CHAPTER 22: SURVIVAL CAMP(1)

The days went by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, two days had already passed.

I woke up early that morning and quickly made my way to the armory. The place was quiet at this hour, with only a few students and instructors picking up equipment. Most of them barely spared me a glance.

I looked around and spotted Dale behind the shelves and walked towards him. He handled all requests personally, making sure nothing went missing without proper documentation.

He looked up as I approached, barely lifting his head from the ledger he was scribbling in.

"Here to pick up the items you requested?"

"Yeah," I said, resting my arms on the counter.

Dale grunted and stood up, stretching his back before heading to the storage room. I heard the clatter of supplies being shifted, the sound of metal scraping against wood.

A few minutes later, he returned with a neatly stacked bundle of gear.

"Hunting spear, utility knives, flint-and-steel, rope. Everything you asked for." He set it down in front of me. "Sign here."

I grabbed the quill and scrawled my name on the ledger. Dale scanned it, then gave a short nod.

"Try not to die out there."

"No promises," I muttered, gathering the supplies.

Dale snorted. "Come back in one piece, at least. It’s a pain in the ass filling out death reports."

I gave a half-smirk and left the armory, stepping back into the crisp morning air.

One thing handled. Now onto the logistics office.

The logistics office was located in the administration wing—a place I usually avoided unless absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, this was one of those times.

As I stepped inside, the scent of ink and parchment filled the air. Stacks of documents cluttered the desks, and a handful of clerks moved about, sorting through requests. Most didn’t even glance at me.

I walked up to the front desk, where a woman with sharp eyes and a perpetual look of disinterest sat flipping through reports.

"Instructor name?" she asked without looking up.

"Lucian Drelmont."

She flipped through some documents before pulling one out and sliding it across the desk. "Sign here."

I took the quill and quickly signed where indicated, the she pulled out a small satchel under the desk.

I checked the contents in it and ensured that it was exactly what that asshole Halloran gave my class.

— Basic rations.

— Standard tents.

— Minimal medical kits.

— Two enchanted lanterns.

That was it.

I exhaled slowly, my fingers tightening around the satchel’s strap. Compared to what the other classes were getting, this was pathetic.

"Is there a problem?" the clerk asked, her tone flat.

I shook my head and forced a smile. "Just making sure everything’s accounted for."

She gave a noncommittal hum and returned to her paperwork.

Leaving the logistics office, I stepped back into the corridor and slowly walked towards the assembly hall.

Then I heard an announcement telling Evey first year students and their class instructor to gather at the East side hall near the grand library.

I adjusted the strap of the satchel and picked up my pace. No point in dragging my feet. The sooner we got this over with, the better.

By the time I reached the east-side hall, most of the first-year students had already gathered. Groups were forming, each class standing near their respective instructors. Some looked excited, others nervous. A few just looked annoyed, probably realizing they weren’t getting out of this anytime soon.

I spotted my class near the back, clustered together. Julien noticed me first, giving a lazy wave. Mira stood next to him, arms crossed, eyes scanning the crowd. Wallace and Garrick were talking about something, while Felix and Leo looked half-dead already.

As I approached, Julien smirked. "Professor Kindhearted, finally gracing us with your presence."

Mira snorted. "He was probably mourning our lack of supplies."

Felix asked, "Can we atleast see what we’re getting?"

I set the satchel down and loosened the straps, pulling it open. "Go ahead."

Felix peeked inside and immediately groaned. "This is it?"

Julien whistled. "Wow. Halloran really wants us dead."

Mira picked up one of the rations and turned it over in her hands. "I’ve seen prisoners eat better."

Garrick took out an enchanted lantern and gave it a shake. The faint glow flickered. "At least these work?"

Wallace rummaged through the medical kits and frowned. "Bare minimum. If someone gets seriously injured, we’re screwed."

Leo sighed. "So we’re dead already."

I leaned against a nearby pillar. "Not necessarily."

Julien grinned. "Ah, you mean ’acquiring’ extra supplies?"

Mira smirked. "Borrowing."

Felix groaned. "I hate this."

Before I could respond, a commanding voice cut through the noise.

"Instructors, students, attention!"

A tall man stepped onto the raised platform at the front of the hall. Instructor Matthias—broad-shouldered, strict, and blunt to a fault.

"The survival camp officially starts now," Matthias announced. "You have one hour to finalize your supplies and prepare. After that, you’ll be transported to your designated drop-off points. Your objective? Survive until retrieval."

Murmurs spread through the crowd, but Matthias didn’t care.

"There will be no rescue squads. No second chances. If you fail, you fail. If you die—" He shrugged. "You die."

Felix let out a strangled noise. Mira rolled her eyes.

Matthias gestured to a large board behind him. "Your class assignments and drop-off points are listed here. Find yours and prepare accordingly."

Students rushed forward. I waited for the initial chaos to die down before moving.

Class C – Drop-Off Point: Black Stone Mountain, Eastern Ridge.

As expected, the worst possible location.

Julien read it over my shoulder. "That’s rough."

Mira smirked. "For everyone else."

Felix groaned. "We’re going to die."

I patted his shoulder. "Not if we ’borrow’ a few things first."

Leo sighed. "I hate this school."

I grinned. "Welcome to Noctis Ardentis."

The hour passed quickly.

By the time the final warning bell rang, the students had mostly settled into two groups—those triple-checking their supplies and those resigned to their fate.

My class? We were somewhere in between.

Julien adjusted his gear. "Last chance to run away."

Mira smirked. "You’d just chase me down."

Felix sighed. "I still don’t understand why we’re acting like this is normal."

Garrick rolled his shoulders. "Because complaining won’t change anything."

Leo muttered, "That’s literally all we do."

Wallace finished tying his bag shut. "Save the complaints for when we’re not about to be dropped into a death trap."

I checked our supplies one last time. It wasn’t much, but with the ’extras’ we’d acquired, we had a fighting chance.

Matthias stepped onto the platform again. "Time’s up. Final check-in begins now."

Instructors moved through the crowd, verifying gear and making sure no one tried to back out last minute. The air was tense, but most students held their ground.

A few backed away. Cowards or the smart ones—it was hard to say.

When our turn came, the assistant instructor barely glanced at us before marking something on his clipboard.

"No injuries, no missing students. You’re clear."

I nodded.

Matthias stepped forward again. "Positions."

We spread out across the teleportation platform, standing in designated spots. The runes beneath our feet glowed, thrumming with power.

Felix clenched his fists. "I hate this part."

Julien grinned. "Then close your eyes."

Leo sighed. "That doesn’t help."

Mira chuckled. "It’s funny, though."

Matthias raised his hand. "Begin transport."

The sigils flared.

Then the ground vanished.

Weightlessness hit for a brief second before reality snapped back into place—

—And then we were falling.

Wind howled past. Branches and jagged rocks rushed up to meet us.

I twisted mid-air, orienting myself. "Brace!"

Julien cursed. Mira spun, angling for a controlled landing. Garrick braced. Felix screamed.

A heartbeat later, impact.

I hit the ground in a roll, absorbing the shock. The dirt was loose, the slope steep. My boots skidded as I fought for balance.

Julien landed in a crouch, barely rattled. Mira hit the ground running, already adjusting. Garrick took the impact head-on, barely flinching.

Felix hit a tree.

Leo groaned from somewhere nearby. "I hate this."

Wallace, to his credit, landed without breaking anything.

I stood, scanning our surroundings. Dense forest. Sharp cliffs to the north. A narrow path winding down the ridge.

Black Stone Mountain.

We’d made it.

Now we just had to survive.