In the training ground, all the trainees stood orderly, staring at the instructor in front of them.
"Listen up! We're different from any army! The reason for our strength is because we've fought hundreds of battles and survived!" Shale shouted with a proud look. "That's why today's test shall be a battle between life and death too!
"In this test, you're required to go to the battlefield and kill those demons! The demons are disorganized and often comes separately. That's why your group can surround it and kill the demon!"
When they heard they needed to go to the battlefield, everyone sucked a cold breath. Despite their talent and body build, they never directly went to the battlefield to fight them. That was why no one knew what to expect from the battlefield.
"We won't know whether you will die or not, so this is the last time to quit."
The people were shaken when they listened to this offer. After all, no one wanted to die.
However, none of them actually stepped out. They remembered how hard they worked to get to this place. There was no way they would back down at the last moment.
"Good." Shale nodded and took out a purple crystal from his pocket, showing it to everyone. "This is called Demon Crystal! Every demon has this crystal in their head, so after killing the demon, you need to open its head and retrieve this crystal. There are numerous uses of this crystal, but I'll just explain it later in our classes.
"For now, all you need to do is to obey orders. Anyway, each group will consist of three people since this is the minimum number to form a triangle formation to watch all directions.
"Each group is required to bring back ten Demon Crystals! If you complete the mission, you shall become the true cadet of Demon Banner Army.
"You shall go to the Dark Demon Forest to hunt these demon beasts. As for the group, I will call each of your names according to your group. 1st Group: Albion…"
Shale started calling all the 120 names, dividing them into forty groups.
"If you look at the ground, there is a number for your group. Head there and talk with your group. You have 30 minutes to prepare and immediately head to the Dark Demon Forest.
"Your time limit is three days. If you don't have a tent or any other equipment like weapons, you can acquire it from me. That's all!"
As soon as Shale stopped talking, each person immediately went to their designated spot.
Noel also spared no efforts to meet his teammate, only to find a surprise with his teammate.
The first one was the blue-haired guy that didn't care about his presence on the first day while the second guy was actually one of the people that bullied him previously.
"…" Noel frowned. It seemed his luck was bad to get these two as his teammates.
The bully looked at Noel with hostility while the blue-haired guy said, "I don't care about what you do. Don't hinder me killing those demons. As long as you do your jobs, we can be the first because of my power."
"Is this fallen noble even needed here? He's clearly the weakest guy among the group." The bully tried to ignite a flame to make the blue-haired guy angry at Noel, but it seemed he didn't care..
Noel only asked sarcastically, "So, do you have any plan, Mr. Noble?"
"Why should I tell you?" He snorted.
"Well, if you expect us to move according to your instruction, it's better to tell us now instead of getting mad when we've made a mistake simply because we're unaware of your preference." Noel shrugged.
He furrowed his eyebrows and stared at Noel for a few seconds as if he was angry with Noel's attitude. But surprisingly, the blue-haired guy said, "I'm the strongest in this group. There's no denying it. That's why you two shall stop the demon's attack and I will kill it."
"That's not possible, right? The demon acts on instinct, so there's no telling who it will attack after it finds us." Noel refuted his words again.
"If it attacks me, I will send it to you, simply because it will be much faster if I kill it."
"Well…" Noel shrugged. He remembered he needed to kill ten demons to complete the mission, so he wanted an opportunity to kill those demons. That was why before anyone killed it, he would deliver a killing blow.
On the other hand, the noble guy simply asked, "What? Do you have another objection?"
"None. I simply wish to know how I should call you."
"You don't need to know my name, you're not worthy of it."
"Well, that's fine. I'll just call you, Mr. Noble then." Noel didn't care about his reaction. Despite his arrogant attitude, this noble still continued answering all his questions. So, he thought the noble wasn't as bad as he thought, like the other guy who had a great prejudice against him.
"Then your role is to watch the night for as long as we're there. You also need to bring our equipment since you're so useless. You should be able to do this stuff at the very least, right?" Just like he expected, the bully ordered Noel as if he was above him since Noel had been reduced to commoner.
Noel narrowed his eyes. Although he was displeased, this was actually a chance for him to explore the forest. According to the system, there was an Ancient Demon Tree that slept underneath the forest, so it would be good if he had some time to search for the clue.
Of course, he was planning to do his job. Instead of watching over the tent, he was planning to expand his area so that he could look over the camp and find some clues at the same time.
However, the noble guy snorted and said, "I'm not planning to let an exhausted weak guy to watch over me. We'll use the rotation for the night. We will split the burden evenly. I hate weak people, but I hate idiots, who can't even see that his decision will endanger people's lives, even more."
Noel was surprised that even though this noble guy was arrogant, he was rational and objected anything that would endanger their lives. It turned out he was just stating the fact even though his mouth was quite sharp.
When the bully heard those words, he gritted his teeth and glared at the noble, only to get a cold gaze from him. In the end, he needed to accept it.
While they were talking, Anna Stargaze was staring at the group with an amused expression.
"Oh? It seems that there's an interesting group there." Anna smiled. "Should I sneak into the forest? Anyway, let's meet the commander first."