Silas woke up, sitting on the grass in an open field—once again in the Forest of Trials. This time, however, he was alone. It was exactly the same as before: morning light, peaceful air, yet danger lurking in every corner.
What…?
He looked up to see the counselor standing in front of him. Her face was tired, clearly reprimanded by her superiors for using the Forest of Trials, yet the delinquents still hadn't learned their lesson.
"Look here, kid…"
She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Four of you are in this forest right now, all in different locations."
She gestured in several directions across the forest. A huge glowing circle appeared in the sky, marking the other three.
"Think of this as an exercise. I'm guessing the reason none of you learn is because you're all sent to the same location at once."
"So why not change it up a bit—and have you learn what consequences actually are?"
"Fear education, I call it."
She chuckled, then snapped her fingers. Her form began to fade away.
"If this doesn't teach you to follow the rules, then I don't know what will."
Her voice faded as she vanished completely, leaving behind sparkling dust drifting through the air.
Silas stood up—surprisingly fine, despite using so much mana in the duel.
"Guess she gave us a bit of a fighting chance."
He stretched his arms, bracing for the first wave.
But why send us back here instead of just talking to us?
Silas sighed, scratching his head.
"It's my first day in this world, and I've spent most of it in this forest instead of the school."
He stared into the surrounding darkness. Just like before, unseen eyes watched from the shadows.
"Well… I'm not turning down a chance to get stronger!"
He shouted, smiling as magic flared around his arms once more.
Wolves emerged from the forest, drawn by his voice—one pack, sprinting straight toward him.
Silas charged them head-on, facing five wolves alone.
I need to learn how to use my mana better…
He thought, as the first wolf lunged—its silver fur catching the light mid-air.
"Necrotic Rune!"
Silas shouted, standing his ground. He grabbed the wolf's head, slamming its jaw shut. His hand flared with magic, the wolf's flesh immediately darkening—rotting on contact.
"Touch of Death."
The first wolf dropped instantly.
[EXP: 50]
[Novice Robe of Necromancy Passive Activated: Reanimate]
The wolf's corpse jerked back to life, crimson tendrils puppeting its body like an eldritch vessel. Its head remained clenched in Silas's hand.
The other wolves froze in place, shocked—one of their own had died and returned as an undead in the blink of an eye. Some began to back away.
"Like hell I'll let you run!"
Silas laughed, hurling the undead wolf at another. It landed with bared fangs and bit down hard.
[EXP: 50]
Three wolves lunged simultaneously, hoping to overwhelm Silas. But he dodged cleanly.
As they continued attacking, missing with every strike, the undead wolf pounced again—sinking its teeth into another distracted target.
[EXP: 50]
"I think I found my new fighting style!"
Silas laughed, now realizing just how effective his reanimated minions truly were.
Reanimating once saves mana. And since they fight until they die again, I can keep using them without spending more.
It's the perfect grinding machine.
Silas chuckled as another wolf attacked. He weaved around it, grabbed the creature, and hurled it toward his undead minion. The reanimated wolf tore into its neck mid-air, ripping it clean off.
[EXP: 50]
"Good boy!"
He shouted, just as the last wolf turned and ran back into the forest in fear.
"Sick 'em."
Silas commanded. The undead wolf bolted after it, unburdened by the limitations of a living body. It was faster—far faster.
The two wolves tumbled across the ground. One ran to survive; the other existed only to kill. That was all the difference needed.
[EXP: 50]
Blood sprayed in the distance, signaling the end of the wolf pack.
"Bloody delightful,"
Silas said coldly, heading toward his undead wolf.
But just behind him, unseen, stood the counselor—her form invisible the entire time. She had been observing each student's performance, her expression tense as she bit her nail.
"What's wrong with this kid…?"