I spent what felt like hours just hiding behind that boulder, keeping my ears sharp for any more approaching Fallen. Once I was sure the coast was clear, I mustered up the courage to finally move from my hiding spot and ventured deeper into the forest, and deeper, and deeper.

In my head, I had lost all track of time. I didn't know how many hours had passed since the test began or how many days I had left. All I knew was that I needed to stay alive and avoid any unnecessary confrontations with the Fallen.

As I moved through the forest, I kept my eyes and ears peeled for any sign of Fallen or any of the other applicants. I would occasionally come across a group of Class-D Fallen, but I always made sure to avoid them unless absolutely necessary. After all, I was here to survive, not fight.

Then, after a while, my stomach rumbled, and it reminded me of another problem – food. I needed to find a source of food and fast. Luckily, I had my ice magic at my disposal, and my parents, mainly my father had taught me a few tricks to survive in a situation like this.

For example, I could freeze a body of water that has fish in it with [[Freezing Touch]]. That way, the fish would get stuck in the ice and all I'd have to do was break the ice and collect them.

Survival-wise, aside from defending myself with my own magic, my father also trained me in weapon arts. He emphasized the importance of being able to fight without a Fragmi partner or with a depleted magic source. With that in mind, I could also create makeshift weapons out of ice to protect myself or hunt for food.

So, for the next few hours, I put these survival skills to use. And fortunately, I found a small river teeming with fish and managed to freeze a good portion of it with [[Freezing Touch]].

"This is pretty handy..."

With that, after freezing a few spots in the river with my ice magic followed by a few pokes here and there with my makeshift ice blade, I was able to easily secure food that's good enough to last me for the entirety of the exam period.

Got Item: X5 Trout

"Wait... how am I supposed to carry all this?"

Damn it.

With a heavy sigh, I released the fish back into the river. Carrying the fish around with me would be impractical, and I didn't want to attract unwanted attention from the scent. I guess I'd have to remember the exact location of the river and come back here to camp later.

Discarded Item: X5 Trout

My next priority was to secure a shelter. Unfortunately, the terrain didn't seem to be in my favor. There were no caves or rocky outcrops where I could take refuge. The best bet I had was to create a shelter using my ice magic. An igloo of sorts.

But there was a problem with that idea. Keeping the igloo from melting during the day would consume a lot of my magic energy. And while the night temperatures would help, I couldn't afford to exhaust myself while maintaining the structure.

So, I had to come up with a better plan. After some thought, I decided to build a small makeshift shelter using branches and leaves I could find around the forest. It wouldn't be the most comfortable place to sleep, but it would serve its purpose.

And so, I set to work, scavenging for fallen branches and foliage. All the while, I kept a sharp eye and ear out for any signs of danger but so far, nothing posed an immediate threat.

I soon finished setting up my shelter near the river. With another quick glance around to ensure I was still alone, I then turned my attention to starting a fire. Though I had my ice magic, it wouldn't be of much use in this case. The fire was something I had to start the old-fashioned way. I know it was risky - since the smoke could attract Fallen, but I needed to cook the fish.

I gathered dry branches and leaves, arranged them in a pile, and used the age-old technique of rubbing two pieces of wood together to create sparks. It took several attempts and a lot of patience, but I finally managed to start a fire.

With the fire successfully lit, I quickly returned to the river. Repeating the method I used before, I managed to catch a couple of fish, which I skewered on a stick and held over the fire to cook.

Got Item: X2 Cooked Trout

It wasn't a gourmet meal by any standards, but the simple grilled fish tasted heavenly after the rough start of the exam. As I ate, I kept my senses alert, listening to the sounds of the forest and watching for any movement in the shadows. I knew I wasn't entirely safe, but for now, I had done everything I could to survive the first half of the first day.

As time wore on, the sky grew darker. And eventually, I had to make a difficult decision about my campfire. It was a beacon in the night, guiding me but also potentially leading the Fallen straight to my location. I decided to keep it burning at a low glow, enough for me to see my immediate surroundings but hopefully not bright enough to be noticeable from afar.

When I tried to settle in my makeshift shelter, the situation hit me once again. I was alone in this massive forest, surrounded by dangers I had only heard and seen in the news.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Every sound in the forest made me jumpy, the crackle of the fire, the rustle of leaves, the distant hoot of an owl. I knew I had to stay awake, to keep watch for any sign of danger. It was going to be a long, sleepless night.

As if that wasn't enough, I found myself thinking about the other applicants. We were all in this together, yet we had to be separated and act individually, and if some of them were lucky, act in a group.

Were they managing to stay safe?

Did they manage to find food?

I even had my thoughts return to the girl who had opted out of the exam.

Had she made the right choice?

Would we all have been better off returning to the safety of our homes?

Just as I was trying to shake off those thoughts, a piercing roar cut through the silence of the night. The noise was so loud that it seemed to shake the ground beneath me, and I heard the cracking and falling of what sounded like several trees in the distance.

I sprang to my feet, ready to channel my ice magic at any sign of danger. I then slowly scanned the area, trying to identify the source of the disturbance.

Suddenly, a bright orange glow caught my attention from the direction of the roar. As I moved closer, another sound made me freeze - a female voice.

"Stay away! Damn it!" The voice cried out.

Without wasting another second, I dashed towards the voice. As I neared the scene, I saw a figure on the ground. The flickering light of her fire magic illuminated a curtain of red hair. The girl was aiming her arm at a hulking, monstrous shape in front of her, a Class-D Fallen.

The fiery glow was dying down, suggesting she was low on energy. Realizing the dire situation, I readied my ice magic, preparing myself to intervene.

I released an [[Ice Bolt]] towards the Fallen, focusing the spell on its exposed flank. The bolt found its target, causing the beast to stumble and momentarily lose its balance. Seizing the opportunity, I sprinted forward, grabbing the red-haired girl by the arm and pulling her away just as the Fallen’s fist slammed down, cracking the ground where she had been laying a moment ago.

"T-Thanks!," she gasped out in a shaky, exhausted voice.

"Can you still fight?" I asked while helping her onto her feet.

She shook her head, "I've just used up all my magic..." she replied, panting heavily. "I can't..."

"Try to recover some of your magic then. I'll buy us some time."

With a deep breath, I drew upon my magic, casting [[Freezing Touch]] beneath the monstrous Fallen causing the ground underneath the beast to quickly frost over.

I quickly conjured a makeshift one-time-use ice blade in my hand, driving it into the Fallen's ankle. The beast roared loudly in pain, once again shaking the ground with its vibrations.

Whipping my head around, I looked back at the girl, "Can you cast anything? Even just one spell?" I asked, my breath coming out in harsh pants, I was starting to grow exhausted myself, so she needed to do her part.

But alas, she shook her head, "I'm not ready yet... I-I'm a Mundane!" she explained. "My magic resource regeneration is slow."

A Mundane?

Suddenly, the mention of her being a Mundane sparked a realization in my mind. Because it could only mean one thing if she was a Mundane: She was a Fragmi. Which also meant...

"Can you shapeshift?" I blurted out, my eyes widening. "Into your weapon form?"

The girl blinked at me, seemingly confused at my sudden question, "I-I can try!" she stammered, still struggling to catch her breath.

Without wasting any more time, I dashed back to her, pulling her to her feet, "Then try," I urged. "Transform. Now."

She continued to look at me, bewildered, but then her expression was immediately replaced by a look of realization, "You're... You're a Wielder? But I thought these exam grounds were for-"

"Later!" I cut her off, my attention split between the girl and the slowly recovering Fallen. "Think about that later! For now, focus on transforming!"

She gave me a hesitant nod, fear remained present in her orange eyes. As she closed her eyes, a surge of fiery energy radiated from her, engulfing us both.

[[Attempting the Formation of a Contracted Bond]]

The Fallen, now fully recovered, let out a bellowing roar, its towering form casting an ominous shadow over us.

"Hurry!" I urgently said to her, my gaze fixed on the advancing monstrosity. "We could use a faster transformation here!"

As the Fallen raised its colossal fist, preparing to strike, I felt a sudden, blinding burst of light envelop us.

The expected transformation of the girl into a weapon did not happen. The light flickered and died out, and for a moment, time seemed to slow.

[[Contracted Bond Conditions Not Met]]

Wait... not met?! Why?!

[[Contracted Bond Condition: Elemental Resonance is not fulfilled]]

[[Contracted Bond Condition: Crested Link is not fulfilled]]

[[Contracted Bond Condition: Power Balance is fulfilled]]

Conditions?! I thought it was just a simple transform-and-use kind of thing...?

In a split second, I saw the Fallen's monstrous fist descending upon us, and with an instinctual need to protect, I found myself moving in front of her. The force of the blow sent me soaring backward, my body crashing violently into a nearby tree.

The last thing I saw was the look of utter horror on the girl's face as I was flung away.

As I struggled to regain my senses, I saw the Fallen turn its attention toward me, slowly closing the distance with an intimidating stance. Panic gripped the girl's face, her eyes moving rapidly between me and the impending threat. I mustered a weak yell, trying to get her to safety, "Run! You have to run!"

But instead of running away, she took a defiant stance, her hands igniting with a flicker of her magic. She shot out a barrage of [[Fire Bolt]], each small fireball blazing toward the Fallen. But she was clearly panicked, and her aim was off - the bolts whizzed around in all directions, some narrowly missing me.

"W-Watch where you're aiming, damn it!" I managed to yell out at her.

"I-I'm sorry!" She responded back.

Despite the fire magic hitting him, the Fallen didn't falter. If even, the attack only provoked it to tighten its grip on me, and I slowly felt myself getting crushed as my body was flooded with a searing pain. With a powerful swing, it slammed me to the ground, forcing a grunt of pain out of my body.

The world was starting to darken around me, and my consciousness was wavering. In my last breath, I used what strength I had left to urge her one last time, "Run...!"

I felt the ground beneath me shake violently as the Fallen slammed me down once more. As I lay there in the crater formed by its impact, I could barely open my eyes to see the girl looking at me with terror-filled eyes.

The Fallen was now focused on her, preparing to launch another attack.

She raised her arm, attempting to summon another volley of [[Fire Bolt]]. But only sparks emerged from her hand, a clear sign that her magical reserves were depleted.

The girl momentarily looked back at me and yelled out a few words, "Please! Hang on... I'll try... the bond..." However, her words were fading and cut off as my consciousness began to slip away. And before I even knew it, all the noise I could hear were starting to be muffled, and every single light that enters my vision went black.

[[Attempting the Formation of a Contracted Bond]]