Without further incident, the remaining hours of the night came to a close.
All four groups were able to at the very least set up some form of encampment where they could sleep, and as such they did exactly that.
Food and water proved to not be an issue for any of the groups, and other basic necessities were taken care of.
Tuesday night passed, and during the day on Wednesday, all the groups continued on their own paths, hunting and fishing where they could, each taking their own unique approach to survival.
With this, Wednesday turned out to be relatively uneventful.
During the day.
----
A woman sat at a wooden desk in a log cabin, the red light of an orb which floated at her side being the only thing to illuminate her surroundings.
This woman had two strands of pink hair which draped down either side of her head, and her long pointed ears made it clear of her elven nature.
She was young and beautiful, and her appearance gave off the sense that she was an energetic and active young woman, one who enjoyed her teaching career and took great pleasure in witnessing the growth of students who were only a few years younger than herself.
Yet her expression right now was one of deadly seriousness, as she stared at the paper in front of her.
An evaluation sheet with the names, pictures, and a section for comments for each student.
The red orb lit up even more as a voice entered the room.
"Mrs. Elisa. How are things progressing on your end? I take it there have been no issues with the progress?"
As each syllable was spoken by the man, the red orb flickered, mimicking his speech with visual confirmation that the voice was coming from the orb.
The woman smiled in slightly suspicious manner as she grazed her hand along the sheet before her.
"Principal, there is one thing I would like to ask. Do you mind?"
She spoke in a manipulative tone, clearly appealing to the man on the other side of the communication with womanly charms.
"Of course. What is it?"
Bringing her finger to her lips, the woman thinned her eyes with a smile.
"Well.... why is it exactly that there are four students within this classroom, all of which do not have last names registered? And none of these students have any background information on their parents, wealth.... there is nothing here on them. It's quite odd."
Lowering her tone, the woman's finger stopped on a certain girl with messy hair, whose dark eyes held not a single gleam of emotion in them.
"And this one in particular.... is the girl who we are keeping our eye on. She is among the ones without information."
"Ah, is that so? You have a keen eye, Mrs. Elisa. Indeed.... there were four students who were registered at the last possible moment. I myself....."
The man stopped speaking, drawing a blank.
"I have no memories of them applying in the first place."
The woman leaned back in her seat, letting out a 'hmm....' as she licked her cherry lips.
"I see.... so they are without doubt suspicious. Although.... regardless of their origins.... so long as they become useful weapons, that should not matter. Correct?"
"Exactly so."
The voice spoke thus, confirming that this was a place in which a background was not necessary.
It was a place where a background was something to be thrown away, and the lack of a background made it all the easier for the students to be molded without limit.
Molded into soldiers.
Molded into tools.
Molded into weapons.
"The four groups have all managed to do just fine with the assistance of one another during the exercises thus far. Although..... I must say.... it is strange. There have been many oddly silent moments."
"Silent moments?"
The man on the other side of the communication sounded confused as the woman rested her chin on her hand, which was placed on the desk.
"Yes. There are times where all the students have been gathered in their groups, where I would think they would be discussing things... yet oddly enough, there has been no feedback from the wiretaps in the locating orbs. Although.... this only happens sometimes. I've heard many conversations, dull ones about whatever the students talk about in their free time. They certainly do discuss some strangely casual things, despite being in a class to become soldiers.", the woman replied.
"Interesting. I see. Well, continue monitoring the students and their progress. Tonight is the biggest test of this exercise, no?"
"Of course."
"Then, I look forward to witnessing who survives. Of course, all preparations have been made on my end. Have a good night, Mrs. Elisa."
"And you, principal."
With that, the communication cut off, and the woman was left alone in the room.
Sitting back in her desk, she lifted up the paper to the orb, allowing the light to permeate through the paper.
It was only for a moment, but as she did so, a shadow bled through the paper, creating a silhouette on each of the four students faces.
Silhouettes with horns and demented smiles.
These silhouettes flashed by the paper as she moved it around, only appearing for a single instant.
The woman, on seeing this, stopped her own movements, attempting to place the paper back in the position where it previously was, however no matter which way she moved it, she could not recreate the same scene.
'That.... was strange....'
A cool breeze went down her back, causing the woman to shiver lightly.
'Hm? Is it cold in here? I suppose I should light the fireplace....'
Standing up, the woman headed over to a comfortable lounge, and as she pointed one finger at the fireplace, the flames became lit, crackling with tamed energy.
Sitting down in a comfortable reclining chair, the woman closed her eyes ever so peacefully.
'It must have been my imagination. Have I been losing sleep?'
This woman was a teacher at Yulen Academy- the place where students were pushed to the very limits of their minds in order to emerge as weapons of war.
However, neither this woman, nor the principal, nor any other members of the staff came to realize.
They had already accidentally admitted four weapons into their academy.
Weapons of mass destruction.
----
'These orbs certainly are clever. They hold not only the ability to determine our location, but they also are constantly sending records of our own conversations to the ones in charge. Therefore, if there was even a wind of some sort of rebellious action, it would be immediately dispelled.'
Trevor marveled in amazement at the technological product of the highest establishment within this nation of elves and dwarves.
The technology of this Academy was likely the culmination of the combination between magical and engineering knowledge of this world. Between semi modern weaponry which allowed for magical enhancements, armaments and other gear which specialized in these areas, and the orbs which were used for multiple purposes, Trevor couldn't help but be impressed.
Upon receiving one a few days prior, he had discovered the full set of abilities which this orb contained.
'It functions as a communication device on the outside, and it can record information on it's owner- or so we were told. This much is true, however the information on the owner is mostly associated with point values of exerted mana, and the vitals of the user. The other uses however, were kept a secret. It functions not only as a locating device, but also as a wiretap, and finally as a measure to ensure that boundaries are not exceeded.'
Thinning his eyes, Trevor let out a light sigh.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
'The students were never told this, but these orbs are constantly set to electrocute anyone who goes outside of boundaries associated with their particular activities. If we were to skip class, for example, we would find ourselves overtaken by an immense shock. The same goes for if we tried to leave school grounds, and even now for this examination. If we were to leave our selected boundaries, we would be electrocuted. We were told that we would endure the consequences of failure.... yet for the consequences to be THIS grave without so much as informing the students....'
A smile curled up the lips of the elven man as he wickedly grinned to himself.
'They are quite the opportunists, aren't they? Interesting opponents for certain. It is through the hiding of information that they are able to take complete control over their students without them even knowing or understanding why.'
Everything about Yulen Academy and it's methods were a secret to the public, however the students who attended it knew one thing.
Yulen Academy was a place where failure was unacceptable.
They didn't know what the consequences of failure were, however the rumors of 'excessive punishment' were so potent to the point where none dared to try and find out.
This led to students who were immediately obedient- for there is nothing more terrifying than the unknown.
'Fortunately, I was able to recognize the wiretapping features immediately. By using destructive interference, I am able to prevent sound waves from entering the orbs, and thus no recordings of our conversations can be produced. I've incorporated each and every orb within my own data system, and allowed for an automatic function to eliminate conversations if they are determined to be detrimental, should they be overheard. Therefore.... all information has been kept within our circles.'
Nodding to himself as he thought this, Trevor looked down on his encampment as he sat in a tree with his rifle cocked.
'Furthermore.... I have managed to tap into their entire system.... therefore, I am now aware of the actions not only of the instructors.... but of the entire school. And it would seem..... that some guests have arrived.'
Holding his rifle to his own eye, a Trevor chuckled to himself as he gazed into the scope.
In the far distance, he witnessed a group of ruffians- a combination of elves and dwarves who were dressed in nothing more than rags.
These people walked through the woods with smiles on their faces, laughing and talking with one another.
"It would seem that the school has decided to bargain with former convicts..... what were the words of the principal in that conversation the other day? Ah, that is right."
Aiming his scope onto the heart of one of the elven thugs, Trevor pulled back the lever, loading the weapon.
Selecting a screen on his own display, Trevor pressed the play button on a recording, of which the voice of the principal begun to speak.
"Your crimes will be pardoned if you take part in this exercise in order to test our students. Furthermore.... you are allowed to do anything you wish with them. So long as you do not harm anyone but the students, you are free to do as you please.... and you may then return to society. If you happen to get your hands on some students and take them wherever you please.... well, there is nothing that I can do to stop you legally. After all.... the students are our property, yet by signing this contract.... we are giving you full rights over whatever you wish to obtain for yourselves during this exercise."
Touching the barrel of the rifle, the entire weapon begun to light up with an orange glow.
"How unprofessional it is to make such a deal with mere criminals. Perhaps this is a difference in policy, but within my nation..... criminals are given a life sentence."
Pulling the trigger, a silent bullet was sent through the skies, and it was in that moment that an explosion sounded throughout the land.
A shockwave rustled the leaves even from where Trevor was perched, and a flash of light engulfed his eyes for a moment.
"Although.... I suppose we also have very different definitions of who is considered a criminal.... and who is not."
Laying back with rifle in hand, the elven man pushed up his glasses, looking down on the tent on the ground, of which two students quickly rushed out.
"What was that noise!?", a timid looking boy shouted.
"It sounded like an explosion! Theo, you've been on watch! What happened!?", a high class elf asked.
"Worry not. It was something in the far distance. Perhaps it was some form of intense training within the other sectors?"
"I.... see...."
"If.... that is how it is, then I will return to sleep for now. Please wake me when your shift is over."
With the nod of the elf in the tree, the two boys returned to their tent.
At which, the elven figure laughed.
"When my shift is over, eh?"
Stroking his hand across his well waxed hair, the man laughed ever so slightly.
"Ever since I came to this world I've been on the clock. My shift will never be over until this world is gone."
----
Three elven figures sat around a campfire together.
The first was a thin male, who had a sharp look in his eyes. His hair was cut short, and he held his arms behind his back, relaxing with a toothy smile as the night approached.
The second was a well built male who was currently flipping over some sizzling steaks as they cooked above the fire. This man had a grand smile on his face as he did so, clearly enjoying the outdoor atmosphere.
The stars flickered above the four, though there was no moon out on this particular night.
The third figure was an elven female who currently had her hair up in a bun, likely a decision which had been made given the survivalesque circumstances. Her sleeves had been rolled up, and she looked back and forth with an awkward expression.
"Um..... thank you for doing all the hunting and cooking.... Oliver."
"Ah, no problem! It ends up tasting good, so I'd rather do it than not! And you two..... well, do either of you actually know how to cook? Now that I think about it, I've been doing everything so..... I never really bothered to ask. Maybe I shoulda let you guys do something for yourselves?"
"I can cook relatively well. It is one of my particular skills. Even so, there is a certain chef I know whose cooking blows my own out of the water, so I can't say that I cook all that often these days.", Garett responded.
"Eh!? I thought you were poor, Gary! Or rather... didn't you say that you didn't even have parents? How could you have a personal chef?", Oliver asked.
"I never said that I had a personal chef. Only that a certain woman I know does a large amount of cooking for me. She is quite generous, you know. Where I am from, she would cook for the entire city on almost a daily basis, and everything she produced was on an inhumane level."
Responding quickly, the two seemed to understand, yet were continuously shocked at the strange statements of their group member.
"Everything you've said.... has been really out of this world. Are you really from the Alliance?", Hailey asked with thinned eyes. "I mean.... where the hell in this country do you find a village where a woman is willing to cook for an entire village?"
"Hm? Ah, it's a place that's quite isolated from the rest of the world. You guys probably wouldn't know about it even if I told you."
The two shrugged their shoulders as Oliver begun to dish out the steaks to each of the three.
"Well, no matter. You know, this whole survival exercise has been pretty easy. I keep on feeling like there should be more to it, but maybe they really just wanted to know if we could actually survive like this? Well.... I guess maybe for some nobles who were raised in a fancy house with chefs to cook everything for em, it might be pretty hard. Not to include either of you in that, but.... well, you know."
With a light laugh, Oliver took attention away from his own words as he realized that he might have offended Hailey by them.
"Hmph. Well it's not like I was just raised as some princess, you know. I had to figure out how to be a proper lady and everything, only to be dumped here when I....."
The girl trailed off, clearly not wanting to bring up her own past.
"Anyways.... yeah, this has been pretty easy. But I guess maybe it wouldn't have been so easy if I were alone...."
Letting out a sigh, the girl was reminded once more of her own inability.
Even among the athletes, she was the most useless.
She had no magic, and had been placed in a division whose members were considered as nothing more than meat shields, and even then she was still lower than the others.
It was enough for her to want to cry in frustration, but instead she put on a haughty expression, pretending like everything was alright.
It was then that the elven ears of Garett perked up, and he looked into the forest with a sharp gaze.
"I see. Got it. Then.... I'll be having a little fun. Is that much accounted for in your simulations?", he whispered.
"Are you talking to yourself again, Gary? Something up?", Oliver asked.
Standing up, Garett merely smiled with a laugh.
"Can you two not tell? We're surrounded."
The eyes of the two went wide as they looked around them, shocked at the sudden statement of their peer.
"Wha.... what do you mean we're surrounded?", Hailey asked.
"Are... are you sure about that, Gary? I don't see any.... one...."
The two stood up slowly, and as Oliver said this a number of figures emerged from the woods, all of them carrying clubs, spears, or even wooden wands.
Elves and dwarves alike, many were scarred and they all had the dirtied and torn rags of criminals.
There were a total of six men, and a large dwarf with an enormous nose covered in warts seemed to be leading them.
Tapping his club to his hand, he smiled horribly as he approached the three, who were surrounded completely.
"Heh heh heh... looks like we at least got one pretty little thing to take for ourselves. I call dibs on her, boys. Four of you on the hunk. The other can take out the scrawny one."
"Alright boss!"
Hailey's eyes went wide as she backed up towards the campfire, however Oliver and Garett quickly held up their fists.
They were weaponless, but they immediately understood that they'd have to fight.
"Oi oi oi.... what the hell!? What's going on here? I didn't come to this school.... to get into some sort of brawl like this!!", Hailey shouted.
"Haha! Looks like the girl's a bit lively. Very nice. Boys. Attack."
Three elves and two dwarves honed in on the three, attacking their respective targets- most attacks headed for Oliver.
As they honed in, the two students maneuvered themselves as if in perfect synch, dodging all of the weapons which were swung at them.
"Sorry but I'mma have to carry you for a sec."
Oliver quickly grabbed hold of Hailey by her stomach, grabbing the girl as they escaped the formation briefly.
"Eek!"
Letting out a light squeal as she was grabbed, Oliver quickly dodged a few more swings as he and the girl made their way out of attack distance, and Garett was alongside them in the escape.
Now, instead of being surrounded, their enemies were all on one side of them.
The men who had attacked fell over, having lost their balance after the targets of their attack evaded their blows with such skill.
"Ugh!"
"Agh!"
"Oi, be careful where you swing that thing!!"
Almost having hit one another with their weapons, the goons were clearly disarrayed at how the three had outmaneuvered them so easily.
"Tch!! You little rats think you can escape!? What are you idiots doing!! Ah, whatever! I'll take them on myself!!"
Stepping forward, the boss approached the three as Oliver put Hailey back down. Oliver stepped forth in order to take on the man, however he was met by the hand of Garett.
"Let me take this one on."
At that moment, Oliver looked at Garett with surprise.
The statement which Garett had spoken sounded as if it were a request, however, Oliver felt it.
That was not a request.
That was an order.
Compelled to listen, Oliver stopped in his tracks, allowing Garett to step forth.
"Oh!? So we got a little hero who wants to step up and protect his friends!? And the skinny one at that?? You should've let your muscular friend here take me on at least! Then you would have at least had a bit more time to-"
"Never.... use that word to describe me."
In the next moment, a flash of crimson tainted the air.
As if it were a bolt of red lightning, the very surroundings were filled with an overwhelming energy for just a second.
And then, the dwarven man felt his own head throb as a hand smashed it to the ground.
With immense force, the man was slammed to the ground, hard enough for him to fall unconscious in that moment, yet he did not.
In a daze, the man felt blood spurt out of his mouth, and opening his eyes, he saw something.
He witnessed something on top of him.
That something had the form of an elven student, and a freshman at that.
Yet as this man looked up to this student, who held his head within one hand, he felt it.
This was no student.
The horrid eyes of the creature, the demented smile, the sadistic malice which overflowed from him.....
"D.....demon....."
The man felt his own nose being ripped from his face as blood covered his sight, and pain engulfed him.
"AGH!!!!"
He shouted in horror, and then he heard it.
"Heh.... hahaha... hahaha!!!! That's a better name for me. It looks like you're a little smarter than you look. But then again..... after all, you really are just an idiot."
An immense pain then spread throughout the neck of the man as he felt his own head being pried from his body.
"After all..... if only for a second..... you thought you were dealing with a hero."
A rain of blood then spread throughout the fields, and the demented laughter of the elven male filled the ears of all who were present.
"Unfortunately..... you were wrong."