Chapter 22: Ch 22: First day of Test - Part 2
The kid was loud, but the monster approaching was even more deafening in Layla's ears. Her instincts forced her to focus on the beast just around the corner.
"Y-You are ignoring me, right? I will show you-"
The kid ignited a fireball in his hand and threw it toward Layla. But the level of protection enchantments around Layla's camp was higher than the attacker's level.
His fireball did nothing, and that blinded him to rage.
"You little-! Because you blocked one of my attacks, you suddenly think…where are you going?"
The kid asked, but Layla had already turned tails and decided to run away and hide. She activated her invisibility spell, and her body became transparent.
It made her opponent yell out even louder, and he smacked his feet on the ground.
But just as he did that, the giant beast came out of the corner, letting out a terrifying scream. The kid had only a second to live before the beast could tear him apart.
Layla had all intentions of ignoring the kid and the spider-like beast, but she knew she would be next if this kid died.
That was why she used her special invisible threat and commended it with magic to warp around the unknown kid's legs.
Layla pulled the string hard when she saw the spider jump the kid.
It caused the kid to yelp out in fear, but his small wounds were a far better alternative than losing his life.
The spider was a monster with insufficient intelligence to comprehend what had happened. All it knew was that its prey had somehow escaped and that it needed to chase after its target.
Layla used this time to navigate the cave and reach the opening quietly.
Since the spider was busy with the other kid, Layla crawled toward the entrance from the sides.
It was easy enough with the combination of her spell and the distractions, and she finally touched the exit.
Layla took one last look behind, only to see the spider raising its head to crush the kid. The kid lay still, almost as if petrified by his fear.
*Sigh*
"It is not very villainess-like what I am about to do. But I don't want people to be killed for no reason."
Layla still had the chords warped around the kid, so she used her magic to enhance her body and pull the kid.
The spider had enough space between its body and the ground for a thin body to slide through. Layla pulled the petrified kid to the exit before speaking up.
"Run if you want to live. I won't save you a second time."
That was the last warning Layla gave before she ran away as well.
She knew about the spider from her books. It was a creature that would chase after it's prayed until the end of the world.
Layla might have saved the kid, but he was not 'saved' forever. He needed to survive these two days running away from that spider, or he would need to find a way to kill her.
Either way, it was no longer her problem to deal with.
The first half of the first day was finally ending, and the sun shone brightly in the sky. The forest was getting hot, and with this would come the first trouble of this test—heatstroke.
Layla was prepared for it, and she had a plan ready.
She took out the tool she had specifically asked Mary to prepare, a small mole-like thing used to excavate the earth.
The only safe place in this forest was where you could hide your scent among the natural scents. That would significantly reduce your chances of being found out.
Layla had not thought she would need to deploy this tactic so soon. But it seemed as if she no longer had a choice.
The hold this tool dug was big enough for Layla to hide for the remainder of the hot day. She also did not encounter any other creatures.
And once it was night, it was time for her to start searching for the real objective of this test - the orbs that would grant her the top 3 ranks.
'Mary marked up the potential places for me. Out of all these, the one by the riverside seems the safest while the other two are in dangerous places. Should I feel concerned?'
It felt like a trap, but Layla wanted to try the easiest-looking route first.
Even if it were a trap, it might be her only hope. The other two places had too high a density for them to be considered safe.
So, with her decision made, Layla came out of her hiding spot and decided to move.
Her system pinged her as soon as she was out in the open.
[??? is curious about your next move.]
[??? is watching you intently]
[??? Wonders if you are worthy of forming a contract with him.]
The ??? Irritated Layla, she knew no one with that name in the novel.
Even if she wanted to take a guess, the raster was too big for her to point someone out comfortably.
'Let's not worry about it. As long as this person is not an enemy and out to kill me, I feel confident ignoring this notification.'
She was not hurrying to form a contract and get unknown powers. Getting into situations you could not understand without thinking was how one got killed off. Layla had seen far too many people reach their downfall like this.
Layla was not interested in making herself be counted in that number, so she walked away.
[??? is watching your every move.]
'Ugh, this is annoying! I feel like my every move is being watched. But I need to keep moving. But I am sure of one thing. Whatever is looking at me is not human or an enemy. Then, does that mean it is a potential companion I can use?'
Camelia wondered as she kept walking.
Soon, however, she had no time for useless thoughts because she had met her first opponent searching for what she was looking for.
And it was the last person she expected to meet.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone