“Mary, did you lead us the wrong way? Where’s that injured Bronze monster you mentioned?”
Hank questioned.
Under Mary’s guidance, Team 043 had advanced for quite a while—far beyond “nearby.”
“No mistake, Hank,” Mary explained. “I’ve been using mana detection the whole time; the path is correct.”
“It’s getting foggy.” Via reminded.
“Hm? Why fog in the Evergreen Mountains?”
Hank scanned the area.
This zone was damp, dense with vegetation; thin mist covered the ground, the high sun obscured, visibility sharply reduced.
He recalled the handbook: no such area in the Evergreen Mountains.
Yet Mary was indeed detecting; even if stupid, she wouldn’t lose the way.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Something darted through the plants.
“A monster!?”
Hank entered combat stance, swiftly unhooking his shield and raising it.
Clang!
Next moment, a massive figure charged, slamming the shield; Hank’s bones creaked.
Team 043 saw clearly: a large lizard with green horns atop its head—a Silver-level monster, the Great Horn Lizard, aggressive, attacking all intruders in its territory.
“A Great Horn Lizard? That’s Silver-level!”
Hank’s face changed.
He and Mary were Bronze; facing Silver was extremely dangerous.
“What are you waiting for—attack!”
“O-Okay…!”
Via chanted quickly, releasing Fireball.
A fist-sized fireball flew, smacking the lizard’s scales—zero effect.
“Useless!”
Hank exerted everything, shield resisting the lizard’s relentless impacts.
“Mary, support me! If I fall, you’re next!”
“Got it, Hank. Hold on a bit.”
Mary nodded, stepping toward Hank.
Via couldn’t help; in prior fights, her fireballs were negligible—she could only watch Mary and Hank coordinate.
She wisely retreated, not wanting to hinder teammates.
But then she spotted the anomaly.
Mary, a mage, had dropped her staff; her smile lost its usual gentleness, turning sinister.
Approaching Hank, she swiftly brushed her thigh; a thin blade appeared at her fingertips, flung forward.
“Mary, what are you doing!”
Hank’s shield warrior instincts screamed danger behind; he shifted instinctively.
Too close to fully dodge—his arm was slashed, numbed, shield clattering to the ground.
The lizard raised its head, smashing down with its great horn.
“Ah!!!”
Unshielded, Hank couldn’t resist; his left leg was mangled bloody.
Pain nearly knocked him out, but his robust constitution held; gritting teeth, he recalled the shield with his good arm, blocking follow-ups, roaring furiously.
“Mary, are you insane? Do you know what you’re doing!”
“Nothing much. Just planning to kill you.”
Mary unbound her braids; she was transformed, murderous—nothing like before.
“Mary attacking a teammate?”
Via’s heart contracted; her earlier unease turned to terror.
Mary was no longer the considerate roommate.
Hank couldn’t fathom the betrayal.
Thinking fast, he decided on the teleport crystal to escape.
Per handbook, candidates could activate special crystals anytime to withdraw—equivalent to forfeiting scores.
But no score beat dying.
“Shield Impact!”
Survival instinct drove him; he bellowed, shield glowing intensely, a shockwave repelling the lizard, briefly stunning it.
He dropped the shield, pulled the crystal from his chest.
“Teleport!!”
Hank crushed it, planning to report Mary upon return, send her to prison.
Seconds passed—no teleport.
His pupils trembled; his heart nearly stopped.
“Useless, Hank. Teleport crystals only work in designated Evergreen zones. We’re outside assessment range,” Mary sneered. “Crushing it won’t take you to safety.”
“Ah!”
Hank shuddered.
He understood: Mary had deliberately led Team 043 beyond the mountains, outside crystal-effective zones.
“Soon, a low-probability assessment death—students overconfident, killed by monsters,” Mary said coldly. “Blame your bad luck. For what’s next, I can’t have witnesses.”
“Mary!!!”
Hank roared; before finishing, the recovered lizard raised its horn, shattering his body.
In his final moment, he glared at Mary, utterly unwilling.
Death’s blood splattered her cold face.
The lizard excitedly tore into the intruder, executing.
“Annoying pest gone. Now, slowly deal with—”
Mary turned.
She spotted Via’s back fleeing.
The little pink-hair had escaped during their talk.
“Sniff sniff!”
Instinct drove Via from dangerous Mary.
She hadn’t gone far when her ankle chilled; balance lost, she fell onto damp grass.
Crimson blood seeped from the wound, staining white stockings.
She hugged her leg; a dagger clattered beside her.
Mary’s throw.
“Via, you’re the main course. How dare you escape without my permission?”
Mary approached, bent, picked up the dagger.
She extended her tongue, licking the blood on the blade, eyes gleaming with sick light.
“So this is the taste of defiling Lady Sylvia’s bloodline~”