"Sigh..."

I took a moment to catch my breath and looked around.

About a dozen people lay defeated on the ground.

Had I started off too leniently?

More attacked me than I had anticipated.

Some of them were quite skilled.

I tried to conserve my strength as much as possible.

It was early in the assessment, so I couldn't afford to use too much power.

As a result, small wounds appeared on my arms and legs.

That was the cost of minimizing mana use.

'I'm not sure if this is an advantage...'

'

These injuries wouldn't hinder my fighting, though.

There was no problem moving my arms or legs, and I wasn't bleeding much.

The real issue was something else.

I had spent too much time dealing with them.

Although I had earned a decent score, the sun was beginning to set.

Without a proper team and staying up all night in this situation, my mana, physical, and mental strength would surely not recover, a definite problem for tomorrow.

To avoid impairing my ability in tomorrow's battle, I needed to quickly establish a base.

'The problem is where to find such a place...'

Without further delay, I started moving.

'My clothes are all dirty now.'

Yuni frowned and dusted off her clothes.

They were grimy from extensive use of magic.

"Ouch!"

Pain struck while she was dusting, causing her to yelp.

She hadn't noticed during the fight, but there was a wound on her left forearm.

It wasn't bleeding profusely, so she left it as it was for now.

'More than that, it's so uncomfortable.'

Sweat had soaked her back from the intense movement.

After some thought, Yuni reached a decision.

'Maybe I should look for a stream?'

Having earned a substantial score, she shifted her focus to survival.

She needed to find food and water.

The best places for that were valleys or streams.

As a user of lightning magic, Yuni could easily secure food with a single spell at a stream.

Besides, she could also take the chance to wash up, making the stream an ideal destination.

Yuni slowly started walking.

'If things keep going like this, it'll be pretty good.'

But she couldn't let her guard down.

The nature of this assessment allowed for comebacks in the latter half.

If one aimed for the top spot and accumulated enough points, even a large gap could be overturned.

Or, the scores of those in lower ranks could combine to surpass the first place.

Given the mountain's vast size and the risks involved in fighting, people would likely avoid each other, but she couldn't completely rule out encounters.

'I need a big enough lead so that even if the lower ranks all start grouping, it won't matter.'

This was why Yuni had said she wouldn't join any groups.

Being in a group would limit the increase in points.

And with Rudy's group having strong members, it was disadvantageous for Yuni to be in a group, especially when capturing magical beasts, as points were awarded based on contribution.

While she pondered this, she gradually heard the sound of running water.

She had already checked the map of the mountain, so finding key locations like a valley wasn't difficult.

Pushing through the bushes towards the valley, she noticed something.

"Hmm?"

There was a figure by the stream.

A woman was bent over, drinking water.

'An enemy?'

There was no one else around.

That meant she was alone.

She didn't seem alert, probably not having noticed Yuni yet.

Yuni began to channel her mana.

"Ah..."

Just then, the woman finished drinking and straightened up.

Yuni stopped channeling her mana and spoke out.

"...Emily?"

"Huh?"

It was Emily, Kuhn's girlfriend.

Startled by the sudden noise, Emily looked in Yuni's direction.

"It's Yuni!"

Emily got up excitedly, a smile on her face.

Yuni lowered her hand, which was ready to cast a spell, and opened her mouth to speak.

"Drinking water so carelessly, what if someone attacked you?"

"Ah... I was just really thirsty and drank in a hurry."

Emily smiled awkwardly.

They had been together in Gracie's lab, but they weren't particularly close.

Yuni, by nature, didn't approach people she wasn't interested in.

Emily was aware of this.

Yet, Yuni's words seemed almost concerned, which puzzled Emily a bit.

Yuni emerged from the bushes.

"Oh? Yuni, did you come from a fight?"

Emily's eyes widened upon seeing Yuni's disheveled clothes.

"Yeah, ran into a pack of rabbits."

Emily hurried over to Yuni.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

She began inspecting Yuni's body for injuries.

"Ah."

Emily suddenly realized her actions might be too forward.

Normally, she took care of her friends, and in this unfamiliar environment, seeing Yuni brought relief, making her to act as she usually did with her friends.

"Sorry, sorry."

Emily stopped and stepped back.

"Why are you apologizing?"

Yuni tilted her head, puzzled by Emily's behavior.

"Well, it's just that..."

Emily gestured awkwardly with her hands.

She didn't want to seem too friendly suddenly, fearing it might be perceived as an act for the assessment.

Unaware of Emily's thoughts, Yuni raised her arm, revealing a blood-stained sleeve on her forearm.

"I got hurt here."

"Oh...?"

"You know healing magic, right?"

Emily was surprised that Yuni, who had barely remembered her name and face after a week in the lab, knew she could use healing magic.

"Okay, got it."

Emily approached Yuni cautiously and examined the wound.

It wasn't too severe, but if left untreated, it could scar.

"Just a moment..."

Emily opened her bag, strapped around her waist.

"I can't heal it completely, but I'll make sure it doesn't get worse."

She took out antiseptic and a white cloth.

Then, she led Yuni to the stream.

"Let's wash it with water first."

To remove any dirt or debris, they rinsed the wound with water before Emily sprinkled some antiseptic on the cloth.

"This might sting a bit."

"Ow...!"

As Emily applied the cloth to the wound, Yuni grimaced.

After cleaning the wound, Emily began to channel her mana.

Mana gathered in her hands and she placed them over Yuni's injury.

Yuni relaxed her face, feeling the warmth of Emily's mana.

"Healing."

A greenish glow circled around Emily's hands.

The wound that hadn't properly clotted began to heal gradually.

While it didn't completely disappear, the throbbing pain subsided.

Yuni looked at her wound curiously and moved her arm around.

"It doesn't hurt?"

"Yeah, for now I've only managed to stop the bleeding and alleviate the pain. I'm still not skilled enough to completely heal it"

"How do you do it?"

"Huh?"

Yuni looked at her with curious eyes.

Emily, a bit flustered, slowly began to explain.

"Well... healing magic works through the control of mana... You can do it to..."

"Really?"

Yuni nodded in satisfaction.

"Thanks, really."

"Oh, no need to thank me! That's what friends are for."

Yuni, without much reaction, walked towards the stream and bent down to drink some water.

Emily watched her, somewhat baffled.

It was their first time being together like this, and it felt awkward yet unexpectedly kind compared to their usual interactions.

After drinking, Yuni took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her mouth.

"By the way, where's Kuhn?"

"Huh? Kuhn?"

"You're always with Kuhn, right?"

"Oh... I haven't met him yet today. I was planning to stay low and then quickly head towards the summit."

"The summit?"

Yuni put the handkerchief back into her pocket.

"Yeah. We planned to meet with Luna and Rie at the 'Big Boss Rock.' You know, that huge rock at the top."

"'Big Boss Rock?'"

"Yeah, that big rock up there at the peak is called 'Big Boss Rock.' That's where we decided to meet."

Yuni frowned as she looked at the rock Emily was pointing to.

It was the same rock she had used to orient herself when she arrived here.

"Such a name..."

Yuni commented and then stood up.

"Then let's stick together."

"Huh? You mean you'll come with me?"

Emily recalled what Luna had said.

Yuni had declined the invitation to join them, saying she preferred not to come.

"So you've changed your mind?"

"No, I'm not going to join. It's just that it's dangerous at night, so let's stick together."

Emily's eyes widened at Yuni's proposal.

"You mean you'll protect me?"

At Emily's words, Yuni wrinkled her nose.

"No, it's just more efficient if we're together."

Emily smiled at Yuni's response.

Being with someone like Yuni would be better than being alone.

Emily wasn't fast or particularly strong in combat, so it was a nice offer.

"Alright, then shall we look for a place to stay?"

Emily spoke with a voice full of cheer.

Yuni and Emily managed to find a shelter before sunset, settling in a small cave near the valley.

As the twilight set in, Yuni placed the fish she had caught on the ground.

"Here, I've brought some fish."

"Thanks, Yuni! I've also started a fire."

Emily had gathered fallen leaves from around and made a small campfire near the cave, which was quite compact.

Yuni looked at the fire, then around them, with a puzzled expression.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just that I've been hearing sounds of a fight since a while ago."

"Sounds of a fight?"

Indeed, there had been faint noises, but they seemed distant, so Emily hadn't paid much attention.

"It sounds like it's getting closer."

"Should we put out the fire?"

Crack

Suddenly, a loud crashing sound echoed nearby, like a tree breaking.

It was quite close.

Thud

"Aaah...!"

A scream followed.

"What's that?"

Yuni quickly gestured with her hand, signaling to stay still.

'What's happening?'

She glanced back at the fire.

"We should run."

Though leaving their shelter felt regrettable, it felt like the right decision.

"The fire...?"

"Leave it..."

Thud Thud

The sound of heavy footsteps approached rapidly, making a thunderous noise.

Then.

Bang

Two figures burst out from between the valley and the forest, one seemingly chasing the other with a sword.

"Ah..."

Bang!

The pursued figure slammed against the valley wall, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The other landed gracefully in the valley.

Yuni and Emily watched the scene in shock.

The identity of the person who hit the wall was obscured by dust, but the other's face was clear.

A man with black hair, wielding a sword, surrounded by a greenish glow.

Instantly, Yuni and Emily recognized him.

"Evan..."

The person standing boldly, having pushed the other away, was none other than the top student of the second year.

It was Evan.

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