First Year Midterms: First Encounter

The vibrant hue of the sun's rays beginning to crest the distant horizon, every student stood ready to charge the woods that stood nearly five miles ahead of them. In mere moments, they will be subjected to any number of life-or-death situations.

It wasn't uncommon for students that had prior disputes to settle them in these sorts of training exercises. Every student knew that fact which put an added pressure on them that potentially one of their own would turn on them.

With the rapid rising of a flare being shot into the air, a cloud of dust arose in the place where the students previously were. In a matter of seconds, every student was barely within sight. Three quarters of them charged ahead of the rest with an unwavering confidence.

Just before they would have moved too far out of sight, the onlooking instructors noted that small groups began to form a line in front of the forest. In unison, these groups began to disperse. Each remained equidistant from the others.

Some of the instructors began to talk amongst themselves. In the years that they had been tasked to monitor these tests, none had seen this level of unit cohesion. This test was made to break the limits of individuals and force cooperation. Those that failed to do so or coward away while one of their peers was ripped apart were weeded out through death.

The academy served as an initial training location for the next generation to enter the military. Graduates were expected to hold leadership roles and supervise the less capable personnel. There was no place after the academy for the weak and spineless to survive.

Rather than having these failures flunk out and rejoin society, they were purged from existence. Every year, they will undergo similar trails that are meant to remove the parasites that had simply ridded on the achievements of others.

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After roughly ten minutes of a paced sprint, the first students reached the edge of the forest. Once they entered, visibility became limited. Looking left and right, Joe was face with the simple fact that he could no longer maintain a visual on his flanking teams.

"Listen up, just because we can't see one another doesn't change the plan. Move as we discussed and begin marking locations. Once you have established an accurate number of hostiles, begin the engagement or call for support.

I said this before but allow me to reiterate it again now that we're here, none of you are permitted to die. If you cannot gain the advantage, then fall back to a position we can support you in. Team leaders, prioritize the lives of within your team over the test."

Without missing a beat, Joe added pressure to the three squads while also alleviating the majority of their worries. Death was highly probable in this test, yet he would settle only for a zero percent fatality rate. If any instructor was present, they'd have scoffed him and regarded his existence as arrogant.

Knowing that, if it was need, support would come from any direction served as a confidence boast to everyone. Alone, only Joe or Clara could handle a Level One beast. Together, every student had a chance to come out victorious.

Slowly, the team leaders began updating the map by marking the locations of various beasts. Ranging from Level Zero packs of rabbits to the occasional Level One wolf, within five hours, three teams had already met their quota and had grouped with the other groups that had yet to encounter any Level Ones.

The team lead by Joe was holding a fair range back from the other squads. Having to adapt the movements of so many people as the situation continuously changed had showed its effect. Joe was still able to move relatively freely despite his duties however, he knew he wouldn't be able to fight to his full potential in his current state.

For that, he planned to have the rest of his team group with another two teams. He would then take up a rear position where he could continue to move with the others but would be able to focus on his job. he worried that if he lagged on updating the formation's movements, a team would find itself in a dangerous situation.

Having sent two members each to assist teams that were nearing their quota, Joe positioned himself in a central location. A few Level Zeros attempted to get in his way, but he simply ignored them. With the limited strength they held, he was able to simply bypass them without stopping.

The day progressed in this way without any complications. The wide range of the formation allowed for a large area to be scouted at once. His positioning of the teams created no gaps either. The fluidity of his guidance also began to improve. Before he knew it, he was unconsciously updating the data as it came to him.

Feeling more confident, Joe picked up his pace and closed the half mile distance he had from the rest of the formation in a single breath. He now centered himself at the very heart of his class. Of the seventy-five kills needed, twenty-seven had already been filled. The day wasn't even half over so this sent a feeling of pride through his entire body.

Third Squad's progress was entirely unknown. Before the class had even entered the forest, Jared had pulled them all about seven miles to the left. After his talk with Joe, he kept everyone out of their way. After all, he was a coward.

After travelling another couple miles through the dense foliage, Joe was briefly stopped by a group of eleven Level One foxes. The difference between the Level Zero and Level One fox wasn't as simple as a power boast. The sheer size of the beast nearly tripled in this single level. All eleven of them now stood at the size of an unawaken wolf.