The room dissolved around him, the students, walls, and even the floor melting away as if wiped clean from existence.
Eclipse found himself utterly alone, suspended in an endless void. Then, without warning, he fell.
He tumbled through a silent darkness.
This is worse than riding a speedboat... His stomach churned violently, threatening to crawl up his throat.
Just as panic began to take hold, something shifted. Thick branches and tangled vines whipped against his arms, tearing at his skin as he crashed through a dense canopy of trees.
Thud.
Eclipse hit the ground hard, face-first into damp earth and scattered leaves.
He groaned, pushing himself up while dirt clung stubbornly to his clothes.
Blinking away grit from his eyes, he let out a low, annoyed grumble. Of all the ways to enter the Mist Forest, that had to be the worst.
"Is it really necessary for all that?" he muttered under his breath.
As he adjusted to his surroundings, he noticed a massive purple octagon glowing faintly high above, marking his entrance.
Taking a steadying breath, he glanced around. Towering trees loomed in every direction, their gnarled roots twisting like skeletal fingers.
Dense fog swirled along the forest floor, curling around ancient trunks in eerie patterns.
It was exactly as he remembered from the game—a formidable zone renowned for its otherworldly atmosphere—but now it felt different. Alive.
In the game, he'd explored the Mist Forest countless times on-screen, memorizing its secrets and mastering its challenges.
But here, feeling the damp earth beneath his boots, hearing the subtle rustle of unseen creatures, and catching the faint scent of rotting vegetation—it was another experience entirely.
And if I die here, I die for real.
Brushing off his clothes, Eclipse scanned the fog-drenched landscape for Silva's familiar figure, hoping to spot her composed form cutting through the mist.
But there was nothing—no Silva, no familiar voices, just the oppressive quiet of the forest pressing down on him.
That answered one question about the trial...
There was no point getting angry; he'd half-expected something like this. Still, time was slipping away, and he couldn't afford to wait for Silva.
Frowning, he wondered what she might be doing now. Was his dagger enough to keep her safe?
She did say she was just a maid...
That poor maid that has been stuck with the old Eclipse for so long. She doesn't deserve to have her life ended here.
And Eclipse doesn't plan for her to. He trusted that Silva would find her way to him eventually.
If he stuck to his plan, she'd likely survive.
His goals extended beyond mere survival. Passing the trial was essential, and the objective remained unchanged from the game: gather three specific herbs—Bloodfern, Silverroot, and Shadowbloom.
Three days were given for the trial. Either you have collected all three herbs or not by then, you will be sent back to the Academy.
Simple enough.
If only they lived in a perfect world. If this truly mirrored the game world, then certain events were inevitable—and he desperately wanted to avoid them.
Looking around, he spotted a small leather bag at his feet, presumably left by the Academy as a starting kit.
Shaking his head, he glanced up at the faint sunlight filtering through the canopy and oriented himself southward.
To anyone else participating in the trial, heading south would seem foolish. The area was notoriously barren—not many monsters, but also hardly any resources.
Most participants wouldn't expect to find the herbs there.
But Eclipse wasn't most people. Having spent countless hours playing the game, he knew better.
There were achievements tied to gathering 100 of each herb during the first trial—and he'd completed them all. All those late nights grinding quests suddenly felt worthwhile. Screw you, modern society.
Yet, despite his confidence, he couldn't shake the weight of reality bearing down on him.
Is this the right thing to do?
Playing the game in isolation was one thing; being physically stranded in a hostile environment was another entirely.
If something unexpected were to happen… I don't think I can handle it.
He couldn't rely solely on his own strength. Food, supplies, and perhaps even allies would be crucial to surviving the next three days.
What did the original Eclipse do anyway? He knew Eclipse didn't die here.
But there was so little about Eclipse in the game to help him now.
He probably had help from people.
His noble status might buy him some support, though he doubted anyone here was eager to team up with someone like him. Thankfully, he has a lot of money.
"All right," he said, steeling himself, "Time to figure out where I am."
He started walking, scanning the mist for signs of other students.
A voice rang out, cutting through the muffled silence ahead. Eclipse froze, dread prickling down his spine. A monster already?
No. Worse.
Through the swirling fog emerged a figure clad in a flowing light-blue robe. Her presence was commanding, unmistakable.
Seraphine.
She strode toward him, arms crossed, her expression cold and unamused.
Her dark blue eyes locked onto him with a familiar frown of contempt. She looked every bit as irritated to see him as he was to see her.
Eclipse suppressed a groan. So it had to be like this...
Seraphine's gaze narrowed further. "Well, this is just wonderful," she said. "as if being thrown into a death trap wasn't enough, I had to run into you."
Eclipse shrugged casually, "It wasn't nice to see you either."
Her frown deepened, and she studied him with icy scrutiny. "You're planning something again, aren't you? I know that look—the look of a man who thinks he knows something we don't. I'm not letting you mess with Caelum again."
Seraphine had long suspected Eclipse of having access to information others didn't. His actions in the cafeteria had only confirmed her suspicions. Nobles typically didn't have intelligence networks—but Eclipse clearly did.
That was the only explanation for how he could've known about Gonna.
To her suspicion, Eclipse simply replied, "Oh... okay."
She pouted, clearly dissatisfied with his nonchalant response.
Fortunately…
If she's here… I know exactly where we are.
Seraphine was a high-tier mage, capable of obliterating most enemies with ease.
But she was also insufferably proud, fiercely loyal to Caelum, and notorious for disregarding anyone she deemed unworthy—which unfortunately included him.
For a moment, she studied him, arms still crossed, one eyebrow raised.
Eclipse knew her well enough to understand that any attempt to work together would be swiftly rejected.
She wouldn't dream of collaborating with someone she considered a villain.
And finding other potential allies was out of the question.
In the game, Seraphine was isolated from others on the first day. So much for forming alliances.
Unfortunely…
With an irritated sigh, Eclipse turned and began walking away. South alone, then.
To his dismay, the sound of footsteps followed him. "Where are you going?" she called after him, her tone half-annoyed, half-mocking.
"Are you planning to cause trouble somewhere else? Hey! Are you seriously just ignoring me?"
This is worse than fighting a queen slime, he thought bitterly, struggling to maintain his composure.
Thankfully, the dignity didn't take effect.
It must have to do with Seraphine being a noble as well.
As he quickened his pace, Seraphine matched him step for step, refusing to be dismissed.
After what felt like hours of her relentless commentary, they reached a quieter stretch of forest. Eclipse could feel something was watching them, he was hoping it was Silva for a bit.
But those eyes seemed hostile as if waiting to pounce.
Silva would never do that, he thought.
These monsters gathered around them behind the woods…
It was mostly Seraphine's fault for talking too much– "Are you hearing me?–She was capable enough to defend herself but she wouldn't do the same for Eclipse would she now?
Finally, Eclipse stopped, turning to glare at her with thinly veiled exasperation. "Why are you following me?"
But she was too busy with something to respond back.
"Blue."
A crystal of pentagon sprang up from her hand.
And in less than a second, it had already turned four times.
"Crystal Bulwark."
A jagged wall of sapphire-blue crystals erupts from the ground in front of her.
A pack of beast which looked like wolves charged at her barrier. They have seemed to be waiting for this.
They slash and slash with their claws.
Mouth bubbling up, hungry.
Seraphine calmly held up her hands, observing.
Cracks form with each hit as it glows brighter as the structure hardens.
And when she felt it was the right time.
she commanded, ""Explode," turning her hand.
Click. The blue sigil turned for the fifth time.
Then the barrier shattered, blowing out shards of it onto the beast.
It didn't kill them, fortunately they didn't deal enough damage to the barrier.
So the beast just ran.
Eclipse got the feeling that she was going easy on them.
The magic faded in the air.
Dusting her hands, Seraphine turned to the Warbringer with a proud smirk. Did you see that, did you see all that? I'm awesome aren't I?
But Eclipse only shrugged, fully knowing that the spell she just did was only a low-tier blue magic and then walked away.
"Tch, I'm not following you," she replied coolly, following him, "I'm… supervising. Like I said, I'm not letting you do anything evil."
Does she think I'm a demon or something?
"I'm not going to do anything."
"Sure, I believe that."
"Then, can you stop following me?"
"I was being sarcastic."
"Do you really want to partner up that badly?"
"Like I said, I'm only supervising you."
Seraphine smirked, her lips curving into a smug grin. "Also, I don't take orders from a villain like yourself."
With a resigned sigh, Eclipse turned back toward the path, knowing full well she wouldn't relent.
Together, they pressed onward through the mist, both too stubborn to part ways.