A week had passed since the first training.
That morning, the atmosphere in class 1-B felt more serious than usual. Instructor Van stood in front, staring at all the students with his typical straight face.
"Simulation... what?" asked one of the students from behind, breaking the silence.
Van answered without hesitation. "Survival simulation. Duration: two hours. Location: forest east of the school."
The class immediately fell silent. No one spoke. Even Damian, who was just about to take a cheese sandwich from his bag, fell silent. His hand stopped in its tracks.
Van continued. "Each team consists of four people. You are free to form your own team. Your mission is simple: eliminate all other teams. The team that is still intact when time runs out wins."
Damian slowly withdrew his hand, then put his bread back into his bag. His face was blank, his eyes staring straight ahead.
There was no sound. All the students seemed to be well aware. This simulation... would not be easy.
A few seconds after the announcement was finished, the hall immediately turned into a sea of voices.
"Eh, let's team up, let's team up!"
"Not with him, he's weak!"
"I want to be with Kyle!"
"It's okay, as long as it's not that guy..."
The atmosphere was chaotic. Everyone was busy looking for a team, pulling each other, and some even started arguing in the corner of the room. Meanwhile, Damian just stood in the corner of the room, a little confused by the sudden chaotic situation. His eyes wandered around, looking for one person he could rely on. Not long after, Liam appeared from beside Damian, his face as serious as usual, while carrying a large map roll in his hand.
"I've marked the safe spots, escape routes, and possible traps made by the teacher," Liam said quickly, without further ado.
Damian looked at him, a little surprised. "You don't even know who our team is yet," he said.
But Liam just looked at Damian with full confidence. "It's decided. I'll always be by your side, no matter what happens."
Damian was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay... so one is safe."
Even though the situation was chaotic, at least he knew that Liam was always by his side.
Several minutes passed. One by one, the teams began to form, and the atmosphere in the hall slowly returned to calm. However, for Damian, fate seemed to be on his side. When everyone had found their teams, he was still standing with the remaining students.
Beside him was Liam, who, as usual, remained standing with a serious expression.
On Damian's right side, an elf girl with short light green hair sat quietly in the corner of the room. Her expression was flat, almost emotionless. Her name was Rin Avelyne. A commoner, quiet, and known to have precision wind magic. Unfortunately, she couldn't fight at close range at all.
Meanwhile, across from them stood another girl with a very contrasting appearance. Elegant red hair, an arrogant pose with crossed arms, and a displeased expression clearly displayed on her face. Tessa Varnett is a true noble. Bitchy, arrogant, and from everyone's expressions before... it seemed that no one wanted to be on the same team as her.
Tessa stared at her group with an expression of disbelief.
"Is this a joke? I'm on the same team as... a commoner?" she said sarcastically.
Rin looked depressed, her voice small as she answered. "U-um... sorry..."
Before the atmosphere could get any more awkward, Liam, who was standing quietly, immediately spoke up. "If you want to leave the team," he said flatly but firmly, "go ahead. But I can't guarantee your safety afterward."
Tessa immediately glared. "...WHAT?!"
Damian quickly raised his hand, trying to calm the atmosphere. "Okay, enough. None of us asked for this group. But rather than not joining at all, it's better if we try to work together, right?"
Rin immediately nodded quickly, seeming to agree even though nervously. Tessa sighed loudly, clearly unhappy, but had no other choice.
Liam, as usual, bowed politely. "Yes, Sir Damian."
And with that, the team that looked like a collection of "leftovers" was officially formed. Damian could only stare at the three people around him, thinking to himself. "Honestly... this is a bit worrying."
30 minutes later — Zephyrus Training Forest
Damian's team arrived at the western part of the forest. The huge trees towered high, and thick fog covered their vision. The atmosphere was quiet and tense. Each team was spread out in different locations, and when everything was ready, the sound of magic booming echoed loudly from the sky.
BOOOMM!!
The loud sound made the ground tremble. A moment later, a magical voice sounded from the sky, explaining the simple but severe rules.
"Two hours start. Eliminate all opponents. Anyone who faints, leave the arena."
As soon as the command began, Liam immediately moved quickly. He so determine the route seriously, as if he had prepared it long ago.
Meanwhile, Rin looked panicked. Nervously, she could only blow wind magic towards the leaves around her, unsure of what to do.
Tessa, unlike them, stood on a rock in the most graceful manner she could muster. She crossed her arms and announced confidently, "I will be the captain."
Damian, who was sitting casually by the tree, only glanced lazily at her. "Okay. But... do we have a plan?"
Tessa was silent for a moment before finally admitting, "...No."
Liam wasted no time in speaking up. "I have seven."
Rin, who still looked nervous, added quietly, "...I have one... but it's just a theory."
Damian took a deep breath. He knew this situation wasn't ideal, but at least they had something to start with. "Okay. Liam, you handle the strategy. Tessa, you support from behind. Rin, keep a safe distance. And I..." Damian smiled faintly, "Will be the first to get hit if we get ambushed."
Although it sounded relaxed, deep down, Damian himself wasn't entirely sure about the impromptu plan. But as usual, he chose to stay calm and face everything in his own way.
That was Damian's style of leading a calm improvisation without panicking... even though in truth, he wasn't sure what would happen next.
After twenty minutes of exploring the forest, it was still quiet. There were no signs of other teams around them. However, the sounds of fighting could be heard from a distance, proving that a conflict had started somewhere else.
Rin, who was walking beside Damian, stopped for a moment and closed her eyes. She felt the direction of the wind, trying to read the situation. "Team 1-A is probably to the east," she said softly, but clearly enough for everyone to hear.
Tessa, on the other hand, seemed calmer. She snapped her fingers and created a small fire. The fire moved and spread around them as a detector. "If anyone approaches, I will know first," she said confidently.
Meanwhile, Liam focused on preparing protection. He loaded his gun with bullets, then coated it with mana to make it stronger.
Damian?
He sat relaxed near a large tree, finally able to enjoy the cheese sandwich that had been postponed for a while. With a satisfied expression, he chewed slowly while watching his three colleagues, who looked very serious.
Everyone seemed to have their own role. Even though there were no real signs of danger, they all knew that in this simulation, the calm would not last long.
Suddenly, an explosion was heard from the bushes.
BOOOMMM!
A fire bullet shot fast, heading straight for them. Liam reacted as fast as lightning, immediately firing his gun at the fire bullet to block the attack. "We're under attack!" he shouted quickly.
From behind the bushes, four people appeared. They were the opposing team. Two people carried spears, one used fire magic, and the other looked ready with ground magic.
Tessa immediately took over. "Step back. I'll handle two of them."
She raised her hand, and thin red flames shot out, forming a rope of fire that shot fast towards the opponent's spear. In an instant, the fire wrapped around and burned the spear handle until it broke.
ZRAAK!
Their spears were destroyed instantly, making their owners surprised and lose their balance.
Meanwhile, Rin moved quickly. She directed her wind magic at the fire magic user. In an instant, a strong wind blew and disrupted the opponent's magic before it could be released.
On the other hand, Liam advanced to the front line. With his neat and effective close-range fighting technique, he managed to take down one opponent in just a few steps.
Damian didn't sit still either. He froze one of the enemy's legs, making them immobile. He quickly created a large ice wall behind them, trapping the remaining enemies.
It only took a few moments before all members of the opposing team were eliminated.
One team was defeated.
Damian stood up, catching his breath. "We only won one, and we're already exhausted," he complained half-jokingly.
But Tessa quickly rebutted. "You were sitting down."
Damian shrugged casually. "Well, that's why I'm not tired."
Although the atmosphere had calmed down a bit, everyone knew that this was just the beginning. There were still many other teams in the forest, and they had to stay alert.
Time was ticking. There were only thirty minutes left before the simulation ended.
Of all the teams that were initially scattered in the forest, only two remained: Damian's team and one other team, known as the most dangerous group in their class.
Liam, who was always on guard, immediately informed his team. He turned to Damian in a serious tone.
"The last team must be Kyle Ardent," he whispered softly but firmly. "He has strong fire magic and martial arts skills. Very dangerous."
Damian, on the other hand, looked relaxed. He even smiled faintly and leaned against a nearby tree. "Oh, the one in second place?" he asked casually.
Liam looked at him, a little surprised. "Did you forget him?"
Damian just shrugged. "kinda… by the way, I remember my cheese sandwich ."
Liam was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath. "...You really don't have a clear priority, Mr. Damian."
Despite the serious situation, the atmosphere between them remained light. But everyone knew that the toughest battle was just about to begin.
The final battle finally began.
From behind the bushes, Kyle Ardent appeared calmly. His red hair was striking, and a sinister smile appeared on his face. He stood confidently, like the final boss, ready to face his last opponent.
"As expected. You're the last one, Damian," Kyle said, looking directly at him.
Damian stood up slowly. His face was flat, as if he wasn't under any pressure at all.
"Uh, yeah. Hello," he replied casually.
Kyle frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with that reaction. "Show me... that you're worthy of being called my rival."
Damian turned his head, slightly confused. "I never said that," he said honestly.
But Kyle remained serious. His face turned stern as he shouted. "I WANT TO FIGHT YOU!!"
As soon as those words came out, the fight broke out.
Without warning, everyone immediately got ready. Mana and magic auras began to fill the air, signaling the start of a major battle between the last two teams.
The fight broke out.
Tessa immediately moved to face one of Kyle's team members. She raised her hand, then shot a thin flame that formed a heat wave around her opponent's feet. The fire burned lightly and forced the opponent to stop moving, although the difference in strength made the opponent manage to break the attack and break forward. Even so, Tessa remained and tried to buy time while keeping her distance.
On the other hand, Rin moved from a distance. She continued to release wind magic to help suppress the opponent and provide support.
Meanwhile, Liam was involved in a fierce duel against someone with sword skills. With neat movements and fast tactics, Liam managed to lock his opponent's movements, making him unable to move freely.
Damian himself faced Kyle directly.
Ice against fire.
CLANG!
Damian's ice sword froze the ground when the impact occurred. Kyle punched with his right hand, covered in fire, forcing Damian to jump back. Quickly, Damian created a layer of slippery ice under Kyle's feet.
Kyle slipped.
Seeing an opportunity, Damian immediately threw an ice spike towards Kyle's weapon.
KLANG! Kyle's weapon bounced to the side.
Damian took a breath and smiled casually.
"You're serious. This is just training," he commented.
Kyle paused for a moment. His gaze turned sharp.
"...You really don't consider me a rival, huh?"
Damian just grinned. "If you want, go ahead."
Without saying much, Kyle immediately shot forward, fire enveloping his body. But before he could approach Damian, Rin and Tessa suddenly moved quickly.
They immediately combined their magic. Rin blew a strong wind towards Tessa, causing Tessa's fire to be carried away and form a fast-moving vortex of fire.
In an instant, the fire wrapped Kyle's body from both sides like a hot snare that restrained his movement.
ZRAKK!
Kyle was trapped, surrounded by a vortex of fire and wind pressing from various directions, making it difficult for him to move.
"W-WHAT IS THIS?! YOU LOSERRR DAMIAN!" Kyle shouted, frustrated as he tried to fight back.
On the other hand, Damian just chuckled and responded casually, "Please don't say that kinda stuff when you're locked up like a roasted chicken." While Kyle continued to struggle to break free, Damian's team stood still. Their teamwork turned out to be much stronger than anyone had imagined.
A loud sound echoed throughout the forest.
TIME UP.
In an instant, the entire area fell silent. The wind stopped blowing, and the tension that filled the air seemed to disappear.
Damian's team stood in the middle of the forest, the only team still intact.
A moment later, a light appeared in the sky. Instructor Van floated down calmly, looking down at them from above before clapping his hands softly.
"Simulation complete. Winner: Damian's Team," he said briefly and firmly.
Damian could only smile faintly. It was still hard to believe that they had actually made it through all that.
Tessa sat on the ground, catching her breath. Her face looked tired, but her eyes still showed disbelief.
"...We... won?" she said in a low voice.
Not far from her, Rin was already half unconscious. His breathing was heavy, and his body was barely able to stand.
Meanwhile, Liam looked the calmest. He sat relaxed while lighting a small campfire from the remaining branches. With a serious face, he opened a small bag and began to prepare something.
Damian just shook his head slowly and laughed tiredly. "We're... crazy," he commented.
Without changing his expression, Liam held up a bottle of brightly colored liquid. "I've prepared a recovery drink," he said casually.
They all fell silent for a moment, then finally chuckled. Although tired, there was an unconcealed sense of satisfaction on each of their faces. The fight was tough, but they managed to get through it together.
After that, they went back to school with Liam carrying a really exhausted Rin behind him.