Free Web NovelChapter 204: Chapter 197: The First Night
Day 1 — 22:14
Team Seven
The first beast stepped between the trees without making a sound.
Its shoulders reached almost to a man’s chest, long forelimbs ending in hooked claws, dark hide swallowing what little moonlight found its way into the ravine. Two more watched from opposite sides of the camp.
Team Seven tightened into a circle around its packs. Nobody reached for the rescue flare, which pleased the hidden observers above the ravine considerably.
Arven, the border knight the team had chosen as leader during the journey, kept his voice low. "Hold formation. Knives only unless they commit."
Daren, a young noble standing to his left, tightened his grip on the issued field blade. "They outnumber us."
"We are five knights."
"We are five knights without proper weapons."
Arven glanced at the knife in Daren’s hand. "It appears proper enough to upset you."
The nearest predator lowered its head. Another slipped behind the camp, moving the perimeter slowly, testing for a gap. They weren’t attacking yet — they were measuring, the way every predator measured something before deciding it was worth the risk. Arven recognized it because he had spent years on roads where that distinction kept men alive.
"Keep the fire between us and the eastern side," he said. "No full mana release."
Pell fed another branch into the flames. The nearest beast recoiled and shifted its approach. Daren moved with it.
Arven caught his shoulder. "Do not follow."
"It is moving behind us."
"So are your eyes."
The creature stopped. For several breaths the forest held still — then a stone flew from the darkness and struck their cooking container with a sharp metallic crack. Two knights turned toward the sound. The pack attacked.
One beast came from the front while the others pushed through the brush behind. Arven released a narrow pulse of mana into his legs, moved just enough, and put his knife beneath the first creature’s shoulder before its weight could pull him down. The others held formation. Mostly.
Daren released more mana than necessary and struck the second predator across the flank. The force threw it into a tree. It also lit the ravine with a brief surge of magical pressure.
Arven swore. "Control it!"
The third beast came in low. Pell stepped into its path, caught the strike across his forearm guard, and turned its momentum toward the fire. The remaining knights moved together, and the creature withdrew with blood along its jaw. The first tried to return, but Arven kicked burning wood into its path and the pack dissolved back into the trees.
Daren took two steps after them. Arven seized the back of his harness.
"Where are you going?"
"To finish it."
"You intend to chase three predators through their own forest at night?"
"One is wounded."
"So is your judgment."
Daren pulled against him. "They may return."
"They will return faster if you follow them alone and become easier food."
Pell crouched beside the scattered packs. "They were testing our formation."
Arven released Daren. "And now they know one of us abandons it when angry."
Daren said nothing. That was the first useful response he had given.
Day 1 — 22:29
Team Seven
The fight had lasted less than a minute. Its cost appeared afterward.
Pell had four shallow claw marks across his forearm — the protective layer had prevented anything worse, but blood had found its way into the glove. A weather sheet had torn. And worse than either, a ration packet was missing. The predators had taken it during the distraction.
Arven looked at Daren. "That mana burst told everything nearby where we are."
"I stopped one from reaching the supplies."
"You also announced that the supplies exist."
The team cleaned Pell’s wound and divided what remained. Nobody suggested firing the flare — the injury was manageable, and the lost ration wasn’t yet fatal. Their camp, however, had become worthless. The pack knew its position, and anything sensitive to mana did too.
Arven opened the incomplete map beneath the shielded firelight. "We move."
"At night?" Oris asked.
"We stay, and something larger arrives."
A low call rolled through the ravine. It didn’t belong to the pack. The forest went quiet after it.
Arven rolled the map. "Now."
Day 1 — 23:05
Team Seven
They abandoned the fire and climbed through darkness.
Speed mattered, but Arven still forbade full reinforcement. Whatever followed them could track by scent, sound, or magical residue — a stronger mana trail would only make its work simpler. Pell could no longer carry his full share. The others redistributed his load without discussion. Daren took the damaged weather sheet and extra rope without being told.
Arven noticed. He said nothing.
Behind them, branches broke around the abandoned camp — not many, not fast, one heavy line of movement working its way through the trees with no particular urgency.
The team increased its pace. Their observers followed above the ridge. The rescue flare remained sealed.
Day 2 — 01:40
Team One
The mountain storm arrived before Team One found shelter.
Snow erased their tracks and covered the route ahead. Wind crossed the ridge hard enough to force the knights to lean into it, and their map placed a narrow pass two kilometres east while the compass pointed north.
The team leader stopped beside a rock wall and checked both. "We turned too far during the climb."
A court-trained knight pointed toward the ridge. "We can still correct by enhancing speed with mana."
A mountain veteran shook his head. "On ice you cannot see?"
"We are knights."
"The mountain has not been informed."
They built a low shelter against the stone and stretched their weather sheets against the wind. The delay cost nearly five hours. It also kept all six of them alive.
The flare remained unused.
Day 2 — 03:10
Team Two
Team Two reached water shortly after midnight — a broad stream moving beneath hanging roots and dense leaves, clear enough to drink after boiling. The problem waited on the opposite bank.
A six-legged beast crouched beneath a leaning tree, watching every movement without moving itself.
One candidate touched his knife. "We kill it."
The scout-trained knight beside him shook his head. "It has not crossed."
"It controls the water."
"It controls that bank. We are standing on this one."
The creature released a low warning growl. The team gathered water slowly, without staring at it or releasing mana, and left with full containers and no injuries. Hours later, they heard it roar behind them when something else entered its territory.
Avoiding the fight felt less satisfying than winning one. It was also faster.
Day 2 — 05:25
Team Three
The high route around the marsh ended at a collapsed slope. Recent rain had carried half the path into the black water, and the direct crossing meant deep mud and reed fields. Going around would add days they weren’t certain they had.
The border veteran tested the ground with a long branch. It sank beyond arm’s length.
The court knight who had wanted the direct crossing looked at him. "Still respectful?"
"Deeply."
They built a crossing line from rope, reeds, and cut branches. Progress fell below one kilometre an hour. Something followed beneath the water the entire time. Nobody mentioned it.
Day 2 — 06:00
Team Four
Team Four’s first water dispute started before sunrise.
The knight who had drunk heavily after deployment reached for his container again. The team’s engineer stopped him.
"You have used nearly half."
"I am thirsty."
"So are the rest of us."
"My body requires more."
"The sun does not care."
The knight’s expression hardened. "You forget who you are addressing."
The engineer looked at the plain uniform, the shared map, the unmarked harness. "At present? Team Four."
Another candidate laughed once before remembering where they were.
The team leader measured the remaining water and removed personal control of the containers. The offended knight protested. The others supported the decision. The badlands were stripping away rank faster than Malen had expected.
Day 2 — 07:35
Team Five
Team Five reached its first major ascent shortly after dawn. The slope looked stable from below.
Halfway up, loose rock shifted beneath one candidate’s boot. He fell three metres before the rope caught him — the sudden weight dragging another knight to his knees — but the team held the line and hauled him onto a ledge.
His ankle had twisted badly. Not broken but not useful either.
The rescue flare came out of the pack. The injured knight stared at it.
"I can move."
"Not quickly," the team leader said.
"Reduce my load."
"You may worsen it."
"If you fire that, all of you fail because of me."
The leader answered without hesitation. "If we do not fire it when necessary, we may fail beside you."
They bound the ankle, redistributed his equipment, and changed course toward a gentler ascent. The longer route added almost a full day. The flare went back into the pack.
Day 2 — 08:20
Team Six
The compass needle spun once, pointed east, then slowly drifted south.
Team Six had already changed direction twice. The disturbed terrain bent their senses — distant hills appearing closer than they were, familiar landmarks seeming displaced. The mana-awakened engineer knelt beside three stones from their last halt.
"We crossed this line already."
One knight looked around. "That is impossible."
The engineer pointed toward a cut mark on a nearby tree. "I made that."
They had been circling. Their marked point lay beyond the strongest distortion, but the compass could no longer be trusted. They stopped using mana sight and switched to tracking the sun, measuring slope, and leaving physical markings behind them. Slower. Also real.
Day 2 — 09:15
Eastern Training Grounds
Observer reports reached Malen through coded communication sets.
Lucien stood beside the assessment map while Cedric updated the team positions. Team One had lost time but found shelter. Team Two had avoided unnecessary combat. Team Three had entered the marsh carefully. Team Four had established ration control after its first dispute. Team Five was carrying an injured candidate. Team Six had abandoned unreliable mana sensing. Team Seven had withdrawn from camp after the beast attack.
Lucas read the summary. "No disqualifications."
"Not yet," Malen said.
"Team Seven lost food."
"They kept the flare."
"Team Five has an injured man."
"They also kept the flare."
Lucas studied the map. "You sound pleased nobody requested rescue."
"I am pleased they have not mistaken discomfort for an emergency."
Cedric placed a marker behind Team Seven’s position. "Their larger problem is still following them."
Lucien looked toward him. "What is it?"
"An iron-jaw prowler. Large enough to kill a candidate quickly."
"Is it tracking them?"
"Yes."
Malen studied their route. "They are moving uphill."
"The prowler is faster."
Lucas closed the report. "And the observers?"
"Still watching," Cedric said. "They intervene only if the team becomes unable to fire the flare."
Lucas looked toward Lucien. "This programme remains affordable only because the candidates are carrying the danger themselves."
Lucien kept his attention on the map.
The first night had revealed more than months of formal training might have produced. One knight had wasted mana. Another had accepted correction. One team had chosen delay over pride. Another had surrendered personal control of water. No flare had been fired. That wouldn’t last forever — the environments were only beginning to press them — but for now, it was enough.
Day 2 — 10:05
Team Seven
Team Seven reached the upper ridge exhausted.
Pell’s bandage had soaked through. The lost food shortened the next ration. Nobody had slept more than an hour. Arven raised one hand and the team stopped.
Below them, the ravine disappeared beneath dense trees. For several moments there was no sound at all — then a trunk cracked, deep and close, and something large began climbing through the forest toward them.
Daren glanced toward the rescue flare. Only for a moment. Then he drew his knife.
Arven checked the ridge ahead. "We cannot fight that here."
"Then where?" Daren asked.
Arven pointed east. "There is a narrow stone cut half a kilometre ahead."
Pell adjusted his wounded arm. "A choke point?"
"Also a chance."
They moved — not hiding their passage entirely, but Arven still restricted mana use. The prowler knew where they were. It didn’t need help finding them.
The slope narrowed between two walls of black stone. Loose rock covered the ground. Thick roots crossed the entrance, and a dead tree had been trapped above the passage during an old landslide, wedged between the walls at an angle.
Arven studied it once. "Daren, rope around the trunk. Pell, with me. The rest loosen those stones."
Daren looked up at the dead tree. "You intend to drop it?"
"After the beast enters."
"That tree will not stop it."
"But the rocks behind it may."
The prowler emerged below them — armored head pushing between the trees, heavy jaws open around rows of dark teeth, old scars crossing the plated ridges around its neck. It saw them. Then it charged.
The team took position inside the cut. Pell remained near the entrance despite his arm. Arven looked at him.
"You can still move?"
"Yes."
"That was not the question."
Pell tested his grip. "I can hold the line."
Arven accepted it.
The prowler reached the mouth of the passage and slowed. The stone walls forced its shoulders inward. The uneven floor broke its stride. Daren whispered, "It knows."
"It is an animal, not a court knight," Arven replied. "It is permitted caution."
The beast entered.
Arven waited until its front legs passed the dead tree. "Now."
Daren pulled. The old roots tore loose and the trunk dropped behind the prowler, striking the rock shelf and bringing loose stone down with it. The animal lunged forward rather than back. Oris threw their remaining weather sheet across its face — the claws tore through instantly, but the brief blindness was enough.
Arven drove his knife beneath the jaw. Pell struck the nearest foreleg. Daren released a controlled burst of mana and pushed a heavy stone from the shelf. It smashed into the prowler’s shoulder and the beast slammed against the wall. A claw caught Arven’s harness and pulled him from the ledge. fгeewebnovёl.com
He hit the ground beneath the creature’s neck.
Daren’s mana surged. "Do not waste it!" Arven shouted from the ground.
Daren stopped before releasing the full strike. Instead he seized the rope still looped around the trunk, braced against the stone, and pulled. The trunk shifted. More rocks fell behind the prowler. Oris dropped onto its back and drove his knife between two armored plates — the blade didn’t penetrate deeply, but it forced the head down long enough.
Arven rolled clear. "Legs!"
Five knights attacked the same point. The damaged foreleg folded and the prowler crashed onto one side, filling the passage. Pell stepped back breathing hard. "It is alive."
"Yes," Arven said. "And trapped."
The animal clawed at the walls, but its body couldn’t turn. The collapsed entrance blocked retreat while the ruined leg prevented it from climbing forward. Daren raised his knife.
"We should kill it."
"No."
"It will follow us again."
"Not soon."
"We need meat."
Pell shook his head. "Butchering it here would take hours." Oris looked at the blocked passage. "And we would be working inside a trap."
Daren hesitated. Arven pointed toward the eastern exit. "The destination is ahead. The beast is behind us. That is victory."
Daren lowered his weapon and, for once, accepted it without argument.
They recovered what rope they could and continued east.
Day 2 — 10:46
Team Seven
The cut opened onto a high forest shelf. The team stopped briefly.
Arven had bruising along his ribs where the harness had caught the claw. Pell’s wound had reopened. Daren had spent more mana than the others, though he retained enough to continue. They had lost their best shelter material.
Arven divided what remained. Daren handed him the larger piece without being asked.
"You should carry this."
"Why?"
"You were almost eaten."
"That does not qualify me for better bedding."
"It may qualify you for less rain."
Pell looked between them. "He is learning concern."
Arven packed the cloth. "Do not encourage him too quickly."
Above the cut, an observer entered the result: *Team Seven — coordinated trap successful. Mana use controlled after correction. Objective discipline maintained. Rescue flare unused.*
Day 2 — 11:20
Eastern Training Grounds
Cedric received the report and passed it to Malen.
"They trapped the prowler instead of killing it," Malen said.
"Efficient," Lucien replied.
Lucas looked up. "They left usable meat."
"Butchering it would have delayed them and drawn scavengers," Cedric said.
Lucas considered that. "Strategically sound. Financially disappointing."
Malen moved Team Seven’s marker east. "Daren followed orders after his first mistake."
"He nearly wasted mana again," Cedric noted.
"But he stopped."
Lucien studied the candidate record. A man who never made mistakes was rare. A man who couldn’t change after one was dangerous.
"What about Pell?"
"Injury manageable. The team redistributed his load."
A signal officer entered with a second report carrying Team Four’s designation. Malen read it. "One candidate left the group during the halt."
"Why?" Lucien asked.
"He disagreed with the water ration and searched for another source alone."
"Did he find one?"
"No. He used mana to return quickly and attracted three ash-hounds."
Lucas looked toward Team Four’s position on the map. "The badlands have entered the argument."
Day 2 — 12:05
Team Four
The first ash-hound appeared along the ridge — lean, dust-grey, long-legged, heat shimmering faintly around its mouth with each breath. Two more followed.
The team leader looked at the knight who had left the group. "You brought them."
"I did not know they were there."
"That is often how bringing danger works."
The engineer studied the ravine. "No cover." The offending knight drew his knife. "We can kill them." The engineer lifted one of the remaining water containers. "Without spending half our mana?"
The first ash-hound began descending. The knight gripped his knife tighter — his pride wanted a fight — and then looked at his team and understood, perhaps for the first time, that any mistake he made here belonged to all of them.
Day 2 — 13:40
Team Three
The marsh crossing worsened.
Their rope line held, but the reed bundles sank faster than expected. The team moved one member at a time while the others maintained tension from firmer ground. Halfway across, the black water broke open — a scaled head struck the rope, and the knight in the water lost his footing.
Two teammates pulled. The creature struck again. The court-trained knight released mana into the line and hauled hard enough to drag the man and part of the platform onto firmer ground. The beast snapped at empty water.
The rope had begun fraying. "One more strike and it breaks," the border veteran said.
The court knight looked toward the far bank. "We cannot go around."
"No."
"We cannot stay." freewёbnoνel.com
"No."
The veteran removed the cooking container, a ration scrap, and a strip of cloth. The court knight understood. "That sounds dishonest."
"It is a swamp."
They tied the scrap inside the container and threw it far across the reeds. The creature followed the splash. Team Three crossed in the opposite direction.
Day 2 — 15:10
Team Five
The injured knight’s ankle had swollen despite the binding.
Team Five’s pace dropped steadily.
The leader stopped beside a shallow rock shelter.
"We rest."
"We still have daylight," the injured man said.
"We also have one useful ankle between two legs."
"I can continue."
"You can also worsen it."
If the injury became severe, they could lose more than time.
They agreed on one hour of rest, cold wrapping, and reassessment.
The flare remained beside the medical pouch.
Visible and Ready.
For the first time, one team kept rescue within reach instead of buried in a pack.
Day 2 — 17:25
Team Six
Team Six found the first proof that the magical distortion was artificial.
Three blackened stones stood in a line across the slope.
Each carried a shallow symbol carved into its surface.
The mana-awakened engineer crouched nearby without touching them.
"Old ward markers."
"Friendly?" another knight asked.
"Broken."
"That was not the question."
"It is the only answer available."
The compass needle pointed toward the stones.
The sun placed east elsewhere.
Their destination lay beyond the strongest distortion.
They could cross the broken ward line or lose a day going around.
One candidate looked toward the flare.
"Perhaps this is what it is for."
"The flare is for rescue," the engineer said.
"And if the land makes navigation impossible?"
"Then we navigate without trusting the land."
They started around the markers.
The distortion followed them.
Day 2 — 19:50
Team Seven
Team Seven camped beneath a rock overhang.
Two men remained awake at all times.
Pell’s arm had stopped bleeding.
Daren sat beside him, repairing the torn glove with thread from the medical pouch.
Pell watched him work.
"You sew poorly."
"I was not trained for it."
"You were trained to complain?"
"Extensively."
Arven checked the map.
The attacks and night movement had cost distance, but the team remained together and operational.
Daren finished the repair and returned the glove.
"It will hold."
Pell pulled it on.
"It looks terrible."
"It is camouflage."
Arven laughed once.
Then returned to the route.
Beyond the shelter, something moved among the trees.
The team fell silent.
The sound passed.
No attack followed.
But nobody slept well after it.
Day 2 — 23:55
Assessment Record
Team One remained delayed by snow but had restored its route.
Team Two crossed its first river without provoking the territorial beast.
Team Three escaped the marsh predator through diversion.
Team Four remained in combat with three ash-hounds.
Team Five had stopped to evaluate an injury.
Team Six had skirted the ward line but not escaped the distortion.
Team Seven had trapped the iron-jaw prowler and continued toward the marked point.
At the eastern training grounds, Malen reviewed the final reports before midnight.
Lucien stood across the map from him.
"They still believe survival is the main test,"
Malen said.
"For now."
"When does that change?"
"When they must choose between reaching the point and preserving the team."
Malen looked across the seven markers.
"Some already have."
The second day ended.
The terrain had taken time, food, sleep, blood, and certainty.
It had not yet taken a team.
Day 3 — 00:00
Knight Candidate Assessment Updated
Candidates active: 38
Active teams: 7
Rescue flares available: 7
Teams disqualified: 0
Serious injuries: 1
Hostile encounters: 4
Elapsed time: 42 hours, 30 minutes
Ninety-Day Review: 55 days remaining
Arsenal Before the Breach: 2 years, 330 days remaining
