To the east of Vermilia, the capital of the Empire of Rangurd, there was a large forest known as the Great Forest of Akarel. It was a mystical forest known for its otherworldly beauty and the plants' magical properties. However, the forest was not without its fair share of dangers. It was the home to many monsters and behemoths. Any strayers from the predetermined routes and paths would face the forest’s treachery and find themselves in the stomachs of various monsters.

The deeper you went into the forest, the more dangerous it became.

There were even mythical tales of ancient beasts sleeping within the deepest parts of the forest, causing many adventurers and mercenaries alike to launch expeditions in hopes of ascertaining the truth.

Over the years, the outskirts of the forest have become a safe zone, attracting residents and tourists.

On a bright sunny day, a refreshing breeze could be felt. These days were the most beautiful, warm enough but not hot to the point where you would feel like you were melting. 

The Imperial Rangurd Academy was currently holding a field trip within the forest. But this was not an ordinary field trip. It was not to admire the sights of the forest.

The forest served one other purpose. If there was one thing it did not lack, it was monsters. Thus, it was commonly used by the military of the empire and various institutes as a training ground to raise their promising talents. Rangurd Academy was no exclusion to this practice. As such, their latest assessment for their first-year students was a practical field assessment such as this for their students to gain hands-on experience.

Of course, even the slightest mishap could cause a catastrophe in a place with danger at every corner. However, as a precaution, there were several instructors and supporting staff who were extremely powerful accompanying this excursion, so on paper, nothing should go wrong.

But not all things would go as expected.

In the glades of a particular part of the forest, screams echoed relentlessly. The pleasant breeze only carried the smell of blood. Scattered across the grounds of the forest were injured bodies. Their scarlet blood had dyed the previously green forest into a sickening shade of crimson. These students were bleeding out, and they would die if medical care did not arrive soon.

A thunderous explosion erupted a distance away from these bodies. A massive dust cloud bloomed into existence. As the smoke cleared, two groups of students could be seen. They were currently surrounding a gigantic beast several meters tall. It had black horns that were curled to the top, sharp teeth that threatened to pierce through anything, and its vicious claws were stained with blood.

All in all, it was the embodiment of the word ferocious. The beast snarled in amusement. The huge muscles on its body pulsed disgustingly. It crouched and got down on all fours, anticipating its opposition’s next move.

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The two groups of students had all sorts of injuries. Yet, despite only being students and facing an adversary they had a slim hope of beating, they stood firm.

A particular black-haired boy clutched the side of his arm. A large gash was present, and he was bleeding profusely. He ripped a part of his blazer uniform and tied it around the wound, tightening it with his mouth. He rotated his arm and tested its functionality. Satisfied, he picked up a fallen student's sword, his own having broken moments before. He apologised in advance, feeling a bit guilty inside. The sword felt foreign in his hands, but circumstances did not allow him to be picky.

While he was doing this, a blond-haired girl lifted the bow in her possession and pulled on the bowstring till it was taut. Her beautiful visage was covered in blood, but she still had a smile on her face. In place of an actual arrow, a blue light manifested, first from her fingertips and then formed the shape of an arrow. 

As the seconds went by, the arrow grew larger and larger. Its shape was now jagged, and it emitted a powerful crackling sound as it caused the surrounding air to vibrate.

Perhaps seeing her as a threat, the beast focused on her and charged with all its strength. Each step of it was powerful and left craters in its wake. Several other students tried to interrupt its rush, their bodies glowed with a transient light, and they attacked it with all their might. 

The beast’s blood erupted violently.

Unfortunately, the wounds were too shallow as it's muscles were too hard and firm. As a result, they did nothing to slow down its unstoppable charge and were simply knocked away themselves.

In the face of danger, the girl did not flinch one bit. By now, the arrow grew rampant as her control over it diminished. Finally, she released the arrow, and with a deafening howl, it shot straight at the beast. 

The beast was unable to dodge.

Even if it could, it wouldn’t. It was confident that an attack of this magnitude would not be enough to take it down. But its arrogance would be costly.

The girl fell to her knees awkwardly. Her body was now paralysed.

The magical arrow struck the beast, and blue light exploded outwards in arcs of lightning, wreaking havoc on the surroundings. The beast screamed in pain as a chunk of its stomach had been obliterated. Its charge slowed down considerably. However, it was still not finished. It quickly recovered and carried on with the same force, it released a howl, and its mouth curled. Even with a gaping hole in its body, it was smiling.

With one last leap, it shot forward, covering the remaining distance between it and the girl. The girl was a fraction of a second from being blown away. She could not move as a drawback to the ferocious attack she had unleashed.

The other students screamed in horror.

However, she was completely unfazed.

A large explosion rang out. The sound of two hard objects clashing caused the students present to grimace and cover their ears in irritation.

A single sword halted the beast's advance. 

The girl left a snarky comment, “I was starting to think you wouldn’t make it in time.”

The boy did not respond. He was too busy pouring his full attention to holding back the beast. His body creaked under the tremendous strength of the beast; its rancid breath caused him to almost choke, and his wounds began to bleed again as pressure was applied to them. Their trump card had failed, and all hope was lost.

The end was nigh.

But how did this situation come about in the first place?