As the golden hues of evening slowly spilt across the forest canopy, long shadows stretched between ancient trunks and tangled roots. The air had begun to cool, carrying the scent of crushed leaves and damp earth after a day of relentless movement. Birds that had hidden through the chaos of battle and hunting cautiously returned to their songs, and the forest itself seemed to exhale.
Then the jade pendants hanging at each participant's waist flickered.
Soft green light pulsed from the stones, gentle at first, then brighter, bathing faces and armour in shifting emerald hues. A clear, resonant voice echoed from every pendant at once, carrying through the trees with undeniable authority.
"The hunting competition will end in one hour. All participants must return to the main camp. Break your jade pendant to teleport back."
At the main camp, the massive magic circle carved into the ground hummed with energy. Runes along its edges awakened one after another, sending ripples of pale blue light across the stone. Groups of students appeared in bursts of radiance, some walking out proudly, some limping, some being half-carried by teammates.
The camp buzzed with excitement.
Voices overlapped endlessly.
"That team actually survived?"
"Look at them—they're covered in blood."
"Who's leading now?"
Most eyes repeatedly drifted toward the same place—the top four teams.
Within twenty minutes, the teleportation circle flashed again.
Aurelia's team emerged.
Cheers exploded immediately.
Some students whistled while others shouted her name. Aurelia simply brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and gave a calm nod as if she had expected nothing less.
Among the crowd, Kellan barely noticed any of it.
His eyes remained locked on the circle.
Again.
And again.
His foot tapped restlessly against the dirt.
Where are you...
Each new flash of light made his head jerk upward, only for disappointment to settle over his face again.
Soon afterwards, another pulse of light surged through the circle.
Elias's team appeared first.
Then, almost immediately after, Tavin and Kairos's teams arrived together.
Fresh cheers erupted.
Kellan pushed through the crowd so quickly that he nearly bumped into someone.
"Tavin!" he called.
Tavin had just steadied himself from the teleportation when he looked up.
Kellan stepped closer, his voice lowering.
"Where's Ronan?"
Tavin blinked before slowly shaking his head.
"We didn't run into him in the forest."
Kairos glanced around the camp, brows knitting together.
"He's not here yet."
Kellan pressed his lips together.
The sounds around him suddenly felt farther away.
"We..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "We may have had a small clash."
Kairos raised a brow.
"A small clash?"
Kellan looked at the ground.
"...We tried robbing him."
Silence.
Then—
Kairos barked out a laugh loud enough that several nearby students turned around.
"You tried to rob him?" He slapped Kellan's shoulder hard enough to nearly send him stumbling. "Damn, man."
Kellan winced.
"This isn't funny."
Kairos was still grinning.
"It absolutely is."
Kellan stared downward, guilt crawling into his expression.
The dirt beneath his boots suddenly became very interesting.
"It'll be held against us," he muttered. "I just know it."
Kairos snorted.
"Relax."
He crossed his arms and leaned back slightly.
"Ronan's not that petty."
Kellan didn't answer.
Because he wasn't worried Ronan would beat him up.
He was worried about that expression Ronan had worn afterwards.
That weird calm smile.
For some reason, that smile bothered him more.
Before anyone could continue, an instructor stepped onto the stage.
"We're twenty minutes away from point tallying!" he announced with a grin.
The camp quieted slightly.
The instructor looked down at a list and suddenly clicked his tongue dramatically.
"Hm. Still waiting on one team..."
He glanced toward the teleportation circle.
"Oh, look at that."
His grin widened.
"It's Alden's students. I hope they didn't get lost."
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
Even some instructors chuckled.
Alden, who had just arrived nearby, narrowed his eyes.
"...Very funny."
Ten minutes later—
The magic circle suddenly flared again.
Brilliant light erupted.
Conversation died instantly.
Two figures slowly emerged.
Ronan and Orin.
Leaning on each other.
Blood stained their clothes.
Their uniforms were torn in multiple places, exposing bruised skin and shallow cuts. Dirt streaked across their faces, and dried blood had matted sections of Ronan's hair.
Yet—
The two were laughing.
Actually laughing.
Orin nearly lost his footing and grabbed Ronan's shoulder.
"Damn it, stop moving," he wheezed.
Ronan looked offended.
"You're acting like I'm the injured one."
"You ran into a tree."
"You pushed me."
"I absolutely did."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
"...What happened to them?"
"Were they fighting Rank Four beasts?"
"They look horrible."
Kellan stared.
Then stared harder.
Because Ronan looked...
Fine.
Not physically.
Physically, he looked awful.
But his expression carried none of the resentment Kellan had expected.
Not even a little.
Nearby, hidden among the crowd, one spectator clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles whitened.
His face darkened.
They're alive...
On stage, the instructor cleared his throat and straightened.
This time, his voice lost its playful tone.
"Alright, let's begin score tallying."
His gaze swept across the students.
"Good work to everyone who endured until the end. Of the thirty-five teams that entered, only seventeen lasted until the final hour."
Some students lowered their heads.
Others looked frustrated.
"If you didn't make it this time, don't lose heart."
His voice softened slightly.
"Use failure as fuel for your growth."
He gestured behind him.
Four instructors stood ready behind long tables.
"Each team, come forward one at a time."
The tallying began.
Names were called.
Materials were examined.
Scores climbed across the three massive projection screens hovering above the stage.
Tavin's team.
Kairos's team.
Elias's team.
One after another.
Gasps occasionally spread through the audience as impressive numbers appeared.
Yet despite strong performances, the gap remained.
Nearly fifteen hundred points behind the leading score.
Eventually—
Only five teams remained.
As Ronan and Orin slowly prepared to head toward the stage, Elias suddenly stepped forward with a grin spread across his face.
"Brother Orin!"
Orin looked over.
Elias pointed toward the stage.
"I bet you two caught something ridiculous."
He put a hand over his chest dramatically.
"So allow us to go first. We'll look less pathetic that way."
Orin stared at him.
Then a tired smile pulled at his mouth.
Ronan leaned closer.
"What the hell is he even saying?" he muttered.
Orin sighed.
"I've stopped trying to understand him."
Meanwhile, among the audience, Alden, Gideon, and Alaric had taken their seats.
All three immediately looked toward the projection screens above the stage.
Numbers continuously shifted there as scores updated in real time.
Tavin's team stepped up first.
Their previous score already stood at eight hundred.
With a flash from his storage ring, Tavin placed four Rank Three monster cores onto the table.
The instructor leaned closer.
"Three cores in pristine condition." He nodded in approval. "Impressive. Eighty points each."
He picked up another.
"Minor crack here. Sixty points."
He raised his voice.
"Three hundred points total."
The screen shifted.
"Current score: 1,100."
Cheers rose.
More materials followed.
Two pairs of fangs.
Six pairs of claws.
A hide.
The instructor examined them carefully.
"Everything good except the hide."
He tapped the table.
"Two hundred ninety-six points."
"Current score: 1,396."
Rank Two cores followed.
Nineteen intact.
Then herbs.
Flawless Rank Three herbs.
By the end—
The final score flashed across the massive screens.
Final Score — 4,600 Points
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the camp exploded.
Thunderous cheers shook the air.
Even several instructors joined in clapping.
"Exceptional harvesting and hunting," the instructor praised.
Among the crowd, Serenya Aldercrest clapped lightly.
She turned toward the girl seated beside her.
A teasing curve touched her lips.
"Sophia."
Sophia glanced sideways.
"Your cousin isn't nearly as disappointing as I was told."
For a second, Sophia simply looked toward the projection screen.
Toward Tavin.
Toward the score.
Then, almost imperceptible—
The corner of her lips moved.
Small.
Brief.
Gone almost immediately.
But it was there.
Serenya's eyes widened slightly.
"...You smiled."
Sophia's face instantly returned to its usual cold stillness.
"You imagined it."
Serenya stared at her.
Then slowly grinned.
"Oh?"
Next up was Elias Viridion's team. Their base score already stood at seven hundred and fifty points from the previous day's submission. With measured steps, Elias walked toward the instructor's table, his posture relaxed, shoulders loose, as though the result had already been decided and everyone else simply had not caught up yet.
He reached into his storage ring and spoke evenly.
"We submit four Rank Three monster cores. Eighty points each. Three hundred and twenty total."
One by one, faintly glowing cores appeared in his palm before dropping onto the inspection table with soft crystalline clinks. Pale light pulsed beneath their surfaces like trapped heartbeats.
The instructor gave a small nod while recording the numbers.
Elias continued without hesitation.
"Four pairs of fangs and twenty-four pairs of claws. Twenty points each. Five hundred and sixty and four hundred eighty, respectively."
More items appeared.
Sharp ivory fangs, curved claws still stained with dried traces of dark blood. The metallic scent of monster remains drifted through the air, mixing unpleasantly with the smell of damp grass and sweat from the gathered students.
"Total of one thousand one hundred and twenty."
Murmurs rose immediately.
"That's already a lot…"
"They still have more?"
Elias barely acknowledged them.
"We also submit nineteen intact Rank Two monster cores at thirty-six points each. Six hundred eighty-four points. Four slightly cracked cores at twenty points each. Another eighty. Lastly, twenty-seven pairs of fangs and thirty-three pairs of claws."
He paused.
"One thousand four hundred forty points."
The instructor's fingers moved rapidly across the records, years of repetition making the calculations almost effortless.
"Total score..." He glanced up. "Four thousand three hundred and ninety points. You are now in second place."
Cheers exploded from the crowd.
Elias turned, eyes naturally finding Ronan and Orin. The corner of his lips lifted slightly—not enough to call a smile, but enough to carry meaning.
"Don't get too excited," he said casually. "The competition isn't over yet."
His gaze drifted briefly toward the stands.
"I heard my cousin found some rare herbs. Maybe they'll take first place."
The surrounding students immediately shot curious looks toward Ronan and Orin.
But the two stood quietly.
Still.
Unmoving.
Like two weathered statues standing in the middle of a storm.
Ronan kept his face neutral, but inwardly he snorted.
This bastard really enjoys talking.
Beside him, Orin remained equally unreadable, though his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
Soon, Kairos's team stepped forward.
Their previous score stood at seven hundred.
Kairos walked with confidence that bordered on arrogance, chin slightly raised.
"We submit six intact Rank Three monster cores. Eighty points each. Four hundred eighty points."
Glowing cores rolled across the table.
The instructor examined them and nodded approvingly.
"Five pristine hides, five pairs of fangs, and five pairs of eyes. Twenty points each."
Kairos continued speaking smoothly.
"Three hundred points."
Students craned their necks.
Monster eyes floated suspended inside preservation jars, cloudy pupils staring outward like dead moons.
"Thirty-five intact Rank Two cores. One thousand two hundred sixty points. Twenty-six hides, ten pairs of fangs, nine pairs of claws, and three pairs of eyes at twelve points each."
"Another five hundred seventy-six."
Kairos raised his chin slightly.
"Ten flawlessly harvested Rank Three herbs at sixty points each and three damaged ones at thirty."
The instructor looked genuinely pleased.
"Good. Good, very good."
His eyes curved with satisfaction.
"Total points: four thousand four hundred and seventy."
For a moment, silence lingered.
Then—
"What?!"
"No way!"
"That much?!"
Surprised voices spread through the crowd like ripples over water.
The instructor raised his voice.
"New leaderboard!"
The projection screen shifted.
"Tavin's team leads with four thousand six hundred points."
"Second place, Kairos with four thousand four hundred and seventy."
"Third place, Elias's team with four thousand three hundred and ninety."
Names rearranged themselves across the floating screen.
Students stared with burning eyes.
Competition had always looked most brutal when numbers turned visible.
Aurelia's team stepped up next.
Unlike Kairos and Elias, they showed little excitement. Their movements were composed and efficient.
Three Rank Three monster cores.
Three hides.
Three pairs of fangs.
Eighteen claws.
Fifteen Rank Two cores.
Additional hides, fangs, and claws.
The instructor quickly calculated the numbers.
"Total score: four thousand two hundred."
He nodded.
"Aurelia's team moves into fourth place."
A few polite claps followed.
Then the instructor slowly turned.
His gaze landed on Ronan and Orin.
"And now..." he announced loudly, "our final team."
He spread his arms dramatically.
"Give them a round of applause."
Scattered laughter immediately rose from the crowd.
The projection screen behind them still displayed a large, humiliating number.
Zero.
The instructor smirked.
"Perhaps they've prepared some grand surprise for us at the very end."
Ronan stared at the giant number floating overhead.
Zero.
It looked strangely irritating.
Beside him, Orin shifted his weight slightly.
Ronan glanced sideways.
Only then did he notice it clearly.
Orin was favouring one leg.
His steps were uneven.
Ronan frowned.
"Orin," he said quietly, "isn't that Liam Viridion? You two are from the same clan... then why—"
Orin's expression tightened for an instant.
Too quickly for anyone else to notice.
"Later," he replied softly.
His eyes stayed forward.
"I'll explain later."
Ronan studied him briefly before nodding.
The instructor folded his arms.
"So."
"What exactly do you have?"
Ronan activated his storage ring.
A flash of light flickered.
"Thirty Dragonblood Ivy."
Another flash.
"And thirty Moonpetal Lily."
"All Rank Three."
The entire clearing went silent.
The change was immediate.
A moment ago, people had been laughing.
Now, even breathing seemed quieter.
Dozens of eyes widened.
The herbs landed across the table in neat rows.
Deep crimson vines and delicate moon-white petals glowed faintly beneath sunlight. Fresh herbal fragrance spread outward, carrying rich medicinal essence that instantly washed away the metallic scent of monster blood lingering in the air.
The instructors leaned closer.
Even from a distance, Alden, Gideon, Alaric, and old Arnold narrowed their eyes.
As the instructor inspected them, his movements suddenly stopped.
He separated several herbs from the pile.
His brows furrowed.
Orin blinked.
"What's wrong with them?"
The instructor barked a laugh.
"You harvested them, and now you're asking me what's wrong?"
He picked up a Moonpetal Lily and waved it in front of them.
"Look at this cut!"
The sliced stem looked uneven.
Fibres protruded from the edge.
"Ragged. Amateurish." He scoffed. "No precision at all."
Ronan's fingers curled slowly.
"There isn't major damage," he said carefully. "The medicinal properties shouldn't be affected."
The instructor sneered.
"Who taught you herb gathering?"
His eyes swept over Ronan dismissively.
"I should enrol you in beginner classes myself."
Heat immediately climbed Ronan's chest.
His jaw tightened.
I really want to punch him.
Just once.
Just one punch.
Nearby, Alaric narrowed his eyes.
"Liam's targeting Orin?"
His gaze shifted.
"Wait... Liam belongs to Soren's faction."
Not far away, Soren stood with folded arms.
Smug satisfaction sat plainly across his face.
Then suddenly—
A voice echoed directly inside Ronan's and Orin's minds.
Alaric.
"Get into the top three. If you surpass Elias, I'll personally arrange for Orin to receive help from a skilled alchemist for core fusion."
Ronan froze.
For a moment, his heartbeat skipped.
Then his eyes sharpened.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"Apologies, sir."
His voice was calm.
"We were impatient."
"Thank you for your guidance."
The instructor blinked.
The irritation on his face faltered.
"Hmph."
He waved dismissively.
"Just don't make the same mistake again."
"Understood, sir."
Ronan lowered his head slightly.
Inside, however—
Beat him later.
Take the reward first.
The instructor returned to recording the score.
"For the herbs…"
His fingers moved.
"Two thousand seven hundred points."
"Forty-five per herb."
Ronan slowly raised his hand.
A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth.
"Sir."
The instructor looked up impatiently.
"What now?"
Ronan met his eyes.
"I'm not done."
With another flash—
Twenty-one Rank Three monster cores appeared.
Then—
One more Dragonblood Ivy.
The instructor's expression froze.
Absolute silence crashed over the clearing.
A few mouths hung open.
Someone audibly swallowed.
Even Soren's smug expression stiffened.
Then the whispers exploded.
"Twenty-one?!"
"Where the hell did they get those?!"
"No—look, another Rank Three herb!"
Ronan stood quietly amid the noise.
Beside him, Orin slowly looked toward him.
Even he had not expected Ronan to hold back the final herb until now.
The instructor stared for several seconds before finally finding his voice again.
His throat moved.
"Total score…"
He looked at the projection.
"Four thousand four hundred points."
Gasps swept through the crowd.
The rankings shifted once more.
"You're now in third place."
The instructor spoke the words slowly.
As if even he found them difficult to believe.
For a moment, all eyes gathered on Ronan and Orin.
And this time—
No one laughed.