"Thank you."
Seth's words prompted Casper to glance at him before offering a curt nod in acknowledgment. The young noble lingered for a moment, as if debating whether to say something else, before finally speaking.
"You shouldn't make a fire in the forest, especially at night. It attracts them... I learned that the hard way."
He gestured toward a noticeable dent on his armored chest plate, a silent testament to the lesson he had barely survived.
Seeing the large dent, Seth unintentionally gulped. It didn't take an expert to recognize that Casper's armor was made from high-quality, sturdy material- yet something had still managed to damage it. Whatever creature had done that must have been terrifying.
'The scary part is… the guy is completely unscathed.'
Seth's eyes flickered between the dented chest plate and Casper's calm demeanor, realizing just how formidable the young noble truly was.
"I'm Casper, what's your name?" He spoke while adjusting his chest plate which seemed to have gotten uncomfortable after the damage it endured.
"Seth." He replied.
"Well Seth, will you like to team up?" he asked, taking the young half-blood by surprise.
Seth blinked, caught off guard by the offer. Of all the things he expected from this encounter, an invitation to team up with the most talented trainee in the trials wasn't one of them.
"Team up?" he echoed, as if he hadn't heard correctly.
Casper nodded while adjusting his chest plate, his expression calm yet unreadable. "Yeah, strength in numbers and all that." He flashed a slight smile. "Besides, I doubt either of us wants to run into another one of those things alone."
Seth hesitated, his mind racing. Teaming up with someone like Casper could mean better chances of survival, but it also raised a question- why would a noble, someone with raw talent and clear skill, want to partner with him of all people?
****
"[Blackthorn Basic Technique: Inception Slashes!]"
Casper's voice rang out with authority as he moved, his sword carving through the air in a fluid display of precision and grace. His movements were both athletic and acrobatic, chaining together a series of rapid, consecutive slashes.
The unfortunate targets of his attack- a pair of dire rats shrieked in agony as his blade found its mark, leaving behind deep, gruesome cuts. Their frantic movements grew sluggish, their bodies barely able to withstand the onslaught.
Completing the technique, Casper exhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to maintain his stance. Using sword arts demanded an immense toll on one's stamina, especially for someone still in the nascent stage of their power. Even so, he remained standing, his grip on his blade firm, his crimson eyes locked onto the wounded creatures before him.
Taking this as an opportunity, the other dire rat lunged at the unsuspecting human, intent on avenging its wounded mate. Its claws tore into the dirt as it surged forward, eyes gleaming with savage intent.
But just before it could reach Casper—
Thwip! Thwip!
Two swift arrows cut through the air from another direction. The first struck deep into the creature's side, making it falter mid-charge. The second found its mark in the beast's eye, piercing straight into its skull. A piercing screech of agony echoed through the forest as the dire rat thrashed violently in pain.
Casper, who had only just begun to steady himself, turned toward the source of the arrows. A small, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Not wasting a beat, Casper who should have been exhausted suddenly shot up, his body moving with a burst of renewed energy. With one swift motion, his blade sliced clean through the dire rat's neck. The beast's head fell with a sickening plop, rolling slightly before coming to a stop.
The other dire rat, already gravely wounded from Casper's earlier attack, barely clung to life. It struggled weakly, its limbs trembling under its own weight. Casper didn't hesitate- he ended its suffering with a single precise strike.
As the tension of battle faded, the rustling of leaves signaled another presence. From the cover of the dense undergrowth a few meters away, Seth emerged, lowering his crossbow. His cautious eyes scanned the scene before finally settling on Casper.
It was already noon on the second day in the Thornspire Forest, and in that short time, they had experienced more danger than they ever anticipated.
Seth had accepted Casper's offer to team up, knowing their chances of survival were better together. They had taken turns keeping watch through the night before setting off at first light, hoping to find other trainees and strengthen their numbers.
Instead of allies, however, they had stumbled upon a gruesome scene- a group of four trainees, dead. Their lifeless bodies lay twisted and bloodied, evidence of a brutal encounter. Among the carnage, remnants of a burnt-out bonfire could be seen. It didn't take much to piece together what had happened.
'They must have made a fire to keep warm,' Seth thought grimly. 'And it attracted something to them. Something like the owlbear…'
Unlike him, these trainees hadn't been lucky enough to escape.
The sight had barely begun to settle in when another threat emerged. Drawn by the scent of death, a pack of dire rats arrived, their beady eyes glinting with hunger. Most of them focused on devouring the corpses, but two immediately noticed Seth and Casper.
Realizing they were outnumbered, they had done the only logical thing- run.
Now, with two dire rats on their heels, they had no choice but to fight once again.
Retrieving his arrows, Seth's eyes lingered on the dead dire rats, but his mind was elsewhere. The gruesome sight of the fallen trainees flashed in his thoughts once more, amplifying his worry for Emily.
'Please be safe.'
He clenched his fists, instinctually touching his bracelet.
He hated this. He hated how they were thrown into this inhumane ordeal, branded as a 'Trial.' He despised the brutal nature of Blackthorn, and by extension, the clan itself. He resented the nobles- those who had the power to object to such cruelty but instead allowed it to continue.
But more than anything- more than the trials, the clan, or the nobles- he hated his own weakness.
That was why this trial was humbling.
Seth had never been arrogant enough to believe he was strong, but he had taken some pride in how capable he had become. At least, until he started seeing the bodies- bodies of trainees who were supposed to be stronger than him.
Thornspire did not care for noble birth or common blood. It recognized only two kinds of people: those who survived and those who didn't.
"Here." Casper's voice pulled Seth from his thoughts as he handed him a water skin.
Accepting it, he took the water skin and drank it sparingly as their resources were limited.
While drinking the water, a distant rustle was heard causing Casper to immediately raise his sword ready to fight.
Seth quickly capped the water skin and nocked his crossbow, his body tensing as he reached for an arrow. His heart pounded in his chest, the paranoia from the past day making him hyper-aware of every sound.
Casper's grip on his sword tightened as the rustling grew closer. The underbrush swayed unnaturally, and for a moment, neither of them moved, waiting to see what would emerge.
Then, footsteps.
Human footsteps.
Seth and Casper exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between them. Friend or foe, they would soon find out.
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Blueorchid here! Please support me with power stones as it helps me further improve the story ariga-thanks!