Chapter 40: Unsettling Encounters

The time was 6:00 in the morning, and I was already prepared to go to school. Yesterday, the theory part of the graduation test had come to an end, and today marked the beginning of the practical part.

To prepare myself for the practical test, I woke up early and completed all the necessary preparations. Since external forces were not allowed during the test, I packed only my shield and sword, leaving behind any other equipment. The practical test aimed to assess students' ability to apply their classroom knowledge in a real-world setting. Any use of external forces or assistance would invalidate the test, so students were strictly monitored by teachers and city authorities to prevent accidents and foul play.

With my preparations complete, I started my journey to school. As I arrived at the school grounds, I noticed many students already gathered there. It seemed that, like me, they had come to school early.

The air was filled with conversations among the students, all discussing the upcoming test.

"Do you think we can hold on long enough?" one student asked.

"I'm not sure, but our team has done everything we could to prepare. Maybe we can last longer than we expect," another replied optimistically.

"You idiot! I told you to be prepared, but why did you injure yourself? It's over now. With you in this condition, I doubt we can even hold on for two days," a frustrated voice exclaimed.

"Hahaha! Look at that team. They might not hold on long enough. It seems like our team has a chance for a top spot," someone else commented, sounding confident.

The conversations revolved around the practical test itself. Although seven days were allocated for the test, students anticipated that they would spend the entire duration. Survivability was a key factor in this test, as students were placed in a foreign environment without the support of modern items. The chosen test grounds were usually dangerous places, with monsters roaming around, posing a threat to the students' safety. In case of an emergency, the teachers on duty would immediately intervene and end the test for that group. The longer a group could remain in the test, the higher their marks would be.

Just as I was observing the conversations, I heard someone call my name. I turned and saw Anna waving at me, beckoning me to join her.

"You're early today. I thought you were going to be late again like during the theoretical test," I teased her as I reached her side. I couldn't resist reminding her about her lateness on the second day of the theory test, which had become quite an incident in our school.

"Shut up! Ugh! I was just late for one day, and you're already making fun of me," she pouted, annoyed by my teasing.

"Anyway, I noticed you're alone here. Where are the others?" I inquired.

"Sarah had some personal business to handle, so she hasn't arrived yet. And Thomas is with her, keeping her company," Anna replied, providing a simple explanation.

With nothing else to do, we stood there, patiently waiting for Sarah and Thomas.

The practical test was scheduled to take place at the Thousands Tree Forest, located outside the school premises. As per the instructions, all students were required to assemble at the school grounds, where transportation would be provided to take us to the test site.

The departure time was set for 7:30 a.m., which allowed Anna and me some time to wait for Sarah.

A few minutes passed, and finally, I spotted Sarah and Thomas walking towards us. But what caught my attention was the person walking behind Sarah—a figure I recognized as Phillip, accompanied by his team. Simultaneously, I noticed a hint of displeasure on Anna's face. She seemed to dislike the fact that Phillip was with Sarah.

Recalling the encounter I had with Mr. Smith a few days ago, I couldn't help but wonder if there was a connection between that incident and Phillip's sudden presence. If I remembered correctly, that man had warned me to stay away from Sarah. In other words, Phillip's presence here already proved Sarah's connection with Mr. Smith. Not only that, since Phillip had shown respect towards Mr. Smith before, it might indicate that he had received some sort of instruction from him.

As I continued observing, it was evident that Sarah was really annoyed with Phillip. When she noticed us, she quickly came over, chasing away Phillip.

Looking at her actions, it was clear that she disliked the encounter. This made me wonder even more about her relationship with Phillip and his unknown master. There was definitely more to this situation than met the eye.