Elsewhere, Nancy walked silently through the dim forest, her Three-Tailed Fox padding softly beside her.
Suddenly, the Fox halted. Its small nose twitched rapidly in the air.
Nancy also stopped. "What's wrong?"
The Fox didn't respond immediately. It continued sniffing intently for a while, then padded over and gently tugged on the hem of her trousers with one paw, pointing into the forest with the other.
Nancy frowned. That behavior was rare. If it were a regular monster, the Three-Tailed Fox wouldn't act this way.
They had been in the mountains for a while now. With the Fox's help, Nancy had already taken down several centipede-type monsters.
She crouched and scratched behind the Fox's ear. "An elite monster over there?"
The Fox shook its head, then frantically gestured again.
Nancy blinked in surprise. If not a monster, then…
As she considered the possibilities, her face grew serious.
"Someone's injured?"
The Fox nodded vigorously.
Nancy stood at once. "Take the lead."
As they moved through the underbrush, her mind raced.
From what she knew—thanks to her father, a Hall-level cardmaster—these Association-controlled spaces were always thoroughly monitored.
With the third-year students doing field training here, those two cardmasters at the entrance were surely watching.
So if someone was injured, yet no one had shown up to help…
Something was wrong.
She didn't have time to dwell on it, though. They had arrived.
A tree thick enough to require two people to embrace it had been cleanly severed by something sharp, its crown crashing to the forest floor.
And lying near it, unconscious and deathly pale, was Liam, the same classmate Russell had fought during the placement exams.
Nancy rushed to his side, calling softly, "Liam… Liam…"
No response.
She leaned closer and checked for breath.
"…Still alive," she murmured, feeling the faint tickle of air on her fingers. Relief washed over her.
But not knowing the extent of his injuries, she dared not move him.
Straightening up, Nancy's expression turned grim.
"What the hell happened here…"
Liam was one of the strongest in their class, just behind Russell, Darren, and herself. No way a few centipedes could do this to him.
And where were the Association's monitors?
"If only Russell were here…" she muttered.
With Pidgeot, he could leave Yoriichi behind and fly off to get help.
But Nancy had no mount-type card. If she left the Fox to guard Liam and went alone, she'd be vulnerable.
Just then, frantic footsteps echoed through the trees.
"Who's there?" she barked, tensing.
The Three-Tailed Fox crouched low, ready to strike.
A battered, panicked figure stumbled out of the underbrush.
"Darren…" Nancy's guard dropped slightly, but she quickly noticed his tattered clothes and trembling posture. "What happened to you?"
Darren gasped for breath between words. "Run… there's… something… out there!"
Nancy frowned. "If we run, what about Liam?"
Liam? Like hell I care about him!
Darren raged internally but forced out, "That monster… even my Green Ghoul was nothing to it. If you stay, you'll die. I'm not dying with you."
He wasn't being noble. His card was on cooldown, and without it, he wouldn't survive long out here alone.
But Nancy didn't know his thoughts. She simply shook her head.
"I'm not leaving. I'm staying here with Liam until help arrives."
Raised under the strict guidance of her Hall-rank cardmaster father, Nancy wasn't someone who would abandon her classmates.
Darren gritted his teeth. "You're throwing your life away for a useless cripple?"
Nancy didn't answer. She just said, "If you want to leave, go alone."
You stupid woman! If I could leave alone, I wouldn't be begging you!
Before Darren could reply, a shrill, guttural roar tore through the trees behind him.
His legs buckled. He collapsed to his knees—then scrambled toward Nancy in desperation.
Nancy ignored his pathetic state. Her focus was locked on the shadows ahead.
A monstrous figure emerged with heavy, raspy breathing.
It was drenched in crimson flesh, arms dripping with blood, and each hand ended in gleaming, deadly claws.
The Fox immediately launched an illusion attack.
No effect.
Nancy's expression darkened. Once again, they had encountered something immune to the Fox's basic-level illusions.
This was the third time. The weakness in her card was becoming clearer—and deadlier. If she survived, she would definitely have to fix it.
But the monster didn't wait.
With a shriek, it charged the Fox, claws slashing for its head.
The Fox leapt into the air, dodging the first strike.
But that jump left it wide open.
With a roar, the monster dragged its right claw through the dirt—carving three deep gouges—and struck upward.
The Fox… shattered.
Dead in a single exchange.
To be fair, Nancy was just unlucky. Three encounters in a row with illusion-immune enemies wasn't normal. The Fox wasn't inherently weak.
But reality didn't care about fairness.
As Nancy reeled in shock, something struck her hard from behind.
She staggered forward—toward the monster.
She turned.
Darren.
His face was twisted with desperation and madness.
"I can't die. I won't die. I'm going to be a Hall-level cardmaster."
"Yes… I'll surpass Russell… I have to!"
"Nancy… I'll remember you. When I become a Hall cardmaster, I'll avenge you!"
With that, he turned and fled.
Nancy watched him, stunned, then closed her eyes in despair.
She waited for the end.
Then, from the sky, came a calm voice:
"How disgusting, Darren."