Chapter 7 : The Predator

As the night settled over the forest, Kaizen took up his watch duty once more, relieved that Vina was not on duty this time. Instead, he found himself partnered with Ark, a helpful and patient 4th-year trainee who had been assisting the juniors throughout the hunt. Kaizen had a strong admiration for Ark, appreciating how he shared valuable information about the forest, its hidden dangers, and the various classes of monsters.

During their watch, Kaizen mustered the courage to inquire about his colorless aura, a unique case that had never been seen before. Ark reassured him that having an unconventional aura didn't mean he couldn't excel in life. He enlightened Kaizen about alternative professions, such as Mages who harnessed Mana instead of Aura and Priests who relied on Holy Power to heal others. Listening to Ark's words, Kaizen felt a newfound sense of hope and possibility.

Throughout the night, Kaizen absorbed the wisdom Ark imparted, broadening his understanding of the world beyond knighthood. The peaceful night allowed them to connect on a deeper level, and Kaizen felt grateful for Ark's guidance and support.

As the sun began to rise, signaling the start of a new day, the team woke up early, refreshed and ready to face whatever challenges awaited them.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, the team of knights-in-training began their hunt for monsters in the forest once again. However, to their surprise and dismay, they couldn't find a single monster on the outskirts of the forest. It was a strange and unsettling occurrence, as even the usually abundant horned rabbits were nowhere to be seen.

The 4th-year trainees speculated that another team might have beaten them to it, sweeping through the area and clearing out all the monsters. Still, the forest felt unusually silent, but no one paid much attention to it at first. The 4th-year trainees were eager to score high points in the activity, considering the third day to be the tiebreaker amongst the teams.

As the hours passed and their search yielded no results, the team decided to venture deeper into the forest, hoping to find more monsters and gain extra points. Unbeknownst to them, the instructors had issued a recall notice to all the teams due to the silence and possible presence of stronger monsters. However, the communication stones provided to each team leader for emergency recall couldn't reach Kaizen and his team, as they had moved beyond the range.

Failing to receive the retreat notice, Kaizen and his team pressed on, oblivious to the potential danger that lurked in the deeper parts of the forest. The atmosphere grew thicker and more oppressive as they ventured further, but their determination to succeed clouded their judgment. The quietness of the forest was an eerie sign of the impending danger, and unknowingly, they were about to face challenges that they had never encountered before.

As the team entered the inner part of the forest, they were met with a gruesome sight. Oddly dissected monster corpses lay strewn around, bearing marks of massive bites, brutal blunt force, and torn halves. The scene was horrifying and sent shockwaves through the entire team, including the usually composed 4th-year trainees. They instinctively knew that whatever had caused this carnage was a monster far beyond their league.

Fear gripped them as they realized they had no chance of surviving, let alone defeating, such a formidable foe. Vina Blood-Mare, despite her usual stoic demeanor, silently signaled to the team to turn around and retreat without making any noise. The plan was to return to the instructors and inform them about the incident.

The team's footsteps were hurried but cautious, their hearts pounding with fear and urgency. They knew that this monster, which had left behind a trail of destruction, could pose a grave threat to the city as well, being so close to the outskirts of the forest.

The atmosphere was tense and ominous as they made their way back, each step accompanied by the haunting memory of the gruesome scene they had just witnessed. The sense of impending danger and the realization of their vulnerability served as a stark reminder of the perilous world they lived in. Their priorities shifted from competition and glory to survival and the safety of their city.