The forest floor was a tapestry of blood and broken bodies, the aftermath of a relentless battle. Jered's body marred in wounds and his uniform in tatters, gasped for breath.
"Huff... huff... Kaelen, run! We can't win... just run," Jered gasped, his body covered in wounds. "Maybe you will survive."
Kaelen, though in better shape thanks to Jered's protection, was equally exhausted.
"What are you talking about? The forest is small, and the teachers must be on their way. This is just a test, remember?" Kaelen tried to reassure his friend.
But something felt off. Kaelen's passive third eye sensed a hostile presence watching them. They had been fighting for almost two hours, their potions depleted and mana nearly exhausted.
Suddenly, a shadow swooped down from the sky.
"Watch out, Kae—"
Blood splattered as something struck.
A Few Hours Earlier
"The weather is so good today," Kaelen mused, lying on the grass. "So, how many beasts are we supposed to hunt today?"
"Eleven, including ours, thirteen," Jered replied, yawning. "By the way, I'm older. Why do I have to keep tabs on everything?"
Kaelen smirked. "Because you're smart, that's why."
They laughed together.
"And that's why I should get six shares, and you get five," Jered countered.
"No, we agreed on equal shares, and the fraction would be sorted through rock-paper-scissors," Kaelen retorted.
"But I'm the smarter one," Jered replied.
"Then I'm the stronger one," Kaelen said, making a lame face.
Their bickering was interrupted by Kaelen sensing something rushing toward them.
"Something's coming," Kaelen said, abruptly standing up.
"DETECTION!" Jered used a skill. "It's a hog... no, there are wolves chasing after it. Guess it's our lucky day; they came to us, saving energy and time."
"You take what you kill," Kaelen suggested.
Jered smirked. "Agreed. Don't regret it later on."
In a flash, the duo dashed toward the incoming animals. Weapons were not allowed inside the academy for student safety, and unexpectedly, the weapons they brought for the test were confiscated.
Kaelen broke a branch off a tree and, using it as a spear, hurled it at the nearest wolf, hitting it on the head with precision. Though it didn't kill the wolf due to his lack of strength, it left the creature sprawling in pain.
Jered conjured a fire sword and, with a vertical slash, cut the hog neatly in two, the aroma of roasted pork filling the air. He wasn't done yet; using swift steps, he killed two more wolves.
"Wait, something's not right," Kaelen shouted.
Jered might have had more damage and flexibility, but his awareness was nowhere near Kaelen's.
As Jered observed, he saw that the wolves kept running without looking back. He realized they weren't chasing; they were the one being chased.
"What is this? What are the wolves so afraid of...?"
Swoosh! A rock the size of a bucket was hurled toward him.
"LIFE VEIL! LIFE BLOOM!" Kaelen cast two skills in quick succession, barely preventing his friend from meeting the creator.
"Damn it, you little piece of..." Before Jered could finish his sentence, the culprit revealed itself, it was a 4-meter-tall monkey with a creepy smile, slightly annoyed that its prey had survived.
Jered froze in shock. "What is that thing?"
"A monster!," Kaelen answered.
Every part of his body screamed at him to run. Seeing his friend frozen in fear, he shouted, "Idiot, run!"
That shout woke Jered up, and both turned to flee. But before they could take a step forward, a barrage of arrows stopped them in their tracks.
On a second glance, they realized it wasn't arrows; it was bird feathers. Looking up, they saw a monster flying in circles above them.
"Another one? Damn it," Kaelen said, sweating in fear.
The duo, though mischievous, were only boys of 7 and 8 and it was their first time encountering a monster in battle, they had every right to be scared.
Jered tried to make another attempt to run, but Kaelen stopped him. "Wait, clear the surroundings first."
Jered immediately understood the assignment and conjured a big wind-type AOE skill. It was actually a gold-rank skill meant to shred everything within a 50-meter radius. But limited by his stats, it cleared the surrounding bushes and trees of its leaves.
Kaelen blinked beside him and tossed him a quick mana recovery potion, which he drank in one big gulp. They had no time to wait, as another monster had appeared after clearing the leaves.