Chapter 48: Everything is going well, but something doesn’t add up…

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Everything is going well, but something doesn’t add up...

After the test began and for about an hour, Draven advanced without taking part in any combat successfully.

’This is turning out easier than expected.’

However, while crossing a relatively clear area, he found something strange that immediately caught his attention.

Several branches were broken, the ground had deep marks, and there were traces of blood on some leaves, so Draven crouched down to examine the place.

’Have there already been fights around here?’

It was possible, since after all, numerous students were participating in the test.

However, the marks seemed too deep to have been caused by the small creatures that inhabited that region, and he also found a tree with a damaged section of the trunk.

’Did a sword do this?’

The surface showed a fairly clean cut, so Draven looked around and there was no one.

’Maybe some student faced a beast.’

There was nothing extraordinary about that, but something felt strange to him, and it was that he didn’t remember that zone having creatures capable of causing such damage.

’Well, the forest has changed a lot.’

Finally, he decided to continue, but a few minutes later he found another irregularity.

The path he remembered from the video game seemed to have been modified, since several fallen trees blocked the original route, forcing him to take a detour.

Draven examined the trunks and some of them showed fairly recent cuts.

’Did the teachers set this up?’

It was possible that Ari had decided to make the test more difficult, since after all, she seemed exactly the type of person who would do something like that.

’I shouldn’t be surprised by that drunk.’

Draven used a small amount of mana to reinforce his legs and crossed the uneven terrain.

Meanwhile, in another section of the forest, Taliah had just defeated her third creature.

The four-legged beast remained motionless in front of her, so the young woman cleaned her sword and looked around.

"Is that all?"

She seemed slightly disappointed because up to that point, no creature had managed to pose a real threat.

Although she had found several traces of magical objects, she still hadn’t located any.

"I guess I should focus more on searching."

Taliah sheathed her sword, but before continuing, she remembered some words Draven had told her.

’There’s no point in fighting if you can avoid it.’

She smiled slightly.

"Always saying such boring things."

Even so, she decided to follow that advice, since she needed to find the object and return, not defeat every creature in the forest.

Draven, for his part, finally arrived at a small rocky elevation.

’I should be close to here.’

In the videogame, that region contained several points where objects related to the test could appear.

However, only one remained accessible on all routes, which was a small cavity located between two rock formations.

Draven advanced carefully and, after checking the surroundings, found what he was looking for.

Inside the cavity there was a small circular silver-colored object and its surface had several magical inscriptions.

’I found it!’

Draven smiled, so he crouched down to pick up the object, at which point the inscriptions immediately began to emit a blue light and a small amount of mana ran through his hand before disappearing.

’I guess it just registered my identity.’

He briefly examined the artifact, which didn’t seem especially valuable and had probably been made solely for that evaluation.

’Well, that was easier than I expected.’

He stored the object in his storage bracelet and then looked in the direction from which he had arrived.

There were still several hours left before the test ended, so if he returned using the same path, he should reach the meeting point with plenty of time to spare.

’Maybe I can have an early lunch.’

The idea seemed quite appealing to him, since he had had to get up far too early to participate in that activity.

Draven started walking, but he had barely advanced a few meters when he stopped.

’...’

Something had changed.

The forest still seemed calm because no roars or strange movements could be heard among the trees, but there was a concentration of mana that Draven didn’t remember having perceived before.

He carefully observed the surroundings.

’Could it have been a creature?’

It wasn’t that, since the sensation was different and felt more like a person’s mana.

’Then is it another student?’

It was possible that someone had found the same place and, even if that were true, it still felt strange, considering that the participants had entered through different access points.

Draven decided to continue without giving it too much importance, but then he heard a sound behind him, which belonged to a branch that had just broken near where he was.

He stopped, slowly turned his head, but saw nothing.

’How strange.’

He remained still for several seconds, but then he perceived another concentration of mana, this time to his left, and shortly after, a third.

’...From what I can sense, there are three.’

Draven slightly furrowed his brow, since that no longer seemed like a coincidence, so his hand discreetly approached the storage bracelet.

’Maybe I should prepare my daggers just in case.’

However, before he could do so, he heard a voice coming from the trees.

"So we finally found him."

Draven remained still, since the voice didn’t sound familiar to him.

"Who’s there? Show yourself."

He didn’t receive an immediate response; instead, he heard several footsteps approaching.

Draven observed the positions from which the sounds were coming, so he saw that there was someone in front, another to his left, and at least one more person behind.

’I don’t like this at all.’

Finally, a figure appeared among the trees, wearing dark clothes and with part of their face covered.

Draven didn’t recognize their appearance, but the stranger briefly looked at his storage bracelet and then smiled.

"So you are Draven Dunvyr."

Upon hearing his full name, Draven understood that this situation probably had nothing to do with the test.

’Great, it looks like my lunch is going to have to wait.’