“I thought we came from that way,” said Max, pointing in the opposite direction Casey was heading.

Max looked around, his heart beginning to beat with panic.

They had been so focused on the first part of the test, they hadn’t considered the intensity of the second part: getting back to the teleporter.

“Do you know where we are?” asked Casey.

Max peered all around the forest, nervously.

He shook his head.

They were lost.

30

Max and Casey walked nervously through the forest. Each and every one of their steps was filled with trepidation.

“Are we sure we’re going the right way?” asked Casey.

Max had no idea. He was starting to realize how dangerous this floor was. Sure, the monsters weren’t exactly the most deadly, but it was the area itself that would consume you.

Max wasn’t sure what they should do. If they didn’t keep moving, they would lose the test. But if they were lost and going in the wrong direction, it would make it even harder for the instructor to find them—at which point, they didn’t just have to worry about losing the test, but they had to worry about staying alive.

They didn’t have any food, water, or shelter. This floor didn’t seem like it offered those kinds of amenities, even if they went hunting for them.

Max sighed. All the options were bad, but at least, if they kept moving they still had a chance at finding the others and passing the test.

For the time being, he figured that was their best option.

Max and Casey continued forth in the woods—if they were going in the right direction, they had no idea.

* * *

Cyrus Archer stood with the rest of the class in front of the teleporter along with the instructor.

Cyrus kept his arms crossed and smirked as he stared out into the empty forest.

It looks like my plan worked, he thought.

Cyrus and his goons had made sure to kill off as many monsters in the surrounding area from when the test started to limit the prospects of the other students.

It looked like the plan was paying off perfectly, seeing that the new kid and the fake-vein still hadn’t made it back.

He turned to the instructor. “How much longer do we have to wait here for?”

“There’s still forty-five minutes on the clock,” said the instructor.

“But what if the remaining students are in danger?” said Cyrus. “Shouldn’t you be out there rescuing them?”

“As an instructor, it is my duty to look after the students,” said the older flamebringer. “But that also means I can’t coddle them either. I’m training you all to be warriors to protect others. I must honor those struggling with the test the allotted time.”

“Even though, you think they should’ve been back by now,” Cyrus pried.