Chapter 48: Survival and Extermination

A visible flinch ran trough the formation, some students clenching their jaws in shame while others stood motionless in silent humiliation, but none dared to say anything under the withering gaze of the veteran Martial General.

"You take pride in your Martial Soul grades, you boast about your clan resources, your family pills, your perfect results on alloy testing machines that cannot fight back, then a digital screen flashes "Martial Warrior" and suddenly you believe that makes you a soldier of the Federation"

He took a step forward, placing his armored forearms against the concrete balustrade, the sound of his crimson plated elbows scraping against the concrete producing a dull metallic sound that seemed unnaturally loud in the silent arena, as if the very air was holding its breath.

"A machine does not bleed, it does not hunt in packs, it will not stalk you in the dark, tear off your limbs, rip open your stomach and start eating while you scream for your mother."

The image he painted with his words was far more gruesome than any insult he could have hurled at the young adults, several students visibly paling while even some of the arrogant clan heirs grew silent as the words finally seemed to sink in.

General Thorne allowed the silence to linger before regarding the students with thinly veiled amusement, these kids had spent countless hours preparing for this day, yet most of them had no idea what a real martial artist was aside from the protection Silverwood city provided over the local territory

"The true examination begins now."

With a slow movement General Thorne straightened, raising his right gauntleted hand in the process, as soon as his armored fingers curled into a fist however, every student in the staging area turned sharply toward the impossibly large fortress structure behind him

Clack

A mechanical click was heard somewhere bellow the dais, the two-hundred inch projection screen levitating at the center of the fortress coming to life with an ominous blue light

The blue sky of the projection melted away to reveal a sprawling 3D topographical map of a wild landscape consisting of dark green hills and valleys of blood red rock, the horizon dotted with jagged mountain ridges that stretched like rows of teeth, with deep ravines, crevices and forests rolling in the distance, all shrouded in thick mist.

Numerous red hazard markings and skull insignias dotted the northern regions of the map, flashing ominously along with warning beacons that caused the air in the staging area to grow thick with a foreboding sense of danger.

Thousand Mountain Forest — Outer Military Sector.

"The destination of the Phase Two," The General spoke, his voice devoid of emotion as he gestured toward the display with his free hand, the words sending a hushed murmur throughout the student formation bellow him. "Thirty kilometers north of this base lies an active wilderness combat zone"

His cold eyes swept the front row of candidates once more, causing several to unconsciously straighten their backs.

"Your objective is simple, Survival and Extermination."

A short pause followed as the General regarded the milling students with a bored expression, before he continued in the same monotone.

"Due to the volatile conditions of the terrain and the unpredictable nature of the beast infestation, I will be accompanying you on this test as well."

"You will be deployed in designated sectors. Every Otherworldly Beast you slaughter will grant you merit points according to its biological rank."

The large holographic display shimmered before highlighting several markings on the map, denoting the different types of beasts and their respective point values.

"First-Order, Stages One to Three: ten to twenty points."

"First-Order, Stages Four to Six: fifty points."

"First-Order, Stages Seven to Nine: one hundred points."

A few students exchanged excited whispers at the prospect of earning points, for them the numbers signified something greater then just experience, they represented university placements, military resources, clan favor and much more, things that would determine the future path of their lives

"Should any of you encounter a Second-Order beast, a creature comparable to a human Martial Master, you are not expected to engage it."

General Thorne’s gaze sharpened as he fixed his eyes on the anxious crowd, his expression growing even more severe.

"You are to activate your emergency beacon and retreat.

A nervous murmur ran trough the students at the prospect, several visibly cringing at the thought.

"However

if you somehow manage to bring one down through organized squad combat, five hundred points will be added to your record."

The General fell silent as he let the sheer magnitude of the number sink in, five hundred points was enough to make even the most timid students’ heart pound in their ears, while the more ambitious ones were already imagining ways to bump their scores even higher

"There will be no alloy strike pads in the mountains, no padded floors to cushion your falls. Your ranking in this trial will determine your university admissions, your federal military stipends, and your clan’s resource quotas for the next five years."

His voice grew even colder

"Out there, mistakes have consequences."

With that said, the General raised his gauntleted hand, signaling for the departure.

"Board the armored transports immediately. The gates of the wild will open in sixty minutes."

The crowd roared to life almost instantly, teachers shouting squad numbers while military sergeants barked loading instructions across the staging grounds, their voices drowned out by the heavy footsteps of hundreds of students rushing to the equipment bay.

Crowds of students gathered around the armory rack, securing standard survival packs, checking the seals on their communicator slates and fastening alloy daggers to their belts, the nervous energy that had filled the arena grew thick with a different kind of tension, as if the students themselves were unaware of the gravity of the situation

The examinations were over

Their lives were no longer in the hands of the instructors and professors but in the hands of fate itself

Standing bellow the periphery fence, Lucian raised his head and surveyed the enormous display floating bellow the fortress complex, the cold blue light washing over his features as he followed the shifting topographical lines of the Thousand Mountain Forest with his eyes.

His dark gaze traced the jagged ridgelines of the Black Crow Ridge, the sheer drop of the Devil’s Tooth Chasm, before stopping on the distant, impossibly tall peaks of the uncharted mountain range at the deepest extents of the forest.

Somewhere beyond those peaks, the mysterious void had devoured Shadow One several days ago

A strange sensation prickled at the back of Lucian’s neck

His expression did not change, but his eyes narrowed in silent concentration, this was not the prickling feeling of an approaching Otherworldly Beast, not the primal warning of the wilderness, but something else, something foreign and off-kilter, a discordant vibration humming at the very edges of perception

It was not strong, not nearly strong enough to warrant attention, but the trained instincts of an awakened Martial Artist could sense the anomaly for what it was, an impurity in the air that did not belong, something... unnatural

His pupils constricted as his divine sense quietly unfurled beneath the surface, he did not feed enough power into the projection to draw unwanted attention, merely enough to allow his perception to pass trough the crowded staging bay like an unseen filament

Behind the nervous students and the bickering squads, past the instructors shouting loading orders, his awareness touched the western intake tunnel

Five students from the neighboring third high school stood there, adjusting their heavy cloaks

At first glance there was nothing out of the ordinary about them, merely another squad of candidates preparing for the wilderness trial.

Lucian’s frowned ever so slightly

They did not speak to each other, did not check their weapons, did not even exchange the usual anxious murmurs that other students were prone to in such situations

They only stood there, silent and motionless among the chaos

Then for the space of a millisecond the wind shifted

Something wisped trough the folds of their clothing, something that should have been easily sensed by any awakened Martial Artist

Lucian’s eyes narrowed trough his bangs

It was not the scent of nervous teenage sweat, nor was it the bitter tang of cultivation pills, rather it was something far more pungent and foul, like rotting grave dirt mixed with the congealed blood of an old pig

Lucian’s lips curled in distaste

His hands slowly disappeared into the folds of his jacket, his relaxed pose not changing in the slightest

"A military trial overseen by a Martial General..."

He exhaled a humorless chuckle

"...and the rats have already crawled into the kitchen."