Zefirus Star System – Planet Aetherion
10 Kilometers Northeast of Stormclaw Outpost – Helion Forest
Training Camp – Local Time: 27:00
In the training camp nestled deep within Helion Forest, just an hour before midnight, the soft blue glow of Helion and the pale light of Kronis illuminated the dense woodland. Lynx, a member of the Velocironix Semdralak species, was undergoing intense training alongside her team, approximately ten kilometers from Stormclaw Outpost, under the supervision of their captain, Kireal.
Their squad consisted of eleven members, but with Captain Kireal and his second-in-command, Ryskar, observing from a distance, only nine were actively participating in this trial.
The objective was simple: after dispersing into the forest, each trainee had one hour to return to camp with at least three tags—collected either by tracking others or defeating them in combat. The first to return would be declared the victor; the rest would be considered failures. On top of that, they had to avoid dangerous flora scattered throughout the forest.
Lynx, however, began to experience some... complications just a few hours into the exercise.
As I moved through the forest depths, I paid close attention to every sound beneath my feet.
I had been wandering this training ground for hours, and I was starting to accept the possibility that I might actually be lost.
Sweat rolled down my face, and the creeping sensation of disorientation frayed my nerves.
Helion's blue light filtered through the canopy in thin strands, offering brief glimpses of the forest floor—but the shadows it cast made everything appear vague and threatening.
If we were allowed to use our armor, this would've been a walk in the park.
But Captain Kireal loved making things difficult.
As I continued tracking, I also had to stay alert for any hazardous plants nearby.
Kronis's silver light softened the shadows, but ironically, that made Helion's glow paint the forest with deeper contrast—pockets of oppressive darkness where anything could be hiding.
I tried to sharpen my senses—eyes and ears on edge—because a single mistake could cost me this mission.
The worst part?
Still no sign of the others.
I needed to push harder.
I kept moving in silence, feeling like I was walking in circles.
No matter where I went, everything looked the same.
I remembered reading somewhere that many of the plants in Helion Forest had developed bioluminescence due to prolonged exposure to Helion's blue rays.
So why the hell was it so dark here?
It was maddening.
This was supposed to be my chance to prove how much I'd improved—to impress Captain Kireal.
But if this kept up, I'd only end up embarrassing myself.
"System, what time is it?" I asked silently.
A few seconds later, a calm response echoed in my mind:
"The time is now 04:00."
Maybe I should rest for a moment.
As I looked around for a place to sit, I noticed something—a faint ripple in the air.
The undergrowth beneath the shadow oaks was known to be dark even during the day.
So what was that movement?
I moved slowly and cautiously toward the ripple.
A shiver ran through me as I stepped into the darkness—there was no light at all.
Still, I pressed forward.
And then, all at once—
It was as if I had pulled back a curtain.
The entire area lit up like midday.
So suddenly that my eyes burned.
It took me a few seconds to adjust.
When I finally could see again, I looked around.
Glowing trees and luminescent plants filled the space.
This... this was the true heart of Helion Forest.
How had I missed it?
The area was bathed in radiant light—yet until just a moment ago, I hadn't seen any of it.
Unless...
I quickly scanned my surroundings.
Sure enough, I spotted several clusters of pale blue flowers sprouting from the soil.
Mirage Blue.
A rare plant species that bends light and hides everything around it through optical illusion.
"Fucking flowers," I muttered to myself.
They'd made me miss the actual entrance to the forest for days.
Still, I needed to collect some—they'd be useful in training.
Once crushed and applied, Mirage Blue could generate a two-meter-wide field of optical illusion for up to five hours.
In short: I'd become like the flowers themselves—invisible.
Perfect for stealth and ambush tactics.
I couldn't help but grin.
This was an unexpected advantage.
I picked a few clusters and carefully applied the paste to my skin.
