The dawn light crept across the academy's grand arena, spilling through the glass dome as the remaining contestants gathered below. The air was alive with murmurs — excitement, nerves, and curiosity mixing into one chaotic hum.
The instructor, a tall man with short silver hair and a deep scar across his cheek, stood on the raised platform. His presence silenced the crowd almost instantly.
> "Congratulations to all who made it past the solo matches," he began, voice amplified through the comm system. "You've proven your worth individually. Now, we'll see how you survive together."
The massive screen behind him flickered to life, displaying rows of glowing names as the system began to assign teams.
Arlen stood beside Jay, both watching intently. Jay's usual grin was tempered by tension this time.
> "Man, I just hope I don't get stuck with people who scream at the sight of a bug," Jay muttered.
Arlen chuckled softly, though his own pulse quickened. He wasn't afraid of monsters — he was more curious how this "team survival test" would push the limits of the System's parameters.
> System: New subroutine activated — Cooperative Assessment Mode.
Objective: Survive for 72 hours within designated environment. Secondary Objective: Monster Elimination Count.
The digital voice in his head hummed like background static, calm and precise.
The instructor continued, "Each team will consist of four members. You'll be dropped into different regions of the Forest of Trials — a living ecosystem that adapts to your collective strength. Survive three days. Return alive."
---
Team Formation
Arlen's name flashed first. A brief flicker of light and text followed:
> Team 12:
Arlen Frost
Lira Vale
Ryn Kade
Selene Ward
Jay's name appeared moments later — Team 9 — paired with three other students Arlen barely knew. Jay looked over and gave a short nod, smirking.
> "Guess we're rivals now, Frost. Try not to get eaten before the second day."
"No promises," Arlen replied with a faint grin.
Lira approached soon after — the silver-haired prodigy whose performance in the previous matches had stunned everyone. Her eyes were sharp as crystal.
> "Looks like fate enjoys irony," she said coolly. "You again."
"Let's just make sure we survive," Arlen replied.
Ryn Kade was tall, muscular, and loud — the kind of person who looked like he punched walls for fun. He carried a greatsword strapped to his back, humming with faint energy. Selene Ward, by contrast, was quiet and observant, a staff in her hand glowing faintly with blue runes.
> "Let's just get this over with," Ryn said, rolling his shoulders.
"We'll need more than brute strength," Selene murmured. "The Forest isn't merciful."
---
Descent into the Forest
A moment later, transport pods lined the platform. The doors slid open with a hiss of steam. Arlen and his team stepped inside theirs as the lights dimmed.
> System: Teleportation sequence initiating… Coordinates set: Sector 4A — Forest of Trials.
Light swallowed them whole.
When their vision cleared, they stood beneath a canopy so dense the sunlight barely touched the moss-covered ground. The air was thick with humidity, and strange, echoing roars rolled through the distance.
> "Stay close," Arlen said instinctively. "This forest feels alive."
As if to answer, the ground trembled. Thick vines shifted beneath the soil, and from between the trees emerged creatures like twisted wolves — their bodies half-flesh, half-bark, glowing with green veins of mana.
> "Contact!" Ryn shouted, drawing his greatsword.
---
The First Battle
The wooden wolves lunged with inhuman speed. Ryn met them head-on, his sword crashing down in arcs that split bark and splattered green ichor. Each blow thundered through the clearing.
Lira moved like lightning — weaving through the chaos, her dual short blades cutting precise lines across their flanks. Sparks of mana burst each time her blades connected.
Selene raised her staff, chanting quickly. A barrier of blue light flared around them, deflecting claws and teeth with shimmering sparks.
Arlen watched, assessing — then moved. His fist glowed faintly, mana spiraling around his arm as he punched through one of the wolves mid-lunge. It exploded into fragments of energy, scattering like ash.
> "Nice," Ryn grunted. "Didn't know you were a brawler."
"I improvise," Arlen replied, breathing evenly.
More wolves came, faster now. Selene's barrier flickered. Lira twisted midair, slicing through two more with a flash of silver.
One creature broke through the defense, jaws snapping toward Selene's shoulder — but Arlen intercepted, grabbing its skull and crushing it with raw energy that rippled outward, vaporizing what remained.
The clearing fell silent, save for the faint crackle of fading mana.
> "Everyone okay?" Arlen asked, scanning the group.
Lira nodded, cleaning her blades. "They were scouts. Stronger ones will come."
---
Nightfall
By night, the forest came alive with haunting sounds — whispers, growls, and the rustle of unseen things. The team set up camp near a waterfall, the shimmering mist reflecting moonlight.
Ryn sharpened his sword in silence while Selene tended to a small fire, weaving light wards around their perimeter. Lira leaned against a rock, watching Arlen with curious eyes.
> "You move differently," she said quietly. "It's not standard academy form. Where did you learn it?"
"Nowhere," Arlen said truthfully. "I just… react."
She studied him for a long moment, then looked away. "Instinct like that can save lives. Or end them."
Jay's voice echoed faintly in his memory — Don't get eaten before the second day.
Arlen stared into the flickering flames. Somewhere deep in his mind, a faint pulse echoed.
> System: Latent energy readings detected. Suppression level holding steady.
He ignored it. For now.
---
Second Day: The Awakening
The second day was blood and chaos. The forest unleashed its wrath — swarms of insectoid beasts, roots that moved like snakes, and shadow-born creatures that could mimic their voices.
Selene's magic blazed like a lighthouse in the storm, her runes creating barriers and fire bursts that scorched the monsters. Ryn roared through the fray, his sword cleaving through limbs and carapaces.
But when a Tier-3 Behemoth emerged — a hulking creature made of stone and moss, its roar shaking the forest — the team faltered.
> "Back!" Arlen yelled, dragging Selene aside as the creature slammed its arm down, shattering the ground.
Lira dashed across fallen roots, slicing through vines, but the Behemoth regenerated instantly.
Ryn charged, shouting, his greatsword blazing with red light — only for the beast to catch him mid-swing and throw him like a rag doll into a tree.
> "Ryn!" Selene cried.
Arlen's body moved before his mind did. Energy surged through him, fierce and golden-white. The world slowed, the System's voice echoing faintly in his head — distant, almost reverent.
> System: Overclock Protocol — unauthorized activation.
Warning: Power output exceeds current threshold.
Arlen's eyes flashed briefly with azure light. He leapt forward, fists igniting as he drove one upward into the Behemoth's chest. A shockwave exploded outward, splintering trees and sending dust spiraling high into the air.
The creature roared — and collapsed, the ground trembling under its weight.
The forest went still.
When the dust cleared, Arlen was standing over the beast, panting, his hands faintly glowing.
> "What… was that?" Lira whispered, her expression unreadable.
Arlen just shook his head. "Let's move before more come."
---
Third Day: Dawn of Survival
By the third sunrise, their clothes were torn, weapons dulled, and mana reserves nearly drained. Yet they stood — battered but alive — as the evacuation beacons flared in the sky.
Jay's team appeared from another section, equally exhausted but triumphant. When he saw Arlen, he gave a tired grin.
> "You look like hell, Frost."
"You should see the other guy," Arlen replied, managing a smirk.
The instructor's voice boomed over the comms.
> "All surviving participants, return to the extraction point. The Forest of Trials is now closed. Well done… you've passed."
As the teleportation light engulfed them, Arlen looked back at the forest one last time. Its silence seemed almost… alive. Watching.
> System: Latent energy stabilized. Further awakening imminent.
Arlen exhaled slowly. The journey had only just begun.
---