I Refuse the Tragic Ending

Elsewhere in the Emerald Forest, the instructors continued monitoring the examination through a series of floating observation crystals.

Each crystal displayed a different section of the forest, allowing the instructors to observe the students from a distance without interfering with the examination.

The images shifted between campsites, fields, and stretches of wilderness.

Professor Vista stood at the center of the observation area with his arms folded across his chest. Several instructors had gathered around him, each paying attention to different observation crystals.

Instructor Rovan leaned against one of the tables while Selene stood nearby, quietly studying the students’ movements. Liora occasionally moved from one crystal to another whenever an instructor pointed out something worth observing. And Garrick was silently observing as well, noting everything that caught his attention.

They were not the only ones who were observing the examination. Other academy’s staff were stationed near each team, hiding themselves using high level scouting methods. They were always ready anytime the students needed aid or when they decided to give up.

The first few hours passed relatively peacefully.

Several teams had selected defensible campsites and managed to avoid attracting the attention of magical beasts. The students prepared their meals, organized their equipment, and established shifts for the night. Some had even taken the opportunity to rest after spending most of the day traveling through the forest.

However, not every team had been so fortunate.

One of the observation crystals suddenly displayed a group of students surrounded by several nocturnal beasts.

The students immediately drew their weapons.

Their initial response was somewhat chaotic. A few students moved too far forward while others instinctively backed away, leaving a gap in their formation. One of the instructors immediately pointed it out.

”They are spreading way too thin,” Rovan said.

”Oh, wait. They noticed it,” Selene replied.

The students quickly adjusted their positions. The stronger members moved toward the front while the others protected the center of the group. Once their formation stabilized, they began working together to drive the beasts away.

The battle lasted several minutes before the creatures finally retreated into the darkness.

The instructors continued discussing the encounter even after the fight ended.

”They relied too heavily on their strongest fighter,” Rovan said.

”That student exposed his flank twice,” Garrick added.

”Their healer should have stayed farther from the front,” Liora also commented.

”At least they corrected their formation before someone was seriously injured,” Selene said.

Professor Vista listened to the comments without interrupting. His eyes remained fixed on the observation crystal.

”That is precisely why this examination exists,” he said. ”Knowing how to fight is only one part of surviving in the wilderness. They also need to know when to fight, where to stand, and when to retreat.”

Selene nodded.

”At least they managed to survive.”

The crystal changed again.

This time, it displayed Leon’s team.

Several magical beasts were moving through the darkness around their campsite. There were considerably more of them than the creatures that had attacked the previous team.

Yet Leon’s team did not appear particularly concerned.

The students remained near their campsite and watched as the beasts gradually closed in.

Then one of their members stepped forward.

He was the team’s vanguard, and unlike the others, he seemed almost amused by the approaching pack. He removed the upper portion of his uniform before walking toward the beasts, revealing a muscular physique that clearly reflected years of physical training.

”Is he seriously going to fight them alone?” Selene asked.

David did exactly that.

The first beast lunged at him.

David met it head-on.

His Hero Core released a powerful surge of mana that flowed through his body. Rather than using complicated spells, he focused entirely on strengthening his physical abilities. His movements became faster, his muscles tightened, and his body seemed to possess a level of durability far beyond that of an ordinary student.

A beast rushed toward his leg and snapped its jaws around it. The instructors expected David to dodge. Instead, he allowed the creature to bite him. Its fangs struck his skin, but they failed to penetrate.

David looked down at the beast for a moment before grinning.

”That’s all?”

He kicked it.

The beast flew several meters through the air before crashing into a tree. It landed heavily and remained motionless for several seconds.

David’s teammates immediately burst into laughter.

The remaining beasts hesitated. David slowly turned toward them. He did not need to say anything. His overwhelming physical presence was enough.

The beasts exchanged glances before gradually retreating into the darkness. David watched them leave before turning around.

His teammates immediately began applauding.

”Good job, David!”

”That was incredible!”

”You didn’t even need us!”

David laughed and waved his hand dismissively.

”Come on. They were barely worth warming up for.”

Leon just gave David a small nod before turning his attention on the pendant in his hand. A picture of two kids was on it. One was a blond boy and the other was a girl with silver hair.

Rovan chuckled from beside the observation table.

”That’s David Lyncaster. His family comes from one of the leading military clans of the Nubia Federation.”

Professor Vista glanced at him.

”The Nubia Federation?”

Rovan nodded.

”His family’s reputation is largely built around physical combat and military service. Their training methods are considerably more demanding than those used by most noble families.”

Vista looked back at the crystal.

”That explains his physical condition.”

David’s performance had not relied on sophisticated techniques. His entire fighting style centered around strengthening his body and overwhelming his opponents through raw physical ability.

Selene smiled faintly.

”Now this is what an elite team looks like.”

Vista gave a small nod.

”There was hardly any teamwork involved.”

Rovan laughed.

”Because he didn’t need it.”

”Exactly,” Vista replied. ”Their strength allowed them to resolve the situation before teamwork became necessary.”

The instructors continued watching for a while before moving their attention to other teams.

The observation crystals constantly shifted from one location to another.

Some camps remained completely peaceful. Students sat around their fires, prepared food, or quietly discussed their plans for the following day. Others were forced into battles against nocturnal beasts that had wandered too close to their camps.

The difference between the teams became increasingly obvious. The stronger teams generally handled their encounters efficiently. They recognized threats quickly, maintained their formations, and avoided wasting unnecessary energy.

The weaker teams often struggled. Some panicked when surrounded. Others wasted mana trying to defeat every creature instead of simply driving them away. A few teams were forced to abandon their original campsites after attracting too many beasts.

Seraphina’s team also encountered several magical beasts. Fortunately for them, the creatures belonged to the lower levels of the forest’s outer region.

Seraphina stepped forward alone. Her movements were quick and precise, and the beasts barely managed to approach before she defeated them. After witnessing the difference in strength, the remaining creatures quickly retreated into the darkness.

Rovan glanced at the crystal.

”Seraphina handled that without any trouble.”

”Those creatures were not enough to challenge her,” Vista replied.

Meanwhile, Lilith’s team had experienced an unusually quiet night. Their campsite was well positioned, and their members had established an organized watch rotation. Two students stood guard while the others rested.

Rovan looked at their observation crystal.

”So this is the top team from the Villain Department. They seem to have it easy tonight compared to some of the others.”

”Their campsite is well chosen,” Selene replied. ”They also avoided making unnecessary noise.”

Vista said nothing, but he continued observing them for several moments.

The instructors eventually shifted their attention to another section of the forest.

One of the observation crystals soon displayed Team 37.

Their campsite had also attracted a few nocturnal beasts. The creatures were not particularly strong, but they approached from several directions, gradually closing in on the students.

However, what caught the instructors’ attention was not the students.

It was another beast.

More specifically, it was a white spider.

The white spider was perched on a branch above the campsite, watching the approaching creatures. The spider remained unusually still for several seconds before suddenly raising its front legs.

A small magic circle appeared directly in front of its body.

The instructors immediately noticed it. The magic circle glowed faintly before several strands of white web shot out from its center.

One of the approaching beasts attempted to leap forward, only for the web to strike its front leg. The creature immediately struggled and tried to tear the web apart with its teeth.

But it failed.

The web stretched slightly under the beast’s strength but remained intact. The more aggressively the creature struggled, the tighter the strands wrapped around its leg.

The instructors leaned closer to the observation crystal.

”That web came from a magic circle.”

Professor Vista’s eyes narrowed.

”Yes.”

Another instructor looked surprised.

”That means it isn’t a normal spider.”

Quinn raised another leg. A second magic circle appeared in front of its body again. And another strand of web shot toward the beasts. This time, the web wrapped around a creature’s torso and pulled it sideways. The beast stumbled and crashed into the ground before immediately trying to free itself.

Again, the web refused to break.

Selene stared at the scene.

”That’s not a magical beast, is it?”

Professor Vista shook his head slightly.

”That spider is most likely a demonic beast.”

The instructors exchanged glances.

Demonic beasts were different from ordinary magical beasts. Although their appearances could resemble common creatures, they possessed greater intelligence and often had abilities that ordinary beasts of the same species could not use.

The fact that Quinn could construct magic circles and use them to produce webs was particularly unusual.

The white spider continued firing webs from the magic circles. It did not attack the attacking beasts directly. Instead, it focused on restricting their movements and preventing them from reaching the center of the campsite. Whenever one of the creatures moved too close, another magic circle appeared in front of the white spider, followed by another strand of web.

The spider’s movements were cautious. It was obvious that it did not want to fight the beasts at close range. Instead, it stayed safely above them and relied on its ability to attack from a distance.

Selene watched with growing curiosity.

”Wait. Is that spider actually trying to protect them?”

”It seems so,” Liora replied. ”I believe it belongs to one of the team members. I noticed someone carrying it on his head earlier this morning.”

Selene turned toward her.

”Really?”

Liora nodded.

”Yes.”

Rovan laughed quietly.

Eventually, the attacking beasts decided that approaching the campsite was not worth the trouble. They turned around and disappeared into the darkness.

The white spider remained on the branch for several seconds. Then it carefully climbed down and landed on top of the head of the student sitting beneath it.

The student did not react. The spider raised its front legs into the air and remained in that position. It looked almost as though it were proudly announcing its victory and waiting for someone to praise it.

The student, however, remained completely motionless. His eyes were closed.

Rovan stared at the observation crystal for several seconds before suddenly bursting into laughter.

”Hahaha!”

The other instructors turned toward him.

Rovan pointed at the crystal.

”Look at them! Their guard fell asleep while they were supposed to be watching the surroundings.”

He shook his head, still amused.

”If that demonic beast hadn’t noticed those creatures, they might have been in trouble already.”

Professor Vista did not immediately respond. His eyes remained fixed on Quinn.

”Demonic beast...”

He muttered the words quietly.

There was something unusual about the spider. Its appearance was harmless enough, but its intelligence and ability to manipulate magic were worth remembering.

Selene looked at the crystal again.

”Wait. Which team is this?”

”I believe they’re Team 37,” Liora answered after checking the identification.

Selene’s expression changed slightly.

”Ah. Team 37.”

She remembered the team immediately. They were the group that had received little attention from the other students and had been treated as one of the weakest teams participating in the examination.

Her interest quickly faded.

”That explains it.”

Professor Vista did not respond. His attention had shifted from Quinn to the student sitting beneath the tree.

Something about the young man’s face looked strangely familiar. Vista had seen him before, although he could not immediately remember where.

That alone was not particularly unusual. He had watched hundreds of students throughout his years as an instructor, and it was common for certain faces to remain in his memory for a while before eventually fading.

Still, there was something about him that made him pause. The young man appeared completely relaxed despite being in the middle of a dangerous forest.

Vista studied him for another moment. Then he dismissed the thought. Perhaps he had simply seen him somewhere before or during the examination.

The observation crystal shifted to another team, and the instructors’ attention followed it.

Team 37 was forgotten for the moment.

Several minutes passed.

The instructors continued watching the other students as the examination progressed through the night. Some teams were dealing with magical beasts, while others remained undisturbed in their campsites.

No one was paying attention to Team 37 anymore.

No one noticed the change taking place several hundred meters away from their campsite.

Deep within the southern section of the forest, something moved between the trees.

A branch snapped.

Then another.

The creature moved slowly through the darkness, its massive body passing between the trees with deliberate steps.

It was larger than the beasts that had attacked the other teams.

Actually, much larger.

Its movements were also different.

The smaller nocturnal beasts had approached the campsite cautiously, driven by instinct and curiosity.

This creature moved with purpose. It had already noticed the presence of the students. And it was coming toward them. Back at the campsite, Quinn suddenly froze. The white spider’s body twitched. For several seconds, it remained completely still. Then its body turned toward the southern side of the forest.

Quinn had sensed something. Its eyes focused on the darkness between the trees. A low sound came from there.

Quinn’s body trembled. It immediately climbed higher into the branches.

”Qiu...”

The sound was much quieter than usual.

Kael’s eyes suddenly opened.

”Quinn?”

The white spider did not look at him. Its attention remained fixed on the darkness.

Kael followed its gaze.

At first, he saw nothing. Then a large shadow moved between the trees. Kael’s relaxed expression disappeared. His hand slowly moved toward the sword resting beside him. Something was approaching their campsite. And judging from Quinn’s reaction, it was not another ordinary nocturnal beast.