Chapter 35: Forest Trap

Picking up the gem from the ground, he tried inspecting it but it simply disintegrated in his hands. ’’So I really can’t get any points from classes lower than me.’’

He was only slightly disappointed at the fact the fight had been useless to him, but saving the students had already been enough of a reason to intervene.

He also didn’t have to check on them, because he could feel their mana still lively flowing through their bodies, which meant none of them had been close to death yet.

But it could’ve come that way pretty easily if the golem had continued, so why hadn’t the staff intervened themselves or why was Elizabeth not answering him anymore.

This test was going to be much harder than he could’ve ever expected, but first he had to find Merency because it could only get worse if she were to lose a fight and lose them points.

Stepping through the deep forest, he could barely look further than a dozen of meters and his mana sense seemed to also have been weaken by the air which was seemingly being filled with mana.

He had been barely walking for ten minutes until some presence got to close to him to ignore, so he decided to follow it.

It was just a student of the Topaz class, but even then the young women seemed to have had a goal in mind where to go.

As she took a precise and steady road through the dangerous parts. ’’How could someone have already gotten that many infos?’’ He whispered to himself as he continued to follow her.

Just as she stepped round a giant old tree, Steven walked the same path barely a minute later, only to find it empty. She had disappeared, not a single strain of hair in sight and even worse her mana was gone too.

As if she had never existed in the first place. Rubbing his head Steven checked his surroundings once again but found nothing.

’’How is that possible? Nobody should be able to evade me so easily.’’ He asked himself but couldn’t find an easy answer.

Giving up on finding this person, Steven made his way back to his earlier route trying to find Merency again. But luck didn’t seem to be on his side today as he continued walking with nothing happening.

No other students appearing or hauting monsters trying to eat him alive, it was just quiet. Maybe a bit to quiet for his liking.

Evading some strange kind of plants on the floor he nearly run into a tree, as his barrier activated shielding him from the impact.

It had already been the third time had caught himself losing attention to his suroundings, even when he was trying to keep it.

Something was happening in the forest he just could pinpoint it yet. Walking forward he nearly hit the tree again.

Wait what was he thinking about again and where did this tree come from?

He shook his head confused, what was happening to him? Why was he acting so strangely, but the though slipped away just a moment later.

Ah yes exactly he had been searching for Merency or the other diamond class students to gain some points and solidify his passing grade.

As he continued his way he found multiple organized groups of students trying to hunt monsters down, after all they were the only way to gain points except for fighting each other.

Steven was also impressed by their trust in each other even though they were competitors. As more and more groups appeared he could feel himself getting closer to the middle of the region.

Which meant if Merency had been dropped of somewhere close to him, she should arrive her too. To his luck with so many people around, nobody seemed to be actively searching for him, why should one of their main targets hide in the trees above them?

He waited hungerly because the princess had all the rations for her preperations to the test. Which seemed to have been either completely useless or have not shown themselves yet.

As finally something interesting happened below him, with two groups of students argueing about a monsters corpse.

’’We found it first, its ours.’’ The first group leader spoke stepping close to the second.

But the other one didn’t seem to be impressed by the agressive attitude. ’’And? We hunted it down so the reward is ours.’’ The voice was cold not allowing and protest.

But the first guy still didn’t stop as she started shoving the other group, the situation slowly elastucated into a fight.

Watching the first few fists swing Steven grew only more interested, disputes between weaklings were always unpredictable and very entertaining.

The brawl only grew as nearly every members side joined the fight, nobody yet daring to use any magic.

As one of the weaker members fell to the ground the person activated his barrier to block an hit and everything after could only be described as a massacre.

With the second side heavily winning, it seemed like it was already over, Steven made sure nobody was getting attack with anything lethal, but the student themselves seemed to know how to fight without killing.

With the first side falling behind, they tried to retreat, but couldn’t as they had already been surrounded by their foes.

Only one of them didn’t move, a elderly boy probably his age just stood there waiting for anyone to attack him.

But nobody did until the rest of their man had been beaten up, only leaving a one versus a dozen.

Steven wanted to bet the guy had been holding back heavily and was now going to beat those guys up and take all their points.

’’I don’t think he will win.’’ A voice whispered behind him.

’’Why not?, hes confident.’’ Steven answered as a reflex until he finally realized somebody was standing behind him.

As a hand touched his shoulder, Steven turned around already casting a spell in his hand.

As his heart sank to his feet.