I had to eat my words about the day being boring.
When I arrived at the training field, I was caught off guard.
And I wasn't the only one.
Victor looked the same, and even the inscrutable Number 7 looked slightly shocked by the sight before us.
The field wasn't empty as usual. It wasn't even filled with weapons. Instead, it was packed with cages, each one holding a monster.
I was very curious about where those monsters came from.
Had they been captured outside, or were there breeding facilities?
The first option seemed more likely, but the second couldn't be ruled out.
As usual, Ronald, accompanied by Instructor Jin,probably for safety reasons, began explaining our new training.
"You've trained enough. Today, you will kill your first monster."
He paused, scanning our faces.
"These monsters were captured two days ago. Since then, they haven't been fed. Once we open the cages, they'll attack you without hesitation, trying to kill you."
Ronald's words didn't surprise me.
I was only surprised they had decided to make us kill so soon.
Around me, everyone wore different expressions, but one emotion dominated: fear.
"You'll be called one by one. During the fight, no one is allowed to interfere. If you try to save one of your comrades, you will be stopped by Instructor Jin and punished afterward."
That last statement stopped me. I had thought Instructor Jin was here for our safety, apparently, it was the exact opposite.
I knew the organization was brutal, but wasting months of training like this?
It felt a bit illogical.
Maybe they believed we were all capable of defeating a monster in a one-on-one fight?
"Number 16, step forward."
Victor was about to move, but he stopped, visibly confused.
I probably had the same dumb expression on my face.
Apparently, they were starting from the bottom.
Number 16, a boy of about thirteen with black hair and eyes and a lean build, stepped forward, trembling.
Ronald didn't wait for him to be ready. He tossed him his weapon, a sword and had one of the cages opened.
A small goblin came out, one of the weakest monsters, but still a threat to beginners like us.
The goblin's eyes were bloodshot, and without a moment's hesitation, it lunged at the nearest target with a short sword in hand.
Number 16 tried to steady himself, but the goblin's sudden charge and killing intent left him paralyzed.
That was all it took.
The goblin closed the distance and stabbed the boy in the thigh.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Number 16's scream tore through the silence of the training field.
He fell to his knees, and from that position, he managed to swing his sword downward, slashing open the goblin's chest in a desperate attempt.
I noticed how, in his fear, he had completely forgotten to use his element.
Fortunately, he had won, or so it seemed.
The goblin didn't stop.
If anything, it became even more ferocious and bit Number 16 with all its strength.
It ripped a chunk of flesh from his throat, savoring the taste for the first time after days of starvation.
The boy tried to stop the bleeding with one hand, but the wound was too severe.
He turned toward the instructors and toward us.
"H…elp… I don't want to die…"
Tears and mucus covered his face as the goblin continued eating him while he was still alive.
"It… hurts… please…"
The scene had become truly horrifying.
The boy was already dead, yet no one moved, myself included.
I felt a little sorry, but nothing more.
From the outside, I might have seemed like a monster, and maybe that was true.
But I didn't know him, and I could easily end up the same way very soon.
So my concerns lay elsewhere.
I analyzed the goblin's speed, strength, vitality, and pain tolerance.
Once Number 16's death was confirmed, Ronald killed the goblin and had the bodies removed to prepare for the next fights.
No one showed sadness for the loss of a comrade, only fear of being next.
After the first victim, everyone's focus sharpened, and there were no more deaths, only a few injuries.
I began to think that starting from the weakest was a way to limit losses and surprises.
If someone had to die, it was better if it was the least useful one.
That was surely their logic.
In simple terms, Number 16 probably would have survived if he had fought last or even second.
But risking someone like Victor? Eclipse had no intention of losing such a valuable asset.
This situation reminded me once again of the cruelty of this place…
And so the remaining fights followed one after another.
In particular, Number 7 faced two goblins at once, killing one with a single katana strike and the other with a shard of ice that slit its throat.
It was a flawless and swift fight.
"Number 33, step forward!"
I nodded and prepared myself, bow already drawn, an arrow ready to be released.
While waiting, I checked the position of my daggers one last time to make sure I could grab them without looking.
As soon as the cage opened, three goblins rushed out, immediately targeting me, drool dripping from their mouths.
I didn't get caught off guard and shot the one in front in the leg to limit its movement.
The other two, despite their injured companion, kept charging, this time watching me more carefully.
I didn't panic.
I was an archer, and the last thing I needed was shaky hands.
I prepared another arrow as the goblins closed in and released it.
The targeted goblin tried to defend itself, placing its dagger along the arrow's trajectory.
I smiled at the sight.
My wind slightly altered the arrow's path, and instead of hitting the protected point, it pierced the goblin's arm.
It screamed in agony and dropped its weapon.
I didn't let the opportunity slip, I abandoned the bow and lunged at the last goblin, tracking the other two with the wind.
I had only seconds to kill it.
As I closed in, I grabbed my two daggers.
As the goblin prepared for close combat, I threw one dagger to distract it.
The goblin was caught off guard and was struck in the face by the flying blade.
It didn't even have time to recover before I was already in front of it, killing it with a single strike to the heart.
The second and third goblins were closing in, so I quickly retrieved both daggers.
I had no intention of fighting them at the same time.
I threw both daggers again, this time at the goblin with the injured leg.
With its movement impaired, it couldn't dodge, and both blades tore through its throat.
I created distance, making it impossible for that goblin to reach me before dying, leaving only the one with the wounded arm.
I didn't wait idly.
I picked up my bow where I had left it and turned to face it.
This time, instead of changing the arrow's trajectory, I used the wind to send grit into the goblin's face, blinding it momentarily.
The goblin shut its eyes, tearing up, and never opened them again.
An arrow struck precisely between them.
Silence.
I slung the bow over my shoulder, steadying my breathing.
The goblin with the throat wound was still trying to reach me, but eventually, its strength gave out, and it collapsed lifeless on the ground.
I watched it for a moment, once again struck by the monsters' vitality: despite a fatal wound, it had still managed to move.
The adrenaline began to leave my body, replaced by an unnatural calm.
I realized I had just killed for the first time.
I lowered my gaze slightly to my hands, still steady.
Honestly? I felt no guilt.
After what I had just seen… it would have been hypocritical.
And yet…
The moment when my blade pierced the first goblin's heart came back to me.
The resistance of the flesh, the exact instant it gave way.
It wasn't remorse.
I was just surprised.
Surprised at how easy it had been to take a life.
And how, most likely, it would only become easier.