Kael kept moving, his steps shaky but pushing him deeper into the forest's darker stretch. Snow came down in slow, cold waves, and the trees stood around him like they were waiting for trouble. The glowing timer above his head burned at his throat, a quiet threat reminding him that one slip could finish him.
He shot quick looks at it every few seconds, hoping—maybe foolishly—that it would freeze or fade. But of course it didn't. The thing kept ticking like it enjoyed stressing him out.
I don't think this is possible, he thought. After everything he saw on that battlefield, the idea of surviving this trial felt like a joke. These people were on a completely different level. The A-rank moved so fast Kael's eyes couldn't even catch the blur. The archer treated every fight like a game, taunting enemies just to entertain himself. The woman who compelled people… she was the strangest. She barely lifted a finger, yet she made goblins turn on each other like she flipped a switch in their heads. And she didn't even look serious about it. Kael doubted she had shown half of her real strength.
Then there were the element users. They tossed flames and ice around like kids throwing balloons. No fear. No pressure. No effort.
Kael's frustration kept building. Every time he looked at the timer, it only made everything worse.
After a few more minutes pushing through the thick forest, they reached a massive mountain with a gaping cave at its base. The entrance looked like a monster's mouth, wide and hungry, waiting to swallow anyone foolish enough to step inside.
Kael stopped. His whole body trembled, but he heard the crew's footsteps behind him and decided he would rather walk into death than annoy them again. So he pushed forward, even though his stomach was twisting with fear.
The moment he stepped into the cave, a strange feeling hit him. He knew this place. It crawled over his skin like déjà vu, and the vision he had seen earlier flashed back into his mind.
The walls were rough stone, dark and wet with trails of dripping water. Every drop echoed down the tunnel. A thin cold mist floated along the ground, swirling around their boots. The only light came from a few glowing crystals drifting above like lazy fireflies.
It was exactly the same as he saw in his vision.
"Hey, Snake Eyes. Pass me those bags," the water element user said.
The voice snapped Kael out of his thoughts. They all sat down, casually pulling water cans from the bags he carried. He handed them over and watched them drink. They chatted among themselves afterwards, not bothering to involve him. Even when they whispered, Kael heard every word clearly. None of it made him feel any better.
They tossed the bag back at him and stood up. Without waiting for him to gather himself, they continued walking deeper into the cave.
Kael followed, clutching the strap tightly, trying not to think about the darkness ahead.
The A-rank leader suddenly glanced back. His eyes locked on Kael with the kind of warning that did not need words. It was the look that said if Kael forgot his role one more time, the punishment would be simple and permanent.
Kael hurried forward at once and took the lead again. Almost thirty minutes had already vanished from the two-hour limit. His stomach twisted harder with every step.
Then he stopped.
Everyone behind him froze. They waited for him to speak, but Kael said nothing. His whole body shook, his breath shallow.
"Why are we stopping?" the leader asked.
"I think… something is watching us," Kael whispered.
"You think some—"
Before the A-rank could finish, a violent force blasted through the cave like a rushing wind. It hit them so hard the ground seemed to tilt.
Kael flew backward, slammed into one of the glowing crystals overhead, and dropped to the ground unconscious. The others were thrown around as well, crashing into rocks and cave walls. The only one who stayed standing was the A-rank leader. Even he slid back an inch, boots scraping against stone as he steadied himself. His strength alone kept him from being launched like the rest.
From the darkness ahead, a creature stepped forward.
It was short, barely reaching the A-rank's chest, but the pressure it gave off made the goblins and wolves from earlier seem like harmless pets. It wore a black hooded robe like an old magician out of a grim fairy tale. Long sleeves hid its arms, yet the hands that slipped out were not human. They were thin and twisted, almost claw-like. The creature held a wooden staff with a glowing orb on the tip, pulsing like a heartbeat. Its face stayed hidden in the hood. Only two burning red eyes stared out, unblinking.
The A-rank leader rushed in, daggers ready. He was met with something invisible. A solid force pushed against him like a wall, stopping him from taking even a single step closer. It shimmered faintly, like a shield made of air.
Heavy footsteps echoed from deeper in the cave. The ground trembled with each one. The other crew members turned just in time to see large shapes stepping out behind the hooded creature.
Orcs.
They marched forward in groups, taller than any human there. Their skin was rough, their muscles thick like carved stone. Each one swung a weapon so huge it might as well have been a fallen tree.
They rushed in at once, roaring as they charged the crew with brutal force.
The hunters met them head-on, steel flashing as their blades slammed against those massive axes and swords, sparks flying with every hit. But the moment any of them managed to cut an orc, the wound sealed up as if nothing touched it. Worse, the orcs grew stronger with every strike they received. Their roars got louder, their swings heavier, their eyes brighter with rage.
And Kael lay unconscious on the cold cave floor, unable to do anything but breathe in the dust of the battle breaking out around him.
The fight grew harsher with every second. Each time the hunters landed a hit, the orcs only got stronger. Their muscles swelled, their eyes burned brighter, and their swings became wild enough to shake the whole cave.
The only one who still looked calm was the B-rank lady. She stood back with her usual bored expression, controlling the orcs she had compelled earlier. But the moment she tried to enjoy that tiny break, the controlled orcs suddenly broke free. Their eyes went wild, and they charged at her like crazed beasts.
"Tsk. Of course," she muttered as they rushed her.
The A-rank leader blocked the attack before the orcs could reach her, blades moving so fast the air whistled. Even so, the numbers were piling up, and the pressure on the crew kept increasing.
"We need to kill that mage!" the A-rank shouted over the roar of the battle. "He is the one fueling these monsters!"
They tried. Again and again, attacks flew toward the hooded creature, but every strike slammed uselessly against its shimmering shield. The mage did not even flinch.
"Somebody wake that moron!" the A-rank snapped. "He should use those eyes of his to scan for a weak spot!"
The water elementalist did not waste a second. He pointed a finger at Kael and blasted him upward with a whipping stream of water. It looked less like waking someone up and more like trying to drown them while standing on dry land.
Kael's eyes flew open. He saw the hulking orcs, the flashing weapons, the mage with burning red eyes… and immediately fainted again.
The water user sighed. "Fine. Round two."
He fired an even rougher blast. This one threw Kael into the air and dragged him back down like a slapped fish. Kael choked on nothing but fear as he lurched upright at last.
He staggered to his feet, legs shaking.
"Scan that shield!" the A-rank ordered the moment Kael lifted his head. "Tell me where the weak point is!"
Kael froze.
He had no special eyes like Renji. His only real advantage was his hearing. He knew nothing about magical shields or weak spots or anything these hunters were fighting. Guns and fists were all he had ever known in his past life. This battlefield was something else entirely.
And with the pressure rising, the orcs growing stronger, and the mage untouched, Kael felt his throat tighten.
It was only a matter of time before everything went wrong.