air.
The earth shook.
The sky echoed with countless shrieks.
And as the endless horde surged from the fortress gates, it resembled a living green tsunami racing toward everything in its path.
For a brief moment, the battlefield fell silent.
Then someone whispered in terror, "…There are so many."
And in that instant, everyone realized the same horrifying truth.
This wasn't just a test.
It was a real battle.
The sight alone was enough to freeze the hearts of the students watching from afar.
Yet the goblins were not the most terrifying thing on the battlefield.
Behind them marched the true monsters.
The Orcs.
Unlike the goblins, they did not run.
They did not need to.
Towering over seven feet tall, some approaching eight feet in height, the giants advanced with slow, deliberate steps. Every footfall shook the academy grounds. Every step carried the certainty of victory.
It was as though they were not entering a battle.
They were arriving to claim what already belonged to them.
Their crimson skin glistened beneath the darkened sky, muscles bulging beneath ragged scraps of clothing. They looked less like living
creatures and more like war machines.
Broad shoulders.
Massive chests.
Arms thick enough to crush stone.
And piercing blue eyes that surveyed the battlefield with cold confidence.
Rust-covered chains wrapped around their hands like weapons waiting to be unleashed. Beads adorned their wrists and ankles, clacking softly
with each step. Around their thick necks hung golden necklaces and chains,
their brilliance faded by time and suffering.
Even so...
The ornaments revealed a truth impossible to ignore.
These were not ordinary monsters.
Once, they had been kings.
Warriors.
Rulers.
Something had reduced them to this.
Something had chained their former glory to an endless march of conquest.
Their pointed ears stood proudly like those of the goblins, but their faces and behavior carried none of the smaller creatures frantic madness.
Only dominance.
Only certainty.
Their tusk-like teeth protruded from their mouths even when closed, and when one opened its jaws to roar, its mouth resembled a steel trap capable of crushing ferocious beasts whole.
The goblins raced ahead, screaming and leaping like hunting
hounds released from their cages.
The orcs followed behind.
Slowly.
Patiently.
Like generals watching the first wave soften the enemy.
Like executioners approaching a prisoner already sentenced to death.
The goblins kept on with their charge, some sprinted on all fours, their wolf-like legs propelling them forward with frightening speed.
Others leaped through the air, weapons raised high above their heads as though
eager to be the first to spill blood.
Students stood frozen.
A loud roar erupted from an orc.
The students instinctively tensed.
Some raised their swords.
Others prepared spells.
A few Martialists lowered their stances, then something strange happened.
One particularly skinny goblin suddenly stopped.
It stood in front of a boy from Team D.
The goblin blinked.
The boy blinked back.
The entire battlefield seemed to pause.
The boy slowly raised a finger.
"Guys."
Nobody answered.
"Guys, I think this is a hologram."
Several students turned toward him.
"What?"
The boy puffed out his chest.
"Think about it. The principal wouldn't release actual monsters on us."
The goblin tilted its head.
The boy smirked.
"It's probably some advanced simulation."
Several students seemed convinced.
"Actually…"
"That makes sense."
"Yeah."
The boy nodded proudly.
"Exactly. Watch this."
He stepped forward.
The goblin continued staring.
The boy reached out and poked its forehead.
The moment his finger touched its skin, his smile vanished.
The goblin felt warm.
Very warm.
And very real.
The boy's face turned pale.
His body stiffened.
A dark stain slowly spread down his trousers.
"…"
"…"
"…"
The students stared, speechless.
The goblin stared.
The boy stared.
Then he forced out a shaky laugh.
"H-Haha…"
His voice cracked.
"Maybe it's one of those super realistic simulations."
Nobody looked convinced.
The goblin scratched its nose.
Sweat poured down the boy's face.
"Y-Yeah…"
He swallowed.
"It feels real, but it's probably fake."
The goblin sniffed him.
The boy nearly screamed.
"There's no way they'd let actual goblins hurt us."
The students nodded uncertainly.
"Right?"
No response.
The boy laughed nervously.
"The principal wouldn't accidentally let students die during a test…"
The goblin slowly raised its hand.
The boy wetted himself.
"…Right?"
SLAP!
The goblin backhanded him.
The boy became a human projectile.
"Aaaggghhh!!"
A loud thudding sound erupted.
He crashed straight into the electric barrier surrounding the battlefield.
Lighting erupted.
Blue electricity exploded around his body.
His skeleton briefly became visible through his skin.
The crowd watched in horror.
The barrier launched him back onto the ground.
Smoke rose from his uniform.
His hair stood upright.
A single thumbs-up emerged from the dust.
"…Definitely not….a…hologram."
He collapsed.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then one student pointed.
"T-That goblin looked hungry."
Another student nodded.
"I think it hasn't eaten in months."
The skinny goblin bent down, his ragged mallet scraped the ground, he walked forward.
The students became even more terrified.
Then roars emerged.
The remaining goblins charged.
The battlefield exploded into chaos.
Teams scattered in every direction.
A goblin lunged at a girl carrying a spear.
She barely sidestepped before swinging her weapon.
A cracking sound.
The shaft struck the goblin's jaw.
It stumbled backward.
Her teammate immediately tackled it.
Both rolled across the dirt.
Nearby, a young swordsman blocked a rusty club.
The impact numbed his arms.
"Why are they so strong?!
His teammate answered.
"Less talking! More fighting!"
A fireball shot overhead.
Impact erupted.
Dust blazed.
Three goblins were thrown off their feet.
Before anyone could celebrate, five more emerged from the smoke.
The students faces paled.
Every team fought for itself.
No alliances.
No mercy.
No help.
If a team was overwhelmed, nearby teams ignored them.
Some even used the distraction to gain an advantage.
A goblin tackled a boy from behind.
He screamed.
His teammates rushed to help.
One kicked the goblin away.
Another slammed a shield into its chest.
The goblin crashed into the dirt, blood trickling from its nose.
But it immediately stood back up, like an undead, the boy fell.
"Why won't it stay down?!"
The students froze.
Across the battlefield, cries, shouts, and explosions filled the air.
Bruises appeared.
Cuts opened.
Blood stained uniforms.
Nothing fatal.
Nothing deadly.
But enough to make every student realize something.
This wasn't a game.
This wasn't a simulation.
And the second stage had only just begun.
And at the center of it all stood Leon and his teammates.
TRUCE.
"Hey."
"What!!" Kang mu-seong and Baek Geom-Jin yelled turning back at Leon.
Not phased, Leon blinked, "I think we should call a truce."
"Truce?
As in a…temporary alliance?" Kang mu-seong questioned.
"…Yeah."
"So…. What's the plan genius?" Baek Geom-Jin tilted his head.
"Well there's no plan."
"What?" Kang mu-seong yelled.
"The only plan I have now is to…" a loud thud erupted.
"Is to…" another sound erupted.
"Just continue, we are in the middle of battle….there is no quiet to talk." Kang mu-seong hurried Leon.
"Ok, noted.
My plan is for us to stay together and fight as many goblins as we can, in other to gage the power level of the Orcs.
Then we fight only orcs, to gain more points."
Kang mu-seong clapped, "nice, I like it."
"Alright we've got a plan, now we move."
Baek Geom-Jin pulled out his katana.
"So…..what about the mage."
"I'll assist with basic enhancement spells."
"Ok, let's roll."
They all stared at Leon.
That sounded more cool in my mind.
A loud thudding sound erupted as a goblin broke the silence,.smashing his mallet into the ground.
Baek Geom-Jin charged.
Blade struck ragged wood.
Unexpectedly to Baek Geom-Jin the goblin's mallet survived.
The goblin kicked Baek Geom-Jin, he pinned his blade into the ground, dust came and left, Baek Geom-Jin knelt grabbing his rib.
Kang mu-seong grabbed the goblin's head, his knee met the goblin's nose, green blood
came out.
Surprisingly to them all it was red, "what, it's red?"
Leon sprang into action.
He blasted the goblin towards Baek Geom-Jin, a white flash came fort, the goblin's head rolled on the ground.
"Flame arrow." Yoon-seo unleashed an arrow forged from flame towards the a goblin and it went through it's chest.
Baek Geom-Jin turned back, sporting the goblin, it's skin, flesh, and bone all melted off, it's chest wide open, blood dripped out.
"You could've at least warned me?"
"Oh, sorry, I just acted on instinct."