Practical Exam Ends

Amidst Alaric's triumphant unification of every student under his banner, we prepared to start on the true battle against the relentless beasts. Suddenly, a piercing cry shattered the tense silence.

"I... I don't want to be here anymore!" the voice quivered, belonging to a girl who had risen from the common ranks to secure a coveted place among the top 1000 students. Her legs were cut off, and a fellow student carried her, tied behind his back.

Surveying the injuries that my fellow students had, I made a crucial decision. "For those who wish not to partake in the battle, tend to the wounded. Bring them to this open area!"

Alaric acknowledged my choice with a nod, and we set our sights on formulating our final strategy. 

"We should separate the mages from the cultivators," Angeline proposed, her voice clear and determined. "The mages can construct a small trench, too narrow for the beasts to breach, while the cultivators hold them off. From within the trench, we can launch ranged attacks."

I comprehended her strategy, a desperate attempt to safeguard the mages. The casualties had predominantly afflicted those with weaker physical forms. Further losses among the mages would severely diminish our firepower, a risk we could not afford.

Alaric concurred, recognizing the urgency of their situation. "Indeed, cover is essential. We've been left exposed in this open field for too long, and we've been on the defensive. There has been no time to construct anything."

"Agreed," I affirmed. "I'll lead the mages, and you handle the frontline." I understood the immense difference in strength between Alaric and me. With a nod signifying mutual agreement, we parted ways, and I proceeded to gather the mages.

Angeline, tasked with the dividing the students, executed her assignment within mere minutes, leaving me to stand before the dwindling number of mages engaged in this battle. Without delay, I asked, "How many among you are skilled in earth magic?"

Only a fraction of the mages raised their hands in response. In light of this situation, I promptly directed the remaining mages to return to the battlefield while instructing the rest to begin the construction of the much-needed trench.

In a swift and coordinated effort, we completed the trench construction. "Expand to the tunnels and bring the injured down here," I ordered a group of mages, knowing that we needed to protect the wounded.

With the trench as our safeguard, I dashed towards the frontline, issuing a directive to the ranged group, "Fallback!" Immediately, they sprinted towards the trenches, which served as their sanctuary.

"Contain their attention!" Alaric bellowed to the students in the trench, and they complied, unleashing their magical attacks on the approaching beasts. The beasts, frustrated in their attempts to breach the trench, could do nothing but get hit. Each time a beast attempted to dig its way in, a mage rapidly restored the earth, while the frontline continued their relentless assault on the creatures.

Our plan seemed to be working, granting us a temporary advantage. However, the situation took a turn for the worse as one of the beasts transformed into a third-ranked creature, a monkey-like entity with long, menacing arms. Monkeys were known for their intelligence among lower-ranked beasts, and this one had taken a fallen student's sword, using it to ruthlessly attack.

In the midst of the chaos, Dorian, his voice devoid of emotion, remarked, "Yeah, there's no way we were meant to win this." His body bore the scars of battle, and his tattered clothing served as makeshift bandages to staunch a deep wound on his arm. Surprisingly, he was one of the few less injured in this battle, which showed the grim reality of our predicament.

"