Chapter 10 Day 2 of the exams II

Vicent's eyes were frozen on the bear's gaping maw, its teeth gleaming menacingly in the dim light. Time seemed to freeze, every muscle in his body rigid with terror. Beside him, Caleb's breath hitched, a sob catching in his throat as despair threatened to engulf him.

Then, a streak of darkness. A searing energy beam erupted from the shadows, striking the bear with the force of a thunderbolt. The beast howled, its massive form thrown back with violent force. Vicent crumpled to his knees, gasping for air, the scent of ozone filling his nostrils.

Caleb scrambled towards him, relief washing over him in a dizzying wave. He knelt beside his brother, his hands shaking as he checked for injuries. Vicent clung to him, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.

Miguel stepped out of the shadows, an apologetic expression etched on his face. "Really sorry about that, Vicent," he drawled, scratching the back of his head.

Vicent's gaze flickered towards Miguel, and he felt a surge of relief. The sight of the familiar face, the easy camaraderie in Miguel's voice, offered a fleeting sense of safety.

But the respite was short-lived. Vicent's eyes darted back to the bear, which was slowly rising to its feet, its movements sluggish. A pained growl rumbled in its throat.

A closer look revealed the source of its distress. A deep, gaping wound marred its side, the fur singed black. Dark, pulsating energy ribbons snaked out from the wound, flickering ominously in the gloom.

Kaito stepped forward, his bandaged form radiating an unsettling calm. The bandages, usually still and lifeless, writhed and pulsed like a swarm of snakes, a chilling display of power.

"It's still getting up," Caleb whispered, his voice hoarse with worry.

Kaito nodded, his gaze unwavering as he fixed it on the wounded bear. "Don't worry," he said, his voice low and measured. "I'll handle it."

With a silent grace, Kaito began to move towards the bear. The bandages, like sentient creatures, slithered through the air, extending towards the wounded beast. They wrapped around the bear's massive form, constricting it with an iron grip.

The bear let out a deafening roar, its body convulsing violently. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the struggle ceased. The bear's body slumped to the ground, its form now a withered, blackened husk.

Caleb stared at the lifeless creature, a shiver running down his spine. The sight of the bear, reduced to a mere shadow of its former self, was both terrifying and strangely awe-inspiring.

Vicent finally managed to stand, his movements surprisingly fluid despite the recent ordeal. "Yo, Vincent," Kaito said, turning to the brothers with a hint of a sheepish grin. "Caleb, sorry about that again."

Caleb frowned, still reeling from the recent events. "Why do you guys keep apologizing? What for?"

Kaito scratched the back of his head, a sheepish expression returning to his face. "Well, you see, when Miguel and I went out hunting… we didn't exactly encounter any… strong creatures until the second bear attacked you two. We were about to attack it, but then… well, let's just say there was a bit of a distraction. A very loud distraction. The bear seemed quite interested in it, so we… let it go."

Caleb shook his head, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Whatever happened had nothing to do with you. There's no way you could have known what would happen."

Vicent's gaze fixed on Kaito and Miguel, his voice sincere. "Thank you… for saving my life."

Caleb's eyes softened. "Yes, thank you, both. You saved my brother's life. I owe you one."

Kaito remained impassive, but a flicker of warmth, fleeting and unexpected, could be seen in his eyes. "No need to thank me," he said, his voice flat. "I merely did what needed to be done."

The tense atmosphere was broken by Kaito's sudden comment. "You know, this is the first time Mister Kiljoy didn't outright dampen the mood." He was referring to Caleb.

The tension that had gripped them all began to dissipate.

Vicent chuckled, a genuine laugh bubbling up from deep within him. The shared laughter, a fragile but welcome sound, filled the air, a stark contrast to the recent terror.

.....

Meanwhile, in the dimly lit conference room, the observers, their faces obscured by the shadows, were discussing the students' progress. "The students are slowly building up courage, tackling the monsters head-on," one of the figures observed, their voice low and measured. "A vast improvement compared to yesterday."

.....

In another corner of the forest, Luke's group was finishing their meal. They had successfully hunted a wild boar, a testament to their growing skills. The meat was tough and unsurprisingly flavorless, but it provided sustenance, a much-needed reprieve from the constant hunger.

One of the group members grumbled, "This is terrible. When this is all over, I'm going to eat hot pots every day."

Sam nodded vigorously, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "And we should spend time looking for a breaking point," he added. "And we need to find out where the commander-level creature is located. So we can avoid it."

Another group member scoffed. "Why would we go seeking the monster? We'll receive a warning from the badge when we're near it."

Luke's expression hardened. "Let that stupid thought out of your head," he said, his voice sharp. "Commander-level creatures are not to be taken lightly. They are… different. Their physical abilities, their size, their skills… they are on another level entirely. We are not prepared to face such a creature."

As the group's meal came to an end, they began to discuss their next move. They knew they had to keep moving, to keep pushing forward if they wanted to pass the exams with a good score. The forest was full of unknown dangers, and the military have tried to prevent casualties but it's doesn't mean they could afford to let their guard down.

...

After resting for a while, Kaito and the group decided to work together as a team throughout their exam. Miguel suggested the idea, which he and Kaito had come up with while out hunting the previous day.

"We managed to find food, but we realized there was no water," Miguel explained. "So today's objective is to find a water source. While doing so, we can rack up points by killing monster servants and warrior-level creatures. And there's safety in numbers too."

The Silver brothers, Caleb and Vincent, agreed readily. With a unified goal, the group set off into the forest, searching for a water source while killing creatures and accumulating points.

As they journeyed deeper into the forest, their teamwork began to build up pretty well. They took down a mutated monster, actually a warrior-level creature, an owl actually, a mutated owl, it was a human size owl but the team was able to take down the creature the final blow was dealt by Caleb ending the creature's life.

"There are more warrior-level creatures than I would have expected in this forest," Vincent said.

Kaito nodded. "Well, isn't it supposed to be so?"

Miguel shook his head. "I don't think so. These creatures are not supposed to be this numerous. The density of warrior-level creatures is not supposed to be this high."

"It's said that warrior-level creatures are less common and hard to find," Miguel continued. "But we've encountered three in one day. That's like a constant stream, considering the vast expanse of the forest and the fact that the military has already set a limit on the number of warrior-level creatures."

Miguel's eyes narrowed. "From the way it's happening, it seems like the warrior-level creatures are increasing. Though it's just speculation."

As they dealt with the mutated creatures, gathering some for potential camping, they heard noises of battle from afar. They looked at each other, intrigued.

"I think we should walk away," Caleb suggested.

But Kaito's curiosity was piqued. "Aren't you a little bit curious about what kind of battle is causing such a loud noise and who it is?"

Vincent agreed with him. After some deliberation, they decided to take a look.

With caution, they approached the sound of battle, their senses heightened. As they drew closer, a figure came into view – a girl, her movements swift and deadly as she clashed with a massive creature.

The girl's limbs transformed into blades, and she clashed with the mutated python. The python was enormous, several feet long, and its body was covered in thick, armored scales. Despite the python's intimidating size, the girl danced around it with ease, her blades weaving intricate patterns as she struck.

"It's surprising," Kaito whispered, "we haven't really noticed such a person existed in our school. This should be one of those so-called dark horses."

The girl's movements were mesmerizing, her blades flashing in the dim light. She wasn't able to cut through the python's scales, but her attacks left deep injuries that irritated the python.

The python constricted, its body tensing, and then it bounced towards the girl. But she was too agile, easily evading the attack.

However, the python's body emitted a colorful gas, a poisonous cloud that threatened to engulf the girl. She swiftly retreated, but it seemed she was still caught in the range of the poison.

As the python prepared to counterattack, the girl made a sudden, straight movement. The python missed her by mere inches, and she transformed her legs into blades. With a swift, deadly motion, she stabbed the python from under its jaw, the blade piercing completely through the python's core.

The python's lifeless body slumped to the ground, but the girl's battle was far from over. The poison had already taken effect, and she stumbled, her eyes fluttering closed.

However, she seemed to know the forest well, or at least know what she was doing. With a quiet focus, she began to push the poison out of her body. A colorful liquid slowly emerged from the cuts on her skin, and she regained her complexion.

As she stood up, her eyes locked onto the group, where they were hiding and watching. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the only sound the heavy breathing of the girl.