Dante pulled his team into a tight circle.
They stood like a small island of calm in a sea of panic.
All around them, students shouted, argued, and clung to each other in fear. They wanted safety in numbers.
But Dante knew control did not come from crowds. It came from knowing what you were up against.
And he planned to know everything.
"Listen carefully," Dante said. His voice was low, steady, and sharp enough to cut through the noise. He looked each of them in the eye. "This is the most important part of the game. We are not wasting our chance on dumb hopes or useless questions. You will ask the Goddess exactly what I tell you to ask. Focus. Listen. Remember every word."
He turned to Erica first. She looked nervous but determined. Her silence would help her follow orders exactly.
"You are first," he said. "Ask about the forest. How it is divided. Where the weak monsters are, and where the strong ones hide."
Erica swallowed. Gulp. She nodded and walked toward the glowing door.
Next, he looked at Masha. Calm and confident, the perfect one to handle her task.
"Ask how to get stronger. No vague answers like training or effort. Get something useful, something we can apply."
Jin stepped forward, his expression firm. "You will ask about hidden items or weapons in this forest," Dante said. "If there is something powerful here, we need to know first."
Finally, he faced Edgar, who was adjusting his glasses with shaky hands. "Your question is the most important. Ask the Goddess what the final challenge is. What we must face to escape this place."
They nodded together. Dante let the weight of his words hang for a moment.
"The rest of you, wait here. No noise. No panic. No attention."
The air felt heavy, each heartbeat loud in the silence.
Erica returned first. Her face was pale, but her eyes burned with new knowledge.
"I asked," she said quietly. "The forest is divided by monster ranks from E to S. The deeper we go, the stronger they get. But there are places even worse than that. Zones with creatures stronger than ten S ranks combined. She marked them in my mind so we can avoid them."
Dante nodded once, impressed. "Good work. You just gave us our first real advantage. What is your skill?"
Erica lifted her hand. A small spark just a tiny one appeared above her palm.
Pss.
It danced gently, casting a faint glow on her face.
"Pyrokinesis," she said, her voice still soft. "I can make and control fire."
Dante smiled slightly. "That is powerful. You are our weapon now. When the time comes, you burn anything that moves."
Masha came back next. Her calm expression was gone, replaced by a cold focus.
"I asked how to get stronger," she said. "We have to kill. Monsters or people. When something dies, it releases a cloud of energy. If we focus, we can absorb it. That is how we level up."
The team went quiet. Even the forest seemed to hold its breath.
"So the path forward is paved with death," Dante said. His tone was low, thoughtful. "And your skill?"
Masha breathed on a leaf then said. "Cryomancy. I control ice."
Fire and ice. Destruction and control. Dante felt confidence stir inside him. "Perfect. You and Erica will control the battlefield."
Jin arrived with a long sword strapped to his back. He held out a strip of thick leather covered in faint, glowing lines.
"I asked about items," he said. "She gave me a list, but I could not memorize them all. I asked for a map instead."
Dante ran his thumb across the glowing lines. They pulsed faintly, forming shapes that looked alive.
"And the sword?"
Jin gave a small grin. "Swordsmanship. She said I have a natural sense for any blade now. Well that's what she said."
Dante nodded. "Then you are our blade. Keep it ready."
Edgar returned last. His steps were slow. He looked like someone who had seen the future and did not like it.
"The final trial," he said quietly. "It is called the Bone Dragon. She said even large groups cannot kill it easily. We will need strategy and timing to stand a chance."
Dante's expression tightened. He had expected something massive. Still, hearing it confirmed made the danger feel real.
"And your skill?" he asked.
Edgar adjusted his glasses again. "Appraisal. I can see information about a target. Health, strength, weaknesses, skills. That is all. It sounds useless in a fight, but I promise I will train harder than anyone. I will become stronger."
Dante stared at him, then laughed softly. It was not cruel, just surprised.
"You think that is useless? Edgar, you have the most valuable skill in this group. You can read the enemy before the fight even begins. You are our eyes."
The others turned to look at Edgar with new respect. He blinked, realizing what it meant.
"So I can see the weak points before we strike?" he asked.
"Exactly," Dante said. "And that means we can plan every fight. No surprises. Now, go scan the others. Do it quietly. Tell me only the dangerous ones."
Edgar nodded and vanished into the crowd.
He returned a few minutes later, face pale. "I found some," he whispered. "Electrokinesis. Terrashaping for earth and metal. Umbrakinesis for shadows. Sanctification for holy light. Also, skills related to poison, curses, gravity, and teleportation."
Dante's brows furrowed. "That is already bad. Anything else?"
Edgar hesitated. "One more. Mimicry. It copies any skill it sees and uses it temporarily."
The moment he said it, the entire circle fell silent.
Dante's mind raced. Mimicry. The single skill that could flip the entire world against them.
"That one changes everything," he said softly.
Erica looked around nervously. "Someone here can copy our powers?"
"Yes," Dante said. "And if that person decides to attack us, they can use our own abilities against us. Fire, ice, necromancy. Everything."
Jin's grip tightened around his sword. "So what do we do?"
"We wait," Dante replied. His eyes scanned the crowd. "They will reveal themselves eventually. When they do, we deal with it before it spreads. No hesitation."
He no longer saw a crowd of frightened students. He saw predators, each waiting for their turn to strike.
Dante turned back to his team. "We move at dawn. Erica and Masha, practice your elements. Jin, guard the camp. Edgar, keep scanning. Rina and Juno, focus on supplies and shelter. Neil, go through your survival notes. Eric, build stamina until you drop."
They nodded, silent but focused.
"Remember," Dante said quietly. "This is not about being noble. It is about staying alive. Trust comes later. For now, do what I say, no questions asked."
Masha crossed her arms. Her tone was cold but sure. "We survive first. Then we rebuild."
Dante gave a single nod. "Exactly. We break before we build."
The forest grew darker.
Dante's hand rested on the glowing map inside his coat.
The Bone Dragon waited somewhere beyond the trees. Mimicry lurked among them, unseen.