Echoes of the Lost Elf-Chapter 27 - 26 : Under Attack

A swirling blue portal rippled as the examinees stepped through, one by one, emerging onto the edge of Nazara Forest. A dense fog clung to the ground, twisting and curling around their feet like unseen hands. The towering trees loomed above, their bark cracked and darkened as if burned by something unnatural. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, rotting leaves, and a faint metallic tang—the scent of lingering blood.

The professor stood at the center of the group, his voice cutting through the tense silence.

"You all know the rules, but let me remind you one final time." His sharp gaze scanned the students. "This is a survival test. You may choose how to gather points—by hunting monsters or by eliminating rival teams. However, if your health drops below the threshold, or if you wish to forfeit, your bracelet will activate and teleport you to safety."

A murmur rippled through the gathered examinees as they glanced at the black bracelets secured to their wrists, pulsing faintly with magic.

"The exam will last three days," the professor continued. "Formulate your strategies wisely, manage your resources, and above all—survive."

With a wave of his hand, a new spatial portal opened beneath them, swallowing each team whole.

...

The moment they landed, an eerie silence pressed against their ears. No birds. No wind. Nothing but the distant creaking of the trees, as if the forest itself was alive.

Adriana's blue hair shimmered faintly in the dim light as she studied their surroundings, eyes sharp. "We're in the southern part of the forest," she stated.

Historias, arms crossed, let out a soft hum, glancing at the twisted roots and thorn-covered bushes around them. "Hmm... a region infamous for its dense terrain and high monster activity," he mused. "A good hunting ground, but also a potential death trap."

Kael, his bow slung over his shoulder, nodded in agreement. "We should move quickly before nightfall. The real threats won't come out until then."

The group pressed forward, careful with each step. It wasn't long before the scent of fresh blood filled the air—monsters were nearby.

Then, the bushes rustled.

A pack of F-Rank Shadowfang Wolves emerged, their black fur blending into the darkness as their glowing red eyes locked onto the team. Saliva dripped from their fangs, their low growls vibrating through the clearing.

They had caught the scent of their prey.

The eerie silence of Nazara Forest was broken by the distant rustling of leaves, the heavy breath of lurking creatures, and the occasional guttural growl in the shadows.

Adriana's eyes flickered with sharp focus as she raised her sword. "They're coming."

A moment later, the underbrush erupted as several E-rank Shadowfang Wolves charged toward them, their eyes glowing red with bloodlust.

Kael immediately loosed an arrow, the projectile whistling through the air before embedding itself into one of the wolves' skulls. It let out a pained yelp before collapsing.

Adriana, already moving, darted forward with explosive speed, her sword flashing under the dim light as she cleaved through another.

Historias, however, remained motionless. His hand flicked, and instead of raising a weapon, he called upon them.

From the space beside him, the air shimmered, and a figure emerged.

A fluid, translucent form rose from the ground, its body shifting like liquid silver—a Naiad, an elemental water spirit.

"Restrain them," Historias commanded smoothly.

The Naiad flowed forward, its form twisting into tendrils of water that shot toward the wolves. Before they could react, whips of liquid coiled around their limbs, halting their movement mid-charge.

One wolf snarled and struggled, its claws gouging into the ground, but the more it resisted, the tighter the Naiad's grip became—until bones snapped under the pressure.

The remaining wolves hesitated.

Historias' gaze remained calm, detached, as he raised a single finger. "Now."

The Naiad solidified its form, transforming its liquid body into countless sharp spikes—then impaled the ensnared creatures in an instant.

Blood splattered across the forest floor, staining the leaves beneath them.

Kael lowered his bow, exhaling sharply. "Spirits, huh? You really don't like wasting effort, do you?"

Adriana glanced at Historias, noting how he had barely moved throughout the entire fight. She frowned slightly but said nothing.

Historias, as always, merely smirked, brushing off an invisible speck of dust from his sleeve.

"Why dirty my hands when they can fight for me?"

...

As night approached, they found a suitable clearing and set up a basic camp.

A small barrier spell was placed around the perimeter—a precaution against unexpected attacks.

Historias sat near the fire, absentmindedly watching the flames. Kael was sharpening his arrows, while Adriana was tending to her sword.

For the moment, the night was peaceful.

But deep in the darkness of the forest...

Something else was watching.

Waiting.

And soon... it would strike.

.....

The sun barely peeked through the thick canopy of Nazara Forest as they moved through the eerie landscape. The previous day had been smooth, their team accumulating a decent number of points. But as they packed up camp and began moving, Adriana idly glanced at the leaderboard displayed on her bracelet.

Group 6 – 448 PointsGroup 3 – 382 PointsGroup 4 – 224 Points

Her brows furrowed. "What did Group 6 do? Hunt monsters all night? How are they so far ahead of us?"

Kael, walking beside her, shrugged. "Remember, this is also a game of luck. They probably stumbled upon a nest or a rare high-value target and eliminated it."

"Still... why haven't we encountered any teams yet?" Adriana muttered, eyes scanning the forest with suspicion.

Historias, walking leisurely at the back, finally spoke. "It's not unexpected. The forest is vast, and most teams would naturally avoid direct confrontations unless necessary. Our path so far has been efficient but not reckless."

Just then, a notification popped up on their bracelets.

[Notification: Group 6 has forfeited.]

Adriana's eyes widened. "Wait... what?"

Almost immediately after, her screen flickered, then froze.

"Huh? Did it break?" Kael frowned, tapping at his bracelet.

It wasn't just hers. All their bracelets had stopped working.

A creeping sense of unease settled over the group as they quickly tried to assess the situation. Just as they were about to figure out which direction to move, they felt a presence.

From the thick shadows of the forest, a creature emerged.

It looked like an ordinary E-rank beast, but something was wrong.

The stench of decay and something unnatural filled the air. The way it moved, the way its eyes gleamed with unnatural malice, set off every warning in their instincts.

Kael reached for his bow, but before he could speak, Historias' voice cut through the tension.

"Void creatures."

Adriana and Kael both snapped their heads toward him. "Are you sure?"

His gaze was sharp, calculating. "It's more like a mutated monster, filled with void energy. But yes, it's been corrupted. And it's not alone."

Before they could react, more emerged from the underbrush, their grotesque forms distorted and twisted by the corruption.

Their movements were faster, stronger than they should have been.

Kael cursed. "Something is seriously wrong. They aren't supposed to be here."

It didn't take a genius to realize what was happening.

Someone had tampered with the exam.

And now, they were under attack.

At first, they fought back, blades clashing against darkened flesh, arrows piercing through grotesque forms. But no matter how many they killed, more kept coming.

Adriana gritted her teeth, slicing through another one. "If we don't do something fast, we'll be monster food!"

Historias didn't even look winded, but he sighed, clearly unimpressed by the situation. "No use wasting energy here."

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He gestured lightly with his hand.

"Run."

They didn't need to be told twice.

Professor's POV

The remaining members of Group 6 stumbled through the clearing, their expressions pale, eyes wide with fear.

But there were only three of them.

"Where is Alis?" one of the professors asked, scanning their ranks.

Rigi, one of the survivors, clenched his fists. "Dead."

A tense silence fell over the group.

The professor's expression darkened. "Explain."

Rigi swallowed hard before speaking. "We... we were ambushed. It wasn't normal. The monsters... were faster, and stronger, and they just wouldn't die no matter how many times we struck them. It was like something was controlling them."

Another student, a girl named Lira, took a shaky breath. "Alis covered our escape. He didn't make it."

The professor's hands tightened at his sides.

Something was wrong.

Then, a sharp voice cut through the tense air.

"The students are under attack. We need to get them out of there."

Immediately, a transmission was sent to the school, alerting them of the emergency.

The professors didn't hesitate.

Gathering their best combatants, they activated portals and stepped into the cursed forest, their only goal—

To get the students out alive.

Chaos in Nazara Forest

The moment the professors entered the battlefield, they realized just how bad things had gotten.

Students were scattered, fighting desperately against hordes of void-infested creatures.

Professor Eins, a powerful battle mage, raised his hand, summoning a massive barrier of light to shield a group of students.

"Fall back! We're getting you out of here!"

Elsewhere, a warrior professor carved through the monsters with a great sword, clearing a path for another group to retreat.

Screams and the clash of battle echoed through the trees.

But something was wrong.

These creatures... they weren't just appearing randomly.

Someone had set this up.

And somewhere, hidden in the shadows—

The Void Contractors watched.

And they waited.

For their true targets to appear.