35. He-man

The following day, Blaze made his way to class wearing his uniform, entering through the spatial gate. Desmond was already present, patiently waiting for the rest of the students to arrive.

As more students poured into the classroom, finding their seats and settling down, Desmond's gaze swept across the room, his eyes filled with a fiery intensity. It seemed as though he regarded every one with a piercing look, as if feeling personally affronted by their presence.

"I instructed you guys to train, but you guys were busy petting each other," Desmond's voice carried an undercurrent of frustration and anger. "Originally, this test was scheduled to take place a month after you arrived at the academy, but I have decided to move it forward as a lesson. Today's test will serve as a reminder of what a true fight should look like, inspired by the skills and determination demonstrated by the Princess, Aurora, and Blaze."

"Every team leader should come forward and collect a tent, and a map. You might spend some time in the wild and some of you might not return," Desmond said calmly before roaring again, "If you are hungry, then you hunt for food. Nobody is babysitting anybody here. You want to become a mage, your journey has just begun."

Blaze gave Aurora a head sign and she went to get their tent.

With a hand resting on his waist, Desmond proceeded to give further instructions. "The blue spot on the map is the general position of the wild bear. As for the red, marked positions…those are death zones. If you venture into those parts of the forest, your survival will depend on luck rather than your strength or abilities."

"Everybody regroup and move out!"

The students joined their various teams and began walking out.

Each team used a spatial gate to get to the border of the Southern Forest with a step.

Blaze's attention was drawn to the sudden appearance of individuals bringing out various types of weapons, with swords being the most prevalent choice. He observed as the students retrieved armor from their bags and donned it, fully preparing themselves for the upcoming challenge. To his surprise, even the civilians present followed suit, equipping themselves with protective gear.

A sense of unease washed over Blaze as he realized he was the only one who had not come prepared for this trial. His lack of armor and defensive equipment stood out starkly among the prepared individuals surrounding him. He felt a pang of vulnerability, understanding that he would need to rely solely on his skills and abilities during the test, without the added protection afforded by armor like the others.

Blaze's confusion was evident as he observed his teammates carrying their weapons. A sense of realization dawned upon him, prompting him to question their actions. "I thought weapons were prohibited within the school premises. Have I missed something?"

Robin, shaking his head, responded while placing his palm on his face, "Weapons are permitted specifically for this test. It's only against the rules to use weapons against each other outside of official fights. This way, we can save our energy and mana by not having to create makeshift weapons with our elemental abilities. Additionally, at my level, I can't conjure anything using lightning. You must have missed this information because you tend to isolate yourself from other students like a lone wolf."

Robin then offered Blaze an invitation. "If you're interested, I still have an empty spot in my room. You're welcome to join me."

"No, thank you. Let go," Blaze said calmly, using his side eyes to observe everybody's weapons. The children of nobles had shiny and better weapons than the children of the civilians.

"We need to know who's the leader," Priscilla suddenly voiced out.

"I will give the orders," Aurora said calmly.

Blaze chose to remain silent, silently observing the preparations and interactions taking place around him. He knew that participating in group battles was not his forte, and as a result, he refrained from offering any suggestions or taking an active role in the planning. Throughout his time as an agent, he had become accustomed to operating solo during missions, relying on his skills and strategies.

"Olivia, you will be the firepower from the shadow as you're an Archer. Sniping from the shadows is your job. I don't know if you're good, but I would have preferred somebody with a fire element." Aurora started giving orders sternly like an experienced commander.

"Robin, you're the close combat firepower. I don't know why you chose a trident with your illusionary fantasy, but all is still good." Aurora said to Robin.

Without delay, she turned to Priscilla, "You're the scout and our defender. Your work is to raise earth walls if the wild bear goes berserk. I would have preferred your sister."

Aurora said to Sophia, "Sophia, you will be at the far back and heal any seriously injured person. An active person would have been better."

Blaze received a cold order from her, "As for you, you will act as backup. If anybody gets injured, quickly extract the person from the battlefield. I believe that should be possible with your slippery and messy maneuvering. A reliable person would have been suitable for the job."

"While my work is to act as the controller to guide the bear into the attack and stop it from running away." Aurora finally finished administering roles.

Blaze kept his bland face throughout the process, not minding her attitude. They joined other students and set out into the forest. Robin carried the tent on his shoulder.

The forest floor was a tapestry of nature's discarded remnants. Fallen leaves, once resplendent with vibrant hues, now lay scattered in a mosaic of faded browns and fading greens. They crunched underfoot, releasing an earthy aroma that mingled with the scent of damp soil.

Moss-covered rocks peeked through the carpet of foliage, their emerald hues adding a touch of vividness to the otherwise subdued palette of the forest floor. Twisted roots, like gnarled fingers reaching from the depths, snaked their way through the terrain, claiming their place among the fallen debris.

Mingling with the fallen leaves were the sinewy tendrils of brown and green vines, their intertwining forms reminiscent of nature's intricate tapestry. They clung to tree trunks and snaked their way along the forest floor, a testament to their tenacious pursuit of sunlight and sustenance.

Amidst this mosaic of nature's remnants rose the majestic sentinels of the forest. Towering trees, their trunks weathered and aged, seemed to touch the heavens with their imposing stature. Their canopies, lush and verdant, created a mesmerizing play of light and shadow, casting dappled patterns upon the forest floor below. It was a realm where time seemed to stand still, where the ancient whispers of the forest echoed through the air.

As the sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, it painted patches of golden illumination upon the forest floor, illuminating the fallen trunks and broken branches that lay strewn about. These remnants of bygone giants bore witness to the cycles of life and decay, a reminder of nature's relentless march forward.

The teams walked deeper into the forest, leaving the safe zone of the academy

"She's not your biological sister, is she?" Blaze asked Robin as both of them were walking from behind. The girls were in front, with Priscilla leading the way.

Other students were doing the same thing close by.

"Nope. She's the Principal's daughter," Robin whispered.

It rang a warning Bell in Blaze's head – the Principal again.

Suddenly, Aurora lagged until Blaze and Robin caught up with her.

"What did you guys do that you always go to Blaze's house?" Aurora abruptly asked Robin.

"Ohh! We went to ro—"

Blaze abruptly interrupted Robin's speech by delivering a sharp slap to the back of his head. In that moment, Blaze couldn't help but feel a sense of uncertainty, unsure of when Robin might suddenly expose him one day.

"I had no clothes, so he came to deliver it to me," Blaze lied without blinking.

"Is that true?" Aurora asked Robin coldly as she peered into his eyes.

Robin quickly nodded, remembering Blaze's threat to kill him.

"Are—"

"You should focus," Blaze interrupted Aurora. "Didn't you notice we are now alone? All the students have diverged. The map is not the same. We might fall into danger any time soon."

It made everybody look around, only to see that they were surrounded by tall trees with some fallen branches and trunks.

As the gravity of their situation sank in, the group realized that they were alone in the wilderness. Reacting to the imminent danger, Aurora drew her sword, her movements filled with determination. Sophia followed suit, though her hands trembled with nervousness as she unsheathed her weapon. Olivia, with trembling hands, prepared an arrow on her bowstring, ready to defend herself.

Surprisingly, even Robin, typically jovial and lighthearted, readied his spear-length trident, displaying a newfound seriousness.

In contrast, Blaze remained seemingly nonchalant, but his eyes darted around, scanning the surroundings for any potential threats. Though his outward demeanor appeared calm, his vigilance and readiness were evident in his vigilant gaze.

"How close are we to the location of the target?" Blaze asked.

Priscilla checked the map for a moment and said, "I think we are here."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Aurora asked coldly.

"I…I never knew." Priscilla stuttered.

"Following amateurs is a hassle," Blaze muttered as his vigilance heightened.

"Why did they give us a tent then?" Robin grumbled before dropping the tent and flexing his trident. His trident just had a triple-pointed head that was sharpened around its sides and a long stalk. The inscription on it made it solid. The silver color highlighted its aesthetics.

"Priscilla," Aurora called and Priscilla went to work as she placed her hand on the ground, feeling it. Slowly, they started moving forward, in search of their target. They walked for five minutes and found nothing. The search continued for an hour. However, they were making little progress.

After searching for another hour, they dropped their guard and grew exhausted.

"Are you sure this is the place? Because I'm sure that He-man must have made a big mistake." Robin was the first to lose his patience. Maybe the prolonged silence is eating him, a talkative.

"He-who?" Sophia asked with a scrunched-up face.

"He-man," Robin said, but Sophia's face still bore the confusion.

"Desmond," Robin replied angrily.

"Oh! You mean Desmond Harman?" Sophia questioned, as realization dawned on her.

"I don't know who you're talking about. The only person and professor I know is Desmond He-man," Robin rapped.

"It's Harman," Sophia corrected Robin.

"That's not what I heard. My ears only captured 'He-man'. Except it's a different teacher from the one that gave us this assignment," Robin argued.

"It is Harman," Sophia tried to correct Robin.

"Blaze, isn't it He-man?" Robin turned to Blaze.

"It's She-man," Aurora interrupted calmly before growling, "Even if your brain is malfunctioning, watch your location before arguing. The voices of the two of you are distracting me. I wouldn't know if a beast pops out."

Grrowl!

As Aurora finished speaking, a menacing growl reverberated through the air. Suddenly, a fully grown brown bear, standing three times their height, burst out from the surrounding bushes. With a powerful leap, it landed in front of them, causing the fallen trunk in its path to shatter into splinters upon impact. The ground trembled slightly beneath their feet as the bear steadily approached, each step carrying an intimidating weight and sending ripples of unease through the group.

"I guess we are in the right location," Priscilla shivered as she spoke.