The atmosphere suddenly turned heavy. Even Eri and Dito couldn't hide the tension on their faces.
"For today's expedition, you will only face Minor and Lesser rank monsters, like Goblins, apes, or wolves. That is enough to train you in real combat without overly endangering your lives."
"But remember," he added with a sharp look.
"Even a Minor rank monster can kill you if you're careless. Never underestimate your opponent, no matter how weak they may seem."
I nodded inwardly. At least Gregory was professional enough to provide clear information. Although I still didn't trust him completely after everything with Vira, at least this knowledge was very valuable.
Eri, Dito, and Maya looked as confident as ever. As for Sari... well, she still looked anxious, and her hands were tightly clutching the hem of her robe.
I could only hope they would all survive this first experience of theirs.
"Alright. Then, let's begin," said Gregory.
Then we walked and entered the forest in the formation we had practiced for a month. Eri and Dito in front as the first line of defense. Maya and I in the middle, and Sari at the back for support.
The knights followed from behind at a distance of about twenty meters, far enough to give us space but close enough for quick intervention if needed.
Don't ask why Eri was in front. Even though her talent was magic, which should be more suited to a rear position, she was stubborn enough to demand the front during formation practice a week ago, and that's also why she was carrying a sword now, because she insisted on it.
She was even offered a magic staff but stubbornly chose a sword. During training, Eldrin once reprimanded her, saying a Magic talent wasn't actually compatible with close-range weapons because it couldn't unleash its true potential.
But well... that's Eri.
As for me, my magic staff was stored in my storage ring. Eldrin had given each of us one yesterday. It was simple in shape, made of dark silver with faint, glowing pale blue magic line engravings that shimmered dimly when touched, and a small, glass-clear crystal was embedded in the center.
He said it contained spatial magic, engraved by a special engraver with spatial magic ability. This ring could hold up to about ten kilograms of items without adding weight to the user's body.
Therefore, storing the staff there was much more practical. It didn't hinder my movement and I could still use it whenever needed.
We continued walking through the forest. The densely growing trees dampened the sunlight, making the atmosphere beneath them cool and damp. Large roots snaked across the ground like veins, forcing us to step more carefully to avoid tripping.
This forest... was quiet.
Too quiet.
I had imagined there would be sounds of animals or birds, but all we could hear were our footsteps and the rustle of leaves underfoot.
"Do you guys feel something is off?" I whispered to the others.
"It's... too quiet," Maya answered softly.
"A forest is usually full of the sounds of life. But this..."
"Just relax, there's nothing to be afraid of," Eri interjected, her voice calm, a faint smile etched on her face.
""Yeah, maybe the monsters already know we're coming" Dito chimed in from the front line in a relaxed tone.
"They're scared of our strong aura."
I wanted to say that didn't make sense, but I remained silent.
I touched the storage ring on my left finger. A faint vibration was immediately felt as the spatial magic within responded. I channeled a little mana, and instantly my magic staff appeared in my right hand.
Its shaft was made of dark oak wood with engraved runes that glowed faintly as mana flowed through it.
Beside me, I heard the soft sound of Sari retrieving her staff as well. Hers was made of lighter willow wood, with a small green crystal at its tip that glowed softly.
We walked deeper. The sunlight grew dimmer due to the increasingly thick foliage. The mist also thickened, limiting our visibility.
Then, I heard it. A sound of quick movement in the trees above.
"Look out!" I shouted.
From a tree branch above, something jumped down with surprising speed.
An ape. But not a normal ape. It was the size of a small child, with dark brown fur and glowing red eyes. Sharp fangs were clearly visible as its mouth opened, emitting an ear-piercing shriek.
"KRAAAAA!"
Dito reacted quickly. He swung his axe with his Battle Rage talent starting to activate. His eyes reddened slightly, and his muscles bulged a bit.
WHAM!
The axe hit the ape squarely, throwing it aside. The ape crashed into a tree with a loud noise, then fell to the ground motionless.
"Hah! Easy!" Dito shouted proudly.
But that shout of victory turned out to be a mistake.
Because from the bushes around us, more apes began to appear.
One, two, five, ten...
They surrounded us with quick, coordinated movements.
"Damn," I hissed. "They hunt in groups."
"Defensive formation!" Eri shouted while drawing her sword.
We gathered into a small circle, backs to each other.
The apes didn't attack immediately. They just moved in circles around us, occasionally making threatening sounds.
"H-how many are there?" Sari asked in a trembling voice.
"Maybe ten or twelve," I said seriously to Sari while preparing by holding my staff.
Then one ape attacked.
From the side, with speed hard to follow. Its sharp claws aimed for Maya.
But Maya was ready. She swung her staff and water appeared from the air, forming a thin shield that blocked the attack.
SPLASH!
The ape was thrown back, soaking wet.
But its attack triggered the others. Instantly, the apes attacked from all directions.
"Battle Rage!" Dito yelled, his body swelling slightly as his power activated. He swung his axe brutally, hitting two apes at once.
On the other side, Eri stepped forward and slashed towards an ape. Her Sacred Magic talent flowed, enveloping the blade in golden light. Each thrust left a burning wound on the ape's body, forcing them to retreat while howling in pain.
Behind me, Sari tried to hold back her fear. Her hands trembled as she focused her Nature Affinity, her staff pointed at the ground. Slowly, small roots pierced the soil, creeping and trying to entangle the feet of the apes trying to approach.
And I...
I used the Terra Magic I had trained for a month.
With full concentration, I focused the tip of my magic staff on the ground, letting mana flow through it.
"Terra Shield!"
A wall of earth emerged around us, forming a temporary protection. But the wall wasn't perfect. There were still gaps that could be breached.
An ape leaped over the wall, heading straight for Sari, the weakest.
"Sari!" I shouted.
For a moment I thought she would react too late. But panic ended up saving her. The staff in her hand swung awkwardly, and her Nature Affinity responded faster than her thoughts. A tree branch beside us suddenly lashed out, wrapping around the ape's body in mid-air before slamming it to the ground on the other side with a loud crash.
Sari staggered, her face pale. She glanced at me, her voice small and trembling, almost drowned by the battle's noise.
"I-I'm... I'm okay, Sir..."
Seeing Sari was alright, I moved without delay. My staff swung forward, and a clump of solid earth formed at its tip before shooting towards a group of apes trying to break through from the left.
"Terra Bullet!"
Balls of earth hit them, throwing several apes backward.
The fight continued for a few minutes that felt like forever. The apes were fast and aggressive, but not too strong. One by one they began to fall.
And finally, the last ape fled into the bushes, leaving us standing in the middle of the battlefield.
We were all panting.
"Is everyone okay?" I asked while checking on everyone.
"I'm fine, that was really easy," answered Eri with a smile, though the corners of her mouth seemed a bit stiff, as if she was forcing her calm.
"Yeah... more interesting than training dummies," added Dito while wiping sweat from his forehead.
I didn't respond.
My attention was instead drawn to the small things they were trying to hide—the trembling fingers, breaths still too fast and shallow. Even though they sounded proud, almost bragging, bodies aren't good at lying.
This was their first real fight.
And honestly, I felt it too. There was a tension in my chest that hadn't fully faded. The difference was, I couldn't show it. Here, I had to remain the steady one.
I glanced at Eri, then Dito and Maya. Kids who thought the world revolved around them. Who had bullied Vira so cruelly, and too easily dismissed my warnings as if I were just a nuisance. This world hadn't hit them hard enough to make them realize.
Still... they were my students.
Arrogant or not, cruel or not, my job wasn't to choose who was worthy of saving. My job was to make sure they lived long enough to learn that the world wouldn't care for false bravery and wouldn't forgive mistakes just because they felt stronger.
"You did well," Gregory's voice cut through my thoughts as he approached. The other knights emerged from behind the trees, their formation neat and alert.
"Your defensive formation was solid. Your teamwork was good too."
"But you were too slow to react at first,"
"If that wasn't apes but something more dangerous, you could have been seriously injured."
I nodded, accepting the criticism. He was right; our experience was still shallow, and it was clear from how we reacted initially.
"Rest for a bit," said Gregory. "Then we'll go deeper."
We sat under a large tree, drinking from water bottles stored in our storage rings. The atmosphere was calmer now, though tension still hung in the air.
I stored my magic staff back in the storage ring for the time being. More practical than having to carry it constantly.
"Sir Anton," Sari called softly. "Did... did I do it right earlier?"
I smiled at her. "You did very well, Sari. You saved yourself in a critical moment. That's what matters most."
Sari gave a faint smile, but there was still worry in her eyes. She stared at the staff still in her hand.
Ever since Vira disappeared a month ago, Sari had often sought chances to talk to me. Unlike Eri, Dito, or Maya who seemed indifferent to Vira's disappearance, Sari looked uneasy, as if she had something to say but didn't dare.
Like right now.
"Sir Anton," Sari whispered again, her voice almost inaudible. "I... I want—"
"Sari! Come on, hurry up!" Eri shouted from a distance. "We're moving on!"
Sari immediately fell silent, her eyes looking at me with an unreadable expression. There was regret there, perhaps also fear.
"Sorry... later, Sir," she said quickly, then stood up and ran towards Eri.
I watched her retreating back with frustration. This wasn't the first time Sari had tried to talk about something but then stopped midway. I was sure it had something to do with Vira.
But every time she was about to say it, something always interrupted. Or Sari herself would back down, as if afraid of something.
I let out a long sigh, then stood up and followed the others.
After that short rest ended, we continued our journey deeper into the forest. The terrain ahead became harder to read, visibility narrowed by the thickening mist, and sunlight could barely penetrate the dense canopy of trees.
"Stay alert," Gregory warned from behind. "This area is more dangerous, and the monsters here are more aggressive."
We walked in the same formation. But this time, I noticed Sari looked more tense than before. Her hands gripped her staff tightly, her knuckles white.
This time, neither Sari nor I stored our staffs again. The increasingly ominous forest atmosphere made us feel safer with our weapons in hand.
Then I heard it.
A low growl.
"Stop," whispered Gregory, raising a hand; apparently he heard it too.
Everyone immediately stopped. We stood still and listened.
The growl sounded again. Louder this time. And not just one.
From behind the bushes ahead of us, three pairs of glowing yellow eyes stared at us.
Wolves.
But not ordinary wolves. Their size was twice that of normal wolves, with dark gray fur and fangs as long as short knives.
"Back away slowly," Gregory whispered from behind.
But it was too late.
The wolves leaped out of the bushes with a rumbling growl.
"FORMATION!" I shouted.
We immediately gathered, but this time it was more chaotic. The surprise made our formation less organized than before.
The first wolf attacked Dito. He swung his axe, but the wolf was too fast. His axe missed, and the wolf slammed into him with full force.
"ARGH!"
Dito fell, and the wolf immediately bit his shoulder.
"DITO!" Eri screamed. She ran forward, her sword glowing with golden light. She stabbed the wolf's side, making it howl in pain and release Dito.
But the other two wolves didn't stay idle.
One of them attacked Maya. She tried to create a water shield with her staff, but the wolf was too fast. Its claws tore her arm, making blood flow.
"AKKHH!" Maya retreated, her staff nearly slipping from her hand.
I hurriedly pointed my magic staff at the ground.
"Terra Wall!"
An earthen wall emerged between Maya and the wolf, giving her time to retreat.
But the third wolf had already moved around the wall, its target...
Sari.
"SARI, WATCH OUT!"
Sari turned, her eyes wide with fear. She raised her staff, trying to summon roots to protect herself, but her hands trembled too hard, causing her magic to go out of control and fail.
Then the wolf leaped.
I ran as fast as I could, swinging my staff. An earthen ball formed and shot out, hitting the wolf in mid-air and altering its jump trajectory.
But it wasn't enough.
The wolf slammed into Sari, its claws tearing the side of her robe and grazing her skin.
"SARI!"