Arc 1 Chapter 50 : Assassins

[3rd PoV]

Day had already turned to night, yet not a single participant had obtained the crystal at the center of the forest. They were still struggling against the endless waves of monsters.

At the western edge of the forest, a female mage could be seen fleeing from five wolf-like monsters.

Her body was drenched in cold sweat, her breathing ragged, her vision beginning to blur. She had already exhausted every last drop of mana in her endless battle against the monsters hunting her.

"Hah... hah... please... let me out of this forest..."

At this point, she was no longer running toward the center of the forest but back toward the barrier through which she had entered.

Glancing behind her, she saw the five wolves still in pursuit, baring their knife-sharp fangs.

"I... I don't want to die here..."

Before long, she caught sight of a reddish glow at the edge of her vision. An instructor stood beyond the barrier that enclosed the forest.

"Instructor! Please, open the barrier!" the woman screamed.

The instructor noticed someone approaching from a distance, but simply stood still, his expression unchanged.

"Please, Instructor, let me out of here!" the woman shrieked, pounding her fists against the barrier blocking her escape. "Please! There are so many monsters chasing me! I've run out of mana—I can't fight anymore!"

Hearing his student's desperate cries, the instructor didn't move. His face remained blank, as though he saw nothing before him.

—Woof! Woof! Woof!

Hearing the wolves closing in behind her, the woman pounded even harder against the barrier.

"INSTRUCTOR, PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE, PLEASE... PLEASE!"

Tears began streaking down her cheeks. She regretted not withdrawing when the instructor had offered her the chance earlier.

"Aaghhh! My leg! My leg! Instructor, these monsters are going to eat me alive!" the woman screamed in agony as one of the wolves sank its teeth into her leg.

She collapsed, trying desperately to beat back the wolves gnawing at her leg.

"Get away, you ugly monsters! Die!" She fought back, but it was useless—her body was far too weak to hurt them.

The wolves began dragging her body away from the barrier. She tried to resist, clawing at rocks and digging her nails into the dirt to keep from being pulled back into the forest.

"Instructor! Please, I don't want to die... hic... hic..."

But her hope was extinguished the moment she saw the instructor turn his face away from her.

"Agghhh! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"

The wolves began devouring her flesh. She was still alive as the five of them tore into her stomach, her insides spilling out onto the ground.

"Agghhh! Aghhhh! Aghhh! Help me!"

Before long, all that remained of the woman was a skeleton with only scraps of flesh still clinging to the bones. Some of the wolves even licked up the last remnants of meat left behind.

The instructor, watching the scene unfold, let out a sigh.

"This is what happens when you can't tell the difference between luck and ability," the instructor murmured. "In the first and second stages, you might get lucky and have strong companions help you pass. But here, you can only rely on yourself—no one else will help you."

Many participants believed they had made it this far, to the third stage, purely through their own strength and skill. But looking at how the trials had actually unfolded, none of them would have passed if not for banding together in groups.

If Brian, Valeria, Elena, and the other strong students hadn't held back the waves of Neracion's assault during the second stage's trial, the rest of them would certainly have perished and failed to advance. Not to mention Raul, who killed the real Neracion, allowing the monster to be defeated quickly before they were all slaughtered.

It was true—most of these participants had only passed because of luck, and they mistakenly believed it was their own ability that had carried them through.

"Torun."

Hearing his name called, the instructor turned around. He saw a female mage walking toward him.

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"What is it, Erina?"

"I've detected an outsider who's breached our barrier," Erina reported to Torun.

"What? How is that possible? How many infiltrators are there?" Instructor Torun asked, looking startled.

"Just one. They entered through the northern section of the barrier," Erina answered.

"Alright, let's hurry and find this intruder!"

The two of them then entered the forest after opening the red barrier. Their goal now was to eliminate the intruder before he could make contact with any of the participants.

.

.

.

A few minutes earlier...

Beneath the light of the full moon, the silhouettes of four figures stood clearly before the red barrier surrounding the Monster Forest.

The four assassins had already reached the northern section of the barrier. Their mage could be seen carrying a jar that appeared to be some kind of artifact.

"Alright, are you all ready?" asked the mage holding the jar. "We're going to trick the instructors into thinking only one person has entered the barrier."

"Right, and after that, Foxy will head in a different direction from us to keep those instructors occupied," said Marlin—the swordsman among the assassins.

"Alright, let's do this, Zed," Ape said to the mage.

The mage began chanting. Moments later, a rune appeared on the jar. The other assassins were then pulled into the jar, leaving only the mage behind.

After drawing all his companions into the jar, the mage opened the red barrier surrounding the forest. He was able to do this because he was an experienced mage.

He then entered the forest, carrying the jar with him, just before the barrier closed again.

Once inside, the mage cast a Reversal spell to release his companions from the jar.

"Alright, now they'll think only one person infiltrated," the mage said. "Foxy, do your job—lead the instructors on a chase while the rest of us search for our target."

"Sure, leave it to me," Foxy said.

***

[Ariel PoV]

Hah... hah... hah... Why?

Hah... why are they chasing me instead of competing?

"Don't you run, you damned woman!"

I was being chased by a man who had been my ally during the second trial. What had I done to make him this furious?

"Aghhh!"

My foot caught on a rock, and I fell.

I was already exhausted from running from monsters all afternoon. Just as I was about to rest for the night, this man suddenly came after me along with two of his companions.

"Hahaha! You can't run anymore, you damned woman!" the man shouted. "This time, that idiot Brian isn't here to protect you!"

"W-why... are you doing this to me?"

Hearing my words, his expression changed.

"Hehehe... why, you ask?" He laughed cruelly. "It's because we've been admiring your beauty for a long time now, Ariel," he answered.

"We planned to do this during the second stage if one of us ended up on your team," said one of his companions. "But there were too many monsters at the time, always getting in the way of our plan."

"I-I don't understand what you're talking about," I said to them.

"Well... you'll understand better once you see what we're about to do," the man said, beginning to unzip his pants.

No, no, no... Goddess Diana, please, don't let these men do this to me.

"We're going to enjoy your body, then kill you and make it look like a monster devoured you, Ariel," the man said, stepping closer as he began removing his uniform.

No, no, no!

I tried to get up and run, but a hand grabbed my leg from behind.

"Hihihi~ Where do you think you're going? There's no way I'll let you escape!" the man shouted.

My body trembled at the feel of his hand on my skin. His filthy hand began creeping up my thigh.

If only I still had mana left, I would have held these three men off with my magic long before now.

"No! Please, stay away from me!" I screamed, slapping his hand away.

—Bam!

My head spun with pain—his companion had struck me hard on the temple.

"Don't fight it, idiot! You'll enjoy this a lot more without the pain!"

The three of them began tearing my uniform off by force.

Why are humans capable of such cruelty? What do they gain from hurting someone like this? I... I had always been surrounded by kind people before.

I never imagined there could be so many disgusting people like this out in the world...

The world isn't as beautiful as my mother always told me...

All three men had already undone their pants. I shut my eyes, unwilling to look at those repulsive things.

Is this how my life ends? Dying, defiled by their depraved lust?

—Thud!

I felt something fall onto my chest.

Opening my eyes, I saw a severed human head lying on my chest, blood pouring out and soaking through my undershirt.

"W-what is actually happening!?"

I quickly shoved the head off me. My stomach churned at the sight I'd just witnessed.

"W-who are you!? What do you want!?"

I saw the other two men who had been about to violate me. Their bodies were shaking as three mysterious figures approached them.

"Sorry to interrupt your little game," said one of the men, wearing a mage's robe. "But we don't have time to explain."

"Have you seen a blond-haired man named Brian?" asked another mysterious man, gripping a sword.

"I-I don't know... please don't ki—"

The man's words were cut short—the mysterious swordsman beheaded him right after he answered the question.

"Aghhh! Let go of me! Please, I'll pay you whatever you want!"

The swordsman's companion was gripping the head of the last man who had wanted to violate me. He lifted the man's body off the ground with ease.

"Let go of me! My head's going to burst! Aghhhh, it hurts!"

"Answer the question, kid!" said the muscular man.

"Guuughhh! I don't know anything about him! Let go— A—"

His voice cut off—the muscular man crushed his skull with a powerful grip. Blood poured down his hand, and what remained of the man's brain matter dropped to the ground.

They had killed the three men who tried to violate me like animals. Watching this brutal scene made me want to vomit.

"Just one woman left. Let's finish this quickly," said the swordsman, approaching me.

My body wouldn't stop trembling.

Help me, Brian... someone, please help me...

Why do humans kill each other so easily? I don't know—I'm just an ordinary girl who grew up around a temple. I never knew the world held cruelty like this...

"Do you know where the blond-haired kid named Brian is?" the man asked, pointing his sword at me.

Brian...? Why are they looking for him? I don't understand, everything is so confusing. What is actually happening in this trial? Why are they killing the students taking the exam? Shouldn't the instructors be watching over this place?

"I don't know..."

Closing my eyes, all I could do was pray to Goddess Diana for a merciful end.

I'm scared... I'm scared... Brian... you promised you'd protect me... Brian... save me... please...

"Then die, just like the others!"

Brian... hic...

—Bam!

Hearing the sound of impact, I slowly opened my eyes.

I saw the back of a white-haired man wearing a black mask, standing in front of me.

"You... you're the one who saved me before..."

How did the masked man end up here?