Power of Runes

[3rd Day of the Exam.]

As soon as the morning of the third day came, Luthan released the Grasswhisker. The small creature darted into the forest with light and nimble steps, weaving between the trees at a steady pace. Luthan followed without much delay, his movements steady as he kept his eyes locked on it, trailing like a shadow and never allowing it to slip out of sight.

Who would have thought that I would become fast enough to follow a Grasswhisker..

The thought drew a smirk across his face, though he was well aware that he was only joking with himself. Even he knew it was only because the little cat-like monster was injured that he could keep up with such ease.

It had already been around two hours since they began, and during that time, the creature had not stopped even once. Luthan was forced into a constant run, his body pushed forward without a single moment of rest.

I always questioned the point of running for almost five hours every morning, and I even cursed the instructor for it countless times... but now, I am glad I did. I should thank him after returning.....

Being from Section E, which held the largest number of students as well as the weakest ones in the academy, their instructors had been especially strict. The training they went through was far harsher than any other class. Since they lacked natural talent, it had to be compensated with discipline and relentless hard work. Because of that, their stamina and endurance had been shaped to withstand almost anything.

Though if I wanted..... I would not have needed to go through all of this.....

The truth was, Luthan was not talentless at all. In fact, he carried a trait that stood at the very peak of rarity.

Jack of All Trades – Utility.

A mythical rank trait that allowed him to learn things much faster than others and excel in all sorts of areas, such as cooking, crafting, tracking, hunting, butchering, and countless other utility skills. His potential was also far higher than anyone realized.

The only reason he had been placed into the lowest class was because of how poorly he ranked in the academy exam, something he had done deliberately.

During the potential checking, he had used his family heirloom, a relic capable of temporarily disrupting any device, to tamper with the academy's potential testing machine. By lowering its efficiency, he made it appear as though his potential only reached the level of a Grandmaster. He had done it intentionally, not wishing to draw attention.

The reason was simple. His family was once a noble household, but it had fallen into ruin decades ago, back when his grandfather was still the head. The downfall of his family had been caused by that very heirloom. Someone had desired it desperately, and though the exact culprit remained a mystery even now, their greed had torn his family apart.

After his parents death, Luthan was left all alone. His mother had passed away during his birth, and his father eventually succumbed to a grievous wound he had received during the destruction of their family.

Against his father's last wish, Luthan decided to enter the academy. His goal was clear—to grow stronger and one day find those who had destroyed his family. That was why he chose to hide his abilities and quietly wait for the right time to reveal them.

When he first began trailing the Grasswhisker, which carried a tracker tied to its body, his inexperience was obvious. He was clumsy and careless, making far too much noise as he ran, and he lacked the proper skill for following and tracking prey.

But as the hours passed, he began to adjust. His steps grew lighter, the sound of his movements faded, and his presence became carefully concealed among the trees. By the end of those two hours, he was already much better than when he had started, and the pursuit felt smoother, almost natural.

Who says I don't have talent, I am talented enough to destroy anyone's confidence.... hehe

But, talent aside, when will this monster stop? I am getting tired....

Running five hours daily did not mean he could maintain his full strength for all that time. During training, he had the freedom to take breaks whenever he wanted, even slowing down when exhaustion caught up to him. Here, however, such luxury did not exist.

There was no chance to rest, no moment to breathe freely, and even the thought of slowing down was dangerous, because slowing down meant losing the beast.

Perhaps his luck finally shone, because the monster came to a halt. It climbed up a tall tree and vanished inside a hole hidden well beneath thick leaves and branches.

Luthan, his body smeared with blood, dirt, and dust, stopped a short distance away. His chest heaved violently as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Huff... huff...." He let the sound slip through his throat, each breath scraping against his lungs as if fire had been set inside them.

So, it was running towards its nest, nice..... Now I just have to hide and wait for someone from the opponent team to arrive...

When his breathing finally calmed, he moved further away and began wiping away the bloodstains. Along the chase, he had encountered several smaller monsters, quickly cutting them down, but those clashes had left behind a trail of blood and broken branches.

That trail was not a mistake. It was intentional, part of the plan. Leave behind enough traces to confuse the enemy, lure them deeper, make them restless. Even if they realized it was a trap, they could not ignore it, because doing nothing meant risking expulsion.

What a sadistic plan indeed..... but is Miss Elysia not afraid of getting expelled...?

Luthan could not understand it, but from the way she spoke and carried herself, it seemed as if she was certain she would be safe no matter what happened to the rest of them.

Anyway, I don't know where her confidence comes from, but I have to do my part....

-SQUAWK!!!!

A sharp cry tore through the sky, and Luthan lifted his gaze. Several seabirds were flying overhead, their wings cutting through the sunlight as they passed over the forest canopy. For a brief moment, he followed their movements, then shifted his focus back. There was still work to be done, preparations to complete, and traces to clean.

---

Meanwhile, back at the island shore, near a small mountain that rose at the end of the forest where the beach began, a hidden base had been prepared. At the top of that mountain, inside a crude but cleverly built shelter, four figures kept their watch.

Each of them watched one direction, covering three possible paths from which the opponent team could approach, while the last member stayed outside, scanning the wide stretch of shoreline for any sign of invasion.

They were Elysia and her group, of course. The base itself had been crafted by Veyric, who used his earth-shaping ability to carve out a small room. Its walls looked natural, its narrow windows blended seamlessly with the mountain rock, making it seem like nothing more than a random formation to anyone passing by.

The floor was softened with layers of leaves, and a small opening above allowed fresh air and sunlight to filter inside. Crude as it was, the base worked wonders, giving them safety and a place to rest without being seen.

Yet what impressed everyone most was not the base, but something Luthan had done before leaving to follow the Grasswhisker. Using nothing but wood and seashells, he had shaped three small telescopes.

With Corin's water affinity, he froze and carved lenses from ice, clear enough to serve as glass. The process had been simple yet ingenious, and against all odds, it worked. Though it drained Corin's mana continuously to maintain ice, the amount of mana was so little that he could just recover it after using the breathing technique.

That small invention gave them an unexpected advantage, allowing them to watch the distant landscape and keep track of anyone approaching long before they arrived.

"There are so many birds here, they are really blocking the view," Alina muttered while peeking in the direction Luthan had gone, seated closer to the middle of their group.

"We are at quite a decent height. It is natural for birds to crowd the skies here, so you should try to focus." Veyric said strictly from her side, his tone leaving little room for complaint.

"Easy for you to say, but it is really hard..." She shifted uncomfortably, narrowing one eye as she tried to look through with the other.

"You are just too soft. Were you not trained physically at all?" Corin asked with a trace of bewilderment, his eyes still fixed on the right side where the slope fell away.

"No, that...I.. I mean, we have gone through many harsh trials, but.....right now it feels mentally exhausting," she admitted in a low voice.

Her words made everyone fall silent.

Because it was true. The plan they were following looked simple and effective on the surface, yet carrying it out weighed heavily on the mind.

Luthan was the first piece in that plan, serving both as bait and as their informer. If the opponent team moved toward his direction, he would shadow them carefully, then signal Elysia. Once they caught up with him, they would spring an ambush together.

If the opponent team instead followed the traces and tracks Elysia and the others had left behind intentionally, then the battlefield would shift here. They would wait in silence and ambush them using the traps that Luthan had set beforehand.

But there was always that lingering question that none of them wished to think too deeply about... what if the enemy failed to find either of them? What if time slipped away without a clash? In that case, they all would be expelled.

It was a gamble. If it succeeded, it would feel like a blessing of fortune. If it failed, it would be nothing but misfortune in disguise.

"Let us just hope everything goes according to plan..." Corin muttered, his voice heavy with unease. The others silently agreed, but none spoke their thoughts aloud.

****