Silas chuckled, grabbing Cynthia's arm with a firm but playful grip, his eyes glinting with mischief beneath the shadow of his messy bangs.
"You know what…? Sounds fun."
He flashed a crooked, mischievous smirk before striding confidently into the center of the crowd. His boots crunched on twigs and scattered leaves as he clapped his hands twice, the sharp sound cutting through the murmur of students.
"All right then," he called out, voice loud and commanding. "Due to the gracious orders from our dear Lady Cynthia here, I'll be assisting you in this lesson."
He gestured with exaggerated flair toward Cynthia, who folded her arms with a slight smirk, watching him work the crowd.
"Got no problems with that?"
Silas rested his arms on his hips, chin lifted in mock pride, a glint of arrogance flashing in his eyes. Having been through the Forest of Trials twice now, he looked every bit like a seasoned veteran—a cocky, self-proclaimed tour guide in a land of death.
"Well… it's better than nothing," one student muttered.
"It's the best chance we got," another added, shifting nervously.
"I still don't trust his guts," a third said under their breath, though without conviction.
The students exchanged glances, hesitant but increasingly drawn in by Silas's commanding presence. Whether they trusted him or not, most knew one thing—he had more experience with this forest than any of them.
Silas grinned, stretching his arms before dramatically pointing a finger toward the looming darkness just beyond the clearing. From within the trees, glowing eyes blinked into existence—dozens of them, scattered among the foliage like stars in an abyss.
"First lesson: combat."
He raised his hand, a faint hum rippling through the air as energy built at his fingertip.
"Combustion Rune!"
The rune flared to life, spinning around his finger like a cyclone of compressed air and crackling mana.
"First wave!"
He mouthed the word bang, and with that, the condensed air shot forward like a high-caliber bullet. The explosion that followed was loud and sudden—flames and shockwaves erupted outward, sending several wolves flying from the shadows into plain view, their bodies crashing through branches and brush.
The darkness peeled back momentarily, revealing the oncoming assault.
"Begin!" Silas bellowed, laughing as he stepped aside, the undead bear growling behind him like a silent bodyguard.
The wolves, now fully enraged, sprinted toward the students with blinding speed. Fangs glinted in the sunlight as they charged, their snarls echoing across the forest clearing.
Cynthia moved without hesitation, her demeanor sharp and focused. She reached to her hip, retrieving her wand in a fluid motion. The air shimmered around her as a series of runes ignited midair, orbiting her like a magical constellation.
"Water Beam!"
She twirled her wrist, tracing a speed rune with precise control. With a flick of her wand, concentrated beams of high-pressure water blasted from the glowing glyphs, targeting the lead wolves and slamming them back mid-stride.
Emboldened by Cynthia's decisive strike, the other students sprang into action. Cries of incantations filled the air, overlapping with the howls of wolves and the hum of charged runes. Magic shimmered like a storm around them.
One particularly brash student—a boy with wild hair and glowing runes already tattooed across his arms—stepped forward with a grin.
"That kid isn't the only one who knows how to show off," he muttered, running a hand through his hair before stepping up beside Cynthia.
He clenched his fists, his knuckles crackling with layered runes, each one etched with sigils of strength and impact.
"Shatter Fist!"
He twisted his torso and let the punch fly, his body rotating with full force. The air around his fist imploded outward in a massive shockwave, flattening grass and sending wolves sprawling in all directions like ragdolls.
Cynthia didn't miss a beat. She stepped forward beside him, her wand raised high as her water runes flared brighter—this time infused with a new rune: lightning.
"Electrocution!"
Her voice rang clear and confident. As her water beams struck home, arcs of lightning lanced through them, turning the fluid jets into conduits of raw electricity. Each wolf hit was wracked with convulsions, yelping before collapsing, steam rising from scorched fur.
The spellwork was fast, elegant, and deadly—cleaner and more efficient than even what Silas and Dwayne had pulled off in their earlier trial.
From behind the line, Silas sat leisurely atop the undead bear's back, clapping slowly with a wide grin on his face. The bear didn't move, but its empty eyes scanned the field like a sentinel.
"Bravo!" he called out, voice full of amused approval.
"Now that's what you call tactical!"