Nightfall came too fast.
Aerith had barely finished snapping the neck of the Tailed Crow before the sky darkened unnaturally. The sun had been brutal and scorching just moments ago, yet the light faded in a breath, replaced by a deep blue gloom. Stars scattered across the heavens like shards of broken ice. A pale moon hung low, watching silently.
Aerith dragged the heavy corpse along the cracked ground. The crow like beast was larger than any normal bird, its wings spread wide even in death. Its long tail, covered with tough barbed feathers, trailed behind like a severed whip. The weight was inconvenient, but Aerith refused to abandon his prize.
Meat meant strength. Strength meant survival.
The wind here carried a low whistle, echoing faintly between jagged stones. He kept his eyes sharp, scanning every shadow. The ground beneath his boots was uneven and littered with sharp rocks that threatened to twist his ankle if he were careless.
He muttered to himself.
First shelter. Then fire. Then food.
He found a narrow crevice near a massive cliff wall. It was barely wide enough for him to squeeze through, but inside, a natural chamber opened just enough to provide cover from wind and hidden eyes. A dry cave. Good.
Aerith dragged the crow beast inside and leaned it against the wall. The darkness settled deeper around him, the temperature dropping. Breath turned visible. The rocky plain had transformed into a nighttime desert.
He scanned the entrance once. Silent. No footprints except his own. He relaxed his shoulders slightly.
He knelt beside the corpse and inspected it. The beast's beak was thick and could easily pierce skulls. Its talons hooked sharply, still stained with his blood. It had been a tough kill, surprising in speed and ferocity.
Too weak against me, though.
He smirked, but the expression faded as a prickling sensation crawled up his spine. He paused, slowly turning his head toward the narrow entrance. He listened.
Nothing. No wind. No movement.
Yet a weight pressed upon the air. A feeling he knew all too well.
Predators like the dark.
He remained still for a long time until the unease eased. Then his hands moved with seasoned efficiency. He broke the long, barbed feathers from the tail. Weapons. Makeshift spears. They would serve well in close combat.
The smell of fresh blood drifted outward. He knew it would attract attention. Maybe already had.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Survival trials.... Hmph! This place intends to starve us, freeze us, and tear us apart with beasts. Cowards hiding behind illusions.
He carved a chunk of flesh from the beast. Raw, but food. He ripped a strip with his teeth, chewing without flinching. The metallic taste flooded his mouth.
As he ate, he glanced out again.
The moonlight outside illuminated the sharp silhouettes of the cliffs. Strange shapes slithered across distant rocks and then disappeared. The world here felt wrong. The night too silent. The shadows too deep.
Aerith grabbed a smooth rock and struck it against another. Sparks danced weakly. The sound echoed slightly more than he expected. He frowned. Sound bounced strangely here.
He continued striking. More sparks. A faint glow flickered as the dry grass he gathered caught fire. A small flame finally lit the cave, pushing back the darkness.
Warmth spread slowly.
He leaned back against the wall, chewing thoughtfully.
So far, one enemy down. Shelter acquired. Fire made. Not bad.
He picked up a barbed feather and twirled it between his fingers.
"Bahamut. That blind beast. You better not be slacking while everyone else bleeds for advancement."
Although he spoke mockingly, something sharper hid beneath his tone. A recognition. A challenge only the strong could understand.
He finished his meat strip and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His storm-grey eyes remained alert, shining like steel reflecting the moonlight.
No sleep tonight. He could not risk it. Not yet.
But if something dared enter this cave…
His hand wrapped tightly around the sharpened feather.
He would butcher it, too.
Outside, something scraped against the stone.
Aerith smiled slowly.
Let the night come. Let the beasts hunt. He would survive this place and rise above them all. That was his belief, carved into bone.
And on this deadly plain, belief mattered almost as much as strength.
...
Far away from the vigilant Aerith was a rather worry-stricken Sel. He was currently crouching on a crystal branch on one of the trees, his eyes roaming sharply as he scanned the grounds for the beast that had pushed him to climb these trees.
His luck had been pretty fucked up, as he had encountered a Tier 1 Circle of Initiation beast, and it was no other beast than a Poison Ivy, one of the most dangerous beasts to encounter across all tiers of the power system of the world.
Luckily for him, it was still a Tier 1, so it lacked certain skills and abilities that could be used to track an elf like him.
In his hands was a beautiful green vine-like bow with a silver arrow locked in it and stretched to the limit. His eyes glowed slightly with a pale-blue light as he tapped into his Circle of Mind power. Of all the participants, he was the strongest, standing at Circle of Mind, and even extremely close to Circle of Initiation.
It wouldn't be surprising if he could kill a Circle of Initiation beast. After all, Bahamut had done it. But the poison ivy was a different beast overall. They were sometimes referred to as rule breakers or anomalies.
Why?
Right from the start, poison ivies are humanoid, unlike almost all beasts, which have to reach Tier 4 or higher to achieve humanoid appearances. That wasn't all. They could slightly use their natural elements, plant or poison, right from birth.
Encountering a poison ivy unprepared was like jumping into a volcano. Only a madman would do that, and Sel wasn't a madman.
Thirty minutes passed just like that, and there was still no sign of the beast. Sel slowly stood up on top of the branch, which appeared to be very strong and sturdy. The arrow and bow in his hands turned to glittering substances and disappeared, replaced with a small flute.
He proceeded to blow it, releasing a silent whisper into his surroundings.
"It went away... Let's find a place to hide first..." Sel whispered to himself as he jumped from the branch onto another and disappeared into the crystal forest.
The Trial of Survival was getting very interesting...