The chirping of birds could be heard, becoming the dominant sound in the silent forest.
Slowly, the dark sky disappeared, and warm light illuminated the forest.
The sound of heavy footsteps was heard, trying to make their way out of the forest.
One of them was being supported, bloodstains and wounds visible on his clothes, cold sweat dripping from his forehead accompanied by occasional groans.
"Damn it, Alex. Isn't this a bit too much? We just met one day ago, you know?"
Alex supported him and walked slowly.
"Relax, Ken. Have you never been stabbed before or what? Besides, this isn't the real world."
Ken's forehead twitched.
"Damn, you really are crazy."
Alex chuckled, his gaze fixed ahead.
"Looks like we'll arrive soon. Besides, you should be thanking me."
One of Ken's eyebrows rose.
"Why?"
Alex smiled.
"Because I stabbed you, you only need to act like you're in pain, and I'll handle the rest."
Ken nodded while holding the wound on his stomach.
"Yeah… that's better, since Arthur and I know each other."
Alex nodded in agreement, but suddenly his steps stopped.
Ken looked at him.
"Why?"
Alex didn't answer. He suddenly shoved Ken aside, making him fall to the ground.
Thud
"Argh…"
Alex walked a little, then crouched down. His hand touched the ground, and he smeared the dirt onto his face.
Veins bulged on Ken's forehead as he watched what Alex was doing.
"I think I'll really go insane if I stay with you any longer."
Alex chuckled when he heard that. He stood up and turned around, showing his dirt-covered face.
Alex pointed at his own face.
"So, how is it? Does it look dramatic? I mean, does it look like the remnants of a hard struggle?"
Ken let out a sigh.
"So that's all you did? While I got stabbed?"
Alex helped Ken up again.
"Relax, my friend. You know? Usually women like scars on men."
Ken scoffed.
"But that woman isn't Katarina, right?"
Alex smiled.
"Of course."
Their slow steps finally paid off. The dense forest came to an end, replaced by a grassy field surrounded by trees.
The wind blew against Alex and Ken's faces, and the sunlight became clearer.
Alex looked toward the center of the field, where several people were either sleeping or awake. Their condition looked miserable.
A small laugh escaped his lips.
"Look, they don't even have tents."
Ken nodded slowly.
Alex whispered.
"Faint, Ken. The show starts now."
Ken didn't have time to respond before Alex's shout echoed, breaking the silence.
"HELP!! HELP! HEALER! BARA IS INJURED!"
Alex's shout caught the attention of the group. Their eyes widened.
"That's Shin and Bara!"
"Looks like they were attacked!"
"Arthur, Pyo. There's an attack!"
Pyo immediately stood up.
"Prepare for battle, and healers follow me!"
The atmosphere of Arthur's camp became tense in an instant.
Meanwhile, Arthur, who had been sleeping on a simple tarp, looked irritated.
He scratched his skin, bitten by mosquitoes, letting out a groan.
"I told you, we should've finished everything on the first day."
Arthur stood up in annoyance. No one dared to interrupt him in that state.
He scratched his itchy hair while looking at Pyo and the healers approaching Shin and Bara.
"Damn… I can't stand this anymore."
In the distance, Pyo and the healers approached Alex and Ken in disguise.
"Shin! Bara! What happened?"
Alex, acting as Shin, collapsed to the ground. Ken, acting as Bara, followed.
Alex looked at Pyo and pointed toward the forest.
"We were attacked! Kinan and Ciya died instantly!"
One of Pyo's eyebrows rose.
"Are you injured?"
Alex shook his head and pointed at Ken.
"Just help this one."
Alex and Ken were eventually treated.
Now Alex stood in front of Arthur, who kept scratching his skin.
Alex swallowed nervously as he looked at him, his gaze slightly shifting.
'Damn… he really is a noble kid who's never gone camping.'
Krystal laughed.
'Watch your mouth or you'll get beaten before reaching the meeting point.'
Alex chuckled in his mind.
'Don't you know my nickname in my old world?'
Krystal sneered.
'No, and I don't want to know.'
Veins bulged on Alex's forehead, but he quickly calmed himself and looked at Arthur.
"We wanted to check the logistics in the west, but a big fight broke out between Class 1C and 1F."
One of Arthur's eyebrows rose.
"How much logistics?"
Alex spread his arms with a wide smile.
"A lot, leader!"
Arthur's eyebrow twitched.
Alex swallowed.
Arthur stopped scratching his skin and stared at Alex, who was disguised as Shin.
"Your face is really dirty…"
Alex touched his face.
"Yeah… I had to roll on the ground to avoid elimination."
Arthur sighed and nodded slightly.
"How did Ciya and Kinan get eliminated?"
Alex stretched his body.
"Ciya got her head pierced by a spear, and Kinan's head was cut off and fell."
Arthur winced.
"That must've hurt, huh?"
Shin shrugged.
"I don't know. I wasn't the one who experienced it."
Arthur rested his head on his left hand.
"How did you not protect Kinan? Don't you love her anymore? Did she reject you?"
Alex swallowed, cold sweat forming in his palms.
'Damn it, Krystal. Your power is still useless.'
Krystal snapped.
'This bastard doesn't know gratitude.'
Alex chuckled and looked at Arthur confidently.
"How could I get rejected? Who could reject this handsome face?"
Arthur burst into loud laughter, even covering his face. His laughter made the Class 1B students look at him from afar.
But the laughter suddenly stopped, replaced by a wide smile on Arthur's face.
Alex swallowed.
"You lying bastard."
Arthur channeled mana into his right hand, a red aura appearing.
He swung it downward as if punching the ground.
Alex's heart pounded fast. His shadow was now covered by something larger.
His first soul core reacted faster than his eyes could see what was coming.
Alex rolled to the left.
And a giant red hand struck where he had been standing.
BOOM!
Alex grimaced as he looked at it and shouted loudly.
"KENNNN!"
Not far away, Ken, who had been lying down, got up immediately upon hearing the explosion.
He drew his katana.
'That bastard was just bluffing…'
He unsheathed it.
'…a complete liar.'
Sriiing.
Ken tried to slash the healer's neck.
Pyo's eyes widened. The healer screamed.
Ken's slash almost landed, but Pyo blocked it with his mana-coated hand.
Cling!
Ken staggered slightly but didn't continue. He quickly ran toward the forest.
On the other side, Alex swallowed hard.
Arthur laughed lightly.
"So you disguised yourself as Shin? Shin likes Kinan?…"
Arthur shouted.
"They're cousins, you bastard!"
The red aura still covered Arthur's right hand as he prepared to strike Alex again.
A giant red hand followed his motion.
Alex charged forward.
The wind brushed his face as the giant hand approached.
He dropped himself to the ground, sliding on his stomach.
The dew-covered grass helped him.
Fwoosh!
The giant hand only struck air.
Arthur's eyes widened.
Alex reached Arthur and lifted his body slightly with his hands from the sliding position.
He prepared his secret weapon.
He gathered saliva in his mouth and aimed it at Arthur.
"Ptoo…"
Arthur froze, unable to process what just happened.
Alex's spit landed on his face.
Arthur's eyebrow twitched, his expression slowly turning into disgust.
He wanted to wipe it off but hesitated because it was Alex's spit.
A scream burst from Arthur.
"ARGHHHH!"
He fell to the ground.
Alex seized the moment, stood up, and turned his back on Arthur.
He stuck out his butt and slapped it.
"Come chase us, you cleanliness freak!"
Alex ran, leaving Arthur screaming behind.
"CATCH THAT BASTARD!"
Alex easily dodged a few Class 1B members.
He regrouped with Ken.
Ken held his wounded stomach while Alex slapped his shoulder as they ran.
"Damn… you should've let me get fully healed first."
Alex burst into laughter.
But it quickly stopped when they saw a crowd of Class 1B.
Ken prepared to draw his katana again, but Alex stopped him.
Ken looked at Alex, who grinned and pulled out five small stones with symbols engraved on them.
Alex channeled mana into them and threw them toward the crowd.
Ken looked at him.
"Is that enough?"
Alex simply pointed forward.
The crowd received it confidently.
"They're just small mana-infused stones! Block them!"
But suddenly, the crowd fell silent.
From five stones came ten, from ten came twenty, and so on until there were hundreds.
The stones struck the crowd.
Some exploded into blue flames, some released shadow arrows, others caused kinetic blasts, and some released virus-like liquid that made skin blister.
Screams filled the area.
Alex laughed loudly.
Ken just grimaced.
"You insane liar."
They ran past the chaotic crowd.
Alex and Ken dashed through the forest.
Alex removed his black cloak and threw it away while running.
Ken's eyes widened.
"Why did you throw it away?! That belongs to Katarina!"
Alex smiled widely, breathing in the fresh air.
"That kind princess will surely forgive me, my friend."
Alex looked at Ken.
"Hurry and take yours off too! It'll slow you down!"
Ken sighed, removed it, but instead of throwing it away, he stored it in his smart bracelet.
Alex stared in shock.
He stopped and slowly tried to go back to retrieve his cloak.
Ken grabbed his neck.
"No time, damn it!"
A battle cry echoed. Arthur and Pyo led the battered Class 1B.
Alex shouted.
"NO!! I'll get burned alive!"
Ken dragged Alex without caring.
Their escape turned the quiet forest into a noisy marketplace.
Alex and Ken saw a cliff ahead.
Ken prepared to go around, but Alex pulled his shirt, almost making him fall.
Ken, panting, looked at him.
"What now, you crazy liar?"
Alex's chest rose and fell heavily.
"We're not taking that path…"
Ken's eyes widened.
"Don't tell me…"
Alex nodded.
"We're jumping."
Ken cursed loudly.
Alex ignored him, took out another small engraved stone, and threw it down the cliff.
Alex looked back. Arthur was rushing toward them with a furious face.
Alex grabbed Ken as they prepared to jump.
Arthur summoned the giant red hand again and tried to strike them.
But Alex and Ken jumped first. The giant hand hit nothing but air.
Ken screamed while Alex laughed.
"ARGHHH… YOU CRAZY LIAR!!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
Krystal also laughed uncontrollably.
'HAHAHA I LOVE THIS!'
The wind rushed past them, blowing Ken's shoulder-length hair.
Slowly, they looked down.
Alex's eyes widened.
"THERE'S NO MATTRESS!"
Ken looked at Alex, unable to hear clearly.
"WHAT?!"
Alex shouted.
"CHANNEL MANA THROUGH YOUR WHOLE BODY, IDIOT!"
Both of them did as told.
A loud explosion echoed when they hit the ground.
BOOM!
BOOM!
Ken, holding his aching body, glared at Alex.
"WHAT DID YOU THROW EARLIER, YOU BASTARD?!"
Alex smiled foolishly and pointed to the side.
"I thought it was a giant mattress. Turns out it was just a sachet of coffee, HAHAHAHA!"
Krystal laughed like she was about to cry.
"HAHAHA truly an idiot."
Ken took a deep breath and slowly walked away from Alex.
Alex chuckled and followed him.
"Are you mad? I really didn't know!"
Ken replied coldly.
"Stay away from me, bastard."
They left Arthur and his class behind
In the sky, a blue eagle dove sharply downward. Below it was a group of people.
As its beak struck the ground, a blue fire explosion erupted.
Several people were burned.
The blue flames lingered as the group surrounded it.
A blonde boy and a pink-haired girl approached.
The flames transformed into words in the air.
The blonde boy smiled and shouted.
"GET READY! WE'RE GOING TO CRUSH CLASS 1C!"
Cheers erupted.
Inside the forest, Alex and Ken staggered, finally making it out into an open field surrounded by trees.
The wind brushed their skin, their hair swayed, and warm sunlight touched their faces.
They walked toward the center, where a pile of logistics was stacked high.
Alex smiled as he searched the ground.
His eyes widened as he pointed.
"Here, over here!"
Ken approached and looked.
"Is this enough for the two of us?"
Alex clicked his tongue and pulled Ken.
"There's no time to be picky. We didn't prepare this anyway."
They stood inside a circle engraved on the ground, only visible up close.
They stood back-to-back.
From the forest came Class 1B, led by Arthur.
Arthur shouted with a wide grin.
"FINALLY! I'LL SMASH YOU, YOU CRAZY LIAR!"
Alex chuckled and waved provocatively.
"Come here, you cleanliness freak."
Veins bulged on Arthur's forehead.
He was about to speak, but another voice came from the opposite side.
Class 1A, led by Julian and Eve, appeared.
Julian narrowed his eyes and shouted.
"ARTHUR! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Arthur clicked his tongue.
Eve nudged Julian and pointed.
"Julian, there! That's Ken, he's beside the logistics!"
Julian smiled.
Between the two large classes, Alex chuckled and nudged Ken's back.
"See? They came so easily."
Alex clicked his tongue and looked at the logistics.
"Tch, if they're this easy to provoke, we didn't even need these supplies."
Ken sighed.
"Shouldn't we focus?"
Alex smiled.
"Of course…."