I Refuse the Tragic Ending

The second day of the wilderness examination had begun. Across the Emerald Forest, the various teams had already started moving. Some had spent the early morning gathering materials near their campsites, while others had immediately continued deeper into the forest in search of more valuable resources.

The examination had quickly developed its own rhythm.

Teams that had performed well during the first day were becoming more confident. Those who had struggled were becoming increasingly cautious.

And the instructors watching from outside the forest had begun paying closer attention to each team.

Seraphina’s team had already left their campsite early in the morning.

They moved through the forest with considerably more confidence than they had shown on the first day. Seraphina remained near the front, carefully observing the surrounding terrain while the other members searched for useful materials.

Whenever they encountered magical beasts, the group dealt with them efficiently before continuing forward.

Leon and his team had also resumed their progress.

Unlike many other students, Leon didn’t seem particularly interested in stopping for long periods.

He wanted to maximize their gains before the examination ended.

Remembering what Kael received during the drill, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed in himself. Now however, he wanted to make sure his team would be the final victor.

His group had already collected several valuable materials from magical beasts and plants, putting them in a comfortable position compared to most first-year teams.

Lilith’s team had taken a more cautious approach.

They had spent part of the morning organizing the materials they collected on the previous day before moving again.

Lilith wasn’t interested in wasting energy simply to prove that her team could travel farther than everyone else.

The wilderness examination was five days long.

There was no reason to burn through their stamina on the second day. Jeanneth’s group followed a similar approach. They moved carefully while taking advantage of opportunities to gather valuable resources whenever they encountered them.

Meanwhile, Victor’s team had already begun pushing deeper into the forest. Their confidence had increased after surviving the first day, and Victor was determined to prove that his team belonged among the strongest groups in the examination.

The deeper they went, however, the more dangerous the environment became.

The Emerald Forest was already beginning to reveal why the academy considered it a suitable location for a first-year survival examination.

Every team had their own strategy. Every team had their own destination. And every team believed they could make it through the five days.

Outside the Emerald Forest, the instructors continued monitoring the examination. The large observation screens displayed the movements of the various teams throughout the forest.

Most of the teams had already made considerable progress. Some had found valuable medicinal plants. Others had hunted magical beasts for their materials.

Several teams had even discovered areas containing rare ores and herbs. The results were beginning to show.

Team after team continued adding valuable resources to their collection. The instructors occasionally exchanged comments as they watched.

Seraphina’s team has already collected three high-value medicinal herbs. Leon’s group just defeated another mid-rank magical beast. Jeanneth’s team found a cluster of Silver-petaled Flowers. Lilith’s team also gathered quite enough.

Victor’s team also managed to gather valuable resources.

The instructors nodded as they recorded each team’s progress.

Then Rovan noticed something.

One of the monitoring crystals showed the bottom-tier team.

”What are they doing?” Rowan asked subconsciously.

Selene glanced at him.

”Is there a problem?” She asked.

”Nothing in particular. But look at this team,” Rovan pointed to the hovering image in front him.

They looked and saw team 37 walking unhindered.

At first glance, there was nothing wrong with what they were doing. They just walk and walk. That alone wasn’t exactly wrong.

But when Rovan mentioned, ”Every time this group appeared in the panel this day, they were walking and walking. They only took a detour for a bit to rest or eat before continuing again,” Rovan’s voice with a mix of sarcasm.

He really didn’t understand this group. The other teams were spending their day efficiently. This group on the other hand were walking all day.

In just a few hours, night would come again. But this team, instead of gathering resources, they spent their days walking.

”Perhaps they’re lost?” Selene said, sounding unsure.

”That’s unlikely. Every team was provided with a map before entering the forest. Directional markers were also placed throughout the examination area, and every marker is clearly indicated on the maps,” Liora was the one who explained it.

She was also wondering about the odd behavior of team 37.

Liora pointed toward the observation crystal. ”They could easily determine their location even if they somehow became confused,” she added.

Selene nodded. Then suddenly, she noticed something.

”Wait...”

Everyone looked at her.

”Why?” Liora and Rovan asked.

Selene frowned and said, ”Look at their route. Aren’t they heading to the middle region of the forest?”

The room became quiet.

Just then, everyone realized that team 37 was indeed heading to the deeper section of the forest.

Rovan’s expression changed.

”Those idiots,” his voice was low. ”With their level, they can’t survive there,” he said.

Even if Team 37 had remained in the outer region for the entire examination, the instructors would not have criticized them too harshly.

They were a bottom-tier team.

If they spent five days carefully avoiding dangerous creatures and returned with only a handful of low-grade resources, it would hardly be surprising.

Survival was still the primary objective of the examination.

But deliberately walking into a region beyond their apparent capabilities was another matter.

He tapped on a panel and scanned the details of each member of team 37. The panel could also show every team’s members and their records.

The first member of team 37 was the bow user named Elias. A frail boy with no extraordinary talent.

Second was Mira. The healer with very limited healing capacity. Another below average student.

The third one was Darius. A boy with good physical condition. But having a good build didn’t mean extraordinary especially if his Hero Core was only a Rank D. Still, compared to other members, he was the most reliable member among them.

Lastly was Kael Grayford. The son of Duke Grayford.

Rovan sighed.

A noble?

Most nobles from the kingdom or empire usually were pampered young masters who haven’t experienced difficulty in life. Let alone camping outside.

Rovan looked stupefied when he read Kael’s data.

Rank F and lowest tier combat evaluations.

The only good thing about Kael’s record was being a familiar owner.

The white spider with him was actually more useful than him, Rovan thought.

...

Meanwhile, Kael led the group while checking the map from time to time. Darius walked near the front, clearing difficult sections of the terrain whenever necessary. Mira remained near the center and Elias stayed at the back of the group.

Quinn was still sitting on Kael’s head. Sometimes it would move to his shoulder. The journey had been relatively uneventful. They had encountered several magical beasts, but none had posed a serious threat. After several hours of walking, Kael suddenly slowed down.

”We’re close.”

Elias, who had been scanning the surroundings, looked toward him.

”You’ve been saying that this whole time. I’m starting to believe you mean close to losing our legs.”

Hearing Elias say that with a straightforward face, Kael chuckled a little.

”No. It’s definitely close this time,” Kael said.

”So how close is it really? How many minutes or hours or even days?” Elias looked impatient.

Kael didn’t respond and continued walking.

A minute later, he finally said, ”We’re here.”

Darius looked around.

”There’s nothing here.”

”Keep walking for a little.”

The group continued.

A few minutes later, the trees gradually began to thin. Sunlight became more visible between the branches. The ground also became noticeably flatter.

Then Darius stopped.

”What is that?”

Everyone looked ahead.

Several enormous stone pillars stood among the trees. They were arranged in a large circular formation, with considerable space between each pillar. Each one was taller than a grown man, and some were nearly twice Darius’s height.

Their surfaces were covered with ancient runic patterns. Some of the markings were deeply carved into the stone, while others had become worn and difficult to distinguish after years of weathering.

Vines wrapped around several pillars and moss covered their lower sections. Small plants had grown around their bases. Yet despite the obvious signs of age, the pillars themselves remained remarkably intact.

Elias slowly lowered his bow.

”Okay.” He stared at the pillars. ”Is this the place?” He asked.

”Yes,” Kael nodded.

Mira walked closer to one of the stone pillars.

”These look ancient,” she said.

Darius also approached one of them and carefully examined its surface.

”There are runes everywhere,” he said.

He moved his hand near the markings without touching them.

”I’ve never seen this kind of formation before,” Darius added.

Kael smiled faintly.

Elias looked at him and asked.

”Is this the Safe Zone?” He asked again, making sure that grueling walked had finally ended.

”Yeah,” Kael nodded, wondering why Elias kept asking the same question.

The group looked around again.

From where they stood, the area seemed strangely peaceful. There were no large trees blocking the sunlight.

Mira looked around before her gaze settled on Kael. ”Can we really gather valuable resources here?”

Kael smiled.

”Absolutely.”