~Laurent
Weeks had passed since I first touched that obelisk. Weeks, and still nothing had changed in my life. I had hoped that after the awakening ceremony, my life would change. I hoped that I'll get strong enough to become respected but right now, even though I got stronger, it feels like I became weaker.
I spent all of my mornings avoiding potential bullies and keeping my head down. I hoped that if I was not known I wouldn't be picked on as much.
I was wrong. Hiding only made them search harder and every time they came around, Ciela–the girl who saved me from them the first time–always seemed to be lurking. I didn't dislike her but I hated having to be saved by her every day. She was strong, sharp, untouchable. Everything I wasn't and being around her always reminded me of that.
One morning, I went to class expecting the usual routine: lectures about mana systems, doodles in my notebook, another long day of invisibility. Instead, the Director himself stood at the front of the hall, tall and severe, his robes whispering across the marble floor. His voice carried like rolling thunder.
"Students. Today, we announce your first field excursion."
The chatter in the room swelled instantly—gasps, cheers, murmurs. Even I sat up straighter. Field excursions were carried out around four to five times a year with different people. The goal was to familiarise us with monsters and get us accustomed to fighting battles.
The Director raised his hand, and silence fell. "Fifty of you will accompany us into the Verdant Forest. There, you will experience firsthand what it means to face monsters—not illusions, not sparring partners. Real creatures. The world beyond these walls is dangerous, and this Academy exists to prepare you for it. Consider this your first step."
The Director gestured toward the line of instructors stepping onto the stage beside him. "These are the ones who will accompany you."
First came a tall man with silver hair bound in a warrior's knot. His very presence pressed on the room like a mountain. "Instructor Kael. S-rank. I will lead this expedition."
A ripple went through the hall—half awe, half fear. An S-rank, walking power incarnate.
Beside him stood two women, their gazes sharp as blades. One wore crimson robes, a faint heat shimmering around her; the other had a longbow slung casually across her shoulder. "Instructors Vale and Seris. A-ranks."
Then a broad-shouldered man with skin like weathered stone. "Instructor Doran. B-rank."
Finally, a wiry woman whose eyes darted like a hawk's. "Instructor Lira. C-rank."
The Director's voice boomed again. "Between them, no harm shall come to you. The forest we picked for your expedition today holds only weak beasts—C-rank monsters at worst. This is not meant to endanger you, but to teach you. Remember: your true enemy is not each other, but what lurks beyond humanity's walls. We need only fifty students for this field experience. If you're interested, step up to sign up. We leave by morning."
The hall buzzed with excitement. Some students practically jumped from their seats to sign up.
I sat frozen, heart hammering.
A field trip… monsters… real monsters. I should've looked away, buried myself in my notebook, accepted my role as background character in everyone else's adventure. But something inside me burned. Something ugly and stubborn.
I was tired. Tired of their laughter, tired of being the helpless weakling everyone expected me to be. If I stayed behind, nothing would change. But if I went… maybe I'd prove I wasn't worthless.
My hand rose before I could stop it. "I'm going too."
A hush fell over the nearest students, then a snicker. "The E-rank? He'll be monster chow before noon."
I signed my name anyway. The contract shimmered with mana as I pressed my mark upon it. My throat went dry as I read the fine print: The Academy shall not be held responsible for the injury or death of any participant. I gasped, wasn't this a safe outing? Was all that talk about there only being low ranked monsters just talk to give us a false sense of safety?
A sharp voice cut through my thoughts. "Are you insane?"
Ciela. Of course. Her brown eyes blazed as she grabbed my arm. "You can't go. You'll get yourself killed. Do you even understand what you just signed?"
"I understand perfectly," I muttered, pulling away. "I'm tired of hiding. I want to do something that matters."
"Being alive matters. If you go out there you could die. Even D rank monsters are capable of killing you. What were you even thinking? Don't you feel fear?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't. Because if I admitted how much fear churned inside me, I'd tear up the contract on the spot.
Minutes later, the hall erupted again as she stalked forward and slammed her name onto the parchment.
She walked back and stood next to me.
"Why did you do that?" I asked. "I thought you didn't want to go."
"I don't." She sighed. "But I can't sit and let you kill yourself just to prove a point."
I exhaled, unable to say anything else.
Before long, the morning of the excursion arrived.
We gathered at the Academy gates, fifty students in gleaming robes, chatter echoing across the courtyard. Mana shimmered faintly around some of them—the stronger ones. The rest, like me, clutched weapons or notebooks, trying to look braver than we felt.
"Instructors!" the Director called.
The five assembled in front, their presence silencing the crowd.
Kael's voice cut like steel. "Remember: this is not play. Stay within sight. Do not wander. Obey orders instantly. Fail, and you may not return."
"But I thought only low ranked monsters were in this forest." Someone said from the crowd.
"Low ranked monsters are not harmless. If you are not careful around them, they are capable of killing you." Kael replied. "Stay alert, stay sharp and stay with the group. We'll protect you if the need arises."
The gates creaked open. Beyond lay the Verdant Forest—trees rising like spears, shadows curling thick between them. The air smelled of moss and wet earth.
We marched.
The forest rang with birdsong, shafts of sunlight spilling through leaves.
Then came the first monster.
A boar the size of a carriage barreled from the underbrush, tusks glinting like ivory swords.
Kael looked at us and A B-rank student understood the assignment immediately, he stepped forward, and with a single fiery spell, dropped the beast in a smoking heap. Cheers erupted.
"Too easy!" someone laughed.
Another beast lunged minutes later—a scaled wolf. A spear through the eye silenced it instantly. More laughter. More cheers. The hunt felt like sport, a game to prove who was strongest. More monsters showed up and the teachers did not even have to lift a finger. The students took care of all of them.
I scribbled notes furiously. Boar: weak to fire. Wolf: aim for the eyes. Stay behind the confident ones. Don't die.
Ciela walked beside me, arms crossed, unimpressed. "Enjoying yourself?"
I didn't answer. If I opened my mouth, I'd reveal the quiver in my bones.
But the forest changed.
The air grew heavier. The birdsong faded. Branches twisted above, blotting out the light.
Then came the sound. A low rumble. A thousand feet moving in unison.
I froze. My pen slipped from my fingers.
The trees ahead rippled—then split apart as a wave of creatures poured forth. Dozens. Hundreds. No, thousands. The same scaled wolves we had mocked earlier, but multiplied into a living tide. Eyes glowing, teeth bared, voices blending into a deafening roar.
The cheers died in our throats.
Even the instructors tensed.
My heart hammered against my ribs. My knees shook.
For the first time that afternoon, I felt real fear.