Chapter 159: Small Punches
"I imagine it could be something simple, like a maze, or a scavenger hunt for specific items. Or they might use the harsh terrain to test our survival skills."
Rhodes paused, then added with a grin, "If they wanted to be really nasty, they could throw us all in at once and turn it into a battle royale where only one team makes it to the end. But with so few participants, that seems unlikely."
Truthfully, the first thing that came to Rhodes's mind was the Forest of Death from a certain other studio's ninja exams. But that kind of brutal competition didn't align with Fairy Tail's spirit. The guild wouldn't go that far.
Cana blinked at him. She had no idea how Rhodes came up with such terrifying scenarios. Thank goodness the guild hadn't used any of those methods in past exams.
"Well... I doubt the first stage will be that intense," she said.
"Yeah, same here," Rhodes agreed. "But still, we can't ignore the possibility that we might end up facing off against other teams."
He crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"Starting tomorrow, we need to gather intel—especially on Mest. I don't know anything about him, and charging in blind could get us eliminated fast. After that, we'll come up with strategies to deal with each team—or multiple teams if needed."
He turned to Cana. "Also, the terrain of Clover Canyon will play a huge role. I've still got that topography data from before. I'll sort through it tonight and pass it along tomorrow."
"Uh... okay." Cana nodded, though she looked a little dazed. Is all this really necessary just for the first stage?
Rhodes caught her look and shrugged. "Hey, you said the first stage wouldn't be that hard—so I figure, just this level of prep is enough for now. We'll adjust when we have more intel."