Orc

With the campfire casting flickering shadows, Chase and Ava assumed battle stances, keeping a close eye on their surroundings. Suddenly, a swift swooshing sound broke the silence as an object hurtled towards Chase.

"Whoosh!"

Reacting swiftly, Chase deflected the incoming projectile with his spear, pushing it away with a loud impact.

"Bang!"

Startled, Chase called out, "Who's out there?"

No response came from the darkness. Chase examined what he had just repelled and discovered it to be a lifeless wolf. As he inspected the dead animal, he heard loud footsteps approaching from behind him.

"Doom!"

However, it was too late for Chase to react.

"Whoosh!"

Chase caught sight of Ava's axe hurtling through the air towards the source of the footsteps.

"Dink!"

"Grr!"

A low growl reverberated behind Chase as he turned around, only to find himself face-to-face with a towering figure. Standing at a height of six feet, the creature possessed bulging muscles, and elongated teeth protruding from its mouth, and resembled a more formidable version of the goblins. It wielded a wooden club in its hand.

-Monster: Orc-

-Monster Rank: Lesser

-Level: 6-

-HP: 400-

-Strength: 38-

-Agility: 33-

-Physique: 40-

-Skills: Bite, Claw, Bash-

"Chase, what should we do? The Orc is much stronger than anything we have encountered before," Ava asked with a worried expression.

"There's nothing we can do but fight. If we try to retreat into the woods, we'll be as good as dead," Chase replied resolutely.

The Orc began slowly advancing toward Chase and Ava, its intentions clear.

"Ava, attack him from the side while retrieving your axe," Chase instructed.

Ava nodded and cautiously maneuvered to position herself beside the Orc. In the meantime, the Orc charged at Chase.

Swinging its club, the goblin aimed for Chase, who swiftly raised his spear to block the attack. The impact caused a jarring vibration to reverberate through Chase's hand. Seizing the opportunity, Ava rushed behind the Orc, prepared to strike. However, the Orc anticipated her move and swung its club in her direction. Luckily, Ava managed to dodge the attack. With the vibrations subsided, Chase thrust his spear forward, piercing the Orc's chest. He quickly withdrew his weapon and struck again before the Orc could retaliate, this time aiming for its head. Meanwhile, Ava retrieved her other axe, wielding both weapons and imbuing them with energy. Taking aim at the Orc's arms, she let the axes fly.

"Whoosh!"

The axes sliced through the air, with one severing the Orc's left arm and the other piercing its right chest, continuing until they embedded themselves into a nearby tree.

"AHH!"

The goblin roared in pain, clutching its maimed arm and chest. However, as it raised its head to face Chase, his energy-infused spear found its mark in the Orc skull.

-Congratulations on slaying a level-6 Orc. You have earned 60 Knight points.-

"Ava, are you alright?" Chase asked, concern evident in his voice.

Ava nodded, her face still pale from the shock, but her body no longer chilled from the earlier encounter.

Chase surveyed the fallen Orc. "The ears of an Orc should fetch a handsome sum, don't you think?" he said, a touch of excitement in his tone. Secretly, Chase planned to keep the ears for himself rather than revealing them to Freya for points.

"Yes," Ava replied, moving forward to cut off the Orc sizable ears.

After Ava finished harvesting the ears, she glanced up at the sky. "We still have a couple of hours until sunrise."

Chase followed her gaze, checking the time. "Do you want to get some more rest?"

Ava nodded, and together they retreated to the tent, preparing to sleep on the cold, hard ground.

Four hours later, the sun slowly ascended, casting its warm glow upon the forest. The sounds of normal forest creatures reverberated through the air as Chase and Ava emerged from their tent.

"Yawn!"

Ava yawned and stretched, a cute and flexible sight unbeknownst to her, chase was watching.

"What?" Ava inquired, noticing Chase's gaze.

"Oh, nothing. What should we do today?" Chase asked, his mind shifting away from the earlier sight.

Ava picked up her axes. "I'm not sure. How about we start with breakfast?" she suggested, beginning to walk into the forest.

Chase was about to follow her when Ava stopped him. "Wait, I'll go and fetch our breakfast. It will be quicker," she said.

Trusting in Ava's hunting skills, Chase decided to heed her suggestion. Meanwhile, he rekindled the campfire, reviving its warm glow.

Thirty minutes later, Ava returned from the woods with four dead rabbits in her hands.

"You managed to catch quite a lot this time," Chase remarked, impressed by her success.

"Today, the rabbits were out in abundance, making my job easier," Ava replied, her smile reflecting her accomplishment.

Chase nodded, acknowledging the validity of her statement. Together, they set about cooking the rabbits over the campfire, eagerly anticipating their meal.

After finishing their breakfast, Chase and Ava resumed their hunt for goblins, diligently collecting their ears. By nightfall, they had amassed twelve goblin ears each.

9 AM.

"The test ends today. Let's quickly make our way out of the forest," Chase said to Ava, excitement coursing through him as he looked forward to completing the ear test.

"Alright," Ava responded, sharing in his enthusiasm.

Chase and Ava spent the next hour trekking back towards Freya and the outskirts of the forest. Upon reaching their destination, they were met with the sight of several injured students. Thankfully, they were among the first to arrive unscathed.

Chase and Ava exchanged a knowing smile and nodded at each other.

Two hours later, all the remaining students had regrouped. Some were nursing injuries, while others appeared exhausted but relieved.

"Alright, I see that all of you have managed to return alive. Very good," Freya commended, her eyes sweeping over the assembled students.

Freya motioned for a knight to step forward. "Hand in your bags of ears, and I will tally and mark them," she instructed.

One by one, the students submitted their bags of ears to the blue eagle knight.

"Miss Freya, is this the only test?" a student inquired, seeking clarification.

Freya stared at the student for a few moments, her expression unreadable.

"Do you all genuinely believe that this was the test required to become a Blue Eagle Knight?" Freya retorted, her tone harsh.

Fear and worry spread across the students' faces as they nodded in agreement.

"Ha ha!" Freya burst into a burst of sinister laughter, her tone filled with malice. "This wasn't even a test. Your true test will begin next week," she announced, her voice laced with a malevolence that sent shivers down everyone's spines.

The students were stunned and frightened, realizing that if the previous test had resulted in injuries and it was not the actual trial, the upcoming challenge would be far more daunting.

Chase and Ava exchanged bewildered glances, their sense of shock mirrored in each other's eyes.

Freya and the students made their way back to the Blue Eagle Academy in Taila Kingdom. The following week was spent in restless anticipation as the students anxiously awaited the arrival of the true test, secluded within the confines of their dorm rooms.

One week later, the day they had all been anxiously anticipating finally arrived. The students lined up, eagerly awaiting Freya's instructions. Standing beside Freya was an elderly man dressed in a blue coat adorned with the emblem of the Blue Eagles, clutching a staff in his hand.

"Listen up!" Freya's voice resonated, instantly capturing the attention of every student present.

"You will face six grueling trials as part of your test," Freya announced, pacing back and forth.

The students were shocked into silence, refraining from questioning Freya, their fear of her authority overriding their curiosity.

"To pass, you must succeed in at least four out of the six trials," Freya continued, her words carrying weight.

"But should you fail to pass three or fewer trials, you will not be granted the title of knight," Freya warned, her voice laced with severity.

"For those who succeed in three trials while others fail, you will face an extremely dangerous trial, one that only five students have managed to overcome in the past seven centuries."

The students exchanged whispers of concern, their trepidation growing with each passing moment.

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