"Well, this is… unusual," Cassian said, scratching the back of his head with an awkward look.
They had finally crossed the portal and arrived in a completely different deserted area. A blood crescent moon rose high in the crimson sky, casting an eerie weight over the atmosphere, and beside it, small white clouds drifted slowly, forming a stark contrast against the blood moon.
The fifty students arrived at the top of a flat hill. Just below the hill, on the other side, a black, polluted river splashed against the riverbanks as it flowed endlessly forward, despite no waterfall being visible anywhere in sight. The ground was entirely red like clay, and cracks stretched across nearly every part of the land. Beyond the hill, hundreds of large stones stood clustered in a particular area, if not thousands, forming what looked like a forest of stone.
From the top of the hill, they could see everything clearly, and they were also barely able to hear the distant howls of strange monsters. However, the whistling wind made it impossible to determine exactly where the sounds came from, as they were carried from all directions.
Cloud gulped.
'Fuck. This looks deadly as fuck, and we only just got here. But ugh, I still cannot even compare this to that lizard's gigantic cave.'
On the other hand, Mireille and Claudia remained quiet, with the latter staying close to the blind girl like a designated companion. The sightless girl felt strangely uneasy about the surroundings. She was able to sense countless deathly auras, which caused her skin to crawl, leaving her unable to even focus on whether her team was still around her.
Nonetheless, it was evident that Mireille could navigate her way as well as anyone with sight, as if something was guarding her movements and guiding her path. So, in all honesty, she did not truly have to depend on anyone if she did not wish to. However, Claudia was simply a strangely kind girl who chose to remain by her side.
The other students were all preparing among themselves and placing themselves in readiness for the hunt while waiting for their guardians.
Cloud, on the other hand, remained on high alert after receiving the system notification. Of course, if they did not begin separating and moving in different directions, everyone here might end up cornered and attacked by a wave of monsters because of his flaw. He truly was not ready to cause the deaths of so many people. Since the most powerful monsters within an E Rank Portal would be of the Elite Class, or Commander Class at best, there was a possibility they could be attacked by bosses and mid bosses.
In regard to mid bosses, which were monsters of at least the Elite Class, there was no limit to their numbers, and they could be spawned just as easily as the Normal Class. Without the guardians, everyone here would be in danger the moment they appeared in numbers. Claudia was an exceptional talent, yes, but there was no certainty that she could handle Commander Class, Elite Class, and Normal Class monsters all at once. Worse still, if beasts accompanied them.
Cloud grew uneasy. He muttered:
"Come on, where are the guardians?"
It seemed the guardians were taking a while to cross the portals, and they had been instructed not to leave their point of arrival until the guardians appeared. So, in the end, they simply had to wait like patient prey in the grasp of a sea of predators.
The howls seemed to grow closer, then suddenly distant again, causing Cloud's unease to intensify within mere moments. He was beginning to lose his already shortened patience.
Cassian crouched slightly as if preparing to begin outlining his plan, but then he paused midway and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Wait… before that, I should probably know what everyone here can actually do."
He glanced first at Claudia, then at Cloud.
"Well, I already know your abilities. Claudia's is… well, you will see for yourself, and Cloud's is Beast Tamer, right?"
Cloud blinked.
'How does he know that?'
He did not remember ever formally telling Cassian that, but considering how talkative and socially uninhibited the handsome teenager might be, it was not difficult to imagine that he had picked up the information somewhere along the way. Or perhaps he had also been present at the same World Awakening Stadium.
Yet, he was more curious about why Cassian had not revealed Claudia's ability, nor had she done so herself. Throughout the days he had seen her, nobody had yet come to know her actual ability. Of course, except for the Academy, and the same applied to Cassian. He truly did not want to pry into that either. Eventually, along the way, he would figure the two of them out.
At that moment, Cassian suddenly turned his attention toward Mireille, a trace of apprehension appearing in his expression.
"But I don't think I've heard yours yet. What's your Ability, Mireille?"
Mireille remained quiet for a brief moment before answering curtly in her usual calm tone.
"Death."
Cassian froze.
"…What?"
"Death."
Cloud clicked his tongue.
'I knew anyone who heard that would literally react the same.'
Meanwhile, Claudia also grew interested after hearing the blind girl mention Death. She stared at Mireille with clear confusion present within her gaze.
For a moment, Cassian simply stared at her. His mouth was slightly agape as if his brain had abruptly ceased processing information.
"Hold on," he said slowly, raising both hands. "You mean… Death? As in… actual Death? You don't mean Necromancy?"
Mireille did not respond.
Cassian ran a hand through his hair in disbelief.
"What kind of ability is that!? That sounds like something a final boss in a story would have!"
Cloud and Claudia glanced at him almost simultaneously.
Neither of them looked particularly surprised.
If anything, their expressions suggested that Cassian was exaggerating.
Cloud simply looked away again, while Claudia continued to stare intently at the blind girl.
The handsome teenager noticed their lack of reaction and frowned.
"What? Why are you two acting like that's normal?"
Claudia sighed lightly.
"Because, typically, you're overreacting."
Cassian pointed at Mireille again as if presenting undeniable evidence.
"Overreacting? She just said her ability is Death!"
Claudia remained completely unmoved.
"Yes. And? She's unique, just like… wait, does she?"
The Starfall girl paused, her gaze shifting between Cloud and Mireille. Thinking back, her mind connected the fact that Cassian had recently mentioned Cloud's Ability, one that had never been heard of and lacked any information regarding it in existence. The same applied to the blind girl.
Nonetheless, she did not bother saying anything further, muttering softly to herself:
"The stars… this seems too fast, though…"
Cassian stared at her for a long moment before letting out a resigned sigh.
"…Alright. Fine. I'll pretend that's a completely normal thing to hear."
He straightened his posture slightly and clapped his hands once.
"Anyway, now that we've cleared that up, let's talk strategy."
He crouched slightly and drew a rough outline on the ground with the tip of his boot, marking several imaginary directions as if they were paths through the terrain ahead.
"Alright, listen. The portal terrain is unfamiliar to everyone here, so wandering blindly is the fastest way to get killed. We move as a unit, and nobody runs off alone, no matter what. First priority is reconnaissance. We move slowly, observe the surroundings, and avoid unnecessary noise. If we encounter a monster or an entire horde, we assess before engaging. In the worst-case scenario, of course, we either charge ahead blindly and accept fate, or let whoever our guardian is handle it."
He pointed toward Claudia.
"You're clearly the strongest among us, so you'll take point during combat. If something appears suddenly, you intercept first and hold its attention."
'I agree,' Cloud thought, keeping his eyes on the system screen that still hovered in his vision.
[Due to your flaw, Predator's Mark, multiple powerful monsters and beasts have been alerted to your presence.]
'Tsk. Shitty as hell. At least they haven't attacked yet — perhaps they're waiting for my arrival, fully prepared for an ambush. Well, I doubt they're that smart.'
Cassian gestured toward Mireille.
"You stay slightly behind. If a monster slips past Claudia or multiple targets appear, you assist from the side. I don't know the full extent of your Ability, but it will certainly be a great help. In any case, we need to keep fights short and clean."
Finally, he pointed at Cloud.
"You and I stay in the middle and provide support wherever we can. If things go south, we retreat immediately. Remember, the goal isn't to prove anything. We hunt a few monsters, survive the terrain, and leave without injuries."
"Huh. Pfft. Alright. That works perfectly for me."
Cassian smiled and clapped his hands lightly as if concluding a lecture.
"This is a simple plan. Move carefully, fight only when necessary, and watch each other's backs."
Just as he finished speaking, movement stirred near the portal entrance, and a number of figures began emerging one after another. The nearby students turned their attention toward them.
Those figures were the guardians.
They did not resemble staff members or instructors. In fact, most of them looked like senior students themselves. They moved through the gathering calmly, occasionally glancing at different groups, evaluating which team they would join as a guardian.
Since fifty students were participating in the exercise and each team consisted of four members, the teams had been divided into twelve groups, with two students temporarily assigned to existing teams to balance the numbers. That meant twelve guardians had been designated to oversee the teams, each responsible for guiding one group through the terrain and ensuring the exercise proceeded safely and efficiently.
The guardians approached the teams they selected, briefly acknowledging them before engaging in short conversations, then immediately beginning movement through the terrain.
Once chosen, the hunt would commence without further delay.
One by one, the teams were picked.
A tall male guardian approached a nearby group, motioned for them to follow, and led them straight toward the downward slope of the flat hill. Another guardian selected a different team and did the same.
Within moments, several teams had already begun venturing further into the portal terrain without any further discussion.
Cloud observed silently.
Then one particular figure caught his attention.
A young woman stepped out of the portal with a calm expression, moving toward the remaining teams while holding a small tablet in her hand, just like the other guardians.
Cloud blinked in surprise.
He recognized her instantly.
It was the same female attendant from the temporary hostel lobby — the one who had given him the map earlier that day. She moved casually between the groups before stopping in front of Cassian's team.
She gave a small smile, glancing at the four of them, and said:
"Well then. Hi, buddies. You guys look exceptional. Looks like I'll be guiding this group. Let's discuss as we go, because we really don't have much time now. We can't let the other teams beat us."
Her eyes briefly passed over Cloud without the slightest reaction. It was clear she either did not recognize him or chose not to. Cloud did not particularly care for something so trivial.
Cassian straightened slightly, beaming with a wide smile, while Claudia and Mireille remained silent.
Without wasting any more time, the young woman turned toward the opposite direction of the flat hill, diverging from the path the other teams were taking, and gestured for them to follow.
"Alright, team. Let's begin the hunt. We're going to top the board."
Cloud's expression darkened.
'She's the one leading us straight into the jaws of powerful monsters, isn't she? What did I expect from someone who handed me a map instead of giving actual directions…'