[3rd POV]
The exam has been underway for about six hours, and most participants have covered a distance of 13–15 kilometers. Several teams have already been eliminated, having had the misfortune of encountering groups of monsters that were far too strong for them.
"Viera! How about we form an alliance with another team?" said a short man with brown hair. This was Piers—a member of the Disciplinary Committee. "Did you see those monsters? I don't think the two of us will last long out here alone!"
Viera, the archer from the Disciplinary Committee, was resting in the tent she had pitched. Sweat poured down her body; the searing heat of the sun and the previous skirmishes with monsters had left her utterly exhausted.
"Ugh... shut up, Piers," Viera complained, irritated by her partner's voice. "I'm not interested in allying with just anyone. Who knows when they'll turn around and betray us?"
During the first stage, Viera had barely qualified for the second. This was because her team's alliance had betrayed them at the very last second, stealing her team's crystals and resulting in the elimination of two of her teammates.
"Well... you have a point," Piers said, sitting back down in his tent. "Maybe we should ally with other committee members?"
This time, Viera didn't immediately dismiss the idea. "I suppose that's a good plan, but we have no idea where they are right now."
Piers reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper, showing it to Viera. "Look, Viera! I have a map of this desert!"
Viera sat up instantly and moved closer to him. "Huh? Where did you get that?" she asked, eyes scanning the drawing.
"I bought it from one of the caravans in the city," Piers answered. "They said their group crosses this desert frequently and they use this map to avoid areas with high monster concentrations!"
"Hmm... so, which route should we take?" Viera asked, her map-reading skills being somewhat lacking.
"This map only shows us how to avoid monsters in the outer desert," Piers explained. "However, we have to pass through the abandoned city to reach the finish line, and there will likely be plenty of monsters there."
Viera thought for a moment. "We'd better hurry to the urban area and find our fellow committee members then."
"Huh? Why not just head straight for the finish line if we get that far?" Piers asked, confused.
"I don't know, Piers. I just have a bad feeling that we're going to face a lot of trouble in that city."
***
[Ariel POV]
Hot, tired, and terrified.
That is exactly what I feel right now.
My partner and I have been running for quite some time through this parched wasteland. We were attacked by a pack of horrific monsters, and we are currently fleeing from them.
"Hey! If we don't do something, those things are going to catch us sooner or later!" my teammate shouted, clearly out of breath.
I felt the same way...
I didn't realize how difficult it would be to survive without friends constantly there to protect me. But the me of today is different from before.
Stopping in my tracks, I turned to face the monster chasing us.
—Groarrr!
The two-meter-tall beast roared, baring its claws and sharp fangs.
"Hey, what are you doing? Run! The two of us can't kill that thing!" my partner yelled without stopping.
No... I promised I wouldn't be a burden to my team anymore.
"Sealing Magic: Divine Chain!"
A magic circle appeared at the monster's feet. Chains erupted from the ground and bound its legs, forcing it to a halt.
"But simply holding it back isn't enough."
Yes... I have to kill it.
I know it feels wrong, but if I don't do this, someone else will become the victim, and I will be just as guilty for ignoring the threat. Activating my magic again, the chains that bound its legs began to coil around its entire body.
"Crush..."
The chains tightened further and further until the monster's body was eventually crushed. Blood splattered across the dry, barren earth.
"Huh? Why didn't you use that magic from the start!?" my teammate demanded, looking angry. "We wouldn't have had to run ourselves ragged if you had just used it earlier!"
I ignored the comment and resumed walking. He was right back then; I can't always rely on friends to protect me. There will come a time when I must be able to protect myself and others—just like right now.
***
[Valeria POV]
Ugh... we've been walking for almost nine hours and we've only covered about 27 kilometers. Will I really be the first to reach the finish line?
The day is growing dark; my pocket watch shows it's nearly 6:00 PM.
"Let's stay the night here, Valeria."
I stopped upon hearing the man's voice.
"Huh? Why? There's still time before night truly falls."
Why stop now? With the remaining light, we could walk at least another two or three kilometers.
"We are heading deeper into the desert; it's better to use the remaining time to scout the perimeter and ensure our resting spot is safe from roaming packs," the man reasoned.
"That's only a problem for you," I countered, continuing my stride. "I can set up a barrier that keeps monsters away within a twenty-meter radius."
Yes... I had learned a first-tier barrier spell that could keep Level 4 monsters and below from entering my tent. This spell requires fifteen minutes of preparation and lasts until morning.
"I don't want to stop now. I want to finish in first place."
I didn't want to end up at the bottom of the rankings again like the first exam. My point tally was low, and if this kept up, my academy rank would drop.
"Is that so? Fine then, I'll catch up with you tomorrow," the man said, his voice fading as the distance between us grew.
I have to keep going, at least until nightfall.
Around here, all I can see is barren land for as far as the eye can reach. Honestly, where is that man going to sleep, considering he has no camping gear at all? But remembering how expertly he used the geography during our fight in the first stage, I suppose he knows the ins and outs of this place somehow.
If I recall correctly, I heard that caravans from the land of Kuwalid have maps for safe routes through this desert. I didn't see any of them while we were in Fort Raidel. Does he have one? If so, I'd want to see it to pick the fastest route.
But I'm reluctant to ask for his help. I want to show him that I am better than him at something. This is my revenge for him crushing my team in the first exam.
After walking for a while longer, I turned back to look where I had left him. There was nothing but a vast expanse of wasteland and dust blowing in the wind. It was eerily silent.
"The sun is almost down," I murmured, looking at the horizon. "I should start setting up the tent."
Dropping my backpack, I pitched my tent on the barren ground. Once finished, I began writing runes into the dirt using mana. A greenish glow appeared. After creating four magic formulas around the tent, I drew a circular line to connect them all.
"Four Shield Barrier..."
A translucent dome appeared, sealing off the twenty-meter area around my tent.
"Fiuuhhh... with this, I can sleep peacefully even if a horde comes this way."
After a quick dinner, I tried to sleep to recover my energy for tomorrow. "Today was exhausting..."
I just hope the weather in the urban area isn't this hot. It didn't take long for exhaustion to take over, and I drifted off to sleep.
.
.
.
Ugh... what time is it?
I woke up and opened my eyes. Sunlight flickering through the tent flaps roused me from my slumber. Stretching my arms, I noticed a cute little scorpion walking on my left hand.
"Hello, Mr. Scorpion. How did you get in here?"
Looking closer, the cute scorpion had a tail with a pink pattern. It had a distinct little horn, just like the creatures I'd read about in monster encyclopedias.
"...!"
I immediately flung the scorpion away after realizing that creature was one of the most dangerous insects for mages. Checking my arm, I saw a small red dot on my wrist.
"This can't be happening, right...?"
I rushed out of the tent and immediately tried to activate my magic.
"Fire Ball!"
"Wind Blow!"
"Earth Missile!"
I tried several spells, but not a single one worked.
"That was a Pinktail Scorpion! How did that insect get past my barrier!?"
I then noticed several small holes in the ground around my tent. My barrier only blocked objects entering from the surface.
"Oh, Goddess Diana... why must I have such bad luck?"
The venom from a Pinktail Scorpion's sting freezes a person's mana circuit, rendering them unable to use magic for a full day.
"Ughhh... how am I supposed to survive monster attacks without my magic?"