Leon jumped when my hand touched his shoulder, turning to face me with a raised eyebrow.

"It seems like that Espionage class has taught you to walk on cat's feet. Did you figure out how to destroy those things?" Leon asked, laying his bow down carefully before standing.

"Yes, but also something much more important. I suspect Simon might have found a clue on the third trial, and what our goal here is." I answered, gesturing towards where he sat.

At my words, Leon moved past me, walking over to the spider. I followed, and as we approached, Simon stood and handed the paper scrap to Leon.

"I didn't picture you as an artist, Vayne. What's this supposed to be?" Leon remarked dryly, eliciting a chuckle from Simon.

"I believe it is a map, sir," I said, ignoring his joke.

"What kind of map?" a feminine voice asked, and I turned to see that Amelia and Sophia had walked up to us as well.

I paused, running over what I knew so far before replying, "That map is incomplete, and I have no way of telling where in this place it indicates or where it leads. However, it does seem plausible that it is connected to our way out of here."

I glanced around at the others, taking a moment before continuing, "We found this piece inside of a construct, and it stands to reason that others will have similar clues. At the edge of this map appears to be trees, possibly even the forest we are in right now. Once we have enough pieces, it should become clearer, and our path should reveal itself."

"So all we need to do is hunt down more constructs, tear them open, and collect more of these pieces. We should get started immediately. The sooner we finish this map, the sooner we can leave." Leon said with a smile, moving to retrieve his weapon.

I stepped forward, intercepting his path, and shaking my head with a stoic expression.

"Forgive me, sir, but I am afraid I must advise caution. We still have other teams to worry about, most of whom will have a significant advantage in a battle against us. And besides that, there is something else I have become aware of in the past few hours."

I paused, focusing inward, and checking how much mana I had in my core before nodding and looking around the group.

"In past years, these sorts of survival tests often restrict free-floating mana in the atmosphere, slowing recovery rates to encourage creative thinking and practical magic use. At first, I could not say for sure but based upon how quickly my core is refilling, this seems to be the case this year. I fear that if we move too aggressively, we will run out of mana and place ourselves at risk."

Leon swore before running his hand through his neatly trimmed hair. Glancing up, I felt a desire to laugh as I realized he must have gotten it cut before this tournament, possibly to earn appraising looks from other apprentices for his handsome, well-kept appearance.

"What do you suggest then, Vayne?" Leon asked, looking back up at me.

"I advise that we use this forest and it's apparent secluded nature to our advantage. The other constructs likely have similar weak points, namely sensitive internal workings that can be easily damaged. We should hunt down more machines in this place until we gather enough map pieces to make a more informed decision. Without knowing where these maps might lead, I cannot say anything more about what our next step should be."

Sophia stepped forward, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder before looking to me.

"I agree with Vayne. We have trained for months to work as a team, and we should be more than capable of tracking and eliminating more of these machines."

Leon exhaled slowly before nodding several times.

"Alright, let's gather weapons and prepare to head out hunting. This forest is large enough to have plenty of targets to find, and we can look for food along the way. Before that, we need to head back to where we encountered these spiders and check the second for another scrap."

Sophia and I both nodded, and an hour later, the second spider was torn open, mechanical components covering the forest floor. Like the first, there was a tiny box inside the torso, though this map piece did not directly connect to the one we already had. Still, two parts were better than one, and if all went well, we would have plenty more soon.

As we prepared for our journey, I realized how strange this test seemed, compared to past years. Survival tests were typically designed for just that, survival. Often teams would earn additional points for creative, intelligent solutions to problems. Combat, while typical, was not the primary purpose of these trials, but was instead more of an obstacle to be avoided or overcome.

But this year, that did not seem to be the case. Fighting these constructs to acquire scraps was all well and good, but a much faster solution would be to attack other teams instead, capturing their pieces in the process. What's more, if these maps led somewhere, all the teams would be slowly funneled to one location, further increasing the likelihood of battles. And of course, making the environment mana-poor and food scarce all helped to weaken teams.

These factors meant that it was not only possible but inevitable that this stage of the tournament would become a bloodbath. But why? What would possess the masters to create a trial explicitly designed to force constant battle?

Sig's words, often echoing that combat forged the greatest warriors, sprang to mind. The Academy would use this stage to find the strongest, smartest, and most skilled apprentices, not an unusual goal. But considering everything I knew already, there was a far more worrying reason why they might want to find and develop such mages, now in particular.

However, such theories and concerns would have to wait until the tournament was over.

"Okay, so the plan is to keep to the forests, moving slowly and quietly. Keep your eyes and ears open at all times. If we encounter them, we need to take them down as fast and effectively as possible. Vayne has learned the separations in their armor leaves them vulnerable, and the internal mechanics are sensitive to damage. If we can't regenerate mana fast, I want us to use martial means if at all possible. Any questions?"

Grabbing me by the shoulder before I walked away, Leon leaned in close, glancing at Sophia for a moment.

"Vayne. I've heard through the grapevine that you have been attending a martial combat class with Amelia. Now, I know my father dislikes the notion of you learning to fight, but I'm not my father. As long as you remain loyal to my family, and help us flourish, what you do in your free time is your business. You are my advisor, not my slave, and I will not dictate every little action you take."

Stolen novel; please report.

Leon paused, staring at me quietly for a minute before continuing.

"That being said, we cannot afford to have you hold back, at least not when it comes to destroying these machines. If you are capable of fighting, even moderately well-"

"I am proficient with the sword you gifted me, sir, though I am far from an expert. Still, I will assist in combat wherever possible." I said, interrupting him with a smile and a bowed head.

Several tense seconds passed before he finally nodded and turned, walking past me to join the others.

Soon after, we began moving through the forest in search of other constructs like the spiders. Leon was a skilled hunter, but he soon found that the machines did not leave the usual tracks and signs. Typically, animals left behind droppings marks to denote territory or prey remains, but not these machines.

Finally, after hours of searching, Leon called a halt, gesturing to take a defensive formation. Slowly, he turned, examing the forest around us before speaking.

"It looks like something came through here, headed in this direction. Branches are broken off, and the dirt looks torn up, possibly by claws. I can't say how long ago, but I can definitely track whatever left these markings."

"Lead the way. I hate skulking around waiting to get ambushed." Amelia remarked, adjusting her grip on her own staff as she glanced around.

Nodding, Leon continued walking, moving deeper into the forest with a grim expression.

Suddenly, the forest fell away, revealing a large clearing a few hundred feet across. It was mostly bare dirt, a surprising change compared to the thick, green grass and undergrowth. However, there was a much more startling thing that drew our attention.

In the middle of the clearing was a large mound of dirt, covered in shining dark bronze shapes. As I stared, I felt the familiar touch of a telepathic message, though it was far rougher and untrained compared to Fortuna's.

"Alright, I spot nine hostiles. Sophia, your lightning magic should be able to fry these things but be careful not to use too much mana. Simon, be ready to use water magic to break them up, so they can't overwhelm us. Vayne, I want you and Amelia to use your weapons and keep them from getting to Simon and Sophia. However, if it gets too risky, retreat, and get under a Mana Shield. Any questions?" Leon said telepathically, drawing an arrow and laying it on his bowstring.

We all nodded, and pulling back the arrow, Leon let it fly, aimed at the nearest target.

It was too far to see clearly, but judging by the sudden change in demeanor, Leon's attack drew their attention. Moving forward in unison, the machines charged our position, running as fast as a man. As they came closer, I saw that they were not spiders but ants, roughly knee height, and around four feet long. Metallic pincers and fist-sized onyx orbs made their faces a nightmarish visage, and I felt a shiver of revulsion run down my spine. Part of me wondered if the designers chose insects, specifically in the hopes of invoking fear and disgust in others.

Before I could wonder too much, they closed within fifty feet of us. Amelia and I both stepped forward, and I leveled my shortsword, bouncing on the balls of my feet, feeling a familiar surge of adrenaline. Despite Leon's assurances, I decided to keep my staff as a trump card in case of emergencies. I could trust the Esttons, but there were far too many potential enemies around for me to willingly show all my skills.

Bolts of purple and white launched forward, crashing into the leading ant with a harsh crackling. The machine seized up, falling to the ground and twitching as the stream of lightning surged into its body unceasingly. The energy leaped to a second, creating a similar but weaker reaction as the power was split between the two. Unlike its sibling, the second ant continued on, acrid brown-black smoke rising from its body's seams.

Having a sudden realization, I spoke through the telepathic connection, "Careful with your attacks, my lady. We might destroy the map fragments."

She did not reply, but the energy launching from her position noticeably weakened, forming small jolts rather than arcing surges. When the ants had closed within twenty feet, I moved to engage one, noticing from the edge of my vision that Amelia had engaged a second.

Knowing that my weapon was limited in reach, I stepped forward, hoping to bait an attack from the ant that I could capitalize on. Lashing out, the machine's pincer slammed shut less than a foot from my leg, and as soon as the metal closed, I pushed off hard, lunging to the side of its head. Its multisegmented legs were armored, but the gaps between exposed thin, fragile wiring similar to the spider's inside.

Aiming my sword at this gap, I slashed down hard, cutting deep into the wiring with a grunt. Wrenching out my blade, I jumped back as it turned, trying to take a bite out of my flesh in retaliation. Momentarily, I felt something catch near my shin, and the tearing sound as I moved told me it had torn my pants.

Taking another step backward, I took a deep breath, knowing that if I had been a second slower, it might have torn open my flesh instead of just cloth. From behind its body, I saw a whip of water slam into one of its siblings, wrapping around the head and pulling hard. Further back, another was struck in the head with a wind-shrouded arrow that tore open a fist-sized hole in its armor.

More alarming, a second ant had joined the fight against Amelia, and she had moved from battering her enemy with a frost-covered staff to spinning it, keeping them at a distance. As I watched, the second took a lunge, missing her leg by mere inches as she backpedaled.

Seeing her nearly injured sent an unpleasant surge of anxiety through me, and I looked back to my own foe. I needed to finish it off and move to assist Amelia, and I needed to do it now. I could not use all of my tricks, but there might be one that I could pull off without attracting too much attention.

My telekinetic skills had grown thanks to consistent practice in the prior months. I had never intended to apply it to combat yet, preferring my weapon, Mana Shell, and Arcane Beam if it came down to it, but the subtly of telekinesis would serve me better here.

Reaching out with my mind, I wrapped my mental grip on its rear left leg, the exact opposite of the one I had already damaged. Keeping a firm grasp on it and ignoring the slight ache that came from the exertion, I lunged to the same side before spinning to the side at nearly my full speed. As I turned, I pulled hard with my mind, yanking it off balance and sending its bite just barely off-target. I raised my sword high before bringing it down hard on the same damaged joint as before, applying my full weight to the attack.

With a harsh grinding sound, the metal sheared from my strike, and the ant collapsed to the ground with a thud, its remaining legs flailing. I knew I only had a few moments to finish it off before it regained its balance. Stepping forward and turning, I spotted the gap between head and torso, just like the spiders, and aimed to thrust into the soft internal workings. A twist of my blade later and the ant fell still, which I barely noticed as I moved to assist Amelia.

My heart skipped a beat as I saw her forearm stained bright red, with matching crimson on the pincer of one of her foes. She staggered backward as they lunged in unison, a surge of ice magic launching from her weapon to drive them back. I felt a surge of something I could not identify come up from my stomach, and before I knew was I was doing, I was upon one of the machines.

While I had fought my own with a calm, logical mind, I fell upon this one with dangerous recklessness. My strike landed hard on one of its back legs, sending it staggering to one side. Even as it turned to face me, I struck down two more times, severing one leg and tearing into the joint between the second and third sections of its body.

Its movements turned halting due to the damage done to its delicate machinery, and I knew it was close to destruction. Part of me knew I should be careful and wait for an opening, but as I remembered Amelia's fearful expression under the threat of their attacks, that caution fell away.

Instead, I stepped forward directly into its range, where it closed its scissoring jaws, trying to catch both my legs in its grip. As it moved, I pulled my legs up high, feeling its attack narrowly miss, and I pushed off its head with one foot, turning as I leaped and aiming the fourth blow at full strength at its head.

Its body jerked before falling still, even as its head fell off, with wiring and gears no longer sufficiently intact to hold it in place. I glared at its remains, wishing I could have destroyed it a second time before remembering the threat still remaining.

Luckily, as I looked around the battlefield, my allies were finishing off their own targets. A half-dozen ants lay still, scattered around the clearing between the mound of dirt and our position. Simon and Leon were finishing off a straggler, while Amelia's remaining enemy was now heavily damaged. Without the threat of two at once, her superior skill and reach, coupled with her ice magic, were more than enough to finish it off.

Taking another deep breath, I moved to help Amelia finish off her foe, which was an easy enough task. After several minutes of chaotic battle, the clearing finally fell still.