Inside the Grey Forest

"Yan, how do we know the location of the flags?" Asked Cite.

"Right. We don't even know what it looks like," Sada added.

"If they didn't give us clues before the start of the competition, they must have one at the start." Ali surmised. As a student of the Education Hall, she has read a lot of different kinds of books including the preparations of different kinds of competition.

"You are right Ali. We should be attentive to our surroundings." Laz commented.

As they walked inside, Ali noticed the anomaly of the high grass before their eyes. "Let's take a look that way."

"Why?" asked Sul. The other members of group seven we're also confused.

"That high grass was slanted to the right which is not normal because the direction of the winds is in the opposite direction."

Yan looked at Ali with pride. 'Looks like my choice is right.'

Laz also thought that way.

"Woah. Your eyes are so keen!" Cite praised. 'As expected.' She thought.

"Students of the Education Hall were taught to be keen and discreet," Ali timidly refuted.

"Maybe, but not all students of the Education Hall is as keen and discreet as you," Cite smiled at her.

The others nodded in agreement.

Ali didn't know how to respond to their praise. She just smiled awkwardly.

The high grass was taller than their heights.

Sada climbed a tree to foresee what's waiting for them inside.

When he claimed down, he reported, "There's a tree surrounded by this high grass. There's no way around but to enter inside."

"Hmm! That tree might be where the flag is resting. Let's do it!" Cite was beaming with anticipation.

The others nodded in agreement.

Laz suggested, "We need ropes to tie ourselves together. There is a big probability that some of us will lose, and we didn't know what will happen to us there."

"That's a great idea. It will be a pain in the ass if some of us lost." Cite agreed.

When all of them agree, Yan materialized a rope and tied themselves.

"Let's go," Yan said.

They discreetly entered the high grass with the lead of Sada. He was after all a fighter among them.

The group seven silhouettes were eaten by the high grass.

As the group shoving off the high grass with their bare hands, rustles reverberated from the surroundings.

The group was alarmed.

"What it is?" Dawag asked. He was in high alert as his group.

"Shhhh." Cite smoothly sounded.

When the rustles vanished, Yan said, "Let's move faster and make your footsteps as light as possible."

The others nodded in understanding.

They did what Yan said.

But after five minutes of silence, they heard another rustle.

These rustles we're visibly clearer to their ears and it became clearer as time goes by.

The rustles came nearer and nearer to them in a speed they could hear.

"RUN!" Yan shouted to his group members that still rooted to where they stood.

"Wait... What?" Before Sul could process the information to what was going on, he was dragged.

Sada ran as fast as he can. As the man in lead, he should not be slow.

As they ran, the rustles followed them. Its speed became faster than they imagine.

When the rustles came down, the group stopped their track.

"What was that?" Asked Atu. His fear was visible to his quivering body.

"I don't know." Cite replied.

The other also shook their heads.

"Did it gone?" asked Dawag.

The others just shrugged their shoulders.

After half a minute of silence, a giant shadow leaped out to their direction.

Bang!

Its heavy body made the high grasses bend.

With a twisted face, Sada shouted, "RUN!"

Each one of them was going to run in a different direction. Fortunately, they were all tied together.

It was slender with a pointed head, large eyes, and prominent, thinly furred ears. It has moderately long legs and long, sharp claws. The bald soles of their narrow hint feet possess fleshy pads of variable size. It was two meters in height and three meters in width.

The giant creature followed behind. It was approaching their distance.

"We need to do something." Cite commented.

"It's a D beast known as Dirt Rat," Yan's face was grim. "We are in its territory."

"Territory?"

"For real?"

His companions couldn't believe that they entered a D best territory.

"Did we just fallen into a trap?" Dawag thought of this possibility.

Reciprocal to him, Laz said, "We are in the right place. The elders would surely put a trap to drive away the participants."

With his words, his companions we're motivated to reach the middle of the high grass.

"If its D beast, I'm afraid that I don't have any poisons that will have an effect." Sul voiced out.

Fortunately, his group didn't insist to it as they nodded in understanding.

"They feed on high grasses and any objects with energy. Is there anyone of you has any objects with a high concentration of energy? Those that will entice a D beast," said Yan. The things in his belonging we're visibly out of questions. The seeds that were given to him by his master was wasted at the first round of the competition. But there's no room for regret right now. They need to find a solution.

To his dismay, his group didn't have any belongings that will entice a D beast.

"I have an idea," voice out by Atu. His voice though low, everyone has heard him.

Cite next to him could clearly hear what she was mumbling about. She asked, "What it is?"

"If we can mix low-level energy stone to its favorite grass, would that be enticing enough?"

"That's a great idea." Yan sees hope finally. The other members of group seven also feel the way he feels.

Laz immediately materialized energy stone. It has the most concentrated energy that he has.

"Do it." Laz threw it to Atu.

Yan grabbed some high grass and handed it over to Atu.

Atu was dumbfounded. If just there wasn't something after them, he might freeze to where he stands.

His indifferent attitude noticed by Dawag. "What's the matter?"

Atu looked at him and asked lowly, "Where should I put my cauldron?"

"_" the others

Apothecarists needed their cauldron in order to made pills, but in their situation, how could Atu mix one if they are running?

"Couldn't you do it with just your energy alone? We don't need a perfect one here. We just need a thing to divert it's attention away from us." Laz commented.

After half a minute of silence, Atu said, "I will do my best."

He looked at Cite and asked, "Can you powder this?"

"Of course!"

As they ran, Atu surged his energy and gathered it around the energy stone that made it float.

He concentrated his energy to the stone and slowly broke it into pieces.

"Cite, the high grass."

"How should I put it?"

"Just sprinkle it over here."

Cite sprinkles the high grass to the concentrated energy of Atu.

The energy stone started to melt and mix with the powdered high grass.

The beast was closing its distance to them, but his group didn't urge him to hurry up.

"Come on," Atu murmured under his breath as he tries his hardest to solidified the mixed ingredients.

Finally, the thing he was making showed a sign of solidifying.

It began to expand until it reached the radius of half a meter.

His forehead began to sweat as his energy slowly depleted. "I need more earthly energy. My energy is not enough."

"How would we able to that?" asked Dawag.

The others also didn't understand him.

Sharing energy? how it is possible?

But in the apothecary field, two or more apothecarists could combine forces to made pills.

"Just surge your energy to this ball, I will do the rest."

"I'll do it." Cite volunteered.

She surged her energy towards the ball whilst Atu directing and stabilizing her energy as it touches the ball.

The Dirt Rat leaped again and blocked their way ahead.

They all simultaneously halted.

'This is bad.' Sada glanced at Atu and Cite.

Without further ado, he cut his tie and said, "I'll buy time."

He took a fighting stance facing the beast.

"I will not let you fight alone," Yan also took a fighting stance after he cut his tie.

"Sure enough. We are after all a group here," Laz cut his tie too and stood in the middle of the two.

Except for Atu and Cite, the other stood side by side and readied themselves for a fight.

"Let's show this beast the strength of group seven!"