Chapter 5 Part 13
Translator : PolterGlast
"Hey,
Nozomu! Where on earth are we heading!?"
"For
the time being, we are going to the west side of the training area! It will be
easy to hide since the vegetation is dense and overgrown there!"
Under
Nozom's instructions, Mars and the others rushed out with all their might to
avoid engaging in battle with the other party as soon as the training started.
According to Nozomu, there were several small hills around the training area,
but most of them were surrounded by forest, therefore, monitoring a large area
from a high place seemed ineffective.
On
the east side of the training area, there is a highway connected to Arcazam,
but there is no other characteristic terrain worth mentioning.
At
first, they were planning to build a base on a small hill. Certainly, there
were no trees growing from the edge of the forest to the top of the hill, and
it was easy to observe the approaching enemies, but at the same time there were
no trees to hide them, so they would fight against the attacking opponents more
often.
Although
there is Mars who has the strength equivalent to the upper class, there is
Nozomu and the others who only have relatively low strength. So, they would
lose if they were attacked in quick succession.
Therefore,
Nozomu rejected the plan and chose to hide in the forest instead.
Currently,
they are running towards the west side which has a lot of trees...
"Haa,
haa... No, Nozomu-kun! Behind, behind!!"
"They're
after us!!"
Hamria
and Cami who were running behind raised their voices. When they took a closer
look, they could see the figure of the other party running from the other side
of the trees. The other party has found and chased the fleeing Nozomu's party.
"I
know! Just run for now!"
Nozomu
encouraged them to keep running no matter what. Hamria, who was next to Cami,
was probably the least physically fit, and her breathing shown that she was
already in pain.
"Hey,
Nozomu! Isn't it better to ambush them instead !?"
"Don't!
The other teams aren't scattered yet! If we fight here and meet with other
parties, we will be the first to be defeated !!"
Nozomu
is most afraid of being attacked by two or more parties at the same time. For
other parties, the low-strength Nozomu's party would look like an easy point to
earn. Nozomu's party with such low strength is a good way to surely earn points
in the early stage, and It's one of the parties that will definitely be
targeted.
It
is a foolish idea to stop in this state, which may be targeted by multiple
parties, which is why Nozomu's first objective is to gain distance and prepare
for interception.
"Uo!
They are attacking us!"
"It's
okay because there is still some distance! Instead, just focus on running for
now !!"
Various
types of magic bullets such as fire bullets, wind bullets, and pure magic
bullets were pouring down from behind. Tommy screamed because of the magic
bullets that passed beside him, but Nozomu calmly measured the opponent's
distance and continued to urge his party to run. Even though the magic cast
from behind was considered strong, it was still far away and was disturbed by
the overgrown trees, so it didn't hit Nozomu's party.
The
Solminati Academy's students had many mock battles on the training ground, so
they didn't have much experience when fighting in places with many obstacles
such as forests.
Of
course, it wasn't that they didn't learn to fight in narrow spaces or in the
forest, and many students have fought in the forest at the request of the
guild. However, they had forgotten to make use of that experience, because they
only focused on chasing right after the start of the special training.
"Damn!
Wait!"
The
party chasing from behind yelled and chased while releasing magic again and
again. However, the released magic was still blocked by the overgrown tree and
didn't reach Nozomu's party. What's more, their own magic hindered them from
pursuing further, and the distance between them and Nozomu's group grew wider.
The
pursuers chased Nozomu's party in a hurry, but it was too late, and Nozomu's
party had disappeared and was hiding behind the overgrown trees.
=================================
"...Fuu.
Looks like we managed to shake them off."
"Haa,
haa, haa ... I see. I'm glad."
Nozomu
finally stopped after confirming that there was no sign of any pursuers from
behind. The other members exhaled, perhaps because they were relieved that they
had shaken their pursuers off. Hamria collapsed on the spot.
After
gulping down the water from the water bottle and taking a breath, Nozomu took
out a wooden rod wrapped in strings from his pouch.
"...
Nozomu. What are you doing?"
"I
will make a warning network for now. I wonder if we could confirm each other
abilities in the meantime? Mars, I'll leave it to you."
Nozomu
started to work while answering Mars' questions. After one end of the string
was tied to a tree, he immediately entered the forest and stretched the string
around his party in a circular motion. Finally, after several laps, Nozomu
returned to the original position, and then the other end of the string was
tied to the wooden rod, the wooden rod was fixed by attaching it to a tree.
If
someone came and touched the string, the fixed wooden rod would fall and notify
them that an intruder had arrived. This is the simplest alarm device.
Mars
asked about Jin's abilities while Nozomu created the warning network. By the
time Mars finished, Nozomu had also finished
creating the warning network.
"Then
let's make the base now, that said, it's just setting traps around us."
"Hey,
Nozomu. Is it okay to just setting traps? I know it's good for strengthening
our defenses, but I wonder aren't we too passive..."
Mars
complained about Nozomu's idea. Of course, seclusion would not improve their
situation while the other party took on one task after another and earned
points in battle. On the contrary, it is better to take action as early as
possible, considering that the other party will take on the tasks that can be
done one after another.
"I
know. I've thought about it. So please listen to me first."
With
that said, everyone then devoted themselves to listening to Nozomu's words.
Nozomu's idea is like this.
First,
divide their party into two. One of them is the team that handles the task. The
other is the team defending the base.
The
team that handles the task consists of Mars, Tommy, and Cami. The team
defending the base consists of Nozomu, Jin, Deck, and Hamria.
The
team that handles the task requires considerable attack power and mobility
against the opponent. Therefore, Nozomu chooses Mars, the most powerful force
in their party, Cami, a dagger wielder with high agility, and Tommy, a
swordsman.
Also,
because it is necessary to defend the base, Nozomu who was the leader of the
party, Jin who had commanding abilities, and Hamria who used a wide-range
specialized weapon such as spear were chosen.
Nozomu's
strategy is that the team performing the tasks will prioritize exploration
tasks and earn points, while the defense team will defend their base.
"Hey,
wouldn't it be better for everyone to act together? I guess it would be safer
that way..."
It
was the mage, Hamria, who told Nozomu of her opinion in a reluctant voice.
In
her opinion, it was safer to act together, but Nozomu shook his head and denied
it.
"No.
Rather, it's worse to act together. We don't have much effective defense
against wide-area magic attacks. If we were hit by a preemptive strike while
moving through the forest, we might be wiped out all at once."
In
Nozomu's party, only Mars, who has a lot of Qi, and Hamria, the mage, who have
effective defenses against magical attacks. It wasn't that the other members
couldn't use magic, but considering that their enemies were more likely to be
higher-ranked students than just the same 10th class as them, even if they
could defend, there was a high possibility that they would be overwhelmed. by
their magic.
"That's
why our party's task will be focused on exploration because they are less
likely to meet the other party than escort tasks."
In
the escort-related tasks, the teacher plays the role of the escort target, but
as long as the teacher becomes the escort target, they can't expect them to defend themselves. Rather, the escort target may slow their movement speed
down, or pretend to have an accidental problem and act as a shackle.
In
order to protect such an escort target, it is necessary to devote all of the
party's strength to the task, and as a result, the efficiency of earning points
will decrease, and in the worst case, there is a high probability that the
party will be annihilated due to the former reason.
However,
if it is an exploration-related task, all they have to do is bring the
instructed item to the headquarters. The chances of being ambushed are not
zero. However, if they reduce the number of people and choose only the
fast-paced members, the chances of encountering an ambush will be much lower,
and the faster they move, the more likely they are to escape.
In
addition, Mars, which has great penetrating power, should be able to adequately
cope with the situation even if it occurs.
"But
is it really alright? Mars is good for the task team, but isn't the defense
team lacking in strength? "
Jin
leaked a worried voice. He seemed to be worried that the base will be defeated
as the task team completed the task.
"We
don't have to protect this base all the time. In this task, we must prioritize
survival first, and in case of an emergency, we will abandon the base. When the
time comes, I will let you know."
Nozomu
took out two stones. It was stones that were transparent like quartz, and its
shape was symmetrical.
"This
is the [Twin Stone of Tragic Fate]. It glows red when a strong impact is
applied, and when one of the stones glows, the other will also glow. When it is
time to abandon the base, we'll use this stone as the signal. Originally I
bought it to use as a means of contacting with Mars when we got
separated."
Nozomu
handed over one of his [Twin Stone of Tragic Fate] to Mars.
"...I
see, with that, we'll know each other's condition, right?"
"Yes.
After we abandon the base, we will meet at the place we have determined. North
of here, there is a large tree in the northeast on the map, and there is a huge
rock next to it. Also, if I got defeated and our party still survives, Jin will
take command until Mars returns. "
Nozomu
gave instructions for consideration when he was defeated. It was to avoid
confusion and annihilation of the party members if the leader was defeated
first.
Mars
played with [Twin Stone of Tragic Fate] in his palm and stared at Nozomu.
"...Mars,
is there something you don't understand?"
"...No,
it's fine. I'll accept this for now."
Mars
had a facial expression that seemed to be holding back something, he
immediately put the [Twin Stones of Tragic Fate] that was in his hand back into
his pocket as if nothing had happened.
Nozomu
was curious about Mars' strange behavior, but since Mars didn't seem
dissatisfied with the operation itself, Nozomu decided to put it aside for the
time being.
"Then
I'll go. Nozomu, I'll leave the things here to you."
"Yeah,
be careful."
Mars
nodded at Nozomu's words and disappeared into the depths of the forest with
Tommy and Cami. Nozomu stood up after seeing Mars and the others leave and
started to act.
=================================
"……Ugh"
"Gu~a
..."
"Kuh~
..."
On
the south side of the training area, the sunlight was gradually blocked by the
overgrown trees, and the forest was dim even though it was daytime.
A
number of groans echoed in the dim forest. It was like a battlefield. About 10
students were lying on the ground. The only salvation was that no one died.
Each of them either fainted or they were in so much pain that they couldn't
even move.
However,
all of the lying student pendants glowed red, indicating that they were
disqualified from today's training. If others took a closer look, they seemed
to belong to 3rd and 4th class students.
"Haa,
haa, haa"
Meanwhile,
the only surviving male student wielded a sword and confronted someone. It was
unclear what the person was like as it was hidden behind the trees, but the
shadow looked like belonged to a woman. It was probably the one who beat them
all. Anyone could tell that it was no ordinary opponent as it had beaten around
10 students in the 3rd and 4th classes.
"Kuh~,
ha aa aa !!"
The
previous sudden appearance of a formidable foe in front of the 4th class party
alliance. Either all his friends had been defeated or he was abandoned. The
male student holding the sword rushed towards the shadow. He probably had no
other choice. Emitting Qi from his entire body, he rushed towards the enemy in
front of him with all his might.
The
shadow also moved as the male student rushed. The shadow swung its arms as if
cutting through the wind. As the sound of air being slashed rang out, the male
student felt intense pain in his arm.
"Uwa!"
The
male student groaned. The pain that ran on his arm stopped his legs from moving
any further, and his movement stopped before he even reached half the distance
into the shadows.
"Kuh~
!!"
Still,
the male student managed to regain his posture. However, the shadow swung its
arm in quick succession, and each time, explosive sounds reverberated through
the forest.
"Ga!
Guu !! Uaaaa !!!"
Every
time the explosive sounds resounded, the groans of the male student could be
heard, and laceration after laceration was engraved on his body.
The
boy's consciousness became hazy due to the intense pain that ran throughout his
body non-stop, and finally, his legs became weak and he fell to the ground.
Immediately after, the pendant glowed red. The damage he sustained exceeded the
set amount.
"U,
ugh ..."
"...
I'm sorry ~. Are you alright~~?"
The
male student who fell to the ground and groaned was called out by a voice that seemed
to be worried. The shadow appeared from behind the trees. A cheerful voice,
long wavy brown hair, and droopy eyes. The shadow's true identity is Anri Var,
the homeroom teacher of the 10th class.
She
gave treatment to the student she just defeated with an apologetic look.
Perhaps because of her treatment, the facial expressions of the students
groaning from their pain gradually subsided. However, the wounds on their
bodies might still be painful, so the voice of their pain still escaped their
mouths.
"...Everyone~.
I'm sorry for causing you so much pain~~"
"N-no...
this too... lesson..."
Anri-sensei
apologized to the students in a sunken voice. The male student who had just
been defeated managed to answer Anri-sensei's words, but the other students couldn't
answer probably because they hadn't recovered yet.
"Actually~,
I wanted to take everyone to the headquarters~. ...But, sorry, I can't~~."
"N-no.
Don't worry about us...it's fine, so...please continue your duties..."
The
male student answered Anri's apology in a squeezed voice. Anri's duty was to be
a special target. In other words, she acted as a formidable foe by attacking
the students and stirring the training area moderately to prevent the training
from stagnation. Anri-sensei wept over the student's words. After she nodded
firmly at his words, she stood up and disappeared into the forest. Still, she
seemed to be looking back at the students with anxiety over and over because
she was worried. Anri was heading northwest, and oddly enough, that was the
direction where Nozomu's party was.
