“Did I use up all my good luck in that first cave?” That kind of thought invades my mind as I walk toward the foot of the mountain.

  I didn’t find anything interesting for about three hours. Most monsters run away the moment they sense or see me, and the idiots that still try to attack even when their instincts scream don’t do it are very weak. It’s understandable. Monsters become smarter as they grow stronger.

  My luck was spent on the first encounter with the armadillos. I haven’t seen another cave like that one. I only found two. One was completely packed with flying monsters that looked like bats. The only differences were their color, their horns, and their much larger size—almost a meter long.

  They were very weak. The only interesting thing about them was their numbers. I sensed several hundred of them throughout the cave. There was no chest or boss. I probably wouldn’t get anything good even if I killed them, so I chose to leave.

  The second cave had some traps placed around. Most were simple and predictable. Only one was somewhat interesting. It reacted only to a person’s Imra. Its attack power was decent, enough to injure a normal Sapphire rank. I don’t fall into that category.

  At the end of the second cave, I found a chest very similar to the first one. The only difference was the size. The second chest was tiny, small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. When I opened it, I got a disappointing surprise. There was only one item, and it wasn’t impressive or worthy of being called precious.

  It was a pair of boots specialized for cold climates. They had some decent enchantments. Some people would be very happy to get a pair like that. That’s not my case. I already have an affinity that protects me from freezing temperatures. The other functions aren’t very attractive either.

  The most promising enchantment is useless to me because of my ability to fly. It lets you take two steps in the air. It gives you the chance to “kick” the air itself and move, but only two steps every five minutes. It’s good for escaping specific situations, but it’s pointless for me.

  “Why do I have such bad luck?” I’m already walking through the forest. I hope I find something interesting soon. I lower my head a little in disappointment.

  Point of view: Ramiro:

  “Shit.” I lower my head slightly to dodge a ball made of hard stone.

  If I stop for even a single step, I’m done. I’ll die the moment my feet stop moving. I turn to look at the stone golem stubbornly chasing me.

  “Weren’t we supposed to have a better starting position than the rest of the schools?” My thoughts are interrupted by two more rocky spheres. Every time I gain distance, the golem attacks me with those balls and forces me to dodge. I lose momentum every time I have to move sideways.

  I hope my teammates aren’t going through the same thing. I doubt it. None of them are as unlucky as me.

  First, I ran into a pair of lunatics from the Blood Wolf school. Those two are just as crazy as the rumors say. Everyone from that school only thinks about fighting anyone or anything. The moment they saw me, they attacked. I barely defended the first strike, then it was easier to dodge them until I finally got far enough away.

  My greatest advantage has always been speed. If I focus on escaping, very few people in the Sapphire rank can follow or catch me. It was unfortunate that I ran straight into the territory of a Grade 4 golem guard. I didn’t think my luck could get any worse.

  I just hope my teammates are doing better, especially the prince. I shouldn’t worry about his safety. He’s very strong thanks to his special affinity from the imperial family.

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  This thin golem is very fast. Even if it can’t match me in a straight line, its mobility and agility are on another level compared to normal golems. I have to keep dodging its long-range attacks. My own long-range constructions are scarce. It’s a weakness I need to improve.

  My legs bend against a nearby tree to launch myself to the side. When I land, I use another tree as support and keep bouncing like a spring from side to side.

  After a few jumps, when I think I’ve finally gained enough distance from the stone golem, everything goes wrong again. A huge monster that looks like a boar with massive upward-curving tusks enters my vision. It doesn’t hesitate and charges straight at me.

  A Grade 3 monster isn’t a problem. My twin daggers are infused with fire mana. Several cuts appear across the boar’s huge body. Its screams of pain are music to my ears right now. I’ve built up too much stress from constantly running around.

  I turn and slash its back a few more times. If it’s injured enough, it won’t be able to keep chasing me, and I can use it as a stress ball. My daggers move as fast as my body allows, carving long wounds across the monster.

  A sound from behind catches my attention. The golem somehow gained momentum and is already close—close enough that I can’t dodge its fist aimed at my face. I cross my arms to protect my head. The blow sends me flying dozens of meters to the side from the overwhelming force.

  I’m not dead or seriously injured thanks to an item the prince gave me, but it feels like my arms were crushed to dust, and there’s a ringing inside my head.

  The item only works once. It will take hours to recharge with ambient mana. Now the bracelet is just decoration. I’m basically dead. I’ll be eliminated.

  The golem rushes toward me. Its fist moves quickly toward my head. It’s unfortunate to run into a speed-focused golem. I can only admire its athletic body as the punch threatens to end my short attempt at this stage.

  I close my eyes, waiting for my fate. A few seconds pass, and nothing happens. I slowly open them, searching for the golem. It’s still in front of me, but somehow it’s completely frozen. I can see it trying to move, but something is holding it in place.

  I take the chance to escape. I move from my position as fast as I can. Once I’m at a safe distance, my curiosity stops me from leaving. I want to know exactly why that monster froze.

  I don’t understand why I don’t just run. I almost died once already because I lost focus and got distracted by the boar monster. I need to control my emotions better in situations like this.

  The answer comes sooner than expected. Another participant appears, walking carelessly toward the golem as if the monster were nothing important.

  Reddish-brown hair and quite tall. A massive ice sword forms above his head in a blink. My back stiffens the moment I see that mana construction. That’s not a good sign.

  The ice sword slams into the golem. The force pushes it back several meters. The golem’s body falls to the ground. The sword doesn’t lose momentum. It buries itself deeper into the monster and finally pins it to the earth.

  The young man turns to look in my direction. Does he know where I am? I’m almost a hundred meters away. It shouldn’t be easy to find me hidden among the branches. My eyes are enhanced by my skill. I can see clearly for dozens of meters.

  His eyes are purple. His expression completely calm. A smile forms on his lips when our gazes meet.

  I recognize him instantly. It’s impossible not to know who he is. His performance in the first stage is etched into everyone’s mind. The prince even warned us not to make him angry if we crossed paths with him.

  “Maki Vichag…” My words are barely a whisper. Meeting him—I don’t know if it’s good or bad luck. It’s true he saved me from certain elimination. Maybe the rumors that he’s a lunatic who only likes fighting aren’t completely true.

  “Not going to say thanks? Leaving without a word is pretty rude.” I freeze when I hear his voice.

  How did he know I planned to run away? Did he notice my attempt to escape from just a small movement of my feet? My brain is overheating trying to figure out how to get out of this situation.

  I resign myself when I remember his strength. I’m sure he could catch me easily, or maybe trap me like he did with the golem. If that monster couldn’t break free, I have even fewer chances.

  I climb down from the tree carefully. A few steps later, I’m less than ten meters from him. Up close, he looks much more imposing. It almost feels like standing before royalty or nobility. Maybe it’s because he’s engaged to the princess of Juka.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.” I give a small bow. “Thank you for saving me. My name is Ramiro, from the Imperial School.” I show my insignia to avoid suspicion. He belongs to the Empire too. Maybe that’s a reason not to eliminate me.

  “Nice to meet you, Ramiro. I’m Maki.” A smile forms on his lips. “You have ten seconds to run. Starting now.”

  I’m confused for a moment, but I don’t think twice and start running as soon as my body reacts. This isn’t the time to think—only to run.