From bad to worse

"You have your sick fun watching them Luna, I need to go somewhere." I stated as I stood up.

"Is it something dangerous? If yes I want to come aswell." She replied with a sparkle in her eye.

"You need professional help and no, I won't go somewhere dangerous." I answered.

That made her instantly lose interest and she went on to watch the others getting mauled to "death".

Considering Luna is already at E-Rank, she would probably bore herself to death if she fought against these creatures. They are only the warm up after all.

Sneaking past the carnage, I headed deeper into what couldn't even be considered a forest.

The trees were scarcely scattered and mostly dead with withered branches breaking off under their weight. There weren't any signs of life either, apart from myself.

The ongoing snowstorm hindered me from properly seeing though I could still make out a silhouette of a frozen pond ahead. It was surrounded by tall grass and shrubs which formed a ring around the water.

"Just what I was looking for." I muttered under my breath.

As I approached the edge of the pond, I could faintly make out something glowing beneath the surface, resembling an exit of some sort. This confirmed it; I found what I was looking for.

Taking out some short daggers, I stabbed them into the ground to make an entrance. Their blades sank deep into the hard packed ice and cracks formed over the whole pond.

The cracks quickly widened and I could feel the ice giving in to my body weight. It wasn't until the ice under me broke that I figured out I made a slight miscalculation.

Initially, I wanted my body to get accustomed to this numbing coldness first before plunging headfirst into the freezing waters but I guess it is too late now.

Chills ran through my entire system and my body temperature began to rapidly drop.

My vision blurred and my senses dulled as I slowly descended towards the bottomless abyss. The depths felt endless as they stretched further and further, leaving me yearning to reach the glowing light source below.

I could hear the faint sound of rushing water echoing throughout the darkness. As I kept descending, I finally reached the light, heading through the small passage that it revealed.

My oxygen levels dropped drastically, leaving me struggling for air. Thankfully, the passage wasn't long enough to suffocate me. Soon enough, I emerged inside a vast chamber of ice.

Clinging tight to my skin were my soaking wet clothes. I was forced to take off everything except for the bare minimum to keep me from freezing to death.

With the help of the dim lighting provided by glowstones, I managed to find a dry spot where I could rest without being bothered.

There were countless ice stalactites hanging above me, their sharp edges glistening like diamonds. I did not dwindle any longer and immediately began honing myself.

Breaking off chunks of the stalactites, I began absorbing the mana contained deep inside of them. It wasn't an easy process since I had to look out for my body temperature aswell.

This cave-like area is special in that it's filled with rich mana. Originally, Kayn, the protagonist discovered this place but it wasn't until the test was almost over which is why he couldn't make full use of it.

Going into a lotus position, I focused on absorbing as much mana as possible. It was a rigorous task but it will be worth it. I can already feel myself slowly adapting to the cold.

------------------------

"Fuck!" I screamed in pain after a dire wolf pounced upon me, biting down viciously on my shoulder.

Its teeth dug deep into my flesh, causing blood to spill freely. I pierced my sword through its abdomen and shoved it aside but that didn't help the situation at all.

We are slowly getting overwhelmed. The relentless onslaught is leaving us exhausted. I don't think the others can keep up anymore. We need to do something fast.

"Kayn! Are you alright?" Called a voice behind me.

It was a girl with disheveled red hair. I met her earlier today when we arrived here. She has been helping out the other students, taking care of their wounds. Her name is Isabella I think.

However, she didn't have enough time as the creatures launched yet another attack. The endless screams of misery gave me severe headaches. They remind me of the Abysmal ones...

A wave of dizziness swept over me. Vivid memories that I tried so much to suppress flooded my mind, making me relive the horrors I have witnessed in the Underhive.

I couldn't focus on the battle as my trauma took hold of my thoughts.

"No! I don't want to go back there... not ever again... please someone... someone help me." I pleaded while gripping my forehead in agony.

"Snap out of it! Lives are on the line right now.!" Shouted Isabella as she hit me in the head.

Somehow, her actions helped me regain my composure. "Sorry about that," I apologized in a shaky voice. She is right.

There is no time right now. If I want to survive this ordeal, then I should stop wasting precious seconds.

I looked around and noticed how most of our forces were wounded or unable to fight anymore.

A few brave souls remained standing against the horde but it wouldn't last forever. Even if they manage to kill every single creature in front of them, more would come along.

The coldness is also starting to affect my stamina. My hands grew numb and my limbs started to become weak. This isn't good; I'm going to collapse soon unless I do something about it.

Retreating is our only option. Maybe if we all split up, some of us might still stand a chance of survival. That thought alone made me sick to my stomach but there is nothing else I can do right now.

"Guys hear me out! We need to retreat or else we will all die!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, hoping they would hear me.

However, my efforts were futile as we could hear a battle horn blaring from afar, drowning out all the noise I could muster. Whatever little hope I had was shattered as desperation overwhelmed me.

That horn is most definitely not from us. Those are the sounds of reinforcements arriving and that can only mean one thing: Our end is near.

As I prepared my last stand, I thought about what I have done wrong to end like this. What should I have done to pass this test?

I could feel the vibration of the ground beneath my feet; Shaking violently. Something huge is coming towards us. All of us were startled and turned to face whatever danger awaits ahead.

The world stood still as we watched in terror how giant trolls approached us with frightening speed.

Their bodies were covered in thick armor which reflected the light of the sun. Each troll carried massive war hammers in his hands.

Their eyes glowed with malice and rage. I knew without a doubt that those monsters weren't here to play nice. And just by looking at them, I can tell that we stand no chance.

"Run away!" Screamed Isabella as she ran past me.

Her scream got everyone out of their trance and we aimlessly sprinted away. Just as I was about to run into the woods, I stopped mid-stride because I saw someone left behind.

At first, I thought he was badly injured. unable to escape but my assumption was wrong. He voluntarily stood his ground, holding his humongous halberd firmly in hand.

Did he go insane? What is he still doing there? Furthermore, I never once saw him fight the beasts so he should be weak. How did he even survive until now?

"Hey! Escape as long as you still can!" I yelled at him but my words fell on deaf ears. His eyes remained fixed straight forward, ignoring everything around him including me.

He gave off an eerie feeling that I couldn't ignore. My body screamed at me to get far away from the trolls but my curiosity won over as I watched the unknown young man.

Something inside me told me that he wasn't normal. I am sure of that fact since I know that there is no way anyone can survive such carnage unscathed. Yet, this boy just stands there, motionless as the enemy approaches.

Then suddenly, his weapon went ablaze, melting the surrounding snow. A scorching hot flame engulfed the entire length of his blade.

With each passing second, the fire burned hotter and brighter, threatening to burn down anything near it.

The trolls were unfazed by this sudden display of power. Instead, they charged toward him with reckless abandon.

One of the monsters swung its hammer above his head before bringing it crashing down onto the young man.

I held my breath as I watched this showdown in awe. Things are about to get real.