CHAPTER 43: SENIOR VON GRANNA

Gabby thought to himself:

"It seems I arrived just in time.

I’m wearing a long-sleeved black linen shirt, a hooded cloak, black breeches, and tall boots. A sword hangs at my waist, and I carry twin daggers. I also have a small pouch with a few changes of clothes and a knapsack on my back filled with food, hopefully enough to last a few days and I will figure out the rest of the days on how to survive.

We are the first group to take part in this survival expedition, so there’s no clear information about the Restrictions. The map we were given doesn’t have a compass. Only markings of lakes, a massive mansion, what looks like a desert, and other strange symbols.

The senior participants treat this expedition like a fashion show. Some wear flashy golden mantles and custom-made robes, while others are clad in armor and wield expensive swords and staffs. None of them carry heavy bags, so I’m guessing there’s an Ascended Hero among them who can use storage magic. Just watching them makes me feel poor."

One of the tall, handsome seniors wearing a yellow robe approached Gabby with a warm smile.

"Welcome to the team," he said. "I’m Von Granna, the leader of this expedition. I saw your chess match with Professor Odel. It was impressive that you managed to draw against him."

Gabby responded with a flat expression, "Thank you."

Von nodded, then asked, "What’s your specialty, Gabby? We’re assigning roles to everyone."

Gabby answered without hesitation, "I have an aura, and I’m currently learning swordsmanship."

A bald senior clad in black armor clicked his tongue and muttered, "An idiot with no survival instinct."

Gabby thought to himself, "He had assisted my aura pool, correctly."

Von clapped his hands with a cheerful smile. "That’s enough, Robin. He’s a swordsman."

Then he turned to the group and added, "Everyone, get ready. We’re heading to the portal."

The portal looks like a tall, glowing oval floating in the air. Its edges shine with soft light, like moonlight on water. Inside the frame, the surface ripples gently, like a pool of liquid glass. Colors swirl slowly blue, purple, and silver, making it look like a moving painting.

And all of them entered at once.

There was no sensation, no sound, no light. Until suddenly, they were falling from an insane height.

It was dawn, and Gabby immediately felt his Restriction.

"I don’t usually get sick because of my aura circulation and strong body," he thought, hugging his cloak tightly. "But now I feel cold. A deep, shivering cold running through me. This is a terrible Restriction."

Fall made it worse, but there was nothing he could do.

Strangely, no one screamed. Despite the height, everyone remained calm. That meant the seniors were trained for this.

When they were about twenty feet from the ground, one of the girls raised her hand and said,

"Third Core Magic: Sphere of Gravity."

A small violet sphere appeared beneath them, glowing softly.

Then, another girl pointed her staff at the sphere and shouted,

"Amplify!"

The magic circle expanded from its original size, growing wide enough to cover everyone.

Gabby watched while thinking, "A staff amplified by a concentrated runestone... That must’ve cost a fortune."

They began to float like bubbles, gently descending. The landing was smooth and silent, completely unaffected by gravity. The sphere had taken control of the gravity around them.

Gabby thought to himself, "I have no idea what their abilities are."

They landed on a thick bed of moss, surrounded by towering green grass—each blade as tall as a person.

One of the seniors began to move gracefully, almost like he was dancing. He twirled lightly through the tall grass, arms open as if embracing the wind.

"There we are," he said with a cheerful smile. "Looks like this survival camp is easier than I thought—with such a pleasant environment and beautiful trees."

One of the seniors spoke up, voice low and tense, "Everyone, be careful. We’re being watched."

"Argghhh!"

Suddenly, a sharp snap echoed through the group, followed by a scream. Blood sprayed into the air, splattering across Gabby’s cloak.

In front of them was a monster that looked like a panther, but far more terrifying. Its body was hairless, unnaturally lean and elongated, with long, sharp ears and massive, jagged teeth. Its eyes were pure white, no pupils, no emotion. One of its backward-curved claws had just torn through a senior’s arm like paper.

Two long, whip-like tails writhed behind it, each ending in a gleaming, blade-like tip.

In a blur of motion, it shot straight into the crowd. No one could react. Out of a hundred seniors, it had already struck before anyone moved.

It let out a roar—deep, guttural, and terrifying.

It all happened in a split second.

Gabby thought to himself, "It came from that grass and lunged at him the dancing senior with terrifying speed. Killing my senior before anyone could even react."

One of the mages was quick to react as she uttered, "Third class spell: Crimson Lance"

FWOOOSH!

A concentrated spear of molten fire—shaped like a glowing crimson lance—lunged through the air with terrifying speed. It streaked toward the monster just as it was tearing into the flesh of a fallen senior.

The magic was focused, precise, and blindingly fast. The air around it shimmered from the heat.

A huge cloud of smoke rose from the fire. When it finally cleared, their senior’s body was torn apart by the magic, but the monster barely moved. It didn’t hurt at all.

Gabby thought to himself, "That was a third-class spell cast by a sixth-core mage. No wonder it was so fast and powerful. But it still couldn’t harm that beast."

The mage who cast the spell, Amber McMahon, muttered, "We’re doomed."

The seniors, who were once calm and confident, were now filled with fear.

Their survival instincts kicked in.

They ran.

Then, more monsters of the same kind appeared.

"The survival exam started with bloodshed and fear."