‘Has it started?’

I found myself isolated in a section of the forest, with no other people around. Thankfully, due to my prior preparation, I didn't fall or stumble as I teleported. I quickly drew the Blackwood dagger I had hidden under my skirt and held it in my right hand.

‘Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I’m near the river…’

Although this was a random teleportation spell, the locations for the teleportation were actually pre-designated by the professor of the Natural Studies course. After all, dropping students right in the middle of a Hobgoblin nest under the guise of a survival lesson would violate basic educational ethics.

The initial teleportation locations wouldn’t be directly dangerous, but neither would they be entirely safe—just risky enough to prevent students from idling.

The idea was to teleport each student randomly to one of the 100 pre-selected spots, all of which met those conditions.

‘If I’m ever in real danger or on the verge of something bad happening, the professor will probably come to rescue me.’

The fact that the professor could teleport a hundred students at once meant that he could also move to any of these locations himself, essentially allowing him to roam the forest as if it were his own backyard.

Still, that didn’t mean I could let my guard down. If, by some stroke of bad luck, another student and I encountered danger at the same time, the professor would have to choose whom to save.

Of course, I had no intention of relaxing. The experience points I would gain by completing this course properly made it worth avoiding a forced rescue and not finishing the class.

‘I need to find Ethan as quickly as possible.’

The real challenge was whether I could find Ethan in this vast forest. But we had prepared a signal for just this scenario.

The most crucial element for survival in the forest is securing a campsite and a water source. In other words, setting up camp near a river would greatly improve our chances of surviving.

Two main rivers flow through the Hobgoblin Forest: a large, wide river on the east side and a slightly narrower river to the west.

While the wide river might seem advantageous for water supply, it also carries higher risks of flooding and encounters with dangerous river-dwelling monsters.

So, Ethan and I had agreed to meet near the narrower river in the west. It was more than sufficient to supply water for two people.

‘If I follow the sun, I should be able to get my bearings.’

It was about two o’clock in the afternoon, and the sun, like in my world, rose in the east and set in the west. So, the direction where the sun was setting was west.

With that in mind, I began walking in the direction of the setting sun.

As I moved, I secretly harbored the wish that during these five nights and six days of camping in the forest, I’d be able to spend a little more time with Ethan.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

About two hours had passed since the start of the Natural Studies exploration course.

I had arrived at the upstream area of the western river, where Ethan and I had agreed to meet. After gathering some firewood and starting a fire, I sat and waited for Ethan to arrive.

Maintaining the fire was the most important thing for survival in the forest. It was essential not only for staying warm and cooking food but also for defense at night.

Although I had Sally, a high-level fire spirit, it was still necessary to maintain a campfire. High-level spirits can produce strong flames in an instant, but they consume the contractor’s magic power just as quickly.

Moreover, since Sally and I were only temporarily contracted, relying on her power every time I needed fire would quickly deplete my magic.

‘In the academy, that wouldn’t have been a problem, but we have to survive here for five nights and six days.’

If I depended on Sally’s fire magic for the entire six days, even my magic capacity of over 4,000 wouldn’t last more than three days.

Managing my magic was essential for survival and daily life in this forest. Even though I had a large reserve, I couldn’t afford to waste it recklessly, especially since it wouldn’t regenerate as well while camping.

Additionally, keeping the fire lit would make it easier for Ethan to find me. This was perhaps the most important reason.

‘The downside is that the smoke might also attract monsters.’

‘Grurrr, grrk.’

‘Kerrrr, krrk!’

Even though I had already taken care of a group of goblins earlier, more monsters continued to approach, seemingly unbothered by the fate of their fallen comrades.

Of course, goblins were no threat to me now, so I simply cast multiple magic arrows to eliminate them instantly.

Pshoo!

‘Kerrgh?!’

‘Krhhhk!’

Low-level monsters that could be defeated by a single magic arrow were no longer a challenge for me.

At this point, if I wanted a real opponent, it would have to be at least a named Hobgoblin...

‘Graaahhhh!!’

“…Oh.”

…That wasn’t meant to be a literal invitation to fight.

Well, it didn’t matter. A named Hobgoblin would make for a decent experience-boosting event before Ethan arrived.

It should give me about ten times the experience of a regular goblin, so it was a good way to pass the time.

‘Judging by its large build and the sword it’s carrying… it’s probably a Hobgoblin Swordsman.’

A named Hobgoblin doesn’t differ much from the regular species. They just pick up weapons left behind by adventurers or mercenaries, and if the weapon suits them, they become a named type.

If the hobgoblin finds a sword and it suits them, they become a Swordsman. If they pick up a spear and it fits, they become a Spearman.

Occasionally, some hobgoblins would pick up a mage’s staff or a bard’s flute, becoming a Magician or Bard, respectively. Those types could lead hordes, making them more dangerous when encountered alone.

But for a Hobgoblin Swordsman... I could handle this one in a one-on-one fight.

Shrrk.

“Come at me, you bastard.”

‘Graaaahhh!!’

The Hobgoblin Swordsman, wielding a sword that fit its short, stout figure, charged at me.

I countered its sword with my Blackwood dagger, which was enhanced with the ‘Sharp Blade’ buff.

Clang!

“…Phew.”

‘Grrraaghh!!’

This was manageable.

At this level, I could parry its sword with my dagger. Having faced Sword Experts and Sword Masters before, I was confident in my ability.

While using magic and keeping my distance would be more in line with my usual combat style, I didn’t want to ruin the fun this time.

It’s not every day that I find an opponent who can match me in pure swordsmanship, and it was an opportunity to train, knowing I could always finish them off if necessary.

Clang, clang, clang!

‘Grrahh!! Geh!! Graah!!’

Clang, clang!

“Huu, huu…. Haah!”

The Hobgoblin Swordsman swung its sword more erratically as its strikes were repeatedly blocked by my dagger, growing frustrated.

Its attacks were simple and unrefined, but that made it a good opportunity for me to practice my reaction speed and defense.

After all, the swordsmanship a mage needs is defensive rather than offensive. In that sense, this goblin was the perfect training opponent for me.

Clang, clang, clang!

‘Grrgh! Gyahh!!’

Clang, clang, clang!

‘Grurrgh!! Gyaaah!!’

As time passed, the Hobgoblin’s attacks grew faster but also more erratic. I took advantage of the gaps in its swordsmanship, gradually reducing the time I needed to counter and simplifying its movements.

Monsters, with their limited intelligence, could only memorize a few attack patterns. By blocking certain movements, I forced it into a narrower range of strikes.

Once I had it down to one or two predictable moves, the rest was easy. Knowing what was coming next made deflecting its attacks much easier.

‘Graaaahhhh!!’

Ching!

‘Grahhhh!?’

Timing my response to its next swing, I let its attack slide off my blade with ease, utilizing a technique Harold had taught me called ‘Sword Deflection’ to regain my stance.

In a battle between a long sword and a dagger, the dagger’s only advantage is speed.

That also applies to recovering from a broken stance. The dagger is much faster.

‘This is the end!!’

Though it was just a monster, I was confident in my victory through pure swordsmanship.

Just as I prepared to finish it off by driving my dagger into its exposed heart, my plan was thwarted by a familiar sword blade that appeared from behind the creature.

“Die, you damn gobli—”

Slice!

“Lilith, are you okay?!”

“…You bastard…”

“Sorry! I’m really late! I ended up at the far eastern edge of the forest…”

“…”

Just as I was about to finish off the Hobgoblin Swordsman, Ethan’s sword effortlessly sliced through the named monster’s neck, decapitating it. I stood there, my dagger still in hand, feeling a sense of emptiness as I stared at Ethan.

“Are you hurt?! I saw a bunch of goblin corpses earlier… Did you take them all down?”

“…My…”

“Lilith?”

“My final blow!!!”

“Li-Lilith?! What’s going on?!”

…Thus, my long-awaited reunion with Ethan turned out to be a disaster in more ways than one.