They started following the noble duo, keeping an eye out for monsters nearby.
They were waiting for a particular setup—one where the nobles would already be fighting a monster so they could lure another one in and let chaos take care of the rest.
After fifteen minutes, the stage was finally set.
The nobles spotted a monster and prepared to engage, while Alex went off to scout for another creature to bring into the fray. Before long, he found a Blazetail Lizard, a beast known for its dangerous fire whip ability—the very trait that gave it its name.
Now came the hard part: luring it in without revealing himself as the culprit.
Luckily, monsters were predictable in one aspect—they hunted by scent. The smell of raw meat was irresistible to most. Alex used some flesh from a previously slain lizard, tossing pieces bit by bit to draw the creature toward the nobles' battle. Each toss brought it closer, its fiery tail flickering through the underbrush.
When the Blazetail was finally close enough, Alex tossed one last piece of meat into the clearing.
The monster followed the scent eagerly and soon spotted the ongoing fight. Its instincts kicked in. With a hiss, it lashed its tail forward, unleashing a fiery whip of destruction.
*"Crack!" The whip struck a noble who wasn't looking. The man's spine caved inward, bones fracturing under the immense force as the fire singed his flesh.*
"AAAH!" screamed the now-paralyzed noble before disappearing in a flash of light—the bracelet's safety mechanism triggering once the damage exceeded its limit.
"What the hell?!" the other noble shouted, his eyes darting around in panic as the new threat appeared.
Now it was one against two—or so he thought. The monsters, however, didn't discriminate. They turned on each other just as fiercely as they did on him.
He tried to intervene, casting small lightning bolts toward them, but both beasts turned on him instantly. He raised an Earth Wall in desperation. The fire lizard circled around and lashed its tail again. The noble countered with Stone Shield—it shattered into pieces but managed to absorb most of the blow.
Before he could react, a chill crawled up his spine.
The Frostling Fox, the original opponent, leapt from the side and exhaled a freezing mist before lunging with its fangs.
*The fox's bite sank deep into his shoulder. The impact didn't knock him down, but it tore a bloody chunk of flesh, and crimson quickly soaked his uniform.*
The noble screamed, his movements now sluggish from the frost.
Then came the Blazetail's next move. It spun rapidly, gathering momentum for another attack.
*The fiery whip struck between his femur, fracturing it instantly. The continued motion swept him off his feet, slamming him headfirst into the dirt. A hollow crack echoed as his skull hit the ground, and the noble vanished as his bracelet activated.*
The monsters, now alone, continued fighting each other until both were barely standing.
Alex waited until that perfect moment. He extended his hand, summoning sharp winds that shimmered in the air.
"Windslicer Barrage."
A flurry of cutting blades burst forward, tearing through the clearing. Fourteen blades in all sliced through both beasts and the terrain alike, ending the brutal brawl in seconds.
And so, the first act of retaliation against the system began.
Over the following hours, Alex and Marc hunted down nobles, setting up ambushes, manipulating monsters, and "helping" their enemies get disqualified one by one.
They became frighteningly efficient. Within hours, fifteen nobles had been removed from the test, each through "accidents" that left no proof.
When they finally stopped to recover mana, they hid beneath the roots of an enormous tree, breathing heavily.
"Haah! It feels good to take revenge," Alex said, exhaling a laugh. His eyes gleamed with manic satisfaction. For the first time in months, he felt alive—vindicated.
Marc, however, didn't share the same joy. He sat quietly, staring at the forest floor, lost in thought. His dream had always been to protect people, not to hurt them.
Yes, taking down the first nobles had brought him satisfaction—righteous fury, even—but the feeling faded with each new victim. By the fifth one, his sense of justice was giving way to guilt.
Finally, he spoke. "Hey, Alex… I think we need to stop. We already got plenty of revenge."
"Why?" Alex shot back, his brows furrowing. "We've just started. There's still plenty of time left—and the night is long."
"I think you're taking your hate too far, Alex," Marc said carefully. "I get that you're angry—you should be—but some of those nobles we took down never even looked your way. You're starting to enjoy this too much."
Alex's face darkened. He stood abruptly, his fists trembling.
"You think I'm taking it too far? And what about you, huh?! Three months, Marc! Three months of being treated like trash, humiliated, ignored—and now you want to stop?" His voice rose, sharp and bitter.
"Look," he continued, taking a breath, "you might be fine letting them spit on you, but I'm not. I won't let them look down on me—or you. I'll keep fighting back, with or without your help."
Marc opened his mouth to reply, but a distant roar cut through the air. Both of them froze.
The sounds of battle echoed from deeper within the forest. They exchanged glances, and without a word, moved toward it.
Leaves brushed against their arms as they ran, branches snapping beneath their boots. When they arrived, they found a young girl locked in combat with a massive gorilla-like monster.
The beast's arms were wrapped in vines that crackled with lightning. Stones floated around its feet, shifting as it stomped—a clear sign of dual-elemental control.
"An advanced monster…" Alex muttered, eyes narrowing.
Then he noticed the girl's outfit—simple sportswear, sturdy but cheap. Definitely not noble-made.
She was a commoner.
But not just any commoner.
She was the only commoner in Class A.
Marc tapped Alex's arm urgently, his expression saying everything his mouth didn't.
He wanted to help her.
Alex nodded silently. Whatever anger or bitterness filled him, it wasn't directed at her.
Together, they stepped out of hiding, ready to join the fight.