# Chapter 50: Practical Class (2)
On a brightly clear afternoon,
the students of the Department of Combat, including myself, had gathered for a practical session.
“You’ve all been waiting so long for this day, haven’t you? Are you already itching to move your bodies?”
Professor James seemed quite exhilarated, probably because the basic training and theory sessions had grown quite tiresome.
Come to think of it, his expression during regular classes was different from when he was giving me special lessons.
Our flesh-and-muscle-loving Professor looked especially pleased with this moment.
“The location for today’s practical session is right here: The Night Forest.”
The Night Forest.
From the original game, it’s a place where the protagonist would either level up or gather materials, and it is a vast forest situated behind the school.
The peculiar feature of this forest is that monsters spontaneously generate within it. The exact reason for this phenomenon hasn’t been clearly identified yet.
Scholars speculate that there’s a rift responsible for generating these monsters, or that the dark mana within the forest clumps together and gives birth to them, but since the ecology of monsters remains largely unexplained, everything remains shrouded in mystery.
Even though it was artificially created, this naturally formed forest has become a common site for practical classes at the Academy due to the relatively low threat level of the monsters that spawn here.
For safety reasons, the forest is surrounded by a tall wall, and its entrance is equipped with magical spells that detect and attack monsters. Additionally, professors conduct regular ecological inspections of the forest to keep the risks within certain thresholds, reportedly making it safe to wander around.
“The reason this place is called the ‘Night Forest’ is because its dense foliage makes it dark even during the day. Nowadays, it’s well-managed by the Academy, and as long as you don’t venture too deep, it’s quite safe. But in the past, it used to be so dark that people carried flashlights even in the middle of the day. It was an eerie place.”
The professor seemed to enjoy seeing the students grow frightened as he shared such unsettling facts about the forest.
Is he really an adult acting like this?
“Shortly, you will each be teleported to a random location within the forest. At this stage near the forest’s edge, you’ll encounter creatures that you should be able to handle without much difficulty. Once you defeat one, bring my simple measuring device close to the creature. The device will absorb the mana left behind by the monster and calculate how many, and how powerful, creatures you’ve defeated.”
This is indeed a fantasy world where even without science, cutting-edge equipment is effortlessly created.
“To be on the safe side, everyone should carry this emergency beacon. In case you encounter a creature too strong or an unexpected situation, a standby professor will immediately transport to your location. Don’t let overconfidence lead to any mishaps.”
The beacons provided by the professor were small calling bells with buttons. They reminded me of the bells used in cafes when orders are ready, giving me a strange feeling.
“Professor! Is there any reward for the student who scores the highest in this practical session?”
One student asked, raising their hand, and other students lit up at the mention of a reward.
“Reward… This is just an ordinary practical session, not a midterm or final evaluation. Nonetheless, since it’s your first time at the Academy, a small reward should be fine. The student with the best score will receive a waiver for the next assignment.”
-Ooh!
The promise of assignment exemption made the students murmur in excitement.
Wherever you go, assignments are an annoying chore for students, and the promise of being exempt from one was enough to fuel everyone’s motivation.
“As impressive as this reward might seem, don’t stray from the designated area or recklessly go after creatures beyond your abilities. Even if the forest’s creatures are low-level, that doesn’t mean there’s no risk. Always be aware that death is a possibility here.”
As preparations for entering the forest continued, Maiten approached me furtively.
“Hey, remember the bet?”
“Yeah, the one where the one with the higher score within the time limit wins, right?”
“I’m glad you remember. But don’t worry, your smug face will distort in no time. I know everything about the creatures here, along with the perfect strategies—”
Maiten continued his talk, but my gaze was drawn to the back where the Department of Medicine members had just arrived.
They were all dressed in the common white gowns of the Department, but the bright silver hair stood out, making it easy for me to spot Cecilia.
Cecilia noticed me almost instantly, and her expressionless face transformed into one of joy. She mouthed something at me from a distance.
-Do. Your. Best!
Ria’s small lips cheering me on were incredibly cute.
With Ria’s encouragement filling me with willpower, I was suddenly teleported into the forest with a shift in my vision.
—
“Students have started entering, right? Are you all set?”
“Everything’s ready. The relocation position has been manipulated to be close to ‘that child.'”
“Good. There must be no mistakes. How’s the status?”
“We’ve made sure it’ll awaken as soon as the students enter. It’s been without any food for a few days, so it’s probably ravenous, ready to attack.”
“Good. Even though it’s a failed experiment, its hunting skills are undeniable. The Academy could use a wake-up call today, crushing the sprout of growth.”
“Wake-up call… sir?”
“Yes.”
“A wake-up call to the illusion of eternal peace.”
—
When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by trees in the forest.
“Wow, it’s incredibly dark.”
Just as the professor mentioned, it was very dark inside the forest.
Thanks to the Academy’s upkeep, sunlight filtered through the tall trees occasionally, and my vision was completely unobstructed. Nevertheless, the eerie atmosphere sent shivers down my spine.
“Let’s walk around a bit, first.”
Since the surroundings were quiet and seemed devoid of monsters nearby, I decided to move elsewhere. Carefully inspecting the ground and nearby trees for any signs of monster activity, I continued forward.
Then, while creeping through the thick underbrush, I noticed something. Peering out stealthily, I saw a wolf-like monster in the process of tearing apart a mouse it had caught.
“Even from this distance, I could take it out with a spell, but since this is the Department of Combat practical session, physical combat seems more appropriate.”
I surged forward at a high speed, my feet carrying the full force.
“Krung?!”
Startled by the sudden movement, the monster turned around but by the time it realized I was there, my kick had already reached its belly.
Crack – BOOM!
With one powerful kick, the monster’s belly burst open.
The creature, killed instantly, collapsed on the ground, leaving behind fragments of its body and the remains of the mouse.
“One down, so far.”
Taking out the measuring device attached to my waist and directing it at the corpse, a murky aura got absorbed into the device, displaying a score of ten points.
It was neither an exceptionally high score nor an extremely low one.
I probably needed at least 200 points to stand a chance for first place.
I kept searching for more monsters, but due to my poor location, I only stumbled upon 2-3, making further progress hard.
The battles were more ambush-based, quick executions rather than intense fights, so my stamina didn’t drop much. This only added to my unease.
“Could Maiten have tampered with the teleportation location…? But it’s not impossible—”
“…Please… help me!”
At that moment, a faint voice reached my ears. I stopped in my tracks.
“…Did I hear wrong?”
The voice was barely audible, but I was certain it was a human voice.
“Please… help me!”
“Damn!”
Hearing the clear cry for help, I sprinted towards the sound.
Even though the professor provided emergency beacons, I couldn’t dismiss the possibility of the victim being unable to activate it before an accident happened. I prayed the person hadn’t been severely hurt and ran with all my might.
As I pushed through the thick foliage, the sound grew clearer, and just as I thought I had reached its source—
Chill!
At the sudden eerie sensation coming from the right, I threw myself to the left with all my strength.
Crash!
At the same time, a tree beside me was obliterated by something massive.
Had my instincts been off, the same fate would have befallen me.
Turning to the direction the tree had been destroyed,—
“Please… help… Please help me! Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!”
“Son of a—”
There, looming over me, was a monstrous creature with a colossal mouth filled with numerous teeth, currently gnawing away at the remains of the tree. Its eyes were fixed on me.
