Forest of Death

As time ticked by, the eighty-nine teams quickly lined up. Once the stadium staff confirmed everyone was ready, Dan Katō waved his arm, leading the entire group to the entrance of the Forest of Death.

The Forest of Death felt like a primordial wilderness. All manner of strange, ancient trees towered into the clouds; even those on the perimeter stood over thirty meters tall, their massive roots coiling across the ground like dragons, appearing twisted and menacing.

The dense canopy formed by thick foliage blocked out the light, casting the forest interior into a deep, deathly silence. It looked eerie, mysterious, and unfathomable, like a bottomless abyss—anyone suffering from claustrophobia would surely feel their scalp tingle at the sight.

The perimeter of the forest was blocked by iron fencing, as if guarding this forbidden zone. Any passerby who accidentally stumbled into this bizarre forest would likely lose their way entirely, with no chance of finding their way out.

In front of the iron fence stood several metal plates painted with maps of the Forest of Death.

By now, most of the examinees had noticed these maps. They crowded around the diagrams on the fence, observing the terrain inside: the swamp zone, the dense forest, the light forest, the hilly region, and the Tower of Death located at the center of the forest. Everything was clearly marked.

After about twenty minutes, the twelve iron gates on the fence were opened by the staff. Behind each gate lay a long passage leading into the forest, each heading in a different direction, clearly intended to scatter the participants.

Dan Katō faced all the teams, pointed toward the forest behind him, and shouted again: "As you can see, this is the 'Forest of Death.' The beasts inside are three times the size of ordinary ones, and their attack power is more than five times greater. Furthermore, if you lose your way in this dense thicket, it is highly likely you will never come out."

"You have not yet stepped into the Forest of Death, so this is your last chance to turn back. But once your feet cross that threshold, you will lose all opportunity to call for help. A step forward means danger; a step backward means safety. The choice that determines your life rests entirely in your own hands!"

Hearing Dan Katō's words, several timid examinees turned pale. They stole one last look at the dark, deep forest, their fear overcoming them until their legs began to tremble and they slowly backed away.

"P-proctor, I... can I withdraw now?"

One examinee, unable to endure the psychological torture of the dark, gloomy atmosphere, raised his right hand and spoke in agony. Once Dan Katō nodded in agreement, he left with a dejected but relieved expression. Seeing this, several other examinees followed suit, leaving the waiting area to head toward the staff rest area in the rear, waiting to be sent back together.

Ten minutes later, all those unable to overcome their fear had departed.

Dan Katō stood before the iron gate, swept his right hand through the air, and said in a soft, feminine tone: "Now, the match begins...!"

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh--"

The moment he finished speaking, countless black shadows erupted from the crowd, flying through the iron gates and into the forest. The silence of the woods was shattered. Some sprinted across the ground, while others leaped between the towering trees, moving with erratic, ghostly agility.

Sato Hideaka charged in with the crowd. He was not accompanied by his original teammates, but by Yuhi Kurenai and Hyuga Ningxiang, who followed closely behind him in a triangular formation.

Since one could qualify by obtaining two different scrolls individually, there was no need to stick to assigned teammates. Rather than finding partners he couldn't trust and had to guard against, it was better to choose two people he knew well.

Yuhi Kurenai, a support-type genjutsu ninja; Hyuga Ningxiang, a sensory-type taijutsu ninja; and himself, a comprehensive ninjutsu specialist. A team of three who trusted each other and had complementary skill sets was far superior to teammates one had to watch even while sleeping.

The only drawback was that they had to seize at least six scrolls, if not more.

Black shadows flickered incessantly through the forest as everyone raced forward. Falling behind meant not only facing sudden attacks from those behind but also encountering the main force or falling into ambushes set by teams ahead. In such a situation, only those at the very front had the power of choice—the right to decide how to engage in battle.

There was only half an hour before the looting could begin.

Sato Hideaka led Yuhi Kurenai and Hyuga Ningxiang through the trees for about ten minutes before suddenly descending to the base of a large tree surrounded by shrubs, with a massive boulder to the side. Seeing this, Yuhi Kurenai and Hyuga Ningxiang jumped down as well.

"Hideaka, why are we stopping? If we fall behind, we'll face even more opponents later!" Yuhi Kurenai stood beside Sato Hideaka, speaking with a hint of anxiety.

"Kurenai, don't worry. The three of us belong to three different teams. Right now, we are all out here individually, and none of us have scrolls. To qualify, we must seize at least six scrolls or more, so we have to face more opponents—that is an unavoidable reality. Right now, I need to discuss our tactics."

Sato Hideaka spoke softly to reassure Yuhi Kurenai. Forming a three-way perimeter with Hyuga Ningxiang, he used a branch to sketch a map on the ground. "I looked at the map earlier. The Tower of Death is due north. Our current path is northward, but that leads to a swamp. None of us are proficient in Water Release, so we must go around."

"The path to the west has hilly terrain, perfect for ambushes. I suspect many of the lead teams are already planning to occupy that area to ambush those following behind. Plus, the path is rugged and difficult. If we spend too much time there and fail to get enough scrolls, we lose. So, we can't go west either."

"That leaves the dense forest to the east. The terrain is relatively easy to traverse, so it will likely be the choice of the majority, meaning a larger pool of scrolls. And if we don't get enough, we can change tactics: head straight to the Tower of Death and wait for the other examinees to arrive."

Sato Hideaka analyzed their route with a calm expression, using the branch to trace the map. The two girls watched his profile and his focused demeanor, becoming somewhat dazed, their sparkling eyes filled with admiration.

"Our team will have me as the main attacker. Ningxiang, use your Byakugan to monitor the surroundings. Kurenai, provide support with genjutsu from the flanks. Ningxiang, your taijutsu can cover Kurenai. With Kurenai's genjutsu and your taijutsu, taking down one opponent shouldn't be a problem. Leave the other two to me!"

"Hey, are you two even listening to me?"

After explaining for a while, Sato Hideaka looked back to see the two girls staring at him blankly, looking completely distracted. He couldn't help but wave his hand in front of their faces and shout into their ears.

"Oh, oh, I know, use the Byakugan to observe the surroundings... Byakugan, activate!"

Hyuga Ningxiang snapped back to reality, stammering through her response. She quickly formed six hand seals, and her eyes suddenly widened. Veins bulged at her temples, making her cute face look somewhat fierce.

"Three people at eight o'clock, two hundred and eighty meters away. Three people at four o'clock, three hundred and twenty meters away. Three people at six o'clock, two hundred meters away. A total of nine people have stopped in the trees around us. Th-their target seems to be us."

Hyuga Ningxiang's tone was panicked; clearly, she was frightened and at a loss, having been targeted by three teams the moment they entered the Forest of Death. Sato Hideaka was surprised, but he realized the reason in an instant.

The average age of the three of them was barely seven. On the surface, they looked like easy targets carrying free scrolls. It was no wonder that even before the exam had officially begun, they had already attracted the attention of three teams.

They were being treated as the soft persimmons to be squeezed first!