The Cornflower Witch Chapter 92

Chapter 92

Assessment Begins

“Giddy up—”

Cavalrymen in black light armor led the way, charging onto the road across the plains, followed by several carriages, heading towards Waterstone Town.

Inside the carriages, young cadets either rested with their eyes closed or checked their weapons and equipment. Since this was a crucial assessment, everyone felt a mix of nervousness and solemnity.

At five in the afternoon, the convoy arrived at Waterstone Town to rest for the night. The next morning, they would proceed to a location about 15 li outside Waterstone Town for the assessment.

The ground floor hall of the inn.

Hylial, Mick, Komia, Kaelen, and Lei sat at one table, while other tables were also occupied by cadets. They enjoyed a hearty dinner, discussing the next day’s situation.

Even those who didn’t know the assessment content had a general understanding of the process by now.

“Tomorrow’s first objective will definitely be to find something,” Komia explained while sipping sweet honey water.

“The second objective will probably be to kill a first-order monster.”

“As for the third objective, it is said to be very difficult, and very few people ever complete it.”

“Doesn’t sound too hard,” Mick mumbled, munching on bread.

“A first-order monster, and it’s not hard?” Komia tilted her head, looking at the young man.

“Don’t you remember that day when we were chased through the forest by that huge wild boar and almost had an accident?”

“That’s because we weren’t first-order back then, so we couldn’t beat it.” Mick swallowed his bread, his words becoming clearer. He gripped the steel sword on the table, gauging his strength.

“It’s different now,” he said with a hint of calm confidence.

“Phew, never mind, I won’t argue with you.” Komia shook her head. She would probably be satisfied with just completing the first objective.

At her current stage, facing a first-order monster was still very dangerous. If her ‘Illusionary Eye’ didn’t work, she didn’t have Hylial’s physical prowess to escape.

“What about Kaelen?”

“I think I’ll try for the second objective,” Kaelen replied after some thought.

“Kaelen is a hunter, so that makes sense.” Hunters are experienced in dealing with monsters in the wild. Even if they can’t directly overpower them, they can use traps and their knowledge of the monsters’ habits and weaknesses to find a way to cope.

“Lei.” Komia glanced at her companion, who had been silently eating. She felt that asking him wouldn’t yield any interesting answers.

“Forget it, Lei just needs to do his best.”

“Hylial, what about you?” Finally, Hylial, who had been quietly eating, looked up when her name was called.

“Me, I’ll see what the three objectives are first. If I can do them, I’ll try my best to complete them.” She had been contemplating how to choose if she encountered Iona.

Through their conversations over the past few days, she had gradually understood the importance of this assessment to Iona. If Iona wanted to revive her family and rescue her relatives, entering the Hidden Grove was the most probable method, though also a highly dangerous one.

Should she give the opportunity to Iona? But then, where would her own pursuits and aspirations fit in?

“Hylial is the most amazing in my heart.” Komia raised a finger, but when her words were heard by people at a nearby table, some snickering followed.

The other party didn’t openly mock them, but the low whispers and disdainful glances still annoyed them slightly.

Komia immediately wanted to go over and argue, but Kaelen held her back.

“Forget it, tomorrow we’ll have our answers. Save your energy and strength.”

“Ugh, alright.” Komia lowered her small fist. In truth, she didn’t genuinely want to fight these people; after all, she couldn’t beat them alone. But silently enduring it didn’t align with her character.

Mick, while eating, exchanged glances with Solin at the next table. The two looked at each other for a while, and even without words, they communicated.

This was their time to decide who was superior.

At the last table, Iona wore a dark red short hunting skirt, with sturdy leather beneath the vibrant fabric—a light armor that was both stylish and practical, and wouldn’t hinder her agility. Additionally, Iona had two swords hanging at her waist, giving her a capable and swift appearance.

Tonight, she wasn’t in the mood to socialize with the cadets at her table. After dinner, she held a small glass of red wine, seemingly in thought, lost in a daze.

With their own thoughts, the cadets finished their last meal before the assessment and returned to their rooms to rest.

…

The next day, several carriages passed through the morning mist and arrived at a mountain forest. The carriages then stopped, and people disembarked one after another.

“Is this the place?” Viscount Xuefeng, dressed in a proper silk suit today, stood still, his gaze fixed on the misty mountain forest in the distance.

“Yes, my lord.” A second-order professional hunter approached him to report. The hunter also had a sharp-eyed gray falcon perched on his shoulder.

“After you gave the notice a few days ago, I gathered the nearby villagers and temporarily sealed off this forest, preventing outsiders from entering or exiting.”

“However, according to the villagers, an adventure team entered the forest a few days ago and hasn’t returned yet.”

“That’s fine, you’ve worked hard, Dean.” Viscount Xuefeng raised his hand, expressing his gratitude. The hunter then retreated and continued to observe the situation from the side.

Shortly after, attendants set up a platform on the grass and placed tables and chairs, allowing Viscount Xuefeng and Scholar Hyde to be seated.

Around eight in the morning, some of the mountain mist dissipated, and a Black-Crowned Magpie flew out, circling above the group for a while before dropping a scroll.

An attendant picked up the scroll and presented it to Viscount Xuefeng.

Soon, the accompanying instructors gathered the cadets, first explaining the various rules of the assessment, and then began to announce the objectives.

“This assessment is crucial and exceptionally dangerous. Anyone who is timid may withdraw in advance.” The cadets looked at each other, but no one spoke or withdrew.

Having come this far, they had already made up their minds.

“Very well, I will now announce the three objectives of this assessment.”

“The first objective: you must obtain fluid from a hidden spring in the mountain forest. It is a sweet water spring, shrouded in mist, with a faint ‘Mist Shadow’ affinity.”

“The second objective: you must kill an anomalous monster in the forest, at least a ‘first-order’ monster.”

“The third objective: on the mountain cliffs in the forest, a ‘Blood Strange Flower’ blooms. You must pluck it and bring it back, but be warned, the flower is located in an extremely treacherous spot, is highly poisonous, and may be guarded by other anomalous creatures.”

“Bringing back the assessment objective will be considered completion of the task. If you fail to return midway, it will still not be considered completed.”

“Completing one objective will earn you a reward from the Viscount. You should act according to your ability, as there will be no assistance in the forest. Even if you are injured and unable to move, you will have to wait until three days later, after the assessment ends, before anyone might come looking for you.”

“Alright, that concludes the explanation. If you have any questions, you may ask them now.” After the instructor’s words, everyone started discussing amongst themselves.

“Instructor, can we form teams for the assessment to complete the task?”

“You can form teams, but your starting locations are determined by drawing lots, so you may not necessarily start together.”

“Instructor, if a monster is killed, does the entire team get credit for completing the objective?”

“No, killing one monster only counts as one person completing the objective. Furthermore, I must remind you that this forest is vast and shrouded in mist. It will not be easy to find even one of them.”

“Instructor, for the third objective, is it possible to encounter monsters higher than ‘first-order’?”

“I can’t guarantee that,” the instructor shook his head.

“So, we might encounter exceptionally dangerous enemies,” the cadets whispered among themselves.

“One last question, Instructor. What if we have conflicts or even attack each other in the forest?” someone cautiously asked.

“As long as no one reports it, no one will investigate,” the instructor said, giving them a meaningful look.

“Such assessments have been going on for thousands of years. Any problems you can think of encountering now have countless precedents.”

“I want to tell you that the world is cruel, and not all environments are as stable and peaceful as in Burntstone City. Even if you don’t encounter it in the assessment, you will eventually face it in the future.”

“Protect yourselves, make choices carefully, and find the correct path in a complex and ever-changing environment.”

“This will be a challenge you will face throughout your life.”

“Alright, the assessment now begins. Everyone, draw lots for your starting location.”

(End of Chapter)