Something was definitely wrong.
Running towards the echoing sounds felt like a bad idea, but staying hidden seemed even worse in this creepy place.
Small green goblins scrambled out from underneath the bushes.
The tiny creatures totally ignored my presence as they ran away from something much scarier in the woods.
Tall trees further down the forest path started snapping and splitting apart right as my boots hit the clearing.
Gripping the hilt of the sword tightly, my muscles tensed for action.
Turning my body to the side, my stance was ready for an attack right when the gap closed.
But the strike didn't come from the front.
A huge shadow blotted out the fake sky from the left.
A hand, easily three times the size of an adult human, swung a punch right at my chest.
"Guh."
Raising both arms to block saved my ribs, but the heavy impact sent me flying sideways through the air.
My back hit a tree trunk flat. The rough bark knocked the wind right out of my lungs, leaving a stinging pain in my spine.
'Shit.'
Blinking away the blurry spots, my head pounded as my vision finally cleared.
A giant creature stood twelve feet tall in the middle of the clearing with a single hateful eye covering its entire ugly face, and a giant stone club rested easily in its other hand.
[Cyclops]
[Rank: A]
This was the stage boss of the simulation.
The same monster that was supposed to sleep peacefully in its lair for two more hours.
'This is really bad, but maybe it is also a great opportunity.'
Meeting the boss before any of the other students stumbled into it could actually help end this game early.
My hands had slipped when the beast punched me just a moment ago.
Glancing around the clearing, the sword was resting on the grass right in the dead centre of the space between us.
Taking a slow breath, my shaking nerves finally steadied.
The cyclops didn't take its single eye off my position for a second.
A heartbeat later, both of us bolted toward the centre of the clearing.
"GHHHHHOOO."
Running fast, my fingers were just inches away from the metal hilt.
But the cyclops swung its stone club high above my head. The monster fully intended to crush my skull into the ground.
Click.
Blue electricity started sparking from my boots.
Lucien used this technique to move fast during our fight in the hall, so incorporating it into my own footwork felt natural.
The sudden shockwave from the feet changed my momentum entirely. It pushed my body hard to the right side, completely dodging the fatal strike.
BAM.
The stone club crashed into the soil, causing a deep crater and sending grass flying everywhere.
Grabbing the sword from the ground, the blade went up as my feet planted firmly.
I slashed my sword towards the direction where the monster stood without taking a step forward.
The cyclops looked down at the empty air like I was an idiot for a few seconds.
Then, seven invisible slashes ripped across its thick skin, drawing deep lines of red blood across its chest.
It let out a painful scream that shook the surrounding forest trees.
Combining the [Cleave] skill with the delayed attack technique works perfectly for dealing with thick-skinned monsters like this one.
'Now.'
Waiting for the beast to recover was not an option today.
Gripping the sword tight, a quick sprint put me right at its legs.
But the monster quickly regained its balance and raised its heavy club again. Ignoring the impending strike, the sword left my hand and flew directly at its giant eye.
The cyclops panicked and quickly brought its thick hand up to shield its ugly face.
That was exactly what my plan required.
Fighting with Melissa in the training hall taught me a few dirty tricks.
A thin metal chain was securely attached to the pommel of the weapon.
As the blade flew through the air, a hard jerk on the chain pulled the weapon right back to my grip.
Since the monster was so focused on protecting its eye, its entire lower body was left completely wide open for a clean hit.
Taking a deep breath, I swung the sword with every ounce of physical strength available.
The steel blade bit deeply into its ankle as the monster's bone met the edge with resistance, but pushing hard forced it through.
The leg was completely severed from its giant body.
"GHOOOOOOOO."
The screaming stopped almost immediately after the brutal cut.
While the heavy creature was toppling face-first toward the dirt, the sword was planted straight up in the ground right where its head was falling.
The cyclops flailed its huge arms, trying desperately to balance its falling weight.
Pushing off the ground, a high jump put me right above the tumbling giant.
A hard kick to the back of its bald head drove its single eye straight down onto the waiting blade.
Shriek.
Its eye was pierced by the sword and came out with blood from the back of its head.
The giant body twitched for a few minutes on the grass before finally going completely still.
My chest heaved as the dead boss lay there, and breathing felt incredibly hard.
'I should really focus on breaking through from an Awakener to a Master soon,' my mind noted, wiping sweat from my forehead.
Meanwhile, back in the viewing hall, Boros frowned at the screens.
Something felt wrong about the current situation.
[Shane Newman: 1800 Points]
The points were updated with a flash on the scoreboard.
Shane's heart rate on the medical monitor had been beating erratically just a few moments ago, clearly indicating a tough fight.
Now the boss was dead, so his score had skyrocketed to the top of the charts.
But almost immediately after the boss fell, the control room descended into chaos.
Every single monitor on the wall flashed red.
The other students in the simulation were not cheering for the victory.
In a single second, the heart rates of all fifty-nine remaining freshmen spiked to dangerous levels.
Blaze rushed over to the main console, his eyes wide with shock.
"Principal Boros, look at this data," Blaze pointed a shaking finger at the screen.
"Zephyr, Melissa, Raven. All of their vitals are going crazy right now."
The trial was supposed to end when the boss died, but the simulation was completely refusing to shut down.