Chapter 80 – Excellence Camp – Outcast VIII

Veiled Forest - Inner Section, 27th of Brightforge, year 315 UC

Bryan stopped a few paces from the water’s edge, the stream’s steady rush carrying through the trees. Early light slanted in thin lines through the canopy, catching the faint mist above the surface. He rolled his shoulders, adjusting the strap of his pack before dropping it beside a moss-covered rock that jutted from the earth like a broken tooth.

“Finally!”

Sabrina let her own pack slide to the ground with a thump, stretching her arms over her head.

“I was starting to think we’d never stop walking. My feet are killing me, and I swear this pack gets heavier every damn hour.”

She rubbed at her lower back with both hands, grimacing as she did.

Christopher crouched by the stream, cupping his hands and splashing cold water onto his face.

“You know it’s only been like three hours, right?”

Sabrina shot him a flat look, her brown eyes narrowing as she planted her hands on her hips.

“No one asked you.”

“You wouldn’t last if we had ten more hours ahead of us.”

Christopher flicked some water from his fingers in her direction without looking up.

“Oh, bite me.”

She muttered, dropping onto a smooth patch of grass.

“Some of us appreciate creature comforts.”

“I just bet you do.”

Her head tilted dangerously, coffee-brown hair falling across one eye.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

Christopher's mouth twitched, the smirk barely contained as he splashed more water on his neck, letting it run down beneath his collar.

“Thought so.”

She dug through her pack, muttering under her breath—something about smart-mouthed mages and where they could shove their opinions.

Bryan followed her glance when she turned toward Alexander. The boy had settled on a fallen log a few strides away, shoulders hunched, both hands gripping his knees.

“You alright there, Alexander? You’re not looking too good.”

Sabrina said, leaning forward slightly.

“I’m… I’m fine.”

Alexander's voice came out strained, and he swallowed hard before continuing. His Adam's apple bobbed visibly, and his tongue darted out to wet cracked lips.

“Just tired is all. And my stomach feels like someone’s wringing it out like a wet towel, but other than that, totally fine.”

He attempted a weak smile that looked more like a grimace, his complexion taking on a grayish tinge that made the dark circles under his eyes stand out even more prominently.

“Right… Sounds pretty fine to me, wouldn’t you agree?”

Sabrina asked, glancing toward Christopher.

“Not even remotely.”

Christopher stood slowly, shaking water from his hands with flicks of his wrists.

“Stay down before you fall down. No point in pretending you’re at full strength when you’re obviously not.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Alexander muttered, lowering his gaze.

“I know I’m being a burden—”

“Burden’s a bit of an understatement.”

Bryan said, his red eyes still fixed on the rippling water where his reflection wavered and reformed with each passing current.

Alexander’s head dropped further.

Farrah's green eyes flashed dangerously as she whipped her head toward Bryan, her dark curls bouncing with the sharp movement. The look she gave him could have melted steel—the kind that told him to shut up without saying it out loud.

“What? You’re all thinking it. No point in denying facts.”

Bryan took a step to the side, scanning the tree line. He didn’t know why they were treating him like a kid. They were all old enough to make their own choices.

But then again, maybe he was being a bit to hard on Alexander. Or, not hard enough. He almost got Farrah killed in that fight against the two-headed snake.

That thought hit a nerve. His hand clenched into a fist at his side, knuckles whitening.

To think he could have lost her because of Alexander’s condition…

He should have made an example out of Alexander right then, should have crushed his beacon himself and sent him back in disgrace. But instead, he'd gone easy, held back by the need to maintain team cohesion. There was only so much he could do without starting trouble with the others.

But that was it. That was all the mercy Alexander would get.

‘Then why don’t you just kill him?’

Bryan’s eyes furrowed at that remark. It was a voice he hadn’t heard before, but sounded like his own. Was it him?

No. That was preposterous.

He wanted Alexander gone, not dead. If he died, it would be from his own mistakes. Bryan wasn’t stupid enough to kill his own teammates, even if one of them deserved it.

“Alexander, you don’t have to apologize.”

Farrah had moved while he was distracted, now kneeling on the damp earth near Alexander's log.

“You’re part of this team, we all make mistakes.”

“Some more than others.”

Bryan quipped from the side.

Her tone sharpened to match his, though she didn't turn to look at him.

“You’re not helping.”

“Never said I was going to help.”

Bryan met her eyes for only a moment when she finally glanced back—just long enough to see the disappointment there—before deliberately looking away. He focused instead on a pattern in the bark of a nearby tree that looked almost like a face if he squinted.

Christopher shook his head, water still dripping from his chin as he straightened fully.

“Dude, you’re the captain. Shouldn’t you, like, set yourself to a higher standard?”

His arms crossed over his chest, the gesture making his disapproval clear.

Bryan crouched by the water, then glanced over his shoulder at him.

“Shouldn’t you all stop coddling him? He’s not a baby, and you’re all being way too protective. If he wanted help, he’d ask for it.”

They could do whatever they wanted. At this point in time, it was beyond him.

He turned back to the water, watching his reflection waver in the gentle current. For a moment, the image seemed to shift—the white-haired, red-eyed boy becoming someone else. The features were similar to his own but older, more refined, with thin-framed glasses perched on a narrow nose. The reflection's lips moved as if speaking words Bryan couldn't hear.

He blinked hard, and it was gone. Just his own face staring back, distorted by the water's movement.

“Bryan?”

The voice came from directly behind him, closer than he'd expected. He turned to find Farrah watching him from barely an arm's length away, her head tilted slightly as she studied his expression.

‘How long has she been there for?’

He wondered.

Her green eyes held that particular intensity she got when she was trying to puzzle something out.

“I asked if you wanted to check the perimeter before we settle in.”

“Right. I’ll get right on that.”

He rose to his feet in one fluid motion, brushing dirt from his knees.

Her hand caught his arm before he could step away.

“You… are you alright?”

Her eyes searched his face, looking for something—what, he wasn't sure. Her thumb moved slightly against his arm.

“I’m fine. Be back in ten.”

Her grip loosened immediately, her hand falling away as hurt flashed across her features before she masked it.

Bryan moved into the forest without looking back, though he could feel her gaze following him until the trees swallowed his form.

There was nothing beyond the site of their camp, the clearing was quiet. Bryan found it calming just listening to the leaves move in the slight breeze. Not even the chirp of birds could be heard.

He completed a wide circuit around their camp, checking for beast tracks or signs of other teams, but found nothing. Bryan found it to be odd that there was nothing around, especially a source of water. It was as if the entire site was devoid of any life except their own.

His thoughts kept returning to yesterday's fight, replaying the moment when the two-headed snake had struck Farrah. He could still hear the crack of her bone breaking, see the blood running down her arm, remember the surge of rage that had nearly consumed him.

His teeth clenched hard enough to make his jaw ache. That should never have happened. He should have protected them. Protected her.

A sharp punch to a nearby tree left a dent in the bark.

‘Never again.’

He couldn't protect everyone, couldn't control every variable. But he'd be damned if he'd let Alexander's weakness endanger Farrah again.

He returned to find Christopher seated around a small fire he'd built in Bryan's absence. The flames crackled cheerfully, smoke rising in a thin column that dispersed in the breeze. They weren’t going to camp here, this was merely a stopping point before continuing forward.

But, now was a better time than not to address the group.

He had something to get off his chest, and carrying it around just was not going to sit well with him.

“Alright, gather round.”

Bryan called out to the group as he made his way to a small boulder that gave him a clear view of the area. He sat on it while waiting for the others to find their own spots.

“We aren’t stopping here, but before we do anything else we should conduct an after-action review of yesterday’s fight.”

Sabrina groaned, tipping her head back.

“Do we have to? I mean, we won, right? Dead snake, shiny cores, everyone mostly intact. Isn’t that what matters?”

She gestured vaguely with one hand, the other pressed against her forehead like she had a headache.

“Sure, we won. But barely, and I don’t like that. Neither should you.”

Bryan told her.

“Let’s just get this out of the way. I mean, we never did talk about the fight. We can learn from it.”

Farrah said.

Bryan nodded once, appreciating the support even if he didn't acknowledge it directly.

“Good, because we’re doing this no matter if you want to or not.”

He let that sink in for a moment before continuing.

“First things first — what happened?”

Bryan asked.

“You mean when the snake attacked?”

Sabrina asked.

“Or when Alexander was walking across the bridge?”

She made exaggerated thinking gestures, tapping her chin with one finger.

“Can’t you take this seriously?”

Christopher's stick paused in its stirring of the fire, his dark eyes fixed on Sabrina.

“I am!”

Sabrina shot back.

“So, we got attacked by a two-headed snake.”

Her tone suggested this was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Who was the first to see it?”

Bryan kept his voice level, refusing to rise to her bait.

“‘See’ is pretty strong here, but I definitely heard something and noticed a shadow. I mentioned it, but you said you didn’t see anything. None of us actually saw it till the snake dropped down.”

Farrah said.

“I checked, sensed nothing. Even extended my own senses out, but there wasn’t anything out there that seemed dangerous or had an ether signature.”

Bryan replied.

“So, that means it was able to conceal itself?”

Alexander asked.

“I wouldn’t want to say that, but… yeah. Must have had a way.”

Bryan agreed.

Christopher tossed a small rock to the side, where it clattered against others.

“So what, that was the other ability we were looking out for?”

“Probably, yeah.”

Bryan confirmed with a slight nod.

“We were all fighting the snake, so none of us paid attention to the disturbance in ether, did we? I mean, I saw it so I wasn’t paying that any mind. Do we even know if it had a signature?”

Farrah asked as she crossed her arms.

“No. Never checked.”

Alexander stated.

“Can we stop calling it the snake? It has to have a name right?”

Sabrina interjected suddenly, waving her hand for emphasis.

“More than likely.”

Christopher answered.

“Then have we figured out what exactly it was yet? I mean, someone has to know by now, right?”

Bryan shook his head slowly, noting the others doing the same. The creature's unusual characteristics—two heads with different abilities, the white coloration, the combination of venom and fire—didn't match anything from their studies.

“Then I vote we call it Bobby.”

Sabrina announced with the confidence of someone proposing something perfectly reasonable.

“Bobby…?”

Bryan stared at her, certain he'd misheard.

“Yes. Did I stutter?”

Sabrina asked as she raised her chin slightly.

“No, it’s just… why would you want to call it Bobby?”

The absurdity of naming a deadly B-rank monster like it was a pet made his head hurt.

Bryan thought about it for a second then shook his head.

“You know what, nevermind. Sure, Bobby. Not like it matters.”

Sabrina made a fist and pulled it down in a gesture of victory, grinning like she'd won something important.

“So, we know we were attacked by Bobby…”

Bryan paused as he felt that name was wrong on so many levels for such a beast before he continued speaking.

“What was supposed to happen?”

He asked.

“Easy. We were supposed to cross the fallen tree to get to the other side.”

Alexander answered.

“And that worked out fantastic, didn’t it?”

Sabrina said as she walked in front of the fire towards the spot Alexander was seated.

“It did, we’re all alive aren’t we?”

Christopher commented.

Alexander gave a weak smile as he shifted to make room for Sabrina on his log.

Bryan snapped twice drawing their attention. He needed to stop them from going on a tanget and getting off track.

“So—we were supposed to cross the bridge, but we got interrupted by… Bobby. What went right?”

Sabrina snorted derisively, examining her nails.

“Absolutely nothing.”

Christopher shot her a sideways glance.

“We had decent communication. Considering we were outmatched.”

“Yeah, he’s right on that. We were calling out commands, asking the right questions to one another, and generally stayed in a good position.”

Farrah added, tucking a stray curl behind her ear as she spoke.

“We could have played that fight better though.”

Christopher said.

“Hindsights 20-20. We can’t change the past, only the future.”

Sabrina commented.

“I mean—unless you’re a mage with time abilities. Then you could.”

She added with a shrug.

“Too bad neither one of us has that ability.”

Christopher retorted.

“Would have saved us a hell of a lot of trouble.”

Sabrina agreed, leaning back and nearly losing her balance on the log before catching herself.

“We could talk about what we could have done differently, or we can continue with this review as we should. Now, anymore side comments?”

Bryan asked the group before those two could spiral again.

“No? Then what went wrong?”

Alexander exhaled slowly.

“I was in direct line of sight of the… of Bobby.”

Alexander's voice dropped as he forced himself to say the ridiculous name.

“And I… froze.”

Alexander said.

“You made first contact, but you weren’t in the right condition to face it. None of us were if I’m being honest.”

Farrah said.

“But I’m the one that put everyone else in danger. We didn’t even get into the right positions because of me.”

He looked up at Bryan, meeting his eyes for the first time since they'd stopped.

“I mean… Bryan charged at the thing, that should not have been his job. We have roles for a reason, and I didn’t do my part.”

Bryan bit back the comment forming in his head—that Alexander wouldn’t have been much help even at full strength. The boy already knew he was a liability. What he needed was a way not to be one, and that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.

‘Only a few more days.’

Bryan told himself.

Soon, the official term would start, and he wouldn’t have to be anywhere near him—or the rest of the team. Maybe then there’d be enough freedom to do his own thing without constant interference. No one to bother him. No one to annoy him.

Only a few more days. He could hold out until then.

“It wouldn’t have mattered.”

Christopher's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

“I would not have been able to tank that thing. Honestly, if it wasn’t for Bryan, I’m not sure we would have lasted.”

“Ha. Speak for yourself—I blasted that thing”

Sabrina said with a smirk.

“Only because it couldn’t hold a barrier and use spells at the same time. Even physically it was stronger than any of us. I don’t believe we were meant to survive that encounter.”

Christopher said.

“Way to drown the mood.”

Sabrina told him.

Christopher shrugged.

“Just being realistic. We got lucky. Switch Bryan out with anyone else at this camp, and how do you think we would have done?”

Sabrina went silent at that. Her fingers drummed against her thigh as she stared off into the distance.

“While I’m all one for praise, we each played a part. Bryan can’t have all the credit. Honestly, aren’t we more surprised he didn’t just go full lone wolf mode?”

Farrah asked them.

That got a laugh out of Alexander.

“True.”

Christopher and Sabrina agreed at the same time.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Bryan raised an eyebrow, though he knew exactly what they meant.

“Oh, you know.”

Farrah's teasing tone was accompanied by an innocent expression that fooled no one.

Bryan looked away from her. He did have a tendency to operate alone when possible.

“There was a lot that we could have done better with during that fight. But as Sabrina said, we can’t change the past, so let’s not dwell on it too much. I’ll just point out a few things I noticed, and then if everyone is rested we can keep moving.”

“Do we really need to though? I mean, we’re probably leagues ahead of the others by now. You think we should keep pushing?”

Sabrina asked.

Bryan considered her point. Based on the number of cores they'd obtained—the twenty from the puzzle plus what they'd gathered from hunting—they had a significant haul. With a B-rank core from the snake as the crown jewel of their collection, they should easily rank first or second among the teams.

Yet, Bryan did not want to stop. He felt it during the last fight.

He could do better. He knew it with bone-deep certainty.

Wasn’t he already complaining that the holograms weren’t cutting it for him anymore? That his progress had slowed to a crawl?

Being in a real fight with actual stakes—that would push his limits, force his stats higher. He might even unlock a new spell if the pressure was sufficient.

But beyond personal growth, Bryan was curious about the other teams. Had anyone else made it this far into the forest? To find out, he'd have to reach the center, where paths would naturally converge.

“She’s right Bryan. We could just camp here for the day, wait it out. It’s the last day anyway.”

Farrah's agreement with Sabrina felt like a small betrayal, though he knew she was just being practical.

“Stay then if you want, I’m going on ahead.”

Bryan told her.

“No way dude. A B-ranked monster. B!”

Christopher's emphasis on the rank made his stick pause mid-poke in the fire, sending a shower of sparks upward.

“You can’t handle something like that alone, no matter how strong you think you are.”

Christopher said.

“If you’re dead set on going, then we have to go.”

“You know I could just always break my beacon if I get into trouble, right?”

Bryan told him.

Christopher looked at the others, who all shook their heads in immediate, synchronized denial. Even Alexander managed to participate in the gesture despite his condition.

“Knowing you, I doubt that.”

Bryan couldn't argue with that. The thought of admitting defeat by crushing the beacon was almost physically repulsive to him. He'd rather face whatever the forest threw at him than accept that kind of failure.

"Look, Bryan."

Farrah stood, brushing dirt from her knees as she moved closer to his boulder.

"We're not saying we should give up entirely. But we need to be smart about this. Alexander can barely stand, let alone fight. You and I both took damage yesterday—"

"We healed."

Bryan interrupted.

"That's not the point."

Her hands moved as she spoke.

"Healing doesn't erase exhaustion. It doesn't replenish ether reserves. And it definitely doesn't mean we're ready for another fight with something that dangerous."

She was close enough now that he could see the concern written in every line of her face, the way her brows drew together, the slight downturn of her lips.

"Besides…”

Sabrina added from her spot on the log.

"What's waiting for us in the center that's so important? More monsters? Other teams looking for a fight? We've already got enough points to win."

"You don't know that."

Bryan's response was immediate.

"We don't know what the other teams have accomplished. They could have found something better than our puzzle. They could have taken down multiple B-rank creatures."

"Or they could all be dead."

Alexander's quiet voice cut through the argument, making everyone turn to look at him.

He was even paler than before, if that was possible.

"That snake... Bobby... it almost killed us. What if the others encountered something similar? Or worse?"

"All the more reason to check."

Bryan said after a moment.

"If other teams are in trouble, we should know about it."

"Since when do you care about other teams?"

Sabrina's eyes narrowed as she stared at him.

Bryan didn't answer immediately. The truth was, he didn't particularly care about the other teams. But the instructors were evaluating everything—including how they handled knowledge of other teams in distress. Ignoring potential emergencies wouldn't reflect well on their leadership scores.

But he couldn't say that.

"It's not about caring."

He said finally.

"It's about information. Knowing what happened to them tells us what we might face. Their failures become our advantages."

Christopher snorted.

"That's the most 'Bryan' answer you could have given."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Bryan's eyes narrowed.

"It means you always think ten steps ahead but forget we're not all machines."

Christopher gestured at Alexander with his stick.

"Look at him. Actually look."

Bryan did. Alexander was trembling more noticeably now, his hands shaking so badly he'd clasped them together to try to hide it. His breathing was shallow, labored, and there was a greenish tinge to his complexion that suggested nausea was winning its battle with his determination.

"I can make it."

Alexander said weakly, trying to straighten up. The movement made him sway dangerously, and Sabrina had to grab his shoulder to steady him.

"No, you can't."

She said firmly, her usual playfulness completely absent.

"And you shouldn't have to pretend you can."

"But if Bryan wants to go—"

Alexander started.

"Then Bryan can wait."

Farrah stated.

"One day. That's all we're asking. Let Alexander rest, let everyone recover properly, and then we can push to the center tomorrow if you still think it's necessary."

"The trial ends tomorrow at sunset."

Bryan reminded her, not moving from his perch on the boulder.

"Then we leave at dawn. That gives us the full day to reach the center and deal with whatever we find."

Her green eyes held his.

"Unless you really are planning to go alone?"

She knew him well enough to understand that leaving his team behind would reflect poorly on his evaluation, regardless of his personal success. The instructors valued teamwork, even if Bryan himself struggled with it.

Bryan could feel all their eyes on him, waiting for his decision.

His fingers drummed against his knee as he considered. Every instinct screamed at him to keep moving, to push forward while they had momentum. The restlessness under his skin was like an itch he couldn't scratch, a need for action that sitting still only made worse.

But Farrah was right about the practical concerns. And more importantly, she was right about the optics. Abandoning an injured teammate to pursue personal glory would earn him no favors with the instructors.

"Fine."

The word came out like it had been dragged from him.

"We rest here for the day. But we leave at first light tomorrow, and I don't want to hear any complaints about the pace."

Sabrina let out a breath she'd apparently been holding.

"Thank god. I thought we were going to have to tie you to a tree or something."

"You could try.”

Bryan's replied..

"Don't tempt me."