Chapter Four: Human Steps and the Trainee Forest

Chapter Four: Human Steps and the Trainee Forest

*"Wake them up!"* I whispered to myself, a cold sense of urgency spreading through my chest. I shook Jack's shoulder first—he jolted awake as if struck by an electric current—then moved to Shadow, who opened his eyes behind his glasses more slowly but with no less sharpness. The sound hadn't been a hallucination born of exhaustion; it was real, persistent, though faint. Multiple whispers of feet treading carefully, dry branches snapping under deliberately light yet purposeful steps, moving through the thick curtain of fallen leaves, steadily approaching, inevitably drawn toward the faint glow of our fire dancing on the cave walls.

Jack sat up in an instant. His gray eyes, usually as calm as the surface of a frozen lake, were now unnaturally clear and alert, swiftly scanning the darkness beyond the cave. His right hand instinctively moved to his waist—where his dagger would have been in Valeria—only to find empty space for a brief, disorienting moment before returning to his side, tense and ready. He whispered in a low, pragmatic voice, barely audible over the crackling fire:

*"How many? From which direction? And are they human or something else?"*

*"I can't pinpoint the exact number,"* I whispered back, focusing all my senses, trying to separate the overlapping sounds. The lightness I'd felt earlier now seemed to extend to my hearing, allowing me to pick up finer details. *"But definitely more than five, maybe closer to eight or ten. They're moving cautiously, using the vegetation to mask their steps. Most likely human—their movement is coordinated. Coming straight from the front, the gentle slope leading to the cave."*

Shadow was fully awake now, adjusting his glasses up the bridge of his nose—a habitual gesture, as if it helped him organize his thoughts in the face of the unknown. His sharp eyes coldly analyzed the darkness beyond the cave entrance, detached, as if observing a scientific experiment rather than a potential threat. He spoke calmly, his voice steady as ever but carrying a hint of self-directed reproach—perhaps aimed at all of us:

*"The fire… It gave us warmth and comfort, but it was a grave strategic mistake in an unknown environment. It revealed our location to anything—or anyone—within sight."*

*"Too late for regrets and analysis now, Shadow,"* Jack cut in, rising slowly, his body low and tensed, moving with a sudden agility I hadn't seen in him before—ready to strike or dodge. *"Prepare yourselves. We don't know their intentions, and we must assume the worst until proven otherwise."*

We instinctively took positions near the cave entrance in a simple defensive formation. Jack positioned himself on the left, slightly leaning against the rocky wall, his shadow stretching behind him from the fire's glow. I took the right, feeling that strange lightness pulsing in my limbs, sharpening my senses, a strange combat calm settling over me once again, dulling the initial flutter of fear and replacing it with a razor-sharp focus on the approaching threat. Shadow stood a few steps behind us, in a spot that allowed him to observe everything and, if necessary, use his bizarre ability to manipulate fine particles—though we still didn't know its limits or effectiveness. My heart still pounded violently in my chest, but the adrenaline now had direction.

The sounds stopped abruptly, perhaps twenty or thirty meters from the cave entrance. A tense, heavy silence fell, broken only by the faint crackling of the dying fire behind us—now annoyingly loud—and our own suppressed breaths. The air itself seemed to freeze. Then, after long, nerve-wracking moments that felt like an eternity, a young voice cut through the silence—hesitant at first, but firm enough to carry:

*"Who's in the cave? We only see the fire! Show yourselves peacefully, or we'll consider you enemies!"*

Jack and I exchanged quick glances—a mix of cautious relief and deep suspicion. Definitely human voices. That was… *good*, in the sense that it wasn't some new monster we knew nothing about. But were they friendly? Or were humans the greatest danger in this world?

Jack responded in a calm, steady voice, betraying no fear or anxiety—just cold realism:

*"We're three travelers, lost in this forest. We were just looking for shelter to spend the night. We mean no harm and want no trouble."*

Another pause, longer this time, as if they were conferring in hushed whispers we couldn't make out. Then the same voice replied, firmer now, devoid of earlier hesitation:

*"Travelers? Lost? In the Trainee Forest? That's… highly unusual. No one comes here by accident. Come out now, one by one, slowly, with your hands where we can see them."*

*"Trainee Forest?"* I whispered the words to Jack, who gave a slight shake of his head without taking his eyes off the darkness—a small gesture meaning *"No idea, but let's do as they say for now."*

Jack raised his voice slightly, adopting a tone of wary cooperation: *"Understood. No problem. We're coming out."*

We complied. I stepped out first, then Jack, then Shadow—slow, measured steps, hands slightly raised away from our bodies. The cold night air of the forest hit our faces with surprising force after the relative warmth of the cave, making our eyes water slightly as they adjusted to the dim light spilling from the cave entrance behind us.

Before us, at the very edge of the firelight where the deep shadows of the silver-leafed trees began, stood the group. There were ten of them—a mix of young men and women, seemingly in their late teens to early twenties. They wore practical outfits of treated leather and thick, earth-toned fabrics, well-suited for forest life but bearing signs of hard use and patching. Most carried primitive yet effective-looking weapons—short spears with stone or simple metal heads, sickle-like knives strapped to their belts, and rough-feathered arrows nocked on simple but taut bows. Their faces were young but weary, their gazes sharp and assessing, flickering over us with a complex mix of instinctive suspicion, learned caution, and irrepressible curiosity.

The one who had spoken—clearly their temporary leader or spokesperson—stood at the front, his posture exuding wary confidence. He was tall, with a strong build beneath his leather gear, short dark hair, and keen brown eyes that scrutinized us from head to toe. His gaze lingered for a moment on Shadow's oddly formal, out-of-place attire, then on the bleeding wound on my arm that I'd hastily bandaged with a torn piece of my shirt, then—perhaps sensing it—the unnatural chill still clinging to Jack like an invisible specter.

*"Your clothes are… strange for this place,"* the young man said, his eyes narrowing slightly, his voice edged with disbelief. *"And we haven't seen you among the new arrivals in recent days. When did you get here? And how did you light a fire this strong without visible tools? Fire-starting here isn't easy."*

Before any of us could formulate a convincing response, a red-haired girl beside him, gripping a longbow with obvious skill, interjected: *"Look at them, Kael. They seem genuinely confused… Maybe they really are new. *Very* new. Maybe… maybe they just went through the Trials and were dumped straight into the forest without understanding the instructions."* Her tone carried a hint of cautious sympathy.

Kael glanced at her briefly before turning back to us, skepticism still dominant in his expression. *"New? This composed when facing us? Dressed like they're from another world?"* He shook his head slowly. *"This place isn't for sightseeing or the lost. This is the Trainee Forest. Where they send those who've recently awakened their Classes, after passing the preliminary Trials at the Sorting Center outside. They toss us in here like pups, letting the forest test the true depth of our talent and weed out the weak."*

*"Classes? Trials? Sorting Center?"* Shadow cut in immediately, taking an unconscious half-step forward, his analytical curiosity momentarily overriding his caution. *"What kind of Trials are you referring to? And what exactly are the metrics for measuring talent here? Is there a classification system? How is 'Class strength' evaluated?"*

Kael stared at him with doubled suspicion, as if looking at an alien trying to grasp basic gravity. *"You're asking too many questions for someone who supposedly just went through the Trials. Do you really know nothing?"* He gestured broadly at the dark, oppressive forest around them. *"Talent here… is measured simply and brutally. The longer you survive in this damned forest, the higher your latent Class potential is considered. Every day you're still breathing is proof you're worthy of the power you've been given, that you can adapt and evolve. Many… many don't last the first week. The forest takes them. Or they take each other."*

His cold, matter-of-fact words struck me hard. So this place was a crucible—a deadly proving ground designed for one purpose: survival of the fittest? And the Classes we'd suddenly gained… they weren't just random glitches in the system, but perhaps this world's response to our presence, "testing" us when we faced that six-legged beast? Had merely surviving that encounter locked in our Classes? And more importantly—did that mean our abilities would grow and evolve the longer we endured? I looked down at my hands again, the initial bitterness over my "Assassin" Class—which I'd dismissed as "common" and weak—fading slightly, replaced by a harsher understanding. Rarity didn't matter here. Survival was the only metric that counted. And the ability to move lightly, hide, and strike precisely… might be incredibly useful for staying alive.

Jack, who had remained silent as usual, observing faces and body language, finally spoke in his deep, calm voice—one that commanded respect:

*"We didn't go through any formal Trials that we know of. It's complicated, but we found ourselves here suddenly, just hours ago, after a strange and unexplained accident involving advanced technology from our world. Our abilities—or Classes, as you call them—awakened instinctively when we were attacked by one of this forest's creatures."* He nodded vaguely toward the darkness where the beast's corpse lay. *"We know nothing about this place, its rules, or this 'Sorting Center' you mentioned."*

His answer was blunt and mostly truthful, unafraid to mention "advanced technology" and "another world"—risking sounding insane, perhaps betting that strange honesty would be more convincing than a poorly crafted lie.

The group's expressions shifted slightly at his story. The suspicion in their eyes didn't vanish entirely—caution seemed a way of life here—but there was a flicker of reluctant understanding, or at least wary pity for our bizarre situation. Kael exchanged uncertain glances with a few others. The red-haired girl murmured:

*"An accident? Abilities awakening on their own? That's… truly unusual. I've never heard of that before. Usually, awakening is violent or sudden, followed by confusion, then the Sorting patrols take you for Trials…"*

Kael wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, thinking for a moment. *"Alright, whether you're exceptionally clueless newcomers or lost travelers from another world—which is hard to believe but explains your clothes—the fact remains: lighting an exposed fire like that is an open invitation to every nocturnal predator in this forest. And you're drawing unwanted attention to us, too. You'd better put it out. Now."*

*"And after we do?"* I asked directly, looking between Kael and the weary, watchful faces of the group. Would they just leave us to our fate once we stopped being a beacon of danger? Or would they attack us to take whatever supplies they thought we had?

Kael glanced at his group, then back at us—three strangers standing in the dwindling firelight, undoubtedly looking out of place and vulnerable. He sighed faintly, the sigh of someone carrying responsibility beyond his years.

*"We can't just leave you to be devoured on your first night, no matter how strange your arrival. Tonight, you can stay near the perimeter of our temporary camp. We're taking shifts on watch anyway, and a larger group means better safety for everyone."* He paused, his tone turning more serious. *"But tomorrow, at first light of the twin suns, you'll have to decide what you're doing and how you'll manage. This forest doesn't forgive those who don't know how to move in it, who hesitate, or who show weakness."* He added a final, cutting warning: *"And don't expect us to carry the burden of protecting or feeding you. Every person here, every one of us, fights daily just to survive—to prove that their newly awakened strength isn't a fluke, but a hard-earned right."*

Jack gave a slow nod, his expression neutral. *"Understood. We appreciate your temporary help."*

At Kael's signal, the group moved cautiously to settle a short but respectful distance from our cave, after we quickly smothered the remaining fire with damp soil, plunging the area into near-total darkness broken only by the faint glow of the bioluminescent leaves above. The trainees sat in small clusters, speaking in hushed tones, weapons always within reach. Their eyes kept flicking toward us—curious, wary, evaluating.

I felt a confusing mix of relief at the presence of other living humans in this place and deep unease at the brutal reality they'd described. And an irresistible curiosity about these fellow "trainees," their stories, their Classes, and their fates.

So we were no longer just former players lost in a fictional world turned real. We were now, like it or not, new trainees—thrown without warning into a game far more real and lethal, a vicious survival trial where the rules were written in blood, sweat, and the ability to endure just one more day.

And the terrifying question lingering in my mind as I leaned against the cold cave wall, watching the shifting shadows of the now-more-menacing forest:

*How long will the three of us last here?*

And what happens to us if—or *when*—we prove our "talent"?

Is there a way out of this forest?

Or is this just another level of a hell we don't yet understand?