As they approached the northern gate, it looked like most of the class had already arrived. The class was only 15 students in total, so it wasn’t a particularly large group. Alongside them stood the standard 6 Guild hunters who were assigned to accompany them on trips outside the bastion walls.
The town of Sector 9.2 was surrounded by a very large mana-imbued wall in the shape of a pentagon. At around 30 meters high, it was impossible to see over it from inside the town, and it had an eerie way of blocking out the light at certain points of the day. It gave off an almost ominous vibe, though this was likely due to the fact that it was imbued with the mana of hundreds—if not thousands—of mana crystals obtained from dead monsters.
There seemed to be an endless number of monsters within the dungeons. Many had tried to learn how these strange phenomena worked, but so far, everyone had failed to come up with an answer.
Professor Jin stood at the front of the group with his clipboard, frantically scribbling down details. He looked up to see Redd and Ari approach and gave them a wave of encouragement to hurry up
“Good, good. Two down, two to go.” Jin could be seen ticking off their names on the list while also jotting down some additional unknown details. “Okay, class, looks like everyone is nearly here. As soon as the last few people arrive, we will be heading out of the gate. We have a long day ahead of us, and we will be splitting up into three groups.”
As Jin continued to explain the plan for the day, the last two students arrived, looking very out of breath.
“Really sorry we’re late, sir. Ploy decided to tell me he’d forgotten his satchel when we were already over halfway here.” The voice came from a short, red-haired girl. Her face was completely covered in freckles, and she had deep hazel eyes.
Following slightly behind her was Ploy. Only slightly taller than his twin sister, June, he was also covered in freckles with fiery red hair. The only real difference was that he had blue eyes and was a little on the larger side. His satchel looked to be about twice the size of his sister’s, and one could confidently guess the additional contents were likely snacks.
“Well, now that everyone is here, allow me to explain how today will work.” Moving toward the front of the group, Jin placed his clipboard into his briefcase and cleared his throat.
“As mentioned earlier, we will be splitting into three groups. As you all know, due to the incident last month with the mana crabs, we have an odd number of students. Therefore, we shall be splitting into three groups instead of our usual two.”
On every prior trip outside of the walls, the class had been split into two groups with three hunters each. It was usually considered far too dangerous for unassigned students to go out in such small numbers. However, the whole point of the physical exam was to prove that the students had the physical prowess to become hunters.
Jin continued to explain the test to the group. “Each of you will be required to collect one mana crystal from a monster you have slain and bring it back to the bastion. Given our past trips outside of the wall, I don’t imagine any of you will have a problem completing this task. There are, however, a few restrictions in place for this test.”
The students listened carefully. In past trips, there hadn’t been any restrictions, and they were encouraged to use whatever tactics were available to slay monsters. So far, this had consisted of the stronger classmates killing the monsters while the rest provided support. Ari actually held the all-time record for student monster kills at 13.
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Redd, so far, had been unable to kill a single monster on his own. The closest he had come was during the last class excursion. He had nearly killed a low F-tier core troll, but he had run out of mana before landing the killing blow. Ari had finished it off before it could overpower him. Due to Redd’s inability to circulate mana, he was stuck with his natural regeneration rate, which was average at best. There were other ways to recharge one’s mana, but those were beyond the reach of students.
“The restrictions are intended to make your test more realistic to the work of an actual hunter. It is not often that hunters head out alone, but it does happen. Therefore, the Guild places restrictions on the test to ensure it mirrors a real-world scenario.”
The fact that their teacher had yet to explain the restrictions made Redd very nervous. The detailed preamble led him to believe that they were likely very challenging.
“Firstly, the Guild-provided hunters will not be able to assist. They will only step in if they determine you are in life-threatening danger. Second, each student must get one kill on their own. No other team member can assist in the kill or weaken the monster beforehand. Finally, the Guild will provide you with two days’ worth of provisions for your test. You may share rations between team members as you see fit, but outside food will not be permitted and shall be confiscated before the start of the test.”
As the class began to chat quietly about the restrictions, the color drained from Ploy’s face, leaving him as white as a ghost. “Sir, if you don’t mind, may I ask a question?”
“You may.” Jin’s response seemed prepared. He had clearly anticipated a question from Ploy.
“You said we will have two days’ worth of supplies each, but…” Ploy trailed off, scared to continue his question. “The mountains where the test is—that’s two days away, isn’t it? We won’t have enough food to get back...”
“That is correct, Ploy. As a hunter, you will be expected to live off the environment around you, doing whatever it takes to survive. There is ample sustenance in the mountains for you to make your journey.”
This was obviously the answer Ploy had been expecting and didn’t want to hear. “Well, in that case, sir, I would like to opt out of the test. I think I’m better suited as a craftsman anyway.” The class began to snicker, as it was clear Ploy was joking.
“Sadly, Ploy, that is not an option. A genuine attempt at the test is required to graduate and receive your assessment. If you do not at least attempt the test, you will not be eligible for either role.”
Once again, the color drained from Ploy’s face.
“And to be clear, I do mean a genuine attempt. If the Guild believes you are giving anything but your best effort, you will fail and be pushed back a year.”
After this statement, the class went silent. The gravity of the teacher’s words began to sink in. At best, a failure would set them back one year. At worst, it could result in serious injury, maybe even death.
“Any further questions can be asked to your Guild-assigned hunter once your journey to the mountains begins. Groups 1 and 3 will head to the eastern mountain range, and Group 2 will head to the northern mountain range.”
Redd, Ari, Ploy, and June were placed into Group 2 along with one other student, Axel. Axel was from a known craftsman family and had an earth affinity. He usually kept to himself and spent most of his time in the workshop with his dad. This test was just a formality for him, as his family was well-known for their armor, and he had been helping to make it since he was a boy.
Each group was assigned two hunters who would keep their identities anonymous for the duration of the test. Groups 1 and 3 headed off to the eastern gate to begin their trek, while Redd’s group waited at the northern gate for the go-ahead.
Jin walked over to the northern gate towering above him. Placing his hand against an embedded mana crystal, he poured a small amount of mana into it.
A floating blue message appeared in front of the teacher:
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MANA SIGNATURE RECEIVED...
ACCESSING...
WELCOME, HUNTER JIN
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The large stone gate began to sink into the floor. Every time Redd saw this, he was amazed. The longer it sank, the faster it went, until only the top of the gate was visible, resting in line with the floor.
As the team began to move forward, Jin spoke one final time. “Good luck. You will need it. Remember, they will be watching.”