By mid-afternoon, the forest training field had transformed into a chaotic battlefield. Groups of students moved in calculated sweeps, their mana flaring, weapons flashing, and spells colliding with the unnatural monsters of the academy's controlled forest.
The supervisors' tablets glowed, tracking each faction's performance in real-time. Numbers appeared, rising rapidly as creatures fell.
At the top: Ice Faction. Their precise, methodical strikes left a trail of shattered seals and frozen monsters. The leaderboard read:
Ice Faction – 499 kills.
Second place: Earth Faction. Their raw strength and sturdy constructs crushed monsters en masse, slowly but steadily:
Earth Faction – 421 kills.
Third: Wind Faction. Their agility and sharp reflexes allowed them to cut down monsters with unmatched mobility:
Wind Faction – 398 kills.
Behind them, smaller numbers appeared for Fire, Lightning, and the illusionists. Most factions focused on their specialty rather than sheer numbers, trading speed for precision or deception.
Kairo and Riven moved silently through the trees, tallying their own kills. Despite their efficiency, their methodical combination of bone magic and swordplay resulted in:
Eclipse Faction – 157 kills.
A few students sneered at the low number, whispering:
"Two kids, huh? Barely keeping up."
"Looks like the legends were exaggerated."
Riven glanced at the leaderboard, tilting his head. "We're far behind… but the ice faction isn't invincible. They just follow rules."
Kairo's crimson eyes scanned the field. "Numbers aren't everything. Precision and survival matter more. Watch, we'll find the perfect openings."
Even so, the rankings painted a clear picture: Eclipse Faction was an underdog. Every step, every decision in the forest would be scrutinized—not by monsters alone, but by every other faction keeping score.
The exercise was not merely a hunt. It was a competition, and the leaders—Ice, Earth, Wind—showed just how high the bar had been set.
Kairo and Riven exchanged a brief glance, the unspoken agreement clear: they wouldn't care about numbers, only mastery. And the forest held more challenges yet to come.