23rd of March, the Year 1202
10:43
Laeon Federation, Horn Mountain Range

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I didn’t think that such a dramatic event would happen so early on. I feel like breaking the 4th wall right now… and for some reason, I always fall asleep or unconscious. Cordelia drowsily rubbed her eyes. The fire was still alight as the other party members had been taking watch after she fell asleep. 

      Slightly guilty, she tried to lift herself up but was weighed down by Chloe who was sleeping on her stomach. Her movement and rustling of armour alerted Eldrich who was on watch. He turned around and gasped as she peeled Chloe off of her, struggling to stand up. Fear lingered within him but he decided to act against it and helped her up on her feet.

      Cordelia sustained no real injuries during the fight. She only suffered from muscle aches and exhaustion as her body had broken past its limits, straining every inch of itself. Stretching her arms and legs in a quick series of movements, she shook off the stiffness in her limbs. During that, Eldrich sat at the side, looking at her with complication in his face. 

      “Do I scare you?”

In the middle of her stretches, she questioned him so as Cordelia was aware of what she did last night. It wasn’t an uncommon thing for her. Whenever she saw blood, she felt an unbearable desire within her to spill more. She was like a raging bull seeing red. It was also how she felled a young dragon when she was 11. 

      Eldrich also didn’t want to beat around the bush. 

“Yes. Frankly, you petrified me.”

He replied grimly, unable to form any more words to express what he felt in that moment. 

“I see. You three can leave if you want. I know you’re all awake anyway.”

Out of fear, neither Abelard or Mareike was able to sleep soundly, so they had dark bags under their eyes. Jerking when they were called out, both slowly got up and rubbed their eyes. 

      “But I don’t want to.”

One refused. Namely, Mareike was the one who refused. She stubbornly stood in front of Cordelia who was still stretching and bent her waist at 180˚. 

“Thank you very much! My gratitude wasn’t fully conveyed yesterday, so I’m saying it again today.”

She saw a glimpse of Mareike’s obstinate attitude on how she wanted to repay every favour and act of kindness. 

      In the background, Eldrich sighed woefully and placed a palm on his forehead, as if disappointed yet exasperated at his child.

“Just accept her, Miss Cordelia. She won’t let up until you do,” he said, subconsciously addressing her with ‘Miss’.

Abelard and Eldrich had grown up with Mareike and they knew her very well. Situations like these were common and had thrown off many other nobles as she tried her very best to repay them for every shred of goodwill they showed her. She gained a strange reputation amongst noble society and he and Abelard often had to help her out when some nobles tried to take advantage of her.

      “I’ll ask again. Do I not scare you?”

She answered in the exact same way as Eldrich but her voice had no tremors or stammers. What a straight-forward girl… Cordelia realised that she could be very timid and shy but when it came to it, she turned endlessly determined. Such a good person doesn’t need to accompany me. Such a good person didn’t need to be tainted on her bloody path of revenge.

      “Just leave. I will be leaving soon too. Come on Chloe. Stop pretending to sleep.”

She poked the loli’s cheek, causing her to jump away and point at her.

“We’re staying with them!”

“No, we’re not. We can advance faster alone.”

Cordelia shot down her suggestion straight away.

“Your tears aren’t going to work on me right now. Let’s go.”

Grabbing Chloe’s wrist, she kicked down the earth door and walked out with a struggling girl behind her. 

“No! I don’t wanna! Can’t we stay with them? Pleeeeeaase.”

Using her flawless acting skills, Chloe began to cry and beg but Cordelia wasn’t having any of it. All of the other times, she only permitted the girl’s whims because they were harmless but now, she didn’t want to involve any of those three in her future. Maybe she could be called hypocritical when she has a tiny 10-year-old girl next to her but she knew that if she continued the way she had been for the past week, it wouldn’t just be Chloe who accompanied her anymore. Therefore, Cordelia vowed to keep the girl safe. Because if she died, whose fault was it? 

      “Chloe! Just stop. If you want to go back so bad then I can bring you back to them right now.”

Unable to take it anymore, Cordelia raised her voice. As a result, for the rest of the journey that day, Chloe stayed silent while she moped and kept her head down behind her. She didn't see the little girl's downcast, depressed features at having been seriously scolded for the first time, nor the relieved yet oddly guilty ones of the team that had been left behind.

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45, 46, 49, 50, 53, 56 points. 73 points in total, now. Cordelia was counting their spoils for today and adding it on to the points they gained yesterday. Having hunted magical beasts up to the 6th Tier before, this was nothing. She was only limited by the number of encounters as it seemed like the magical beast population here was sparse and low-tiered. That’s not right. They should be going up to 10th tier, one of the greatest features of the Horn Mountain Range. I read that monsters play a huge part in the natural defence of the Laeon Federation, but these monsters are so weak.

      Oh. Most likely, it would be too dangerous for us so the Cheiss Academy moved the magical beasts away beforehand. Exposing a hole in the Federation’s defence wouldn’t sit well with them after all. Sometimes, Cordelia thought that the Horn Mountain Range was too convenient. Not only did it curve into a circular shape, covering almost all angles, it also had one tiny opening that could be used as a chokepoint for any invasion. Adding onto that were the thousands of powerful magical beasts that have made the mountain range their home. It was like it was artificially created. Like a God using their powers of creation. Or an author putting pen to paper. I’m thinking too much into it. 

      Currently, Cordelia and Chloe were sitting up in their own individual trees. The former knew that her partner was still miffed at the separation from Eldrich, Mareike and Abelard, seeing how she was sulking and refusing to go in the same tree as her. Breathing out, she strengthened her resolve. I’m not here to make friends. Chloe is already enough. 

      The night reigned the sky, countless stars twinkling as they paled in comparison to the lustrous moon that hung limpidly. All was silent, as many people at this time would be setting up camp or hiding somewhere from demonic beasts, the antithesis to magical beasts. They only woke up during the night but were incredibly powerful, more powerful than their counterpart. Mere 13 to 15-year-olds were no match for them.

      “Chloe.”

No answer.

“Chloe.”

Ignored, again.

“…Chloe.”

Seeing there was still no answer, Cordelia sighed in resignation as she jumped down and walked to the girl’s tree.

“This is an exam. It’s better for us to stay in small groups so we can move faster. Do you get it?”

This time, she received a reaction in the form of a head-turn and a pout that was barely noticeable on the ends of her lips.

      “But I wanna stay with them anyway.”

She remained stubborn, sorrowful and slightly stroppy at having to leave the company of the 3. To her, they were new and well-received companions that could be her friends in the future. The number of genuine relationships in the palace was rare, if not abysmally low and in some corners, it was simply impossible. Ulterior motives and greed were the foundations under every interaction in that damned palace.

      “I see. In the future, you can leave me for them then. My future goals are not suited to you.”

Cordelia didn’t intend for her words to come off as cruel or heartless as she was trying to speak the truth from her heart and she had limited social ability due to her reserved nature, but when she saw the pain in Chloe’s eyes, she knew she had said something wrong.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said… I’ve never told you who I am or what I will do in the future, have I?”

In her shock, Chloe didn’t react but she definitely heard her. Cordelia came up to her branch to sit down next to her, legs dangling.

“There will be lots of blood. Danger will be afoot and there will be a high risk of death with every step. I don’t want you to stay with me at that time.”

      Her tone was dull but Chloe, with her Mental Magic, could perceive the waves of undulating sadness and torrents of rage surging from her. They had spent little time together (at most, 2 weeks), and Chloe understandably had little vision into her big sister’s life, identity, goals and dreams. 

“I don’t want you to be hurt. It is for the same reason that I don’t want to befriend anyone else. I suppose… you are just an exception.”

Patting her head, Cordelia went back to her tree; Chloe could see the heaviness of her steps and the limpness of her arms.

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25th of March, the Year 1202
13:01
Laeon Federation, Horn Mountain Range

❈ 

Shing!

Sidestepping, Cordelia swung her katana in a smooth slash, instantly severing the Vermillion Fox’s, a 4th Tier Magical Beast, right paw from its arm. It recoiled and screeched in pain with Cordelia stepping forward firmly as she delivered the decisive blow. With a single stroke right down the middle, Cordelia was able to focus her mana into her blade as she slashed, ending in a crisp bisection of the beast.

      Its two halves fell to the side, their giant masses crumpling to the floor with an accompanying rumble of the earth. A visible breath blew out of her mouth as she flicked her blade to the side, blood flying off of it before she sheathed it with smooth, trained movements. 

      A swathe of thick fog had descended on the forest, blinding all examinees in the process as some nefarious magical beasts and even demonic beasts begin to hunt them down, fully exploiting the fog. This is due to the fact that higher-ranked beasts, no matter if demonic or magical in nature, have ascending intelligence according to their rank. Demonic beasts don’t only come out at night because they have to, some do it out of choice. Feral, lower-ranked demonic beasts rely on their instincts as they adapt to be nocturnal creatures but ones with intelligence do it for the conscious decision to have a stealth factor. 

      “Look, Big Sis! The demonic core!”

Unlike magical cores, demonic cores were less eerie than simply evil-looking. An inky purple aura swirled around the jagged sphere of malevolence, sticking out in random spikes like a crude rock. It was strangely glossy as you could see blurred reflections of light on the surface.

      Cordelia hummed in acknowledgement as she placed the demonic core in a make-shift bag she had crafted out of magical beast materials that had been picked up along the way. She didn’t study the art but crafting wasn’t completely lost to her as dexterous hands were vital for Craftsmanship, something that she could boast about.

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vaexis

I know that this is pretty dumb of me, but I'm going to add on and take away skills from Cordelia as we go on. I didn't plan ahead that much, I'll admit, and her Status Board is affected by this. Just a heads up, this time, I'm adding a 'Survivalist' skill. It gives you skills in things like skinning, gathering, basic first aid, etc.

      I might also have to stock up on some more chapters. Don't mind me if I go inactive for a few days or so because I've been occupied with assignments and stuff, so forgive me >.<

      Have a nice day.