After a few weeks of training, I have gained better control of my sword. I wouldn't say that I'm a good swordsman; Edward could defeat me with one eye closed, but I am definitely much better than I was before. I've also picked up a few tricks regarding how to use my skills, understand my limitations, and how they can assist me in combat. Today is the day we will enter the portal. A minor problem arises: we only have three members, whereas we require five. Emma told us not to worry about it. Let's see what happens; maybe she has a few trustworthy friends who will join us. Edward and I walked toward the gate. When we arrived, we couldn't see Emma, just other groups standing in circles and talking to each other. Most groups had five members, while some had four, waiting for their last members to show up. Everyone was similarly dressed. The Academy provided basic armor and weapons for those without wealthy and powerful families to afford expensive gear. If you come from a rich family, you can visit academy shops and purchase stronger weapons and armor for yourself. If your family is powerful—like if your parents hold a leading position in one of the factions and are approved by the military—you can wear custom armor given to you by your family's faction. Usually, if your parents are strong hunters and part of a faction, students finishing the academy are guaranteed a spot in that faction, and they often join them. That's why, as I looked around, I noticed at least one person in each group had faction armor and weapons, which are much stronger than the store-bought gear here. There were also many cadets in basic gear, including Edward and me. We moved to a less populated area in the asphalt square, making ourselves visible enough for Emma to notice us. Edward patted my back to get my attention and nodded to the side, as if pointing toward something. When I turned my head, I saw a young man with his side facing us. He had short brown hair, and his thick eyebrows almost met between his eyes, giving him a unibrow. The most noticeable thing about him was his armor. It was gray, unlike the brown leather of the academy armor. His armor had gray plates, and you could see black clothing beneath it that seemed to be made from some kind of monster hide, featuring little spikes pointing outward. He had a sword hanging from his side, about the same length as mine. I didn't understand why Edward wanted to point him out to me, but then I noticed who he was speaking with: Eric stood right in front of him. Eric stood right in front of him.
"It's the big bad Adam, right?" I asked, turning my gaze from Adam to Edward.
Edward simply nodded and added, "We must be careful. I don't think he will come personally for us, as that would raise too much suspicion, but I'm sure he has someone to do the dirty work for him."
My big fight with Eric the Brute flashed in my mind, bringing with it thoughts of what I should have done differently. Just as I replayed the details of the fight, I noticed a new person joining our group. It was Emma, accompanied by two strangers. I had seen them in the cafeteria, but they didn't seem special. According to the information on their bracelets, they were just C ranks. Most of my attention was on Emma. She had a small, spear-like weapon on her back and wore bright white armor. The armor hugged her body, accentuating her strong physique, in contrast to Adam's, which was weighed down by heavy plates. While Emma's armor featured some additional plating, it was not so excessive as to appear bulky. She looked stunning in it.
"What faction are you part of?" I asked, scanning her from head to toe.
"It's called the First Light faction; it's one of the oldest ones and was founded during the darkest time of human history, hence the name," she explained, looking around and not paying me much attention.
Shortly after Emma joined us, Captain Brooke arrived. He didn't provide much information about what to do since every group received a map, there were instructors everywhere, and it had been the talk of the week, so he had little to add. He wished us a good hunt, and as I walked past him toward the portal, he noticed me and gave me one of his sinister smiles. Lately, I feel like everybody is against me. Upon arriving on the other side of the portal, the beauty of nature filled my body with its calming essence. It was a vast green grass field. It looked slightly different from Earth because I didn't recognize the flowers; they appeared similar, yet distinctly different. The flowers seemed to possess a distinct personality. When we arrived, they slowly turned toward us, undeterred by the wind blowing in a different direction. A few miles ahead of us stood a forest with enormous trees, far more majestic than those on Earth, and beyond them loomed towering mountains capped with snow. Our orders were explicit: we were not permitted to enter the forest. This was one of the established boundaries. They only allowed us to hunt in the grassland, which is home to large, rat-like monsters. As all the groups dispersed to hunt in their designated areas, Emma led us toward the forest and remarked,
"Everyone is hunting in the grasslands here; stronger groups even set up camps and stay overnight. We have a day or two to reach our destination." "What is our destination?" I inquired. "We'll go deep into the forest," she responded.
Walking through the forest gave me an uneasy feeling; the silence was creeping up on me. Usually, at least on Earth, you can hear birds singing or animals rustling in the distance, but here there was only silence. There was not a single sound from wildlife; only the rustling of leaves stirred by the wind could be heard. We had already been walking for a few hours, and each time I tried to open my mouth to ask where exactly we were going or who we were going to fight, Emma always hushed me and shot me an angry glare, so I decided it was wise to stay silent. If I think about it, the reason the forest on this side is so quiet seems obvious: a larger predator is driving away the weaker ones, and that same predator is the one we are here to hunt. A couple of hours later, we decided to set up a small camp to eat. I leaned against a broken tree engulfed by moss and watched as Edward devoured candy bar after candy bar, as if all the teeth in his mouth had a sweet tooth. When Edward finished his fourth candy bar, he noticed everyone staring at him.
"You guys want some?" he said, opening his bag to reveal it was filled with candy and water—no real food to be found here.
As everyone puzzled over how he was still alive on that diet, a loud howling sound from the distance pierced the forest's silence. Emma stood up, grabbed the spear on her back, and shook it; it expanded into a long silver spear in an instant. No questions were asked, as everyone understood from her action that we were close to the monster we came here to hunt.
Adrenaline surged through my body as we crept toward the howling sounds. This was going to be my first fight with a monster. Everyone was tense and quiet, even Edward, who had chocolate stains on his mouth. Emma, on the other hand, exuded calmness and composure, seemingly at ease in the situation. With each step we took, the howling grew louder, suggesting the monster was much closer than we had anticipated. After half an hour of walking toward the source of the noise, weapons drawn and nerves stretched to their limits, we finally encountered a massive hole in the ground. The walls were piled with stones, resembling a solid brick wall. The hole wasn't deep—perhaps just a few meters. I barely noticed the hole, as something horrific was busy devouring a dead four-legged creature nearby. Its body was ripped to shreds, making it impossible to identify the prey. The monster had gray skin and no fur. It stood on two long legs, resembling elongated rabbit feet, with three toes that ended in sharp nails. Its head was bald and round, and there were only a few drops of blood, far fewer than the splatters that covered its legs and arms. Its arms were long, almost reaching the ground, with patches of white fur at the elbows. Its hands resembled human hands, but with long, sharp nails that it used to tear into the body before it.
We slowly jumped into the hole, attempting to launch a sneak attack. Just a few steps in, he raised his head, and the sound of sniffing reached our ears. He didn't turn around; instead, his head twisted 180 degrees, and folds appeared on his neck. His face was devoid of a nose, featuring only two slits in its place, along with black eyes and a bloody mouth filled with sharp teeth. Without hesitation, he charged at us. He didn't take the time to correct his body position; instead, he ran toward us with his face still turned backward, facing his back at us. While sprinting in a straight line, he leaped slightly into the air to adjust his posture. Upon landing, he executed an impossible turn, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he dashed toward one of Emma's friends, his speed blinding and his angles defying logic, making an impossible leap toward Emma's friend. Emma's friend stared in shock as the monster sprinted toward him backward. Moments later, his lifeless body crumpled to the ground, and the monster loomed behind him, its hands dripping with fresh blood.
Before I could process what had just happened, he locked eyes with me and charged in the same manner. This time, before he could reach full speed, a shiny spear flew toward him, piercing his lower body. However, that didn't seem to faze him; he had a goal in mind and continued moving toward me, albeit at a slower pace—one I could react to. I pointed my sword at him, and just as I was about to make contact, a large two-handed sword flashed in my peripheral vision. I saw Edward charging at the monster, managing to slice off one of its feet with his momentum while narrowly dodging a swipe from its claws. While the monster was busy countering Edward's attack, I lunged at him and plunged my sword into his chest, quickly ducking to avoid any retaliatory strikes. With a spear embedded in his lower body, my sword in his chest, and one leg lying a few feet behind him, he stood still for a moment before beginning to twist and shake violently. First, the spear clattered to the ground, then my sword, but where was his missing leg? Another leg sprouted in its place within seconds. It was regenerating and adapting in ways I had never seen before. Within seconds his body was healed, and he turned his head again 180 degrees, his neck twisting unnaturally as he locked eyes with me. His eyes glowed with anger, a fiery rage that chilled my spine. I saw that this creature was not bound by the same mortality laws as I was; it was a manifestation of something more sinister, and he doesn't go down easy. Panic surged through me as I realized this creature was far from defeated; it was only just beginning to fight back.