In one mont, Zaroth was standing in the auditorium, and in the next, he found himself in a vast field. Looking down, he noticed so kind of circle—was it a rune? It was beginning to disappear. It was probably the residual effect of the teleportation magic.
"Who is strong enough to transport so many people just like that?" he wondered. It wasn't Elysia because it didn't look like she did anything, so it must an there was another powerful teacher in the academy, or maybe there was sothing else that Zaroth was yet unable to grasp...
The students began chatting with one another. So were excited,
"I can't wait! I'm telling you, I'll catch an Uncommon beast all by myself!" said the clearly excited man.
"I doubt it, mate," his friend imdiately replied, doubting his friend's words.
Others were exhausted and anxious,
"We're first years! How the hell are we supposed to compete against the third and fourth years? They're on another level!" cried a first-year woman.
"I know, right?! Especially the Princess and her entire team. I heard each of her party mbers is strong enough to kill a Rare beast all by themselves!" her friend agreed on the spot.
"How the hell do you compete against that?"
It wasn't an understatent to say the chatter was growing quite loud.
"SILENCE!"
With a single word from Elysia, everyone fell quiet in the blink of an eye.
"This is where the camp is," she began. "I know you were expecting more, but this is all you get. Everyone will be provided with tents, but you'll have to build them yourselves. Whether you choose to build them here at the camp or sowhere in the forest, that's up to you."
She turned and pointed at a few large tents that had already been set up.
"This is where you'll find and the other teachers, should the need for help arise. This is also where the infirmary is located. If you get injured, you can co here for treatnt—though it will cost you credits, and the price will be twice the usual amount. That is all."
There was a mont of silence until a woman, who seed slightly older than most of the other students—likely a fourth-year—spoke up.
"What about food, water, and other basic necessities, ma'am?"
Elysia shifted her gaze to the girl, smiling as she replied,
"Ah, Princess, this is a hunting competition, you know? 'Hunting.' So, you'll act like real hunters and acquire those necessities for yourselves."
She then added, "Of course, you can request such things from us, but doing so will disqualify your team. Do with that information what you will."
With that, the chairwoman turned her back on the students, leaving them to fend for themselves.
*****
Elysia was sitting in her chair, lost in thought, sipping coffee.
Suddenly, the delicate cup cracked and exploded.
"That fucking bastard!" she muttered under her breath. "I knew the emperor was insane, but to try to deal with the problem by using the students—fucking pathetic."
She threw the broken cup aside and grabbed so docunts, beginning to read through the information on her students. Her gaze stopped on a few individuals.
One of these individuals was one of the princesses studying at their academy, along with the mbers of her team. They were probably going to get the highest score in this competition.
Her gaze then moved to a few other teams. It seed everyone considered extraordinary had decided to take the challenge as a team—especially…
Her gaze stopped on a certain docunt for a special team: Zaroth, Zack, Roran, and Lily.
"These three are the ones that battled for quite so ti with Zaroth in the duel room… curious… we are missing a lot of information. Not just Zaroth, who ca from outside the capital… these three as well… especially the girl—why does she look so familiar? Have I seen her sowhere?"
Sensing a shadow waiting at the entrance of her tent, she stored the docunts and spoke coldly,
"Enter."
A tall man with brown hair and green eyes entered and bowed slightly.
"Roderic, how did the mission go?" Elysia asked him with cold eyes. She was still irritated by how he had let the students get so close to death during their duel.
"I dug up so information and… the news is not pleasant," he spoke, his voice tired, as were his eyes. "There have already been three teams sent into the forest. All of them have disappeared, lost contact—no one knows what happened to them."
Elysia's eyes beca even colder. "I see. You can take a rest."
Roderic bowed again before exiting.
"Just you wait…" Elysia gritted her teeth. "Soon, the ti to answer for your cris will co, emperor!"
*****
A man with dry, cracked skin was sitting on the ground, gently massaging the back fur of his three-headed beast as it tore through the corpses of the next unfortunate victims who dared to cross its path.
"Are they getting desperate? They're sending stronger and stronger warriors to stop us, yet all have failed." Foam dripped from the corners of his mouth as he spoke, his eyes wide and unfocused.
Suddenly, the beast stopped eating, raising its three heads and looking into the distance as blood from its victims fell from its mouth to the ground.
A giant, bird-like creature with tallic feathers—painted red by the blood of its enemies—landed close to them, also staring into the distance.
"Hm? You say that you feel a few thousand people have appeared on the other side of the forest, as if they got teleported?"
The beast grunted as if agreeing.
"I see… so you want to devour them next? Sure, if that's what you wish for."
A tired laugh escaped the mouth of the man as he began walking forward, stepping over the mutilated bodies of his enemies. "If that's your wish, we will massacre them all!"
The beast grunted as it began walking forward, while the bird-like creature produced clicking noises as it flapped its massive wings, taking flight into the sky.
"We will kill them all. We will not spare a single one!"
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