The academy gates slammed shut behind them with a heavy, echoing boom — deep and final — as if severing the road back to everything they once knew.
Six figures walked forward along the stone path that led toward the central courtyard.
Two groups.
Two atmospheres.
One uneasy silence.
The sound of footsteps on stone filled the gap between them until Mike suddenly spoke up.
Mike:
So… what do you guys think?
Kai and Duke shot him a look. Of all times to start a conversation — and with them?
Daniel tilted his head slightly, calm as ever:
Think about what?
Mike scratched the back of his head:
I mean… what do you think we're actually going to learn here?
Duke shrugged:
That witch said magic. So… magic, I guess.
Daniel gave a faint smile:
So naive
Mike:
Uh…excuse me?
Daniel:
I doubt they'll let us touch magic right away.
Hajime continued, voice steady and analytical:
Giving power to those who don't understand its nature is collective suicide. Anyone with basic reasoning should realize that.
Chad nodded:
Exactly.
Mike blinked:
Uh… right.
The conversation died as quickly as it had started.
But thoughts lingered.
Duke's mind:
What the hell is that attitude? I was just being curious.
Mike's mind:
Do they have to turn every sentence into a lecture?
Kai's mind:
Are they looking down on us?
Hajime's mind:
Use your brain, dumbass
Daniel's mind:
Limited perspective. But potentially useful.
Chad's mind:
All talk. Let's see what happens when things get real.
The courtyard unfolded before them — vast, imposing, alive with energy.
Hundreds of students gathered beneath towering spires wrapped in greenery. The academy looked less like a school and more like a living fortress. Massive roots reinforced the foundations. Crystal veins ran along the stone pathways, pulsing faintly with light.
Excited chatter filled the air.
Suddenly…
BOOM!
An explosion tore through the sky.
Wind spiraled violently downward. Leaves and dust lifted into a swirling vortex as a colossal magic circle ignited above the courtyard.
From within the glowing sigils, Sopharie descended.
Her long robes flowed as if suspended in invisible water. Symbols shimmered along the fabric, alive with power.
Sopharie:
"Welcome, future "hopes" of this world… to the Academy."
Cheers erupted.
"Finally!"
"It's starting!"
"I can't wait to try some magical things!"
Sopharie raised her hand.
Silence fell instantly.
Sopharie:
" Before you officially begin your studies… you must pass a test."
Murmurs spread.
"A test?"
"Already?"
"This is intense…"
She snapped her fingers.
KENG! KENG! KENG!
Weapons materialized in midair behind the students — hundreds of them. Swords gleaming in the sunlight. Bows strung tight. Daggers balanced perfectly. Simple staves carved from pale wood. Scrolls containing basic incantations that glowed faintly when touched.
Sopharie smiled.
"Among these are basic weapons like swords, shields and specially some staves…besides those are elementary scrolls that contain some basic spells that even a three year old child could you it, all you need to do is open the scroll and yelling the spell name, simple right?"
She paused deliberately.
" Your task is simple."
Another pause.
"Kill goblins."
A ripple passed through the crowd.
"Goblins? That's it?"
"Those are weak monsters, right?"
"Sounds easy."
Kai felt a chill creep down his spine.
Sopharie:
You have ten minutes to prepare.
Chaos.
Students rushed forward, grabbing weapons. Some tested their swings clumsily. Others attempted spells, laughing when sparks fizzled weakly from their fingertips. Confidence filled the air — careless and loud.
No one looked afraid.
Kai chose a sword. The weight felt unfamiliar but solid.
Duke scanned the forested horizon beyond the courtyard walls.
Mike adjusted his grip nervously.
Ten minutes passed.
Sopharie raised her hand again.
Time.
The air warped.
Crack.
Reality twisted like glass under pressure.
In a blink
The courtyard vanished.
Stone towers, crystal veins, polished floors — gone.
They stood in a dense forest.
Tall trees blocked most of the sunlight. The canopy above swallowed the sky. Moist air clung to their skin. The smell of rotting leaves and damp soil filled their lungs.
Insects buzzed in unseen places.
The forest felt… wrong.
Sopharie stood before them one final time.
" A small piece of advice."
Her eyes gleamed faintly.
"Make sure to burn the corpses after killing them."
She turned away.
"I will see you again in three days."
The magic circle flared.
"Farewell… and good luck."
She disappeared.
Silence followed.
Uneasy.
Thick.
Some students laughed awkwardly.
"Wow, fresh air."
"Feels like camping."
"This'll be fun."
Kai tightened his grip on his sword.
"What do you think?"
Duke's expression hardened.
"Something smell fishy here."
Mike frowned:
"Why you think that?"
Duke:
"Throwing thousands of inexperienced students into a forest for three days? That's…doesn't sound right at all"
Before Mike could respond…
"Hey, don't run so fast!"
"Catch me if you can~!"
Two female students sprinted past them, laughing, light-footed, careless.
Rustle.
A sharp slicing sound tore through the air.
Time slowed.
Kai's pupils shrank.
Duke's breath caught.
Mike froze.
The girls' bodies continued forward for half a step
Then their heads separated cleanly from their necks.
They hit the ground with dull, wet thuds.
Their eyes were still open.
Confused.
Unaware.
Blood erupted in violent arcs, splattering across leaves and tree trunks.
For half a second, there was no sound.
Then…
From the bushes, shapes emerged.
Small.
Crooked.
Green-gray skin stretched tight over thin limbs.
Red eyes burned with hunger.
Dozens of goblins burst out, shrieking in high-pitched, jagged voices. Their teeth were yellow and uneven. Their claws dirty and sharp, in their hands holding some knife and spears that are already rusty but still sharp enough to cut through the flesh.
They swarmed the bodies instantly.
Laughing.
Snarling.
Tearing flesh.
Ripping fabric.
Feeding.
The wet sounds of tearing meat mixed with delighted screeches.
A student screamed somewhere behind them.
Then another.
Panic detonated through the forest.
Kai stood motionless, watching those little monsters playing with the two girls body
Then one of the two severed head rolled to a stop near his feet.
Blood seeped into the soil beneath it.
Its mouth slightly open.
Its eyes still staring.
Kai's fingers trembled around the sword hilt.
The test…
was about survival.