Chapter 3

Gale sat next to Tom in the newest classroom. They had started the day in the homeroom, where Gale spent the time researching Roles. Now, they sat in their newest course. The teacher was a woman with short blond hair and green eyes, she wore a brown trench coat and wore a frown on her sharp face. Behind her was a large board with pictures of different creatures. However, they all shared one feature. Dark, black skin.

"Welcome to demon studies. Here, you will learn everything there is to know about mankind's greatest enemy. While there are many races of demons, there are four main categories divided by threat level; low, intermediate, high, and catastrophic."

The teacher pointed at a picture of a small, humanoid demon with stubby horns and glowing red eyes. It was armed with claws and sharp teeth, and had a pair of wings on its back. "Can anyone tell me what this demon is."

Leo put his hand up, "It's an Imp, a low-level threat demon."

The teacher nodded, "Correct. They have no magical abilities, and weak bodies. However, they are nimble, and always travel in groups. An unprepared adventurer can still be overwhelmed and mauled by their claws and fangs."

She pointed at a new picture, this one took the form of a large cat. It was at least four feet at the shoulders and had long claws. Two curved fangs were seen outside the lips of its jaws, and two spikes protruded from its shoulders. Its tail ended in a sharp barb that glowed purple. "Now does anyone know about this one?"

Leo's hand went up again. "That is the intermediate-level threat demon called a Ravager.

"Correct again. Ravagers rely on speed to catch their opponents off guard. Their claws are sharp enough to pierce armor, and their fangs can crush ribs. The spikes protruding from their shoulders can be used to ram their prey, and their barbed tails can cast a special poison magic that slowly kills whoever gets hit. A Ravager can easily wipe out an entire party of adventurers."

The next picture caused Gale to freeze up. It was an image of a shadowy, human figure. It had two pairs of raven-like wings that seemed to be made of shadows and stood at eight feet. Lightning and fires sparked from its hands as it levitated off the ground. It didn't have a face, instead a white hole glowed where the face should have been. "How about this one?"

Once again, it was Leo who answered. "That is a Soul eater. They are classified as high-level threats."

"That is right. Soul eaters are made entirely out of shadows, making them impervious to physical attacks, and they unleash powerful spells of lightning and fire. One of these can single handedly wipe out an entire town. Another thing that makes them different is how they feed. Rather than eating the flesh of their victims, they instead suck out the life energy of their prey, which is why their victims are found seemingly in perfect condition."

Gale felt clenched his fist, almost breaking his pencil during the teacher's description while Tom looked at Gale curiously.

The teacher continued. "All of these demons are different, but they do have one thing in common. They are not sentient. They act based on their instincts and can not coordinate. That is the greatest strength we have over them. That is why adventurers always go out in parties. Our ability to work with each other and strategize will always give us the advantage no matter how many demons you end up facing. Understood? Good."

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"Hey Gale, you ok?"

"Gale?"

"Gale!"

Gale jerked out of his thoughts and saw his friends looking at him with concern.

"Sorry, what?"

"You have been staring at your lunch for the past minute, is everything ok?" Leo asked.

"Oh, yeah. Everything is fine. I was just lost in thought." Gale reassured them as he took a bite.

Annie responded "Ok, we were just worried, you have been out of it since Demon ecology."

"Oh, sorry for worrying you. Just thrown off by those images."

Annie nodded, "I know what you mean, those things were so creepy."

Tom perked up, "Speaking of which, you seem to know a lot about demons Leo."

Leo turned to him. "Well, my parents have spent the majority of their lives studying demons and monsters, it was their work that actually got the attention of Annie's family in the first place. Everything I know, I learned from them."

Tom stared at him, "Wow, that is so cool."

Annie puffed out her chest. "That's right, Leo knows practically anything and everything about demons and monsters.

Leo gave her an awkward smile, "I wouldn't say everything…"

Annie interrupted him, "Hey, own up to your knowledge and brag, you are super smart. The reason I pass half of my classes is because of you."

Leo blushed at the praise

Gale chuckled before he changed the subject. "So, what's our next class?"

Tom answered "We have Combat with Eric Douglas."

"That should be interesting. Isn't this his first year teaching?" Leo asked.

"Yes. I am curious about what his lessons will be like." Alejandra spoke up.

"Well, we are about to find out. Lunch ends in two minutes."

They quickly finished their lunch and started making their way to the next class.

A few minutes later, the students were standing in a large arena that stood as high as the school. The walls were curved and to the left of where they were standing, different types of weapons were sitting. The students had changed into a pair of black sweatpants and sweat jacket that hung loosely on their bodies. They soon heard the clinking of armored footsteps and turned to see Eric Douglas decorated in his armor. The class started to get excited as they saw him. Eric stopped in front of them and smiled.

"Welcome to your first day of the combat course. Here you will be taught how to use your abilities and powers in actual combat situations as well as how to properly use weapons and martial arts. Today will be a trial by fire. I will draw random names, and the two people I draw will duel each other here. This is to get a basis on where you are at and where you will need to work. Before you come up, you will be allowed to grab a weapon and the fights will end when one of the fighters surrenders, or I deem them unable to fight. Also, don't worry about injuries, your training uniform is enchanted with spells that increase your defense and healing rate. Alright, let's begin."

Pulled out a box with different name tags and drew the first two. "Alejandra Valentina and Annie Burke." The two girls looked at each other and Annie smirked while Alejandra gave her a nod. Alejandra walked to the center while Annie grabbed two large pistols.

Annie turned to Alejandra, "Are you sure you are ok facing me unarmed."

An uncharacteristic smirk formed on Alejandra's face, "What do you mean?" She held out her hand and a ball of light began to form. The light stretched out and changed into a long sword with a white hilt. The blade twinkled in the sunlight. She held it out in front of her, "I have my weapon right here."

The onlookers 'oohed' as the two prepared to fight. Eric counted down before giving the signal. Alejandra charged at Annie while she began firing at her. Alejandra dodged the first two shots easily, but the next two landed much closer to her. Alejandra was forced to back up and try again. The next two minutes continued like this while the students cheered them on.

Tom turned to Gale and Leo, "How is Annie fending her off? Alejandra is moving so fast, I can barely see her, yet Annie is able to target her almost perfectly."

It was Leo that answered him. "It's because of her Role: Gunslinger."

Gale's eyes widened. "Of course. Gunslingers have an ability that allows them to see their opponents next move. Annie is using it to predict Alejandra's path, and target where she's going."

Tom whistled. "That is a cool ability."

The fight continued to stalemate until Alejandra switched tactics. Her sword began to glow white. Then Alejandra slashed the air in front of her, sending a wave of light at Annie. Annie's eyes widened slightly as she dodged it. However, the attack knocked her off balance and before she could recover, Alejandra was in front of her. Alejandra swung her sword at Annie's waist, confident she would win. Suddenly, Annie twisted away faster than Alejandra could react and kicked her away. Alejandra landed on her feet staring at Annie as the two of them panted.

The students stared in shock and Gale and Tom turned to Leo, who smirked. Alejandra stood across from Annie, trying to regain her breath. Alejandra looked up and began speaking. "So, what was that? I know that Gunslingers don't have abilities like that." She said between her intakes of breath. Annie smirked. "Nope, that was my power. I was born with the ability to enhance my reflexes beyond the human limit." With that explanation the two continued to stare at each other, waiting for the other to make a move when Annie raised her hands.

"Well, I'm done. Mr. Douglas, I surrender."

Silence was all that was heard as everyone stared. Even Alejandra was shocked. "Really?"

"Yep, I'm running low on mana. At this rate, I'll be completely empty long before you. I know my limits. This is your win." Annie said with a smile.

Eric called the match and the two rejoined the other students. Eric then called the next two. Two hours passed as the students dueled each other. Soon, he called Tom and Leo. Tom grabbed a shield and longsword while Leo grabbed two swords.

"Two swords? Does that have to do with his Role?" Alejandra asked.

"Yeah, his Role is Dual Swordsman." Annie responded. "Though I don't know Tom's."

Gale spoke up, "His Role is Heavy Knight." He turned to the match, "This will be interesting. The Dual Swordsman Role relies on speed, they rush in and unleash a flurry of attacks on their opponents. The Heavy Knight Role has an impregnable defense paired with an unstoppable offense. The two Roles rely on completely different styles. I wonder who will win?"

When Eric signaled the start, Leo sprung forward, swinging at Tom. Tom moved his shield as it glowed blue. When the sword and shield collided, a blue light burst from the point of contact, knocking Leo back. Leo quickly recovered and charged again, this time moving around to attack Tom's back. Tom quickly made the blue aura surround him as Leo's sword struck. However, Leo stayed where he was and continued to press the attack, transforming into a whirlwind of blades. Tom was able to turn around before he was overwhelmed. Unable to counter all of Leo's attacks, he began to move backwards while Leo pushed forward. Using his shield, he broke Leo's chain of attacks and swung his heavy sword. While the attack missed, it still cracked open the ground underneath them and sent Leo flying. Leo landed hard, before getting up and going back on the attack.

Ten minutes later Tom and Leo stood across from each other, breathlessly. They tried to go back on the attack but they were too tired to lift their swords. Eric realized this and called the duel as a draw. The students clapped for them as they made their way back to them while Eric pulled the last two names. "Aiden Prowse and Gale Morrigan."

Gale felt his blood run cold. He turned to face Aiden and saw a sinister grin on his face. He gulped and walked over to pick up a weapon when he heard his name called behind him. He turned to see his friends looking at him with comforting smiles. Tom smirked at him. "Kick his ass, Gale."

Gale smiled, "I'll try." He turned and grabbed a short sword and walked to the center of the arena. Aiden stood across from him wearing bracers over his fists.

"I'm going to enjoy beating your ass into the ground. And this time, no one will stop me. After all, who would protect a Demon Lord?" Aiden taunted.

Gale felt his blood pressure spike before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His eyes opened, glowing with determination. His opponent flinched when he saw them before he growled. "Are you trying to step up to me? You should know to respect your betters."

Annie's eyes narrowed. "Wow, what crawled up his ass and died?"

Tom glared. "No idea. Gale never said much, but they definitely have some history. None of it good."

Alejandra bared her teeth. "He thinks that just because he has a powerful ability he can do whatever he wants with no care about consequences. He looks down on everyone and is a straight up bully."

The others looked at her with surprise. "You seem to feel quite highly about this. Do you have history with him or…" Leo asked.

Alejandra remained silent, still looking at Gale and Aiden. Gale held his sword in front of him, aimed at Aiden, as he fixed his bracers and put his fists up. As Gale waited for the battle to begin, he recalled his lesson with headmaster Frode the night before.

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Frode walked over to Gale. "Do you remember how Mages use mana?"

"Kind of. They gather the specific type of mana they need from the world around them right?"

Frode nodded. Correct, to a Mage, the world is like a ball of multiple strings. Each one different, but tied up all the same. What they do is pull on one specific string, untangling it from the ball and use it to knit something else. Demon Lords are different. Instead of a ball of strings, Demons Lords see it as a piece of clay. Something they can mold and shape however they want. That is how you use magic, Gale."

He looked at Frode. "Remember, picture a ball of clay. Then mold it. Understood?"

Gale blinked, "Kinda?"

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Gale returned from his thoughts when he heard Eric signal the beginning of the match. Aiden seemed to teleport in front of him, fire trailing behind him and a maniacal grin on his face. Gale instinctively moved backward as Aiden swung his flaming fist forward. Gale continued to panic, wondering what he should do. Recalling Frode's words, he let go of his sword with one hand and thrust it towards Aiden's chest. A large gust of wind spiraled from his palm and slammed into Aiden, sending him flying into the wall on the other side of the arena.

Silence echoed throughout the arena as Aiden coughed. Even Gale stared at his hand in surprise. 'Did I just do that?' Then he heard claps and cheers from his friends. He couldn't help but feel good. He heard a growl and looked up to see Aiden back on his feet, his eyes alight with fury.

Aiden pointed his palms backwards and used the force of the flames to send him flying forward. He took another swing at Gale, who dodged to the side and took a swing at him with his sword. Aiden whirled around and blocked it with his bracer before using a burst of flames that knocked Gale backwards. Gale got back on his feet and barely dodged the next fist that came at him. Aiden unleashed a flurry of punches that Gale had to dodge or use his sword to block. 'I can't keep going like this. It won't be long before his flames melt my sword. I need to get back on the attack.' Gale jumped backwards and held his hand up. Multiple boulders ripped out of the ground and shot at Aiden. His flaming fists destroyed three of them while the last one managed to graze his shoulder, knocking him off balance. While Aiden was distracted, Gale coated his blade with water and enhanced his speed and lunged forward, slashing at Aiden. He unleashed a burst of flames around him, hotter than before, but Gale's sword sliced through them and cut open Aiden's cheek.

The students gasped.

"Why didn't Aiden dodge? Surely he would have known that the water would have protected the blade from the heat?" Leo asked.

Alejandra answered. "He didn't see, he was distracted by the rocks that Gale threw at him earlier. That was the point of Gale's attack."

Tom whistled. "He used it as a distraction to get a hit in. Smart."

Gale smirked as he stood across from Aiden. He scowled as blood dripped down his cheek. "What are you smiling about? You think this is some big achievement? This little cut? Don't act so smug. This is nothing! You are nothing! You were born without powers and your parents went and died on you! You couldn't even try to stand for yourself!"

Gale's smile fell as his blood began to boil. Aiden noticed this and continued. "What, did I strike a nerve? You were always hiding behind that knight. What was his name? I never cared to learn. Why his dumbass put up with you astounds me."

Gale's brows furrowed and his breathing grew quick. He didn't notice, but a black, shadowy wisp began to flutter from his body. Aiden kept pushing. "Seriously, looking after some powerless orphan? How pathetic could he be? Did he just feel bad and do it to satisfy his ego? I don't know, but I do know that anyone who can put up with you is just as pathetic and worthless."

Gale saw red. The shadows got thicker as they swirled around him. The other students backed away in fear while Gale's friends looked in concern. Aiden saw it and unleashed his flames. The two of them threw themselves at each other, intending to finish the fight completely when a flash of light shot between them. Gale was immediately knocked to his senses and the shadows dissipated. Aiden flinched back and stopped. The two of them looked towards where it came from and saw Eric with his sword unsheathed.

"Enough, this duel is over. Gale, I believe you have been warned about using that power."

Gale's eyes widened in realization before his head drooped.

"And Aiden, we will be talking about your behavior today. This may have been a duel, but you are both still adventurers. You will be expected to work together at some point."

Aiden turned his head away and scoffed as Eric turned back to the class.

"Alright, class ends in ten minutes. Please make your way back to the locker rooms and get changed. We will go over your duels next class. Whether you won or lost, reflect on your mistakes and work to correct them. Dismissed."

The students began walking out, but Gale stood still. 'I lost control. If Mr. Douglas hadn't stopped the duel…' He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at Eric. "Hey, chin up. Everyone has lost control of their emotions in battle, even me. You made a mistake, that's all. The reason you are here is to learn. So get back up, and try again, ok?" Gale's eyes brightened as he nodded. Eric smiled and patted his back. "Good. Now go catch up with your friends."

Gale ran to the locker room and quickly got changed. When he left the room, he saw his friends waiting for him.

"Hey Gale, you ok?" Tom asked with a look of concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about all of that. I lost control." Gale answered.

"Understandable, the way he was talking was way out of line." Alejandra said with a frown.

"Yeah, I could tell he was an asshole but man he's even worse than I thought." Annie seethed.

Gale stared at his friends before he started snickering. They looked at him. "Are you sure you're ok?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, I really needed that. Thanks guys." Gale smiled.

They started walking back to the dorms, talking and laughing the whole way.

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Time passed, and the days turned to weeks. Soon, three months had passed and Gale was truly enjoying his academy life. Everyday was a new experience for him and his friends, who he spent as much time as possible with. Arriving at Homeroom with Tom, he was looking forward to cracking open a good book or going over notes with his friends. However, that wouldn't happen today. As soon as the last student arrived, Ms. Danielle immediately called for the class's attention.

"Alright class, today, and the next few days, are going to be very different. You will not be attending any classes today. Instead, you will head to the armory where you will be grabbing your adventurer gear. After changing, you will head to the training field at the back of the school, where the headmaster and other faculty will be waiting. They will explain everything there. Class dismissed."

A loud clamor broke out as the students immediately got up and started making their way to the door. Gale noticed that they still gave him a large berth. Except for his friends, of course. The chatter continued until they reached the armory. It was decorated with many weapons and armor, all crafted with extreme skill and ready to serve whoever chose them. Gale went and collected his gear, where he got a dirty look from the faculty member, and quickly got changed.

He chose to wear a brown, leather outfit that ended at his waist, with a fur collar. He also wore black gloves with a metal plate on the back of the hand. His pants were a dark black, ending with brown boots. A small metal plate covered his chest for protection. He also wore metal shin and shoulder pads. A shiny, short sword was strapped to his right side. Gale twisted his arm and leg, checking his flexibility before making his way to the field.

On his way, he ran into Tom. Tom wore much more armor than Gale. His silver chest plate covered his whole upper body ending at the shoulders. His hands and wrists were protected by gauntlets. White pants ended with armored boots that cover his shin. A white shield and large longsword were both sheathed on his back.

The two stared at each other for a couple seconds before smirking.

"Dude, you look sick."

"Not as good as you. Looking at you makes me feel unprotected."

Tom laughed, "Let's go try to find the others at the field."

The two of them continued on to the field, and saw a sea of people. All of them were dressed in various outfits and armor. Tom and Gale looked for their friends before they saw Annie waving to them beside Leo. It was easy for them to walk up to Annie and Leo as the students melted away in front of Gale. When they got up close, they got a good look at their outfits.

Annie wore a red, buttoned coat with long, cuffed sleeves and coat tails that ended just above her knees. Her black pants stuck to her body and ended with black high boots. Strapped to her belt were two holsters, a large pistol in each. Her hair was still in its long ponytail and she wore black gloves.

Leo was wearing a white coat with a sharp V-neck collar. Its coat tails ending just behind his thighs. A metal plate covered his front and back, similar to Gale. He wore metal shin guards over his white pants and boots. He also wore white fingerless gloves and two sparkling swords were strapped to his back.

"Damn, you guys look cool."

"Same to you dude. Wow Tom, you've got a lot of armor, and a large sword. Compensating for something?"

Tom spluttered while Leo and Gale roared with laughter. Annie laughed as she hit Tom's shoulder.

"I'm just kidding. Seriously though, you look really cool."

"Same to you. By the way, has anyone seen Alejandra?"

"No, not yet." Leo responded.

A few seconds later they heard her call out to them. Gale turned around and turned red. She was wearing a blue dress with a white mantle that ended behind her shins, framing her slender legs where she wore armored boots that ended just below her knees. Her chest was protected by armor that conformed to her body, showing off her curves. The armor stopped before her shoulders and she wore gauntlets that went up to her elbows.

Gale stared for a few moments before he shook his head.

"A-Alejandra! Y-you look really good." Gale stuttered as he looked away, his hand sheepishly behind his head. Leo snickered behind his hand while Annie smirked at him. Tom leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Smooth Gale. Real smooth." Gale glared at him. Alejandra giggled, her cheeks dusted with a light pink. "Thank you Gale, you look good too."

"So, what do you think the reason for calling us here is?" Gale asked, changing the subject.

"Don't know, but I am pretty sure we are about to find out." Leo gestured towards the school. They turned to see headmaster Frode flanked by Eric and other teachers. On the steps beneath him were a group of adventurers they didn't recognize. Frode clapped his hands loudly to get the students' attention.

"Thank you all for coming, you are all probably wondering why you are here. I will explain but first, please get into teams of five. You have ten minutes."

The students began moving around, chatting and greeting each other. At first, Gale looked around nervously before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see his friends, who smiled and nodded at him. Gale smiled back. Ten minutes later, Frode began speaking again.

"This is what we call the faux adventurer exam. This was created to test you first years on everything you have learned. The exam will last three days. First, your party will pick up a small quest to complete. You will then enter the training forest behind you where the exam will take place. When you complete it, you will be given a new quest that will be more challenging. This pattern will continue until you have completed five quests. You will be tested on the speed and quality of your work, teamwork, tracking, navigating, and survival skills. Don't worry about dying, you will have a skilled adventurer watching over you, ready to step in should you need it. They will also be reporting on your performance. Attacking or sabotaging another party is strictly prohibited. Also, the top three parties will be receiving provisional licenses, allowing them to take on official quests and a rank befitting their performance."

The students stared in shock before cheering. "All right, head over to the tables on your right to get your party registered and acquire your first quest."

The sea of students began moving towards the desk clerks. When Gale's party arrived, they were registered as the 43rd party and got their quest as well as two backpacks with camping equipment and traps. They were each handed a communicator they put in their ears.

"Alright, what's first?" Leo asked.

"It says herb collecting, we are going to collect two pounds of Vital leaves." Annie reads

"Huh, where would we find them here?" Tom questioned.

"We probably have to figure that out. Remember, we are being tested on navigating too." Gale answered.

They made their way towards an entrance in the forest. A few moments later, Frode gave the students a send off. "The exam begins now! Adventurers, good luck."

Gale and his friends rushed into the forest, the sounds of birds and bugs surrounding them.

After thirty minutes of fruitless searching, Tom stopped the party. "So, how do we find these Vitality plants?"

"Well, the plants thrive in the sunlight, so we should probably look in clearings." Gale answered.

"However, most of the herbivores eat them. We should look in places where animals have a hard time reaching." Alejandra added.

They began moving deeper into the forest. Sometime later, they heard the sounds of brush crackling and branches breaking. They immediately ducked behind cover and waited. Out of the underbrush in front of them stepped a large, red creature. It had an armored shell, decorated with spikes. Its long tail ended in a club, its head protected with horns and its eyes glowed blue.

"An Armouradillo. An armored monster with a clubbed tail. Its armor can block just about any attack and the club can shatter bone." Leo whispered

Annie started to aim at the creature when Gale put his hand over her gun.

"Wait, don't attack. Let's let it pass."

"But it's a monster." Annie protested.

"Yes, but monsters aren't demons. While they are aggressive to humans, they don't seek them out. Also, killing it is not a part of our quest and fighting it would just waste time."

Annie nodded reluctantly, and the party let the Armouradillo go before continuing on. They found an area of the forest decorated with sharp rocks and steep ridges. "Hey, this looks promising." Tom said. They searched for another hour before Leo called for his friends. He found a secluded alcove in the rocks that was bathed in sunlight. The ground was covered with Vitality plants.

"Jackpot. Let's collect our bounty and move on to the next one." Leo said.

They picked the leaves off of the plants and set them on the quest paper. After a little while the paper began to glow and the herbs suddenly vanished. The paper still glowed as the letters began to shift.

"Hunt down a red-striped bear?" Annie asked.

"Wow, getting into the big ones already. Those things can reach up to 14 feet on their hindlegs. They also have a red stripe on their backs." Leo explained.

"Really, Leo? Didn't realize that from the name," Gale deadpanned.

"We have a long way to go, they live much deeper in the forest, preferring the shadows and prey animals that live there." Leo added, ignoring him.

They began to make their way farther into the forest. Hours passed as they continued searching before Tom called out.

"Hey guys, come here! I found something!"

They met up with him and saw a large footprint. It was at least eight inches in diameter and had a large pad with five toes, long claws extending from them.

"This is a bear print right?" Tom asked.

Gale responded "Yep, except it is much bigger. I think it is the monster we are looking for."

Leo examined the print. "I agree, and it's fresh. No older than ten minutes. Traveling in that direction." He pointed north.

Gale turned to Annie "Do you think you can use your sight to look there."

Annie shrugged, "I can try."

She stepped in front of them and a green circle with a reticle appeared over her right eye. It stayed for a few seconds before vanishing as she turned to face her friends.

"I found it. 150 yards to the north."

"Alright, we found it." Tom pumped his fist.

"Let's not count our chickens before they hatch. Finding it is only half of the quest." Gale reminded him.

Tom deflated. "Oh right."

Leo spoke up, "So how do we kill it, it has the ability to strengthen its fur to repel physical and magical attacks. Its only weak spot is its underbelly."

Gale stayed silent for a couple moments before speaking, "Well, I might have an idea."

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The red-striped bear walked through the forest, searching for his next meal when a bullet slammed into its side. It roared in pain and turned to see Annie sitting in a tree. The bear roared again as it charged at her when Leo jumped out of the bushes on its left and gave it several slashes on its hind legs. The bear whirled around to swipe at him, leaving large gashes in the ground, but Leo easily dodged. That is when Tom charged it from the right. Letting out a fierce yell, he slammed his glowing shield into its side, knocking it over. As it tried to get up, Gale froze it with a wave of ice. "Alejandra, now!" Alejandra sprinted, her sword glowing white as she pointed it at her target. With a grunt, the sword sank deep into the bear's chest. It let out a loud roar that faded into a gurgle and the bear stopped moving.

They watched it carefully for a few moments, making sure it was dead before Tom let out a whoop. "We did it! We killed it!"

Annie and Leo high fived.

"Yeah! We are officially adventurers now." Annie shouted.

Alejandra was elated. "Nice plan, Gale. It worked perfectly."

Gale smiled nervously, "Hey, I just came up with the plan, it took all of us to carry it out. I'm just glad it went as well as it did."

They celebrated for another few moments before they calmed down.

"Alright, let's send it off and get our next quest." Leo exclaimed. Gale took out the paper and pulled out one of its fangs, grimacing in disgust. The paper glowed and the tooth vanished. The letters shifted again.

They quickly read the paper before Gale turned to his friends.

"Let's worry about this tomorrow." Gale said as he looked at the darkening sky. "The forest is much more dangerous at night. We shouldn't push our luck. Let's set up camp for the night."

"Sounds good." Tom responded. The party made its way through the forest before they found a secluded cove with a small pond in the middle.

"Well this looks like a good spot. Most of the tracks are small, so this place isn't visited by any monsters, and I saw a couple of fish in the pond, so we have food and water." Leo gave his approval.

"Either way, let's not take any chances. How about Alejandra and I will set up some traps and alarms around the camp while the rest of you set up the tents. How does that sound?" His friends nodded and got to work. Gale and Alejandra took some traps from the two bags Leo and Tom were carrying while they took out the tents. An hour later, Gale was setting up the last tripwire. After he was done, he met up with Alejandra and they walked back to camp. The tents were fully up, the bigger one was set up for the boys, and the smaller one for the girls. Leo waved from his spot by the pond, a basket full of fish by his side. Annie and Tom were walking back with a pile of firewood in each of their arms. They quickly set up a firepit and Gale lit it with some fire magic. Soon, they were roasting fish, talking and laughing the whole time.

"Hey Annie, I don't think I said this, but your abilities are awesome. What is the range you can see?" Tom asked.

Annie smirked, "On a clear day with nothing in between, over 1000 meters."

Tom's eyes widened, "Wow! That's incredible!"

"If you say so, though I am kind of bummed out that I didn't get to do much." Annie responded.

Gale winced, "Sorry."

"Oh, I'm not complaining about your plan. I understand that it was necessary to prevent anyone from getting hurt. It's just my own personal pride coming out." Annie reassured him. "I am glad I was able to help, even if it was just to distract it from seeing Leo."

"To be honest, I don't think it would have to begin with." Tom interjected.

"You don't think it would have seen me? Am I really that hard to notice?" Leo hung his head.

Tom panicked. "Wait! That's not what I meant! I just meant that you were so well hidden that it wouldn't have realized you were there." Tom tried to console him while everyone else laughed. As Gale calmed down he looked back at the fire and his eyes widened.

"Oh no, Alejandra, your fish!"

Alejandra looked down and gasped. She immediately grabbed her stick to try and save what was left of the fish, but it was too late. The fish was reduced to a black husk. Alejandra deflated while Tom, Annie, and Leo snickered. Gale also found it quite humorous.

"This your first time camping?"

Alejandra nodded.

Gale leaned down and grabbed his cooked fish and carefully split in half. He took one half and offered it to her. "Here, you can share mine." Alejandra looked at it before taking it with a smile and red cheeks. As she began eating, Gale looked back up and saw his other friends smirking at him. Tom even gave him a thumbs up. His eyes narrowed, "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Why are you speaking in unison?"

"No reason."

"You did it again."

They began to laugh while Gale tilted his head.

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

"Party number 32 has completed their first quest."

"Party number 9 killed a pack of Horned rabbits."

"Party number 15 is setting up camp."

"Party number 63 has completed their second quest, three of their party members have suffered from injuries."

The reports continued to come in as Frode and Eric stood in a control room.

"Sounds like the first day is going well."

Frode nodded. "Yes, we have a good crop this year."

Suddenly the doors slammed open and a knight ran through, stopping in front of Frode, hands on his knees as he panted. "Headmaster Frode, Hero Eric. You need to see this."

Frode and Eric looked at each other with concern before they turned back to the knight.

30 minutes later, they were standing outside the forest, their faces slack with shock. In front of them was a scene of absolute carnage. The ground was torn up, the trees were ripped down, and blood was splattered everywhere. Scattered around the scene were the bodies of three adventurers. One had deep claw marks on its front and back, and it slumped over the trunk of a fallen tree. Another lay on the ground. Its head was missing, and there were teeth marks in the neck. The third was slumped on a stump, no clear damage, and the eyelids were fluttering, signaling they were still alive.

"These were C-ranked adventurers, what could have done this?" Eric asked, befuddled.

Frode looked down. "Probably, whatever left this." Eric looked down and saw a large print. The bottom half was shaped like a hoof, but the top half had five toes like a person. Eric's eyes widened. "You know what this means, right?"

Frode nodded with a somber look, "It means, we have a very, very big problem." He looked where the prints were going and saw a trail of broken branches and knocked over trees, leading deeper into the forest.

Miles away, a black figure stomped through the woods, searching for its next kill.