Chapter 10

The giant crowns of countless towering trees obscured the sky, and the dense leaves begrudgingly let through only a few rays of sunlight through the cracks, casting shadows on the ground through the gaps between the trees. Although many teams entered the Gran Forest, when they truly faced this massive entity, they seemed like grains of sand scattered into the sea, unable to even cause a ripple before sinking completely into the silent sea of trees.

The scorching sun slowly descended from its highest point, finally sinking below the horizon.

The evening glow was a patchwork of burning clouds, the last passion flowing from the sun.

"Let's call it a day here," Fina said, turning her gaze to the young man with black hair, "Midi, what do you think?"

"Let's push on for another half hour. Judging by the direction of this stream, we should be approaching the watershed soon. There will be a sheltered spot there, close to water, perfect for camping."

"Alright, let's do it your way," the red-haired girl nodded readily.

The trial had already lasted three days, and every decision Midi made along the way had proven to be correct, whether it was choosing the path, selecting the campsite, ensuring safety, managing water and food, or facilitating escape. There was no flaw to be found, and what was even more impressive was the speed of their progress.

The other three were certainly not novices; they had done thorough preparations beforehand. However, compared to Midi's years of adventurer experience after his rebirth, they could only admire him.

Spending a week in the wilderness without support was quite stressful, both mentally and physically. After all, even the strongest students of the magic academy were not seasoned adventurers. They couldn't fall asleep easily, nor could they wake up naturally when monsters approached. The long journey, poor food, rudimentary resting conditions, and unknown dangers created invisible pressures that were even more draining than the battles themselves.

But following Midi's advice, the team could still maintain sufficient energy even after clearing out monster groups. As Fina put it, "Even if 30-level enemies came, I'd still kill them."

Each night, he would personally choose the best location for camping, ensure the quality of sleep, and take on the night watch duty.

After the first night, the Storm Queen formally entrusted the role of guide to Midi.

This was both recognition and trust, exactly what Midi needed most.

Thus, the rest of the trial became much easier. The team members didn't even need to look at the map; they just had to follow Midi to reach their destination quickly.

In just three days, they had passed through eight ruins—various levels of goblin, minotaur, and cat demon settlements, as well as monster leaders who had undergone strong mutations and could cast different spells. All of them fell without a doubt under the team's swords and magic.

In terms of combat, the strongest was undoubtedly the Storm Queen.

Even without mentioning Midi's hidden Ghost Hand, using it might not have added much. Fina's title of "Queen of Magic Bullets" was not just for show. The basic "Magic Missile" spell, when combined with her innate power, was like a storm that could pierce through anything.

Most of the time, as melee fighters, Midi and Lillian hardly needed to act. Gunner Sigmund only needed to provide cover, and Fina's firepower alone could easily clear out entire groups of monsters without breaking a sweat.

The most difficult trial of the academy felt like a picnic, and from their current performance, they were likely far ahead of other teams, including Fenrir's.

However, Midi was not at ease.

Although this team could now dominate the Gran Forest, the problem was the assassins who were following them like shadows.

While he knew the magic academy wouldn't neglect the safety of the Hamilton family's precious daughter, the monitors assigned to watch over them were at most around level 25. In his memory, when the Seth family made their move, they sent three level 28 assassins!

These assassins silently killed the college protectors who were secretly following them, then used the terrain to split the team. One of them held Sigmund and Lillian at bay, while the other two focused on assassinating the target—Fina.

However, Fina displayed astonishing potential at the time. Although only level 21, her abilities were already at the level of 27 to 28, and with her exceptional magic skills, she instantly killed one of the assassins, turning the situation into a one-on-one battle.

If he hadn't been so foolish back then, only level 16 and unwilling to follow orders, just thinking about running, Fina would never have been injured by the other assassin.

This time, Midi had reached level 19 and obtained the Ghost Hand, making him a powerful trump card.

The problem was that reality had changed.

If it was just a guess at the start of the trial, after two nights of night watch, checking the traps he had set, and exploring for clues, combined with the instincts of a seasoned adventurer, Midi was certain that the assassins were of a higher level than in his previous life.

This added to his mental pressure.

Over the past three days, he had been meticulously reducing their consumption, keeping the team in peak condition, and gradually building up an advantage. But how much would this advantage really help?

Midi kept thinking and calculating.

"Let me take the night watch tonight. You've been on duty for two consecutive nights," Sigmund suggested after a simple dinner.

"No need. I didn't expend much energy during the day, so I might as well use it for the night watch," Midi politely declined.

"There's no need to persuade him, Sigmund. This guy is just stubborn, and he seems eager to show off in front of Miss Fina. Worrying about him is pointless," Lillian said sarcastically, but her eyes revealed a glint of challenge rather than malice.

As the future Falcon Corps' most famous fighter, Lillian's suspicious nature was something Midi had experienced in his previous life, so he didn't mind. Besides, he knew she didn't mean any harm; she was just a bit sharp-tongued. If they encountered real enemies, Lillian wouldn't show aggression but would remain silent and then suddenly burst out, delivering a fatal blow.

"Miss Fina, can you talk to Midi?" Sigmund turned to the team leader for help, ignoring Lillian's words. "After all, we are a team."

But the red-haired girl smiled faintly and shook her head, "Sigmund, you should trust that everyone in this team can take care of themselves."

Thus, on the third night of the trial, Midi was on night watch again.

When his teammates were resting in the camp, Midi hid in the shadow of a rock, carefully concealing his presence and pretending to sleep.

This wasn't laziness but a common practice among adventurers. At night, humans with poor night vision see very little, and closing their eyes can make their other senses more acute. With various traps set up around the camp, any disturbance would immediately wake Midi, and he would instantly enter combat mode.

After a few hours, something did approach, carrying a familiar and friendly aura.

"Fina?" Midi opened his eyes and saw the red-haired girl quietly approaching his position.

"I thought you were asleep," Fina stuck out her tongue, showing a rare moment of cuteness, only letting her guard down when she was alone with Midi. "Didn't expect you to be awake."

"Human vision is extremely limited at night. Closing my eyes helps conserve energy and makes my hearing, sense of smell, and intuition more acute," Midi explained.

However, knowing the Storm Queen, he was sure she wasn't there to scold him. If she thought he was slacking off, she would have pointed it out on the first night.

"What are you worried about? If it's just a trial, there's no need to go to such lengths." As expected, Fina got straight to the point. Despite his good concealment, he couldn't hide his concerns from the red-haired girl, who was outwardly cool but inwardly very perceptive.

"Someone is following us," Midi thought for a moment and revealed his concerns.

He had planned to wait until he had a strategy before mentioning it, but since the Storm Queen asked, he decided to be honest.

"Are you talking about the monitors sent by the college?" Fina shrugged. "One level 25, one level 30, one visible, one hidden, those two?"

"No, there are others. At least level 30, unknown number, but they are definitely after our team." Midi shook his head, a cold glint in his eyes. "They are typical assassins, maintaining surveillance at night to wear us down, and striking during the day when visibility is better, ensuring no one escapes. The question is when they will make their move."

"I see, that explains why I always felt a hostile gaze whenever I cleared the ruins," Fina flicked her hair, frowning in annoyance. "Can you pinpoint their location? I'd rather take the initiative than wait passively."

Midi shook his head with a bitter smile. The Storm Queen was as impulsive as ever, but at his current level, even as a Ghost Swordman, finding professional assassins was too difficult.

However, a sudden idea flashed through his mind.

"Pinpointing the assassins is hard, but there is a way we might be able to take the initiative," Midi said, his eyes gleaming.