Melch steeled himself as the voice made an announcement in his mind, clear and commanding.

"Everyone must reach the summit to pass the exam within ten days or kill a designated number of demonic beasts. Points from the beasts you kill will be recorded directly in your symbol. The top ten highest will also be passed. If you are in danger, you may use the symbol to call for an instructor but by doing so will result in immediate disqualification."

The weight of those words hung heavily on him. In other tests the other competitors worked individually where as this was a ruthless contest with survival, it was paramount and cooperation could be a gamble. The test demanded strategy, endurance and even perhaps most terrifyingly the ability to face danger head on.

"This isn't just a test. but a battlefield." Melch said to himself while tugging at his bag's strap tight.

Then he adjusted his bag onto his shoulder and stepping out warily into the dense forest. Every creak of the leaves and far away growl sent him signals for warning and so he rapidly decided that spending the night safely was going to be his number one priority. He scanned the surroundings with his eyes fixed on a giant tree with a hollowed-out base, large enough to cover him and small enough not to attract attention.

He mumbled. "This will do for now." and started crawling into the hollow space and began arranging his belongings.

The sun dipped below the horizon. An eerie silence covered the forest broken only by occasional howls and distant cries. Melch crouched inside the hollow with clutching a knife in his hand. He examined the blade's edge and in a moment of curiosity began tested his healing ability by making a shallow cut on his palm. The wound began to close slowly but not as quickly as he'd hoped.

"No improvement." he sighed. Yet, he noted something even stranger there was no pain. He pressed the knife harder into his skin trying to provoke a reaction but nothing came.

This isn't always a blessing but a curse." he murmured thinking back to his mother. She had suffered from a condition where her legs were devoid of feeling. Many times, she'd injured herself without realizing it until the damage was severe. A lack of pain could be dangerous in its own way.

However, Despite this sleep soon conquered him in a little while. Outside, screams and the distant clanging of steel told him that others were already failing. With Danger, the forest seemed to have come alive with it and the realization of how many people won't make it through the night made his stomach churn.

When the dawn finally broke, Melch emerged from his shelter stiff but focused. He carefully erased any traces of his presence making sure no one would know he had been there. Using a spare sheet of paper, he marked his position. Magical alterations to the Mayram Mountains had rendered his original map unreliable; so he started sketching his own piece by piece.

“Careful and deliberate.” he reminded himself. “That’s how I’ll survive this.”

He moved through the forest with his senses staying sharp. Every rustle, every shadow made his heart race. He walked with measured steps while conserving his energy from staying alert. His plan was simple: reach a safer region before nightfall. But fate had other plans.

He had barely noticed that commotion at his right before he froze. Dropping onto the ground, he hid behind a dense bush and peered through the leaves. Two students were sprinting with panic clearly etched on their faces while demonic beast was hot on their heels. The beast's crimson eyes glowed bright with predatory hunger and with each step, its claws ripped into the ground.

Melch's grip on his knife tightened. He decided whether to help but the odds were against him. He didn't have the strength or skill to take on such a creature. Just as the beast lunged, a burst of fire engulfed it halting its charge.

Out of the darkness came Edwin, his face pale and unyielding. A snap of his wrist and another wave of fire magic sent the beast to dust. The two students stared at him shaking.

Edwin came over to them his eyes checking their hands. "No points." he said with a sneer. Then he turned on his heel and left.

Two of them, visibly dazed wasted no time at all. They activated their symbols calling forth instructors to escort them out. The instructors vanished with them, at that time one of the instructor gave a fleeting look in Melch's direction and a knowing smirk before vanishing.

Melch exhaled slowly with his heart pounding. He waited a few moments before moving carefully to avoid the path Edwin had taken. “No way I’m crossing him.” Melch thought changing direction and picking up his pace.

After hours of walking, his legs ached and his stomach growled in protest. Just as he considered stopping to rest, a familiar voice broke the silence.

“Melch, Over here!”

He looked down and saw Edwin standing beside his companion, a big grin spread across his face. Melch felt a lump in his throat as he decided to make himself scarce. There was no going back now because Leif already saw him.

"Come on, don't be shy." Leif exclaimed as he grinned.

With no other choice, Melch approached cautiously. Edwin’s sharp eyes fixed on him in a way that made Melch feel like prey.

“Another stray?” Edwin remarked his tone indifferent.

“Hey, don’t be so cold!” Leif said slinging an arm around Melch’s shoulders. “Melch here is my Young master and buddy. Smart as a whip, too. You’ll like him.”

Melch forced a small smile though his nerves were frayed. “Good to see you, Leif.”

Leif's grin spread. "Of course it is. I make everything better."

Edwin crossed his arms unimpressed. "If you're tagging along, don't slow us down."

"I wasn't planning on it." Melch replied his voice steadier than he felt.

Leif chuckled and added "Don't worry, Edwin. If Melch slows us down, I'll personally carry him on my back. Won't that be fun?"

Melch rolled his eyes while Edwin grunted something, leading the way. Leif had this ridiculously satisfied smirk going on.