As the cadets continued their trek through the dimly lit forest, their eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, revealing the blackish-green foliage of the trees and the twisted trunks that appeared to be entangled as the limbs of strangulated people melded into a single entity. The most repulsive sight they encountered was a spider's web; a thick, expansive mesh that spanned from branch to branch and wrapped around multiple tree trunks. Aleister's piercing blue eyes caught the swift movements of black squirrels darting through the branches, while his acute ears picked up on strange noises emanating from several kilometers away. Likewise, the elf cadets, with their sensitive ears, heard the eerie sounds of hissing, roaring, growling, bickering, and rushing, and a rustling among the fallen leaves, despite the absence of any wind. Whatever was responsible for these alarming sounds, the cadets couldn't see it.
It didn't take long for the cadets to develop an intense aversion to this forest, surpassing even that of prison escapes. The unrelenting wilderness harbored savage monsters far more terrifying than the armored troops they had encountered previously. Despite this, they had no choice but to press on, uncertain of how long they could endure the suffocating mist and the yearning to see the sky once more. Even the dwarf cadets, accustomed to living in underground passages with no sunlight, felt uneasy; the miasmic mist was nearly suffocating them. And yet, this wasn't even a true war.
The night grew even darker, obscuring their vision to the point where they couldn't even see their comrades next to them. The deafening silence drowned out everything, including the terrified screams of the female cadets. The torches they held no longer provided any illumination. Zain panicked when he couldn't even see his own hand, which he could still touch to his nose, and waved in front of his face to no avail. Thanistor focused his white aura, aiming his torch upwards, and noticed several pairs of red eyes staring back at him from a distance, creeping from tree to tree. More pairs of eyes appeared, disappearing and reappearing slowly, shifting from corner to corner, and suddenly being right above Thanistor's head, startling him. The possibility of a sudden attack from an insect monster or some other kind made him feel even more fearful.
One cadet, driven by fear, broke formation and ran ahead of the group, causing others to follow suit in a desperate attempt to escape the pursuing anti-light void. Then, a loud noise erupted in front of them, shattering the silence and revealing the forest and their comrades once more. The group had reached the foot of the mountain, but as they focused on the path ahead, they felt the shadows of creatures lurking on either side of the grove. Things were not looking up for them. Regardless of the odds they faced, they knew they had to persevere, even if it meant sacrificing an arm and a leg.
"Whatever happens, do not look back! That is my advice!" urged Gantala the Monk.
"What will happen if we look back, Gantala?" asked a cadet.
"You will be lost forever in this forest," replied Gantala, causing the hairs on their necks to stand on end.
Despite the silence of their surroundings, they followed the Monk's advice without a second thought and continued to face forward. After a while, gruesome grunts and laughter slowly could be heard from within the darkness, and an evil aura attempted to pull them away from the straight path. A chilly wind now blew against their faces, signaling the open nature ahead with an unknown atmosphere. As they exited the forest, they stumbled upon a large graveyard filled with rotting corpses. Two demon statues guarded a gate in front of them, and they cautiously walked through the graves. They saw signs indicating 'Graveyard' and 'Hyoh's Hermitage', both leading to the foot of the mountain.
Gantala walked thoughtfully, his eyes holding the power to see past events that had occurred in this once-sterile place. The Monk now understood that the lifeless corpses were those of former cadets who had experienced a strange tragedy. Due to a large number of corpses, a plague and pollution had contaminated the air with new microorganisms of terrible toxicity, causing the Miasma mist to envelop the mountain area.
"Looks like... some of us have disappeared," Thani guessed.
"Oh no! Even that genius Aleister disappeared!" exclaimed one of the cadets.
"Aleister disappeared?" Zain muttered. "On my tongue, that means he is hiding and running somewhere..."
"By the holy ghost of Palandria! Zain, what is that behind you?! Hoo!" shouted Skadj, causing the others to look back too.
A tall, black, hairy creature peeked out from behind a giant tree. The creature let out a long roar with its long tongue that reached the ground, then reentered the forest. After the appearance of the creature, the cadets shivered and began to suspect that the missing cadet may have become food for the wild creatures in the forest.
Karanzo suggested, "Forget about what's behind! We have to focus on moving forward," and he took the lead.
"Karanzo is right," Thani agreed. "We've burned our ships without fear but with firm determination. No one comes to invite, and no one goes home to deliver."
After Thani recited the law of the night, they realized how dangerous it would be to return and knew that this exam was designed with no way back. Thani's words had some truth to them. They walked ahead, following Karanzo through the well-arranged graves, which were as wide as half the center square. They suspected that there must be guards watching this haunted place, especially after seeing the nightshade flowers scattering on the ground and the swords that were each stuck into the graves.
As they approached the hermitage that Instructor Hyoh had mentioned, Gantala attempted to quiet the chatty cadets with a simple "Shoo!" He had sensed a presence nearby and didn't want to disturb the grave dwellers. When they arrived at the entrance gate of the hermitage, they saw a large, old, bearded orc who looked quite intimidating, wearing a cloak and holding a wand in his hand. He was busy fetching black water from the well and then poured the water into a cauldron in front of them, which was filled with bubbling hot lava.
Karanzo, who was growing slightly impatient as usual, approached the shaman boldly and asked, "Old man, are you guarding this place?"
Gantala could sense the disrespect in Karanzo's tone and quickly stepped in, taking over Karanzo's position with a more courteous approach, he politely addressed the shaman, "Excuse me, we are the cadets of Instructor Hyoh, and we are here to complete the test assigned to us."
The shaman grinned horribly, revealing his blackened teeth. It had been a long time since anyone had come to the deserted hermitage, let alone newcomers. He smoothed his beard while chuckling, clearly amused at the cadets' presence. In a deep voice, he replied, "Hyoh of Ashenvale sent you guys here, huh? No wonder I taste human blood... Kehkehkeh... My name is Groguk The Shaman, and I am the guardian of this place. If you wish to enter..."
Groguk took a bag of gemstones from his robes and dropped all the gems into the hot cauldron. "You must first purify yourself by taking a ruby out of this cauldron, using your hands. Be careful, there is only one ruby out of dozens of gems, so your chances of success are slim."
The cadets were frightened by Groguk's explanation, and Zain spoke up boldly as their wannabe hero, "Hey, shaman! Have you never been burnt before? Our hands will melt in that lava!"
"This is the first time I've heard such an absurd explanation from a shaman," Thani added, supporting Zain.
Ischel raised her pike, encouraging the other cadets to fight. "Why should we obey your orders if we can go against you?!"
The tension between the cadets and the shaman was palpable, and it seemed that a confrontation was imminent. Seeing everyone pointing their weapons at him, Groguk scolded them loudly, "You're against me? You're angering the gods!"
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
A loud thunderbolt struck as Groguk finished speaking, serving as a warning to the cadets. They fell silent in shock, feeling a cold warning coursing through their bodies and thrilling their souls. Groguk continued speaking, raising his hand and fidgeting with his fingers strangely. "If you oppose me, those evil spirits will appear and eat you alive, unless you follow my orders. I test faith, not might. If your heart is holy, your hands won't melt, I promise! Let's go, you first!" he pointed at Joel, who immediately vanished into the crowd.
The cadets froze, with no one daring to go first, especially after seeing the thunder that struck as if to wake the dead when Groguk was angry. Now, they began to respect the resting place of their ancestors. In the tense atmosphere of anxiety, a cadet from behind the crowd ventured forward to the front of the cauldron. "Fe-Fe-Fe-Fenrius?!" Zain sputtered.
“Oi… Fenrius, what would you do?" asked Gantala, worried that Fenrius would commit violence. “This is not our place, so be careful how you act.”
Groguk approached Fenrius and said in front of him, “Do it...determine your destiny...you will be the chosen one!” ended with his grim laugh.
Unfortunately for Gantala, his warnings fell on deaf ears as Fenrius lifted the hot cauldron with both hands and threw all of its lava contents onto Groguk's body. Although they knew the consequences, it was too late to stop Fenrius.
"Fenrius, no!" shouted Gantala, but it was already done.
Groguk screamed horrendously in pain as his body blistered from the lava, Fenrius' merciless actions left everyone speechless. The man picked up a ruby from among the dozens of gems that had fallen to the ground and placed it on Groguk's lifeless face. The pained expression on Groguk's face was akin to being tormented by an unquenchable fire in the deepest Maldrakar that not even Runeverse could reach. And it was a pity for the shaman because this time the gods were unable to help him.
Fenrius strolled leisurely and seemingly without a care, crushing all the rules on his way to the fifth hermitage. His audacious actions left the cadets stunned, while crows perched in the trees saluted him, and black squirrels on the ground gaped in disbelief.
"The things that he does would make a goat's head spin," remarked one cadet.
"He's the type of person who can kill two birds with one stone," added another.
"He doesn't learn from his mistakes, his mistakes learn from him," said a third.
They all entered the fifth hermitage region at the foot of the mountain. Zain wanted to take the ruby as a souvenir, but when he touched it, he immediately twirled around while waving his hot hand. Some of the cadets laughed at his hilarious reaction. "Damn it! It's hot! That damn Fenrius… How can he endure something this hot?!" Zain grumbled. Finally, he decided to follow his friends and ignore the ruby.
As the cadets made their way toward the fifth hermitage, they were greeted by a gate that was intricately designed in the shape of a lotus, with a striking picture of Ifrit's face in the center. Standing guard on either side of the gate were a pair of imposing, giant statues that were symmetrically armed with sharp teeth and long nails. The mere sight of them added to the already eerie and haunted atmosphere of the place, which was steeped in mysteries that dated back to ancient civilizations.
Upon passing through the gate, the cadets were hit by an intense gust of evil wind and thick mist, which penetrated their skin like a cold shock that pierced the bone marrow. Unprepared for this sudden change in atmosphere, they started coughing uncontrollably. As they looked around, they noticed two rows of barrels that appeared to be responsible for bringing the Miasma mist to the top of the pulpit. The design and architecture of the place were magnificent, adorned with sculptures and gypsum that depicted indescribable ancient human stories. It became apparent to them that this hermitage was once a sacred place for travelers, steeped in mystery and history.
"Is it these barrels that are making the fog on the island thicker?" asked Ray Astra, a member of Class A and the cellmate of Thanistor and Joel in prison.
"Look, the tomb is shaking! Just like your mom shakes!" exclaimed Lugos.
The cadets were taken aback as the Wight emerged from the tomb, casting an eerie and unsettling aura that sent chills down their spines. The Wight (especially this Wight) is an undead Spellcaster of elevated rank, attired in a tattered Dalmatica and Tiara, and dons a mask that conceals half of her bony visage. She wields the Magistaff of Ripped Hearts, and her eyes glowed with an ominous light as she began to chant an incantation, her voice piercing through the air like the screech of a banshee.
With a sudden burst of energy, the wight raised her skeletal army from the graves behind the cadets. The ground shook beneath their feet as bones and skulls jolted out from the soil. The cadets could hear the clatter of swords, the twang of bowstrings, and the crackle of wands as the skeletons armed themselves with the same weapons as their fallen predecessors.
"That is a wight! Everyone, quickly destroy the barrels!" ordered Gantala.
"War at last! War, my beloved!" shouted Leif as he charged onto the front line of skeletons.
Zain, driven by his thirst for battle, let out a loud battle cry as he smashed several barrels with one powerful swing of his flail. He knew that this was his moment to shine and leave a lasting impression on his fellow cadets. "I care not for this island no more! Let us lay waste to this place!" he exclaimed, feeling the rush of adrenaline pumping through his veins.
Zain's natural talent for vandalism proved to be invaluable at this moment, as they quickly destroyed several barrels before this undead genocide even began, causing the Miasma mist to slowly dissipate, revealing a brighter view. Meanwhile, the skeletons in the back charged toward the cadets, initiating a fierce battle between the two opposing forces that clashed relentlessly with each other.
"Remember to use your aura against them!" yelled Karanzo. "It's useless to practice Spirituality if you don't use it."
As the bright auras enveloped them, the skeleton troops became easier to fight. Their bones were brittle when hit by a spiritual attack. It was the perfect opportunity for the cadets to put their training to good use.
Kirana, who possessed a cherry blossom aura, spun around with her two fiery iron fans and yelled "Scarlet Flame!" as she sliced a Skeleton in half. Ischel, with a jade aura, followed suit with a swing of his lightning pike, striking several Skeletons.
Zain's attempts to stay focused were in vain as the attention of the cadets was drawn toward the two girls attacking in perfect unison, covering each other's weaknesses like a well-rehearsed dance performance. Ischel forcefully plunged her pike into the ground and, with all the might of her Amazonian arms, shattered the bones of her enemies like crumbled pastries. To Ischel, these undead were not even worthy of being crushed by her primary and secondary weapons. Watching Ischel's display, Kirana felt provoked to compete and moved to the back of her partner, taking over the role of guarding her back. She spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "Huh, showing off a little, huh? Not bad..."
Ischel's face fell at Kirana's satirical words, which hurt her feelings a bit. Though Kirana had no intention of causing any offense, Ischel felt it was crucial to demonstrate that spiritual power could be effectively used without relying so much on weapons. As Ischel taught others how to use punches, their self-confidence grew, and they realized that being 'showy' didn't necessarily mean flaunting material possessions, but could also involve showcasing one's unique abilities.
"Do you want to challenge me to a race, Nana?" Ischel asked.
"If that's what you want," Kirana replied, accepting the challenge.
As the two female cadets continued their impressive display of skill, crushing the skeletons with the fluidity of snakes in motion with perfect synchronization, a sudden gust of wind shattered the bones of the undead foes on the other side. The gust came from Karanzo, who charged forward with his blade glinting in the moonlight as he engaged the skeletons in battle. His movements were swift and fluid, striking with precision and grace as he sliced through his enemies.
Meanwhile, Joel stood back, his focus on arching the skeletons that were targeting Karanzo's blind spot. With each arrow he loosed, another skeleton fell, their bones shattering into dust upon impact. Rin, on the other hand, took a different approach. With her 'One-Sword Flower Style: A Thousand Slices Technique', she sliced through multiple skeletons at once, her blade moving so fast it was almost a blur. The skeletons crumbled into tiny fragments as Rin moved through them, her speed and agility unmatched.
Zain, meanwhile, grew bored with the lack of challenge and unleashed his devastating Diamond Breakers attack, powered by his cinnamon aura. Dozens of skeletons were obliterated in a single, powerful swing. "Should I pound you into a poker next?" he exclaimed.
Zain's plea for a challenge did not go unnoticed by the Wight, who had been observing the battle from her perch with a cold, calculating gaze. She knew that she could easily dispatch them with her high-level magic, but she held back as the Lord of Tartaros required sacrifices. Instead, she decided to summon even more terrifying opponents to test the mettle of the candidates. The Wight had many cards up her sleeve, and she was eager to see what would happen next.
Despite their valiant efforts, the cadets were soon outnumbered, the skeletons swarming around them like a swarm of locusts. They fought fiercely, their determination never wavering, but it seemed as though the tide of battle was turning against them. Just when it seemed as though all hope was lost, a sudden flash of light illuminated the battlefield. The light grew brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding, and when it faded, the cadets found themselves facing an ally.
It was Gantala, the monk who had previously warned them about the dangers of the tomb. He had arrived just in time, his eyes glowing with fierce determination as he raised his staff. With a wave of his hand, Gantala unleashed a powerful burst of magic that sent the skeletons flying, their bones scattering across the ground like leaves in the wind. The wight screamed in anger as her army was decimated, and with one final blast of energy, Gantala sent her hurtling back into the tomb, sealing it shut once again.