Published: May 24th 2025, 2:49:06 am
“Mister Clarke’s Gloomstalker projection didn’t shoot spears from its tail!” Cedrinor shouted as he glanced at the stakes buried deep in the soil.
The Gloomstalkers I had seen before, during the Lich’s Monster Surge, were above level twenty and were strong enough to fend off orc warriors. They were not made out of thorny vines and could not camouflage against the hedge like the one preying on the cadets. There was no way Astur would’ve put such a powerful monster in the maze.
I used [Identify].
Gloomstalker Lv.6. (Corrupted). [Identify] A highly territorial creature formed by corrupted mana-loaded roots of plant monsters. It will attack anything inside its territory. Weakness: Fire, Drain.
To my relief, there was no mention of Forest Wardens. My relief didn’t last long, however. The Gloomstalker wasn’t a summoned monster. More importantly, it was Corrupted.
Rup’s puppet pulled Cedrinor to his feet while Rup pushed Kili behind the fountain.
The Gloomstalker blended into the hedge. I could see its mana signature clear as day, but I was a Class promotion and forty levels above the cadets. I wasn’t sure if the cadets had the sensibility necessary to detect it. Two more wooden stakes flew through the air and bounced against the fountain’s stone.
I stopped myself from jumping into the maze. I was sure Rhovan would push for their disqualification regardless of the Corrupted Monster. Still, watching from above the hedge made my body itch to intervene.
“That doesn’t look like a normal Gloomstalker!” Rup said.
“How do you know what a Gloomstalker looks like?” Cedrinor replied.
“Grandma Jorven forced me to read books after working at the puppet atelier!”
“Did you have books at home? I thought you were one of my people!”
Kili silenced the boy and signaled the hedge. The Gloomstalker repositioned to find a clear shot, but the cadets crawled around the fountain, always keeping their heads low. Every time one of them peeked over the edge, the Gloomstalker shot at them, reappearing for a brief moment.
“I can’t see it,” Cedrinor said as the puppet pushed him into the monster’s blind spot.
“Don’t worry. We will distract it, then, I need you to grab it by the tail. A Gloomstalker isn’t particularly dangerous without its tail,” Rup replied, stumbling upon her own words.
Cedrinor nodded, his head slightly protruding over the fountain’s edge. The Gloomstalker shot, missing the boy but shredding part of the stone. Shards sprayed on the grass as he ducked back down.
“A thief, a cat, and a guardsman bump into a Gloomstalker. Not a bad start for an epic fight,” Cedrinor said.
Kili rolled her eyes and channeled her mana.
My [Foresight] blurred for a second as a second Kili appeared out of nowhere. The two Kilis jumped out of cover. The Gloomstalker fired its wooden spears from the tip of its tail but missed both Kilis. The girl wasn’t only summoning a body double, she was also channeling a scrambling skill. The Gloomstalker hissed angrily as Rup’s puppet jumped out of their hideout. As smart as monsters could be, following three targets was more than the creature could handle.
The Gloomstalker shot at the puppet, but Rup made it twist mid-air, effortlessly dodging every single spear. I blinked in disbelief. Rup’s mana manipulation had significantly improved in the past month. From not being able to move while controlling the puppet to performing perfect dodges in the blink of an eye was almost too much for my feeble earthling’s brain.
The puppet jumped into the hedge, but the defensive vines didn’t attack it. Then, it jumped again and kicked the Gloomstalker in the snout. One of the threads controlling the puppet had been attached to the Gloomstalker’s mouth.
The distraction was enough for Kili to close the distance. The girl and her clone extended their arms, shooting a stream of black smoke that surrounded the monster.
I couldn’t help but smile.
Team fighting wasn’t part of the training camp, but the kids were doing great.
The Gloomstalker tried to get away from the smoke, but whenever it crawled, Kili followed. Ultimately, the creature couldn’t help but jump onto the ground. That was Cedrinor’s moment to shine. Literally. His body was covered in a silver aura. [Iron Skin]. With a few strides, he reached the Gloomstalker’s tail and grabbed it firmly. The Gloomstalker’s thorns dug into the padded jacket, but the skill protected him.
The Gloomstalker tried to turn and free itself from the Berserker, but Rup’s thread coiled around the creature’s jaw and shut it tightly. Kili and Rup seized the moment to attack, but the Gloomstalker’s body was too hard for the knives to make any significant damage.
“Step back!” Cedrinor yelled as the silver aura was replaced by quivering red mana.
Suddenly, his arms caught fire. Cedrinor growled as the protective spell disappeared and the thorns pierced his skin. Blood soaked his jacket. Still, he didn’t let the tail go. Slowly, the flames spread through the Gloomstalker’s body. Rup’s strings prevented the monster from thrashing away while Kili’s smoke obscured its senses.
After a minute, the Gloomstalker stopped fighting, turning into a firewood pile.
The three cadets exchanged a relieved glance. As much of a one-sided combat as it had been, the three of them had used too much mana. [Foresight] told me that Cedrinor was at the brink of mana exhaustion after his fire trick. Out of all three, he had the smallest mana pool.
Cedrinor rummaged through his pouch and pulled out the minor health potion. His padded jacket was pierced in several spots, but the most damage was made under his right arm and the side of his torso where he had caught the tail.
“Let me see,” Rup said.
“I’m shy!” Cedrinor jokingly replied, covering his already clothed chest.
I wasn’t so sure.
During training, Fenwick and Cedrinor’s shirts were the first things to fall off.
Cedrinor uncorked the potion and drank the green liquid. He grimaced as his wounds were magically cauterized, but after a moment, he sighed in relief. The pain was gone. Rup’s puppet examined the holes in the boy’s jacket. The wounds had turned into pale white tissue, leaving a smudge of dry blood as the only clue that he had been wounded.
“I underestimate that thing's defenses. Thanks, Cedrinor, you saved us there,” Kili begrudgingly said as she pulled three totems from the smoky remains of the Gloomstalker.
“Don’t thank me. You two owe me,” the boy replied, collapsing on the grass.
“I’m not going on a date with you, Cedrinor,” Kili said.
“Good, because I wouldn’t take you on a date,” Cedrinor replied. “However, when the moment comes and I want to take a girl on a date, you will tell her how good of a guy I am. You will also tell her you wish I would take you on a date.”
The girls exchanged a disgusted glance.
“I would rather give up the totems,” Kili said, putting the six totems they had collected on the fountain's edge: one from a Greater Slime, two from the Hawkdrake Cadets, and three from the Gloomstalker.
“Yeah, you can keep them, we will find ours,” Rup added.
Cedrinor smiled.
“You two are nasty.”
My heart rate took a long minute to return to normal.
“So, what now, boss?” Cedrinor asked, doing his best henchman impression as he stumbled towards the fountain to wash his face.
“Six totems are a lot. We will be a juicy target from now on, and let’s be real, none of us has enough pedigree to talk down noble cadets,” Kili said.
“We are like a thieving cat with a big piece of tuna in an alley with many other thieving cats,” Cedrinor said.
“Are you sure you didn’t get hit in the head? You are mixing up our characters,” Rup pointed out.
Kili cleared her throat.
“We can’t take another fight like this one. I’d say we focus on exploring for now. Fighting will wear us down, and we must still figure out where the exits are. By the end of the exam, stamina and mana will be more important than anything.”
Rup’s puppet sat on the edge of the fountain, chin resting on hand like The Thinker.
“Exploring sounds good, but what if the maze runs out of totems?”
“Then we group with the others and prey on the stragglers,” Cedrinor said with a mischievous smile. “You might have missed it because you lack experience, Young Rup, but Mister Clarke gave us an edge others don't have.”
The girls gave Cedrinor a quizzical look.
“Don’t you see? We are a team! The other classes won’t group like us.”
For the next few minutes, Cedrinor explained how Ascombe’s city guard operated. The cadets lived in the barracks for three years without aides or servants. In addition to their basic training and patrol work, they had to do everything, from cleaning to cooking and repairing their clothing. Guardsmen weren’t allowed to marry or acquire property during those years until they were promoted to infantry. Cedrinor had served for two years before being recruited for the Imperial Academy. He was at the upper limit of what the Academy allowed as cadets, both in level and age.
The girls listened at first but quickly lost interest in the story. Rup checked her puppet for damage while Kili scribbled on the enchanted map. Her drawing was fairly accurate, considering all the small changes the maze suffered as the cadets traversed it. After a moment, they decided it was best to keep moving.
“Let’s avoid fighting while our mana pools recharge.”
Kili grabbed the totems and summoned a small smoke screen around her pocket to hide them.
As soon as they were gone, I dropped into the fountain room and approached the Gloomstalker. Smoke still came out of its outer layer, but the inner body was mostly intact, besides a few scorch marks. I channeled a mana blade and cut the outer roots to reveal tentacles of corruption going through the beast’s interior.
The fact that non-summoned monsters had made their way into the exam was outrageous, but corrupted monsters were a whole step beyond what was safe.
I jumped on the hedge wall and used [Mirage] to create a big blue panel.
Holst, I require your presence.
The darkened barrier prevented me from seeing inside the watchtower. I could sense many powerful people inside, but their mana signatures were muddy and mixed. I waited a few seconds, but Holst didn’t appear.
Please.
Nothing.
I’m telling the Marquis you aren’t actually ‘busy’. You just don’t want to write home.
As tiresome as attending the political spheres of Farcrest was, at least I knew a lot of what was happening behind the scenes. Holst was supposed to make strong connections for the Marquis, and as far as I knew, he hadn’t made the advancements the Marquis wanted.
A moment later, Holst climbed down the watchtower using mana manipulation to create solid steps under his feet. He then used the same trick to build bridges between hedge walls. I could tell at a glance he wasn’t thrilled with my call.
“What now, Scholar?”
“That Gloomstalker, it shows signs of Corruption.”
“That’s not possible. Astur doesn’t use Corrupted monsters even against older cadets. They are erratic and unpredictable.”
Holst summoned a staircase and walked into the fountain room. He examined the Gloomstalker in silence, using a mana blade like mine to dig deeper into the monster. Near its core, black crystalline formations reminded me of the corrupted System Crystal the Umolo Orcs were using to boost their powers.
“This is… concerning,” Holst said, cleaning the sap from his hands on a handkerchief. “Beastmasters can’t control Corrupted monsters, which means this one wasn’t Corrupted when they put it inside the statue.”
The black crystals sent a shiver down my spine.
“Unless there is a Beastmaster who can,” I replied.
“Like Vedras and the Sniffers,” Holst muttered. “Smart.”
The silence hung heavy between us. Monsters didn’t get corrupted overnight, meaning foul play was involved. But that only raised more questions. Who was crazy enough to sabotage the selection exam? And more importantly. Why?
“Should we stop the exam?” I asked.
“Only Astur has the authority to do that,” Holst replied, summoning the mana staircase back up the hedge wall. “I will let the others know about the Gloomstalker, and have someone inform Astur. Look out for my students in the meantime, but don’t you dare interfere unless there is a Corrupted Wendigo or something like that. A high pass rate is everything.”
I nodded and climbed back onto the wall. I looked at the watchtower and made a ‘follow me’ signal. A moment later, Zaon and Ilya climbed down the watchtower. After a bit more signaling, they brought Talindra with them. When they reached the hedge wall, vines tried to catch them, but one scolding glance from Talindra was enough for them to pull back.
“What’s happening?” Ilya asked.
“There is a Corrupted Monster,” I said, pointing at the dead Gloomstalker. “I don’t know if it’s intentional, but we need to keep an eye on the cadets, just in case. Zaon, follow Kili’s group. Ilya, you go with Leonie. Talindra… can you move around?”
Talindra crossed her arms, insulted.
“I am a high-level Silvan Witch, of course I can!”
“That’s the spirit.” I grinned. “You go with Yvain’s group, and I will watch Malkah’s group. Remember, don’t interfere unless their lives are in danger. This is the opportunity of their lives. Don’t take it away from them. Are we clear?”
A moment later, we parted ways.
As the fourth hour of the exam arrived, the cadets started to slow down. They realized there were still many hours ahead, and the mana and stamina began to run thin. Stopping on the corridors still was a cry for the vines to attack, so most cadets just walked around, peeking around corners and making sure no monster blocked their escape routes.
Malkah’s group was surveying the western side of the maze. They had only two totems, and they weren’t in the best shape. Odo had lost the entire left sleeve of his jacket, and Harwin looked like he had been swallowed by the hedge wall once already. I could tell they had been trying to protect Malkah because the boy was in much better shape, although covered in dirt.
They were on the run. A group of two cadets with Astur’s golden emblem followed nearby. Despite the numerical advantage, it didn’t seem like Malkah’s group had landed any hits against their opponents.
Astur’s gang already had ten totems—two more than they needed to pass—yet they were on the hunt. Strangely enough, they looked fresh, like they had just gotten out of the shower. The only thing that kept Malkah and the boys in the fight was their stamina.
I made a mental note to double down on cardio.
The pursuit went on for minutes to no end. Something was wrong. Astur’s cadets didn’t seem any more tired, no matter how many corridors they traversed. I used my mana sense to check if they used fortifying skills, but I didn’t detect anything.
After a while, Odo started to show signs of exhaustion. He slowed down, dragging Malkah and Harwin with him. Surprisingly enough, Astur’s cadets slowed down to match Odo’s pace.
I had a bad feeling.
It was almost like Astur’s cadets were driving them to exhaustion on purpose.
“I’ll slow them down.” Odo panted. “You two, continue. Meet the others.”
“Your lord orders you to run,” Malkah replied, gasping for air.
Odo stopped but Malkah grabbed him by the collar.
“Don’t you dare disobey me!”
Malkah’s words seemed to shake something inside Odo, because the boy redoubled his pace. It was difficult to say what it was, but I had a hunch. Malkah never ever ordered Odo and Harwin around. In fact, most of their care seemed to make him uncomfortable.
Astur’s cadets followed them at a fixed distance, not too close to force an engagement, not too far to lose them in a close series of turns.
Part of my brain was focused on the boys, but the other half was on the path up the hill into the Academy. With the corner of my eye, I had seen one of the Imperial Knights climbing down the watchtower, which meant the news of the Corrupted Gloomstalker were already been relayed. However, Astur was taking his sweet time.
Malkah led the group into an unclaimed fountain room.
“Do you think this one has a monster too?” Harwin asked.
“The last two did.” Odo stopped to take a deep breath. “Why do you think this one is any different.”
As soon as he let out the last syllable, the fountain cracked.
“We need to get out of here.”
“No,” Malkah said. “Wait.”
Odo and Harwin put themselves between Malkah and the cracking fountain without hesitation. The stone crumbled, and just as Astur’s cadets entered the fountain room, a giant golem emerged from the broken back of the statue. The proportions of the golem were off. Its head was too small compared to its broad torso. Its arms and legs were long, with multiple joints.
Black crystals protruded from its back.
Stone Golem Lv.9. Corrupted Spirit.
The Corrupted Stone Golem ripped the head of the deer statue and crushed it into small stone shards.
“Now!” Malkah yelled and the three boys ducked as the golem turned, showering the room with high speed pebbles.
Astur’s duo seamlessly blocked the projectiles with mana barriers, catching the Golem’s attention. Malkah seized the moment, and with Harwin’s help, they grabbed Odo’s arms and dragged him through the opposite exit.
I was about to follow the boys but a tingle of curiosity forced me to stay put.
Astur’s cadets exchanged a nod and parted ways.
The fight only lasted a moment. One of the cadets froze the joint of the golem while the other used [Gust Blade] to break it. After a few cycles of freezing and hitting, the Golem was reduced to a pile of rubble. Their tactics were too clean for fifteen-year-olds, and their mana manipulation was as flawless as Leonie’s. I held back the urge to use [Identify] on them.
Astur’s cadets collected the totems dropped by the Golem and followed Malkah’s path. The corridor forked into a three-way split. After a moment of deliberation, they chose right.
I jumped into the air and surveyed the area.
Malkah had chosen the middle.
When I dropped, a glint in the corner of my eye caught my attention. Holst was standing near the top of the watchtower using his mana to draw a message in the sky. White letters against a dark blue background just like the one I had used a moment ago.
My heart dropped to my feet.
The show must go on.