The soft morning sunlight filtered through the dense forest surrounding the outer edge of the city. The atmosphere was calm and peaceful, broken only by the occasional chirping of birds—contrasting starkly with the sound of many footsteps converging at the special training area. Today was the first time the students would experience a real monster hunt.
Once everyone had gathered, the instructor stepped forward and spoke clearly and loudly.
"Is everyone here? I'll begin by explaining the objective of today's training."
The area fell silent immediately.
"Today, you'll be hunting real monsters. We've received authorization from the royal court to use the outer forest as a special training zone. This is a great opportunity for you to gain real-life experience. I want all of you to prioritize safety above all else. Understood?"
"Yes, sir/ma'am!" the students responded in unison.
"Now, divide into the teams that were submitted in advance. As for the hunting zone, you are only permitted within a 40-kilometer radius from this assembly point, and may only hunt monsters up to rank B. The total training time is five hours. The team that hunts the most monsters—and of the highest rank—will receive bonus points for each member. Good luck, everyone."
As the instructor finished speaking, some groups immediately rushed into the forest while others stayed behind to plan. Kairos' team was among the latter.
"What should we do first?" asked Sera, the team's strategist.
Reinhardt smirked slyly.
"Are you serious, Sera? We've got both the first and second top students in our team. None of us are pushovers. If we go all out, we could probably handle a rank A monster too."
His words might've sounded arrogant, but they weren't entirely wrong.
Sera replied sharply,
"That may be true, but recklessness usually ends badly. If we're really that capable, there's no reason to rush in without a plan. Plenty of other teams are still here... or are you just afraid you won't keep up?"
Her cutting remark silenced the group.
(Sera might seem quiet normally, but when she gets sharp-tongued, no one can stand against her…) Fiona sighed inwardly.
Kairos quickly stepped in to diffuse the tension.
"Let's follow Sera's suggestion, Reinhardt. She's not wrong."
Reinhardt shrugged, his voice thick with sarcasm. "Fine, then go ahead and tell us your brilliant plan, genius. But I still say charging in quickly is more efficient than sitting around making complex strategies. All we have to do is assess our own strength. Unless we're fighting an S-rank monster, we'll be fine. This is just B-rank... or are you scared?"
The mood grew tense again.
(Ugh… this is going nowhere fast.) Fiona thought, holding her head before standing up and speaking firmly.
"That's enough from both of you. Sera, explain the plan. Reinhardt, sometimes taking just a few minutes to strategize can significantly improve efficiency—and reduce risk. You need to learn to work as part of a team. And Sera, you should be more flexible. There won't always be time to plan everything in detail. The kind of quick assessment Reinhardt mentioned is important too. The best thing is to consider both perspectives."
Fiona's calm and confident tone silenced everyone.
Kairos glanced at her, impressed.
(She's a natural leader...)
Soon after, both Sera and Reinhardt made peace.
"I'm sorry. I was too harsh," Sera said sincerely.
"No worries. I was out of line too," Reinhardt replied with a casual smile.
After agreeing on a plan, the team set out on their hunt. Sera coordinated their formation with precision, ensuring smooth transitions between offense and defense. Meanwhile, Kairos used his keen senses to detect monster locations, enabling efficient and accurate hunting.
After some time, they paused under a large tree.
"We've gathered a good number of monster cores. We should head back now," Reinhardt suggested.
Everyone nodded in agreement and prepared to leave—until Kairos suddenly froze, his expression tense.
"...I hear someone calling for help."
Everyone stopped and looked at Kairos, who had closed his eyes to focus.
"The sound's coming from deep in the forest—around six kilometers beyond the allowed radius. Looks like a team ventured out to chase high-ranking monsters…"
"I'll go help them," Kairos said at once.
"The rest of you, go report to the instructor. I'll be faster on my own—"
"No!!" Fiona's sudden shout startled everyone, including Kairos.
No one had ever heard her yell so loudly before.
"You're not going alone! I won't let you take that kind of risk!"
Her eyes were filled with both determination and a trembling fear—as if she were terrified of something.
"But I can handle it. Really, Fiona."
"No!"
"But—"
"I said no!!!"
Kairos paused, then let out a soft sigh.
"Alright. You're coming with me, then. The rest of you, hurry back and report to the instructor."
Everyone nodded and dashed off toward the gathering point, leaving only Kairos and Fiona to head into the forest depths.
As they ran, Kairos glanced at Fiona. Though she tried to look serious, her eyes betrayed a deep fear and pain.
He didn't understand what she was so afraid of... but right now, saving lives came first.