After eliminating all the variables in the exam, I lingered nearby and lured a pack of mutated carnivorous rabbits toward the area to ensure that no trace of me would remain.
These mutated rabbits were omnivorous, feeding on both meat and grass, but after their mutations, some had developed the ability to clean off blood and even consume bones. They were the perfect janitors for this mess that Moriarty had created.
Wally could have cleaned it up as well, but I didn't want to use him in a situation like this when I had nature itself ready to assist me.
"According to Syl's location — she dropped far enough from us — I believe we have a bit more time before he finds us," I said, scanning the area from atop a tree.
There weren't many cadets in the vicinity. Most were either hunting or gathering resources, so they were unaware of me observing them.
"Tom uses a bow and arrows as his primary weapons... We can head to that cavern," Moriarty, in his soul form, pointed toward an area south of our location.
"He's a hunter," I reminded him. "If we fight him in a dark cavern, we won't even see him. The first thing he'll do is take out the lights — and then we're dead. The best move is to find an open area without trees. He's accurate and precise with his shots; trees would only hinder us."
"You just said you wanted him on your side. Why don't we talk to him first?" Moriarty asked.
"The best way to befriend a hunter is to defeat them in battle... There is another way, but I won't elaborate on that," I replied.
"Oh... Yeah, I got that. Stop thinking about it," Moriarty muttered after realizing what I meant, before grumbling to himself, "Racists..."
In the distance, we spotted three towering brutes marching through the cavern entrance. Their huge bodies were covered in broken armor old iron plates, bones, and rough leather strapped over their scarred green skin. Heavy weapons hung in their hands, large axes and thick blades that looked more like chunks of metal than proper swords. Skulls, teeth, and scraps of fur dangled from their belts. Their jaws jutted forward with sharp tusks twisted into snarls, and their small, wild eyes glinted beneath rough iron helmets as they lumbered forward.
"Oh... That's an orc hideout... I've got an idea," I said.
"Not your best idea, but it'll work — as long as they don't have too much water inside the cavern," Moriarty replied, catching on immediately.
The reason I left most fights to Moriarty wasn't because I had a no-kill rule — far from it — but because we had developed very different combat styles. Moriarty specialized in full-on offense, using magic and our meta ability, while I focused on a purely defensive style, wielding a saber and handgun as my primary weapons alongside our ability.
However, since we hadn't yet reached the level where we could control the vessel simultaneously, I was supposed to fight Tom myself. Switching control left a momentary gap in our movements — the vessel froze for an instant — so that wasn't an option either.
Perturbatio Perceptionis, Moriarty incanted in his mind before instantly rushing inside the cavern.
The spell he used was a modified version of invisibility — it didn't render the caster invisible but made others naturally avoid looking in their direction. Essentially, it erased their presence from awareness.
As we walked in, rough stone walls rose high around us. The ground was uneven, littered with dirt, bones, and fragments of broken weapons.
Wooden spikes were driven into the ground, tied together with rope to create makeshift fences and barriers. Skulls hung from them like warnings to trespassers. Faded red symbols were painted on the walls, likely the markings of their tribe.
Farther inside, small fires burned in metal bowls, casting an orange glow over piles of furs, crates, and discarded armor. We could hear deep voices echoing through the cavern.
No shamans? I wondered as Moriarty continued to scout the area.
We didn't kill the orcs because they would wear Tom down if he tried to break in. It would also discourage some of the other cadets from approaching, as many of them hadn't formed proper teams yet.
"How do you know he'll come here?" Ryuk asked.
Because of the orcs. Moriarty replied. Hunters can't stand and that isn't human orcs—
CRACK—THWIP—TUNK
Before he could finish his sentence, the sharp crack of a sniper shot rang out. An orc collapsed near us. We quickly took cover by climbing the ladder leading to the bowmen's perch — fortunately, they hadn't pulled it up yet.
"Wally, scan the area. How many people are attacking the hideout?" I whispered.
Snipers don't usually aim for the head right away — they injure targets first to lure their allies in. But orcs didn't care about allies in a fight like this; their minds were consumed only by slaughter. Whoever this sniper was, they clearly knew how to hunt orcs.
"It's a single cadet, sire. He matches the description Miss Krythalon provided," Wally replied grimly.
He's using a sniper…? Since when did he start using a sniper? Moriarty thought, peeking cautiously toward the entrance.
Multiple orcs fell in rapid succession as they charged out of the outpost. Even a bowman beside me dropped in an instant.
It's wet... I thought, observing the skull of the fallen orc beside me. That wasn't a normal bullet hole... He's using water bullets — condensed energy shaped like bullets.
"Screw it, I'll become their shaman for now," Moriarty muttered as he stood up.
Tom was a Water Path aura user. Even though he had eight properties — one of which could counter my meta ability — his only true long-range attack was his sniper.
I couldn't build a wall to block the entrance — that would consume too much mana — so the best strategy was to reinforce the orcs' vital points, making them harder to kill and draining his energy.
Mutatio, Moriarty cast, causing the orcs around us to scream in pain — only to realize the mana flooding their bodies wasn't harming them, but strengthening them.
"Whoops," Moriarty clicked his tongue, realizing his mistake.
The spell hadn't just affected the warriors — it had also empowered the bowmen on the walls. Without hesitation, they jumped down and charged their enemy, ignoring their mutations entirely. Even the orcs behind the gate broke it down from the inside instead of opening it properly, rushing into battle.
"Trust me... I didn't know it would affect all of them," Moriarty tried to explain as I stared at him blankly.
"You do realize he can control the water in their blood, right...? You were supposed to focus on their blood first — but you just mutated their entire bodies!" I argued quietly.
"Both of you, shut up. Remember, he's wearing a blindfold," Ryuk reminded us, clearly irritated.
"Wally, would you kindly turn on some music for the orcs? As loud as possible," I requested, nodding as I understood Ryuk's point.
"As you wish, sire," Wally replied, shifting into his spider form and deploying nanobots equipped with soundboxes.
Within seconds, the cavern was filled with loud orcish battle music — and almost immediately, the sniper shots ceased... but so did the orcs' screams.
"...He turned into mist," I said, watching as white and red mist slowly crept into the cavern. "Blood mist..."
Even though the corpses at the entrance belonged to orcs, the sight of their shriveled, dried-up bodies was unsettling.
"Whoever you are, there's no point in hiding. I know you're not one of those green pests who walk the surface only to dirty it. So why were you helping them?" a voice called from within the mist — transforming into a young man who matched Sylvia's description perfectly.
"You mean the orcs? Isn't there a simpler way to describe them?" I asked back. Although he had taken off his blindfold, he still couldn't quite make out my location, even when I replied loudly, which seemed to confuse him a bit.
"And why are you hunting me?"
"You are Ray Allen? I didn't take you for someone who would help these mindless green wastes of space," Tom replied.
"And I didn't take the great Tom Aldric Vance for someone who would hunt an innocent," I said as I canceled my spell, walked up to the edge of the wall, and signaled Wally to come to me.
We exchanged no more words — both of us knew this conversation had already ended. And without giving each other a second to breathe, we lunged at one another, weapons in hand!