Simon had only been in the forest for a few minutes, but mental exhaustion was already setting in. Despite pushing forward, there wasn't even a glimmer of the purple egg in sight. The ticking of the pocket watch felt like a countdown to his own failure.
As he reached the edge of a steep slope, his foot suddenly lost its grip on the damp, slick soil. Before he could react, he was tumbling head over heels down the incline. He tried to grab onto something—anything—to stop the momentum, but it was useless. He continued to roll uncontrollably down the rugged terrain, his body colliding with branches and stones in a dizzying blur of dust and pain.
Simon only stopped rolling once he reached the very bottom of the slope. Lying flat on his back, he stared up at the dense canopy of trees that blocked out the sunlight, gasping for air as his heart hammered against his ribs from the shock of the fall. After a moment, a stinging sensation flared on his cheek—a jagged scratch from a sharp branch or stone during his descent.
He scrambled to reach into his pocket and pulled out the pocket watch. His heart sank. 25 minutes had already passed. He had spent nearly half of his allotted hour just tumbling down a hill and recovering from the shock. At this rate, failure was staring him right in the face.
Simon scrambled to his feet, quickly adjusting the sword hilt on his back as he prepared to push forward. But a sudden sensation on his leg made him freeze. Looking down, his eyes widened at the sight of a giant red ant—the size of a domestic cat clambering up his boot.
In a blind panic, he shook it off and scrambled backward, only for another one to drop from the canopy and land right in front of him. When Simon looked up, he saw dozens of these monstrous ants emerging from the hollows of the ancient trees.
"Oh my god..."
He didn't wait around for another second. He spun around and bolted, running for his life. At this point, he couldn't tell if this was a legitimate quest or a death trap. Right now, finding the Totitan egg was the last thing on his mind; he just needed to make sure he didn't end up as ant food.
The giant ants pursued Simon in an eerie, organized line. Whether they were man-eaters or simply defending their territory, Simon didn't stay to find out—the sight of them was enough to make his skin crawl.
As he sprinted, a small stream came into view. Without hesitation, he plunged into the water and waded toward the opposite bank. The water only reached his waist, making the crossing manageable. To his immense relief, the ants stopped at the water's edge. Seeing their prey beyond reach, they eventually turned back and disappeared into the depths of the forest. Simon finally stood on the other side, safe for the moment.
Only after reaching the other side of the stream was Simon finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. As he stood there wringing the water out of his soaked trousers, he remained completely oblivious to the figure approaching him from behind. Its movements were heavy, yet as silent and soft as a cat's tread, leaving no sound of footsteps.
While Simon was bent over, still focused on his wet clothes, he suddenly noticed a massive shadow looming over him on the ground. He spun around in a blur, only to find a Stone Man already raising its jagged stone blade to strike. As the blade swung down, Simon threw himself into a desperate roll to the side, narrowly evading the lethal blow.
Simon drew his sword from his back, bracing himself to parry the heavy stone blade's strikes. Before long, more stone constructs emerged from the shadows, surrounding him. Facing these stone warriors all by himself sent a chill of fear through him.
He focused on dodging their swings. Though their blows were incredibly powerful, their movements were sluggish, giving Simon enough time to react. As he danced between dodging and counter-attacking, he noticed something peculiar: the stone men were deliberately blocking his path to a specific area. The moment he realized they were guarding a fixed spot, it clicked in his mind—just like what Dean had warned him. The Totitan egg had to be right there, hidden behind the very wall they were creating.
Simon sheathed his sword back into its scabbard on his back. He decided to stop fighting; his plan now was to dodge and sprint past them. As the first Stone Man swung its heavy blade at him, Simon twisted his body and deftly evaded the blow. Then, he moved strategically, positioning himself so that the stone constructs would inadvertently strike each other. Since they lacked human intellect and were merely animated constructs, they were easily manipulated.
As the stone constructs collided and stumbled over each other, a path finally opened up for Simon. Not far off, nestled at the base of a massive tree, he spotted it—a glowing purple egg resting in a nest-like structure. Simon couldn't help but grin.
"Found it!"
He navigated past the remaining guardians. When the last stone man blocked his way, leaving no room to dodge sideways, Simon saw his opening. As the construct raised its heavy stone blade to strike, creating a gap in its stance, Simon slid right between its legs and bolted toward the egg at full speed.
Simon finally reached the egg. He didn't just grab it recklessly; mindful of its legendary fragility, he knew even the slightest mishap could end his trial. He scanned the area for something to protect it and spotted a cluster of massive leaves known as Arneery.
These leaves were unique—soft to the touch but exceptionally thick and resilient, making them almost impossible to tear compared to ordinary foliage. It was the perfect natural padding. The softness would cushion the egg, while the thick exterior could withstand minor scratches. Simon felt a surge of gratitude for the hours he'd spent paying attention in Herbology class; that knowledge was finally paying off. Finding these leaves here was nothing short of a stroke of luck.
As Simon prepared to pluck the Arneery leaves, he had no idea he was being filmed by a tiny mechanical dragonfly drone. Outside the forest, Vukasin and the rest of the Exigros team, including Dean, were watching the live feed with rapt attention.
"He's clever. He clearly paid attention in Herbology," the female senior remarked, nodding with her arms crossed. Vukasin remained silent, his unreadable gaze fixed on the screen while his arms stayed folded. He glanced down at his wristwatch—the seconds were ticking away rapidly. Simon was running out of time.
Simon carefully wrapped the egg layer by layer within the Arneery leaves. When he glanced back, he saw the stone constructs lumbering toward him, having already closed the gap. Clutching the egg to his chest as if to protect a small child, Simon bolted in the opposite direction, away from the stony guardians. Now that he finally had the egg, a new realization hit him—the forest was a confusing maze of identical trees and shadows. He had no idea how to find his way back to the entrance.
In the middle of his frantic sprint, Simon forced himself to stop. He realized that running aimlessly would not only fail to lead him to the exit but would also waste the final, precious minutes of his time. Deciding to find the way out with a calm mind, he took a deep breath. He bitterly regretted not leaving any markers on his way in; he had been so consumed by the singular goal of finding the egg that he'd failed to pay attention to his surroundings. Now, he had to rely on his wits to navigate back.
Simon stood still for a moment, scanning his surroundings. He glanced at the sun, which was slowly dipping below the horizon; the forest would soon be swallowed by darkness, and his time was nearly up. He knew that if he didn't think and act fast, failure was inevitable.
"Think... think, Simon..." he muttered to himself. Suddenly, a realization hit him. The training grounds were located right at the back of the castle. If he could just find a high vantage point to spot the castle's rear towers, he would have his heading. Since the forest entrance was situated directly across from the training field, heading straight toward the castle would lead him right back to the start.
Simon quickly realized that climbing with the egg in his arms was impossible, yet leaving it on the ground was far too risky. He had to improvise. Stripping off his grime-covered sweater, he was left in just his t-shirt. He placed the leaf-wrapped egg inside the sweater, using a sturdy vine he found nearby to tie off the bottom hem, creating a makeshift pouch.
After dropping his heavy sword scabbard to the ground to shed extra weight, he looped the sweater's sleeves under his arms and tied them securely across his chest. Now, the egg rested snugly against his back. It wasn't too heavy, which was a relief.
"Okay, just hang in there for a bit, little egg," Simon whispered before beginning his ascent up the towering tree.
The Exigros players were thoroughly impressed as they watched Simon's resourcefulness through the screen. "He's incredibly sharp-witted," they whispered in admiration. Even Vukasin, though his expression remained stoic, had a flicker of approval in his eyes. He hadn't expected the boy to turn his own clothing into a functional carrier.
Meanwhile, Simon was focused on scaling the towering tree. Climbing wasn't foreign to him; he had spent his childhood climbing trees at the orphanage to pluck fruit for his younger siblings. He also relied on the techniques taught to him by Kai. Kai had instructed him never to climb in one continuous burst but to pause for a mere second to ensure a firm grip before moving higher. It was a skill Kai taught him just for fun, but for Simon, it was now a lifeline. He couldn't afford to fall. If he fell, it would be the end for both him and the fragile life resting on his back.
Simon's palms and arms were throbbing with intense pain. For a twelve-year-old who didn't climb trees regularly, this was an incredibly grueling task. He realized now that the grueling sword drills with Dean had been a hidden blessing, giving him the physical endurance needed to scale this giant.
As he struggled upward, he finally breached the canopy, poking his head through the lush leaves. The cool evening breeze hit his face, momentarily refreshing his exhausted spirit. From this vantage point, the majestic castle standing atop the hill was crystal clear. Seeing the rear of the castle perfectly aligned, he finally had his bearings.
"Found it..." he whispered breathlessly. But in that exact moment, the ground groaned and shook violently.
An earthquake? The sudden tremor sent Simon reeling. As he felt himself slipping from the branch, his first instinct wasn't to save himself, but the egg. He frantically swung the makeshift pouch around and clutched it tightly to his chest as he plummeted toward the forest floor.
Simon thought he was dead for sure. But instead of hitting the hard ground, he landed on something incredibly soft. Opening his eyes, he found himself in the center of a gigantic, blooming flower. Looking down, he saw Dean and a female senior player. It was her plant magic that had saved him. The stem of the flower slowly retracted into the earth, shrinking until it became a tiny, ordinary blossom once Simon's feet touched the solid ground.
"Dean... how did you...?" Simon stammered in shock.
"Well, did you really think we'd leave a first-year all alone in these woods?" Dean teased, reaching out to ruffle Simon's messy, curly hair.
"I... I got the egg!" Simon announced.
"Good. Now, have you found the exit? Simon nodded confidently.
"Then we'll see you at the finish line." With that, Dean stepped back into the magical flower with the senior, and they shot up into the sky, vanishing in an instant.
Simon watched them go for a moment before realizing he had to move—and fast. He sprinted toward the rear of the distant castle. Clutching the egg to his chest, he ran with every ounce of strength he had left. Inside his pocket, the frantic "tick-tock" of the pocket watch throbbed against his thigh like a second heartbeat, counting down the final seconds of his quest.
Simon ran. He pushed his body to the absolute limit until the forest exit finally came into view—the very spot where he had started. Captain Vukasin stood there, arms folded, watching intently, while the other Exigros players were shouting at the top of their lungs for him to hurry.
Simon ran, and ran, and ran. Just as the countdown hit 3... 2... and before it could reach 1, Simon burst out of the forest and into the clearing. The entire area erupted in a roar of cheers as he crossed the finish line just in time.
The crowd erupted in cheers around Simon, but a single, low-toned word from Vukasin—"Quiet"—instantly silenced them as they stepped back. Vukasin looked down at the disheveled, blood-streaked boy and commanded, "Show me the egg."
Simon carefully unwrapped the leaves, revealing the pristine, unblemished purple surface of the Totitan egg. Vukasin nodded slowly. "Quest successful."
A wide grin spread across Simon's face, only to vanish when Vukasin added a cold "But." He proceeded to list Simon's failures: forgetting to leave markers, lack of spatial awareness leading to the fall, and forcing the seniors to intervene. Simon's heart sank; he bit his lip, certain he had failed.
"Come by after classes tomorrow," Vukasin said before turning away. "You still have training to do if you want to become a Scarp."
Simon stood there, confused and crestfallen, until Dean and the others welcomed him to the team. "Wait, he didn't disqualify me?" Simon asked, bewildered.
"Not at all!" Dean laughed. "The Captain calling you for training means you're on your way to becoming a Scarp. He's blunt, but when it comes to stuff like this, that's just his way of saying you're in. You'll have to get used to it!"
As Simon held the egg close, a crisp cracking sound echoed through the air. Everyone watched in hushed amazement as a tiny, purple Totitan poked its head out from the fractured shell.
"Oh! It's hatching!" one of the seniors exclaimed. Simon stared down at the little purple creature, whose deep black eyes met his own with a sense of pure wonder. Seeing a newborn Totitan for the first time—and knowing he had risked his life to protect this very egg—filled Simon's heart with an overwhelming mix of joy and emotion.
"Well, now that the little one is here, let's take it back to its mother," Dean said softly. Simon nodded, though his eyes remained fixed on the tiny life in his arms, unable to look away for even a second.
They headed to meet Miss Lora. With the newborn in her care, she led Simon and Dean to the Totitan's nesting grounds by the river. As the two boys watched from a distance, Miss Lora approached the massive creature and gently placed the hatchling into the nest. Seeing the mother nudge her baby with her head, Simon watched the scene in a trance. Then, he spoke up.
"Master, in the future... please don't use any creature's egg for a Quest. Even if you're asked to use them... please refuse."
Miss Lora looked at Simon in genuine surprise. After a moment, a warm smile touched her lips.
"Well, Blackburn... you haven't even attended my class yet, but you've already become my favorite student."
Simon smiled at Miss Lora's words before casting one last look at the mother and child in the nest. At that moment, the physical pain racking his body felt like a small price to pay for such a beautiful sight.
As they walked back, Dean stayed by his side, clearly impressed. "The way you turned your sweater into a makeshift bag for the egg was brilliant. How did you even come up with that?"
Simon scratched his head sheepishly. "Back at the orphanage, I used to make little bags like that for the kids to play with. I never imagined it would come in so handy today."
A brief shadow crossed Dean's face at the mention of the orphanage, but he quickly masked it with a grin. "I truly admire your quick thinking. But before you head to the dorms, you need to visit the infirmary. You look... well, horrible."
Simon nodded. "Thanks, Dean. I couldn't have done this without you." Dean smiled and ruffled Simon's hair one last time.
"Don't mention it. Go on, get some rest."
Simon waved goodbye and headed off. As his figure grew smaller in the distance, Dean slowed his pace to a crawl. He stood there, jaw clenched tight, staring intently at Simon's retreating back.