[Tuesday, 2nd day of classes, 7 PM]
Having been instructed to meet at a lodge within the forest on the outer areas of campus, the 15 students had gathered themselves, awaiting the arrival of their instructor.
"What the hell.... we've gotto wait out here like this....", Hailey quietly murmured.
"It.... should be fine. I mean.... it's just like a camping trip, right? Just to test whether we can survive out here without....."
Vivian- the magical prodigy- made an attempt to comfort her own friend before realizing something.
"Hey.... are we gonna have to catch and make our own food?"
"Mmm.... well we've had to do that so far..... so I don't think it's unlikely.", Oliver said.
'Good thing he's in my group.', Hailey thought.
According to Elisa, the students would be split up into groups based on their divisions in order to bond with their fellow division mates, as well as to learn about their own strengths and weaknesses through survival.
"There will be no class on Wednesday or Thursday, as your goal will simply be to survive from Tuesday night up until Thursday night in the wilderness. You are not to leave your section of the woods, or you will receive a failing grade on this assignment. And as much as I disagree, a failing grade on any assignment will lead to a remedial session for the students who failed."
'A remedial session?'
'What does that mean?'
Many students were confused at first when the instructor said this, but they then remembered the words of Ashley.
'Are they going to punish us like that if we fail? At anything?'
'I.... can't afford to fail.'
Before the students rose a log cabin, and they all lined up outside as they mulled on their assignment.
"Hey.... if we're being split up, then that means we'll all be in different groups.... right?"
Samantha whispered this to Trevor, who looked at her with confidence.
"Indeed. Will being without me even for a moment make you too lonely?"
"I.... never said that. It's just.... you know.... aren't you concerned about how the plans are going? If we are separated-"
"Communication will not be a problem. If anything out of the ordinary does happen, I will be prepared to react. Even so, according to my simulations, there will be no issues which we cannot take care of, and Ally has confirmed this. Just follow the plan and continue to assist the students as needed."
With a nod, Samantha agreed.
"Got it."
With this short interaction, the two nodded to one another in mutual understanding.
It was then that out of the brush, the woman known as Elisa appeared.
She was wearing a camouflage outfit, and she carried within her arms a crate.
"Alright everyone! I've got your outfits and equipment right here, so you all need to go get changed in the lodge. Let's see what we've got..... magical suits which decrease sound and make it harder for your opponents to perceive you..... mana sensing goggles which should be able to detect any magical presences regardless.... mana based firearms for the division 3 members.... and survival gear."
Popping open the crate, the woman smiled as she waved for the students to come over to receive their gear.
'Eh?'
'We're actually being given equipment?'
'What's going on here?'
Many of the students were filled with confusion at the strange friendliness with which the new instructor treated them.
They had expected to be thrown out to survive with nothing, yet they were being given all this equipment.
"Well.... in the actual military, you're allowed to have all your equipment with you. It would be a bit unfair to force you to survive without anything."
"Why are you giving the 3rd division members weapons? Will we be fighting against something?"
Griffen- the studious dark elf- asked this question as he eyed the instructor with suspicion.
"You need to be able to carry a full set of equipment with you at all times, including the weight of your weapons. And it's not like these forests are uninhabited by wildlife. Consider it insurance in case something goes wrong. Either way, the faster you get used to this, the better."
"I see."
Satisfied with the explanation, the boy stepped forward with the other students, each taking their own set of equipment.
'Hmm.... this is high quality stuff, or at least compared to anything I've seen in this world. It looks like the elves are technologically the most advanced out of all the humanoid nations of this world, due to their focus on magic.', Garett noticed. 'The only ones who had technology close to this were the ratmen, who have been fighting one another for years. War is what drives the advancement of civilization, after all.'
Grabbing hold of his own set of equipment, Garett walked back into the cabin to prepare himself.
'So I've got the big hunk whose trying to prove to mommy and daddy that you don't need magic to be successful, and the girl with a massive inferiority complex who doesn't want to admit that her underlings are better than her.'
With a grin, Garett walked over to the cabin.
'Should be fun.'
----
After everyone had been dressed and readied, they all met out on the lawn with their instructor, awaiting orders.
"Your only goal is to survive the next two nights in the wilderness. This is a pass or fail assignment. Those who pass will receive 5 points, and those who fail will lose 5 points, as well as be required to take a remedial assignment. You may use any means to survive. The only way you could fail is if you step out of bounds of your sector."
'Of course, dying would mean they fail as well. But if I tell them that, then they'd know that there is the possibility of death.'
The woman brightly smiled as she gave the order. hiding a wicked grin behind that bright smile.
'After all, in the military, nobody ever tells you that you might die. It merely.... happens. And if you are not prepared for that, then you will die for sure. Therefore.... this exercise will be a wake up call to those who survive.'
"Alright! Each of you, to your respective sectors. Get going! And if you step out of bounds, your orb will mark you as having done so!"
'Anything goes in war.'
Samantha listened in on the mind of the woman, whose thoughts completely disagreed with her own words and demeanor.
Letting out a sigh as she walked off with her 2 other group members, she could do nothing more than thin her eyes in disappointment.
'You know, ever since I could read people's minds..... even though I thought so low of them already... my opinion of people has degraded.'
Looking at her own hand, she grabbed her wrist, feeling the spot which her bracelet of human toes once hung.
'After all..... they are all so vastly different on the inside than what is presented on the outside..... it's enough to make me sick.'
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----
"Oh.... we even get a tent. I'm surprised they were willing to give us this much. I really expected them to just tell us to figure it out on our own.", Griffen admitted as he inspected the equipment.
Six people walked in a group after having split off from the other four groups.
These were the members of the first division- those talented enough with magic to be considered among the highest ranking for the elves.
And due to her own magical energy, Ashley had been included among them.
'Geh..... I don't really like being around these people without anyone I know..... especially when I don't plan on killing them.....'
The demented girl smiled ever so lightly as she allowed her imagination to run wild.
'Well.... for now at least.'
"The first thing we should focus on is trying to secure a source of food and water. Once we've obtained these things, we should probably light a fire. While that would usually be the incorrect decision in a real war scenario, as it would give up our location, I believe that for the purposes of this exam it would be best."
The one who said this was Alexa, one of the girls in Hailey's posse.
"Yeah.... it would be great to have a warm fire to sleep by out here...", Vivian replied with a light smile.
Vivian had shown greater skill in moving objects with magic than any other student present, and if Ashley was not present then she would very likely have taken the spot as the top student.
She was cheerful yet somewhat ditzy in the way she carried herself, not quite realizing the gift which she had been granted- and thus sparking a jealousy in one of the other members of the class- a girl who she was likely good friends with even before attending this school.
'So basically, a clutz with power who can't read the room, and ends up hurting people by showing off when she doesn't mean to.'
Ashley took mental notes as she categorized each person.
'If I remember from the entrance ceremony, her parents looked pretty poor. They probably thought this was some big opportunity for their daughter, and signed her up without knowing what kind of place this was.'
"Oh..... let's take a look in these goggles! I wonder what it's like to see magical energy as a signature...."
The girl grabbed a pair of the goggles, placing them on her head as she looked around her.
"Whoa.... there are little bits of mana in the trees and plants.... and even in the earth..... and let's take a look over here...."
Turning around to face the other students, the girl fell backwards.
"Agh!!"
Stumbling back with a screech as the other five merely watched, the girl quickly took the goggles off.
Her own eyes were blank, and she was panting heavily.
The girl was now sweating, and her eyes were twitching back and forth as if she had seen something tremendous.
"Oi! Vivian!! What the hell is wrong!?"
Alexa quickly rushed over as the other students watched the strange scene.
"It was..... bright..... I..... everything was just white..... it was blinding..... there was..... agh....."
The girl closed her eyes, blinking them as she tried to regain her composure.
"Ah..... my sight is returning..... I think....."
Her breathing calmed and she slowly stood up.
"Um..... I think we shouldn't use these goggles. They can be really bad for our eyes if we use them too much...."
The students watched in confusion, but nodded their heads in agreement.
"Do you think that was some sort of sabotage?", Griffen whispered.
"They... sabotaged our equipment to harm us?", Victor asked.
"It's a possibility.", Griffen stated. "After all.... I thought they were being a bit too generous giving us all this stuff. They went on and on about surviving on our own, after all, and being able to take care of ourselves. If they gave us some nice fancy equipment then that would be pretty strange, and it wouldn't be too odd to think that using it could actually harm us..... but to think they'd go that far....."
Ashley merely stayed quiet, though she lightly smiled as she watched the girl stand up.
'Ah..... it looks like they're misunderstanding something here. Hehehe..... well, it's pretty funny to watch them come to these conclusions. After all.... it's easier to think that the equipment is messed up than to accept the truth...'
Vivian leaned on the shoulder of Alexa, using her as a temporary crutch as the six continued walking.
'That there was so much mana within your view that it ended up blinding you for a moment.'
----
"Hey, how do we know that the canteens and these pots aren't laced with poison? Eh?"
Edward, the spiky haired and quick tempered wood elf said this as he filled up his own canteen from a river which the group had soon stumbled upon.
"If they really are going so far as to sabotage our own equipment in some effort to get us to not rely on it, then isn't that possible?", he asked with irritation as he looked around to the others.
"It's possible, however.... would they really go so far?", Alexa questioned. "If they would go that far.... then this is nothing less than a place for people to die off for making a single mistake. I don't think.... they would be that extreme."
"But what if you're wrong?", Victor stated.
"Shouldn't we have someone test it then just in case?", Griffen asked.
As this suggestion was raised, each of the students froze in their position.
It was the most logical option, for certain.
Having one person test it would ensure that none of the others would be put in danger, thus prioritizing the group as a whole.
However, this statement raised a single question.
Who would do it?
"Um..... I mean..... I suppose..... if that's how it is...."
Vivian seemed to be stumbling with her words, shivering as she made an attempt to volunteer.
It was then that the four heard the glugging sound of someone drinking hastily.
Slurping sounds could be heard, and a loud 'Ahh', as one of the students wiped her lips in refreshment.
All five of the students turned to see Ashley, having completely thrown caution to the wind as she haphazardly drank without restraint.
"OI!?!?!? What the hell are you doing!?", Alexa shouted.
"We don't know if that was poisoned or not!!!", Edward followed.
Ashley merely looked over at the four with thinned eyes, and then she took another sip of the water.
"Plus, we should have boiled it first, in case there was some sort of bacteria in the river.", Griffen added with a sigh.
"Nah, it was good.", Ashley said.
"But.... how.... did you know?", Vivian asked. "I mean.... yeah, it's pretty unlikely that the school would poison their own equipment.... but in this place.... I mean.... anything could happen...."
"Nah. I knew. I have really good intuition you know."
The five were taken aback as the girl before them said this so casually.
"Wha..... you're telling me that you went off of your own intuition?", Griffen asked.
"For something so life threatening..... you just went ahead and did it without knowing for sure?", Alexa questioned.
The five were both filled with surprise and relief at the fact that they didn't have to be the scapegoat, and at the fact that they really were just being overly cautious.
"Hm? What are you talking about. I just said it. I did know for sure. I have really good intuition. I'm always right."
"That....."
Dumping the water on her own hair, Ashley smiled as she ignored those around her who were in shock at her actions.
"That attitude will get you killed.", Edward said. "If you think you can just do whatever you want, then fine. But don't come crying to me when you make a mistake and die for it. Just don't drag anyone else into it."
"Edward..... that's...."
Vivian looked at the boy with concern, however Ashley merely stood up.
"If you think I'm being arrogant or whatever, then that's fine. But nothing happened, right? You know what I've learned over the course of... living?"
Ashley, about to say over the course of her two lives, corrected herself so that those around her would understand.
"That no matter what happens, the results are all that anyone ever looks at. No matter what risks you take.... no matter how hard you work.... nobody ever sees anything but the results. No matter how evil your methods.... no matter how corrupt you are.... if you produce results it can be overlooked. But if you don't produce results, then no matter how straightforward.... no matter how right you may be, you're never right."
Shrugging her shoulders, the girl laid down on the grass, using her wet hair as a bed to lay on.
"So? Aren't you gonna do something? Make a fire or something like that?"
"Ah.... let's gather some wood.", Alexa said, walking off. "Come with me, Vivian."
"Victor, you come with me to gather as much water in these pots as possible.", Edward said.
"And.... I guess I'll go and try to catch some fish or something....", Griffen said.
"Hm? You guys aren't gonna give me a job? What, do you see me as a bum already? Hehehe.... well, not that I would mind just laying here and doing nothing."
"Eh? Well, I mean.... you did test the poison.... I don't think you should be moving around too much.... what if it's slow acting?", Vivian asked.
"Hah? There was no poison. But that's fine. I'll just lay here, and if you guys come back to my dead body then you'll know I was wrong. Spoiler. I wasn't."
This statement sent chills down the spines of the students.
'How can she joke about her own death like that?'
'Is she even taking this seriously?'
Confused at the actions of the girl who appeared to be almost suicidal, the five went off to perform their respective tasks.
The sun had already gone down before they had even started, so performing even simple tasks wouldn't be easy.
'He's probably not gonna catch any fish. Should I grab something to eat?', Ashley wondered. 'Ah, sure. Whatever.'
As she lay on the ground, she held out her hand, and a number of fish floated out of the water, which she immediately dropped in a pile.
'That should be good enough.'
And then, lighting one on fire with the flick of her finger, she allowed the fish to cook in an instant, bringing it to her mouth using her magic as she ate without moving a muscle.
'Hehehe..... you know, magic really is useful. But I guess it can be hard to control if you don't know how to. Good thing I've had a lot of practice. After all..... it takes a whole lot of skill to keep all this energy within me from destroying the universe.'
----
"She's.... strange. That girl. I mean.... she killed the former instructor.... and she acts so weird.... I don't know what to make of her. What do you think, Vivian?"
"Hmm... I don't think she seems like a bad person.... she is a little scary though....."
The two girls collected firewood together as they discussed their opinions on Ashley, who had been performing out of the ordinary actions from the moment she arrived in the school.
"I.... I suppose I understand why she's done all that stuff.... but.... I don't know.... she..... I feel like she's hiding something major from us. Sometimes I wonder if she's even really an elf. It's like she acts like she's something completely different altogether.", Alexa whispered.
"Mmm..... I think she's just a bit strange.", Vivian responded.
The two sighed, coming to an agreement.
"Well, whatever. Either way, she was right about everything. At the end of the day.... we're all people who have been thrown aside by our parents. And at least in that much..... I suppose I can confide in."
The two walked back to the camp with their arms filled with wood, to see the girl laying on the ground with a pile of fish near her.
"Oh.... it looks like Griffen caught some stuff. That's great!", Vivian shouted as she rushed over.
However, it was then that the two girls heard a crunching sound.
The crunching sound of bones being chewed.
And then, a slurp as something was gulped down the girl's throat.
'Wha-'
'She's.... eating them whole?'
'And raw?'
The two watched from afar as the girl layed down, slurping an entire fish down her throat as if it were noodles.
Alexa couldn't be more wierded out than how much she was at that moment.
'What is wrong with her? It's as if she.... doesn't care at all how people see her.'