The brilliance of the painted orange sky reflected inside a gloomy dark forest as eleven figures secretly sneak in.

In just half an hour, they arrived in the midst of a mountain. A small hut stood still guarded by six black-clad men. These black-clad men heard a noise behind the bushes in front of them.

"Who's there?" One of them asked.

Eleven figures slowly approached their distance.

The one in lead was a female. She said, "I'm Salina and they are my comrades."

The black-clad men closed their distance warily. "What is your motive? How did you get here?"

"It doesn't matter, what matters now is your death." Upon saying the last word, these eleven figures dashed towards their direction striking the unguarded black-clad men.

They locked up in a battle.

In just a minute the black-clad men were defeated.

Salina opened the door of the small hut. A petite young man, around twenty, was sitting in the middle with his hands and feet tied by an incredible powerful rope that she couldn't even cut off. His body was full of cuts, clearly from a small blade that was forcefully thrust to his body, deep enough that his bones can be seen.

"This is the steel rope. Looks like the mastermind of this plot isn't a simple one." Salina clenched her fist. Her eyes were reflecting blazing fire.

"Young miss. Let me give it a try." Second take the initiative when Salina nodded.

The steel rope can't be entangled by just anyone, but only the owner. And it is hard to break. But in Second's might, it just took him three attempts and the steel rope broke into smithereens.

Without anything to be clutching on, the young man nearly fall. Second immediately catch him. He casually fed a pill to the young man. The pill healed his wounds slowly as he regains his consciousness. His body felt a little well, but he felt tired that he fell into a deep sleep.

Salina takes off her robe, place it on the ground and ordered Second to let Dass rest.

"I thought there were ten of them?" Salina remembered the report of Second.

"Talking to the devils." Second curled a vicious smile. "They're already here young miss." Finishing his words, a loud thug reverberated throughout the small hut as the door sent flying to their location.

Second confronted the door with his fist reducing it to pieces.

Without waiting for a command, Second dashed outside the hut and sent his mighty punch to the enemy. As they expected, the enemy wasn't simple. They can catch up to his attack.

Salina and the nine more subordinates of her joined the fight. She has to admit, the four were strong.

Two of the four black-clad men were as strong as a grandmaster after all.

They locked up in a fight.

One of Salina's subordinate took Dass to a more secure place.

..

Dass felt his injury alleviated a little. He surveyed his surroundings and saw a silhouette of a young lady beside a middle-aged man.

He recognized the lady. It was their teacher Salina!

He looked at the man. He didn't understand why but he felt something surprising him as he looked at the man.

The man noticed his indifferent attitude towards him. Therefore, he suppressed his aura.

The young lady bent down and patted his head whilst saying, "You're now safe."

"_" Dass

The man decorated his face with a genuine smile.

Dass bashfully lowered his head.

Dass forcefully stood up straight and bowed 90 degrees. "Thank you for saving me."

"It's nothing. I'm your teacher after all." Salina held his chin and slowly raised it whilst saying, "Be sure to be careful next time, okay?"

Dass nodded his head. Without any hesitation, he unfolds what he knows. "Teacher Salina, I have heard that those people contacted some of their comrades. I've heard that they will have reinforcement that composed of a hundred people just like them. That... That they plan on destroying the kingdom. Teacher Salina, can you prevent it?" His tone was fast and show a tinge of fright.

Salina didn't understand the young man. He was tortured all that time, and he thought not himself, but the land?

'Such a man,' Second could only sigh.

Salina let out a chuckle that earned a puzzlement to Dass.

Dass tilted his head as he watches the young lady. He couldn't fathom the situation, so he decided to ask, "Did I say something wrong?"

Salina shook her head. "I just find it cute how you worried too much to your land." She clarified. "From now on, we will handle things."

...

Outskirts of the Grey forest

After hearing a siren, indicating the end of the competition, the group seven made their way out of the forest.

Tala emerged from the darkness and show herself in front of them saying, "Follow me."

As they followed, Laz couldn't help but ask, "Tala, did you observe us all this time?" His voice was his actual tone.

He didn't notice the indifference expression of his teammates for he was looking at Tala's back.

How could Laz talk casually to him?

Tala stopped her track and moved backward to be on the side of Laz. Her action earned incredulous looks from Laz's teammates.

"Yes, I did. And all of you did a good job," she confirmed.

"may I know what technique did you do to save Ali?" Laz showed an eagerness face to listen.

His teammates were dumbfounded. How could Laz ask it?

They all knew that such a technique was precious and could only be learned from those under the tutelage of the bearer of such technique. So basically, those who were granted to learn techniques, they were unable to tell nor share it to others without the approval of the bearer.

They all knew that Laz knows almost of the rules when it comes to techniques, so how could he ask it casually?

His teammates could only sigh in his instead.

Tala parted her lips that shocked them all. "It's called expeditious teleportation technique. You can teleport yourself or any other thing in one hundred meters distance at most. If you want, I can teach you."

"Really!? Are you really going to teach me?"

Tala nodded.

Laz didn't wait for him to talk as he asked immediately, "Can they also learn it?"

"Of course. I will definitely teach all of you." Tala responded.

Hearing Tala's approval, his teammates rejoiced.

"Thank you senior Tala," Yan sounded. His teammates except for Laz, did the same.

Tala gave them a smile.

'Senior?' This word echoed to Laz as it dawn to him how he casually talks to Tala.

...

Outside the North gate, the gate that led to the grey forest.

There are only a few passers-by that can be counted by hand.

The surroundings were illuminated by lamps.

As the group seven closed their distance, the figures of every participant became clearer to their sight.

Through the bandages that almost covered the entire body of each participant, the group seven could sum up what they have experience inside.

"It looks like we're the last one to exit," said Cite.

"Yah, it looks like it." Ali added. "How could they end up in that state?" She was curious for their group didn't end up wounded.

Hearing her words, Yan, Laz, and Sada almost poke blood.

How could she say it?

This question ran to their minds.

If not for Tala, she has ended up dead right now. If not of the dirt rat, that E beast wouldn't give them a chance to travel freely.

Their luck played great importance to their success, but their knowledge and camaraderie were the keys to their success.

Their footsteps caught the interest of the other participants who simultaneously looked at their direction.

What caught their sight the most was the beast that was following behind.

Some of them recognized it.

"That is the dirt rat. A D beast!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am. I saw it in a book."

"Why it is obediently following them?"

"Don't know. They might have tamed it."

Hearing their conversation, Dawag could only clench his wounded fist knowing that possibility, the fact that the group seven wasn't kicked out outside the mountain, and the sight of the good condition of each one of them.

For the half-day they were inside, they only found one flag. Because of their difficult situation, the elder decided to end their journey.

He lowered his injured face as he diverts his attention to the North gate.

Tala led them to the registration table to report their result.

Because the registration table was in an open place, the other participants could clearly see the three flags Yan fetched out from his rings.

Incredulous looks surface to each of their faces.