The freezing winds of the mountain's icy forest howled through the trees as Misa, Kara, Jenna, Nessa, and Poppy huddled around their small campfire. Despite the harsh conditions, the group of 15-year-old commoner girls giggled and chatted, their spirits high.

"Good thing we came prepared for this!" Kara said with a smug smile, stretching her arms.

Poppy nodded. "You know, even if we don’t pass the first exam or if we fail completely, as long as we prove ourselves useful, we can still get recruited as infantry. Sure, we won’t become knights, but it’s still a stable job. Even if we get sent to the border or a rural village, it's better than starving."

Jenna grinned. "Yeah! And if we do well, dignitaries and nobles from other countries might take notice. The more exams we pass, the more valuable we become. But even just surviving this round could be enough to get recruited!"

Misa, however, clutched her cloak tightly, her expression uncertain. "I just... I'm just glad they gave our families some money in advance."

The others fell silent for a moment. Everyone knew what she meant. The kingdom provided compensation to the families of participants in case of injury or death. But the catch was simple—once you accepted, there was no backing out. This was why so many commoners joined, despite knowing how brutal the trials were.

Nessa forced a grin and lightly punched Misa’s shoulder. "Hey, don’t be so gloomy! Who knows? We might actually make it out of this!"

Then, a cold, mocking laugh cut through the night.

"Survive?" a voice sneered. "None of you will survive."

The girls froze. Stepping out from the shadows, Alarac emerged, his eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure.

Panic set in immediately. It was common for participants to hunt each other down—after all, this was a survival test. But nobles like Alarac, with their cruel sense of superiority, particularly enjoyed tormenting commoners, especially defenseless young women.

Fear gripped the group as Nessa, acting fast, threw up a magic barrier.

"Tch. Annoying," Alarac spat, his lips curling into a scowl. "Trying to fight instead of begging for your lives?"

Without hesitation, he unleashed a powerful wind spell. The attack tore through Nessa’s barrier as if it were paper, and a sharp gust of slicing wind struck her, sending her crashing to the ground with a pained cry.

The girls’ terrified screams echoed through the frozen forest as they watched their friend collapse, blood staining the snow beneath her. Nessa’s body trembled violently from the deep wound carved into her torso, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Ice Shot!" Misa cried out, thrusting her hands forward. Shards of ice shot toward Alarac, but with a mere flick of his wrist, a gust of wind deflected them, shattering the projectiles midair.

Poppy, ignoring the threat before her, dropped to her knees beside Nessa, her hands glowing with a soft golden light. "H-heal!" she pleaded, her voice shaking as she worked desperately to close the wound.

Jenna, her mind racing, turned to the others. "Poppy, keep healing! We need to run—I'll carry Nessa!" She reached down, but before she could even touch her fallen friend, Alarac was upon them.

With terrifying speed, he sidestepped Misa’s feeble attempt to defend, closing the distance in a heartbeat. His boot crashed against Jenna’s face with brutal force. The impact sent her soaring through the air, her body colliding with a thick tree trunk before she crumpled to the ground, unmoving.

"I said, none of you will survive." Alarac’s voice was ice-cold, his expression twisted with cruel amusement.

Poppy barely had time to react before his fist slammed into her face, snapping her head backward. She gasped as pain exploded across her cheek, her vision swimming. The healing magic she had been channeling flickered and died, leaving Nessa still bleeding on the frozen ground.

"K-Kara, what do we do?!" Misa stammered, panic seizing her chest.

Kara clenched her sword tightly, her knuckles turning white. "Misa—run! Call for help!" she ordered before charging at Alarac with all the strength she had.

Alarac scoffed. "Spoiling my fun, are we?" With a lazy flick of his hand, a razor-sharp cross of wind magic materialized before him. "Wind Blade."

The attack struck Kara before she could react. The invisible blades slashed through her body, cutting deep. She choked as blood spurted from her wounds, her sword slipping from her grasp. A violent cough wracked her body before she collapsed, motionless in the snow.

Misa’s entire body trembled, her breath shallow, her heart hammering against her ribs. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her mind screamed at her to fight, to save her friends, but her legs had already made the decision for her.

She turned and bolted, a terrified scream ripping from her throat. "AhggHHHHHH!!!"

Alarac smirked, watching her frantic escape. "Run, little rabbit." The sight of prey in fear, scrambling for survival, was the kind of entertainment he enjoyed most.

And he wasn't going to let her get away.

A little while earlier, Mixarnt was trudging along with his group, burdened by their heavy luggage. Since he had no winter clothes of his own, they had lent him some, but the oversized clothes hung awkwardly on his frame, making him look even more out of place. "H-hey! Mind helping me out here? Your bags are heavy, and I can't keep up!" Mixarnt called out, clearly annoyed and struggling under the weight.

Cobbler, Carter, and Cooper exchanged smug grins, clearly amused by the situation. Despite being commoners, they had managed to turn Mixarnt into their personal servant, and they were more than happy to let him shoulder the load. "Come on, Mixarnt, keep up! You’re the one who wanted to tag along," Cobbler teased, his tone dripping with mockery.

Carter chuckled, adding, "Yeah, consider it your contribution to the group. We’re doing you a favor by letting you borrow our stuff, after all."

Cooper, the most laid-back of the three, simply shrugged. "Don’t complain too much. You’ll get used to it."

Mixarnt scowled, his frustration growing with every step. He knew he had no choice but to endure their antics for now, but the unfairness of the situation gnawed at him. As he adjusted the ill-fitting coat and hoisted the bags higher, he muttered under his breath, "Just wait... I’ll find a way to turn this around."

As night settled in, the four of them began setting up camp. However, it quickly became obvious that none of the three knew how to properly camp, leaving Mixarnt to do most of the work.

"Hey, you're not half bad, servant. Haha," Carter teased, smirking as he watched Mixarnt handle the setup.

Mixarnt turned to him, irritated. "Tsk, servant my butt! You three entered the exam without even knowing how to set up a camp properly."

"And you joined without even bringing winter clothes. What an idiot," Cobbler shot back with a mocking grin.

"Yeah," Cooper added, crossing his arms. "Just be grateful we even lent you some winter clothes. The least you can do is make yourself useful."

Mixarnt let out an exasperated sigh. "Then how about helping me carry the luggage? Aren’t we supposed to be a team now? Just so you know, the added weight from the armlet is already exhausting enough, and you three are just sitting there on a power trip."

The tension between them was growing, but Mixarnt was already too tired to keep arguing. He had a long night ahead of him.

Carter scoffed, leaning back against a tree with his arms crossed. "Tch, why should we? You're already doing a fine job on your own."

Mixarnt gritted his teeth, but he held back his anger. He knew picking a fight with them wouldn't do him any good—not now, at least. He focused on finishing the camp, setting up the fire, and making sure their temporary shelter was stable against the cold night winds.

"At least help gather some firewood," he muttered under his breath, but none of them moved.

Cobbler yawned. "Why bother? We already have enough to last until morning."

Mixarnt sighed, shaking his head. These three were going to be a problem if they kept this up. They weren’t just lazy—they acted as if he owed them something.

After a while, the fire crackled steadily, providing much-needed warmth against the freezing air. Mixarnt sat down, pulling his borrowed winter coat closer to his body. He glanced at the trio, who were casually chatting among themselves as if they had done all the work.

"So, Mixarnt," Cooper suddenly said, his tone smug. "What made you join this exam, anyway? You don’t look like much of a fighter. Don’t tell me you’re here because you think you have a shot at knighthood?"

Carter chuckled. "Yeah, I mean, look at you. You're just some scrawny kid with no connections. No noble backing, no family name, and you didn’t even prepare properly. What do you have to offer?"

Mixarnt stared at them for a moment, then smirked. "You three sure talk big for people who can’t even set up a basic camp."

Cobbler glared. "What was that?"

"You heard me," Mixarnt said, leaning back against the log. "You act like you're better than me, but at the end of the day, you’re just like everyone else, struggling to survive this exam. I don’t need noble blood or fancy gear to prove myself."

Carter clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Hah, keep talking. Let's see if you’re still this cocky when the real challenge begins."

Mixarnt didn’t reply. He just looked up at the dark sky, knowing that the real test hadn’t even started yet.

The trio of friends huddled together, whispering among themselves while Mixarnt, exhausted, curled up to sleep. "Hey, we need to do something about that kid. He's dead weight. Sure, he carried our luggage, but sooner or later, he’ll just betray us once we get close to the peak," Carter said, his voice low and serious.

"I agree. So, what do you suggest we do?" Cooper asked, glancing at Cobbler.

Cobbler smirked. "Hehe, don’t worry. I have a plan," he said, his tone sly. The other two leaned in, curious.

Meanwhile, Mixarnt, annoyed by their whispering, stood up abruptly. "I'm taking a piss," he muttered, walking off into the forest. As he reached a cliff, he relieved himself, feeling a moment of relaxation. But just then, he felt someone slice his coat in half from behind and shove him forcefully. As he turned, he saw Cobbler materializing out of thin air, a triumphant grin on his face. Mixarnt quickly realized Cobbler had been using invisibility and anti-detection magic. "Bastard," Mixarnt muttered with an annoyed grin as he freefall down the cliff.

As the cold wind howled through the forest, Cobbler returned to the camp with a smug grin.

"It’s done," he said, dusting off his hands as if he had just finished some meaningless chore.

Carter and Cooper exchanged glances before smirking. "Hah! That was easier than I thought," Carter chuckled, stretching his arms.

Cooper laughed. "Serves him right. That dead weight was getting on my nerves anyway."

"With him gone, we won’t have to worry about him slowing us down or turning on us later," Cobbler added, sitting down near the fire.

The trio celebrated in hushed voices, confident that Mixarnt was out of the picture.

But unknown to them, Mixarnt was far from dead.

Mixarnt had fallen from a great height after being betrayed by Cobbler. Despite the trio’s advantage of climbing the mountain unburdened, Mixarnt had kept up with them thanks to his high mana levels and Enigma Enhancement—something they hadn’t realized. As he fell, he swung his blade, releasing a mana wave to break his fall, and landed buried in soft snow. "Those ungrateful shi—ACHOOO! C-cold!" Mixarnt cursed, shivering as he remembered Cobbler had cut his coat in half.

Just then, he heard a desperate scream piercing the cold air. "A-AHHH! H-helpp! Somebody!" It was a woman’s voice, filled with tears and desperation. Mixarnt’s ears perked up, and he quickly focused.

The scream came from Misa, who was running for her life. Behind her, Alarac, the noble who had insulted Mixarnt before the exam, was chasing her with a cruel grin. "Ahahaha!" Alarac laughed maniacally, sending another wind blade that sliced into the back of Misa’s legs. Her back was already a mess of cuts and bleeding wounds, her clothes torn from Alarac’s relentless attacks. He was toying with her, enjoying her suffering.

Mixarnt, still buried in the snow, wondered where the voice was coming from. He fixed himself and placed his hand on a nearby tree, closed his eyes, and instantly connected with the mountain’s natural energy. Through this connection, he could see the entire mountain as if it were the back of his hand. He located the source of the scream—three blocks away, Misa was crawling on the ground, exhausted and on the brink of collapse, while Alarac loomed over her, ready to deliver the final blow.

"Enigma Enhancement... 30%," Mixarnt whispered. In an instant, he vanished from his spot.

Misa, now too weak to run, continued to crawl, her voice hoarse from screaming. "You ran pretty good, I'll give you that. You also entertained me. Now, time for you to die," Alarac sneered, raising his wind-element sword to strike her head. But just as he swung, Mixarnt appeared in a blur, blocking the attack with his wooden sword. The clash sent a shockwave through the air.

Mixarnt grinned, forcing Alarac’s sword back with a powerful parry, pushing the noble away. Alarac scowled, furious at the interruption. "Hey there, snotty noble!" Mixarnt taunted, resting his wooden sword on his shoulder with a confident smirk. He quickly opened his dimensional pocket and tossed a high-grade potion to Misa. "Drink that," he said firmly, not taking his eyes off Alarac.

Misa, trembling, caught the potion and started drinking, her wounds healing instantly. Meanwhile, Mixarnt charged at Alarac, his wooden sword glowing faintly with mana. The fight was on between the two.