From the moment Alex entered the classroom, it looked wrong. Unlike the neat rows of desks in Elderwind's classroom, the classroom for Basic Survival was empty aside from a single large table near the blackboard. All sorts of items filled the table; some Alex recognized, like bandages or a waterskin, others he had no idea what they could be. He knew who was teaching this class, and he wasn't looking forward to it. Zeth, or Professor Rixtor as he should probably call him, didn't mean him harm, but that didn't mean he was comfortable around the assassin.

  That there was no sign of him in the room yet made Alex even more nervous. He wasn't the only one feeling nervous about the professor's absence. The students already in the classroom had grouped up on the opposite side of the room from the blackboard, as far away from the strange table as they could.

  There were a few he recognized from Elderwind's class, like the girl with the ornately braided blonde hair and manicured hands adorned with silver rings, or the tanned farm boy with the thick accent. But there were even more he didn't recognize. The presence of the farm boy in this class was unexpected. Elderwind had sent him to Headmaster Whylk's office, and none of the other punished students were here. Though they could just be in another class, like Rin was.

  He was glad both Hyntia and Ghel shared this class with him. At least he wasn't alone. Rin wasn't here, but Alex had no doubt she would excel in a class like Basic Survival. If there were going to be any classes she was going to struggle in, it would have to be the more studious ones, like Basic Warding. The three of them joined the rest of the students at the back of the class.

  They stood there for a few minutes. No new students had entered after the three of them, but there still had been no sign of Professor Rixtor. For a moment Alex wondered if Zeth had forgotten he was supposed to teach a class, though from what little he knew about the assassin, that didn't sound like him. What was more likely was that this was some kind of test.

  "I had really hoped at least one of you was going to inspect the supplies I left on the table," a voice suddenly spoke from behind the group of students.

  Every student, including Alex, flinched at the voice and turned to face it. Leaning against the wall behind them stood Professor Rixtor. He wasn't wearing the black assassin outfit Alex had seen him wear before. Instead, he wore a robe similar to the one Professor Elderwind was wearing. Though Zeth's was shorter and somehow more form-fitting. An assassin would likely prefer clothing that allows for ease of movement.

  "That's him, the Black Fang," Alex heard one of the nearby students whisper amid the sudden noise coming from the group.

  "I assume most of you already know who I am, but for those who don't. My name's Zeth Rixtor and I'll be teaching you Basic Survival." Zeth pushed himself off the wall and walked to the front of the classroom.

  His steps didn't make a single sound as he moved, and there were still a few wisps of black smoke coming from him. Alex knew what that meant. He had seen him use that power before. The assassin had likely been inside the classroom from the start, observing them. A chill ran down Alex's spine at the thought, and his mind flashed back to the knife pressed against his throat.

  Zeth stopped in front of the table and turned back around to face the group of students. His cold eyes glanced over them until they settled on Alex. Their eyes locked for a single second before he continued to scan the rest of the students. Alex wasn't sure what that meant. Did the fact that they knew each other, that he knew he was an Otherborn, going to make this class easier or harder?

  "You," Zeth pointed to a student at the edge of the group, "what is the first thing you do when you enter an unknown room?"

  "Uhm... I... uhm...," the girl stammered, "exits?" She ended her sentence in a question, unsure of her answer.

  "Exactly. Rule number one of surviving as an adventurer. Know where your exits are. There's no such thing as a heroic sacrifice. You're no use to anyone if you're not there anymore the next day." That was more than Alex had ever heard him speak. So far, Zeth had always been short. One or two sentences when speaking. Never more. Alex suspected teaching like that would be a real struggle, if it was even possible.

  "So tell me, where are the exits?" He pressed the girl for more information.

  "Uhm... the door," she pointed at the door they all came in through, "and the windows?" Once again, ending her sentence in a question.

  "We're on the third floor. Can you fly?" he raised an eyebrow. The young girl swallowed and nervously shook her head. "So your only exit is the door?" This time she nodded her head, the uncertainty still in her eyes. "Correct, for most people the door is the only exit to this room. Unless you have some power that would grant you another exit, for example, the ability to fly, this room is what we scouts call a death trap."

  A scout, is that what he was representing himself as? Alex knew better, but it made sense that you wouldn't want people to know you're an assassin. Zeth's eyes gazed over the group of students still clustered together like a herd of prey.

  "Adventuring isn't heroics. It's survival," he moved to the other side of the table, putting it between him and the students. "And survival starts before you go out. Survival is about what you pack, and what you don't."

  Alex looked over the items on the table again, and he could see where this class was going. All the items had some use cases for outdoor survival, at least the ones he recognized, and he was immediately glad for his short obsession with survival shows back on Earth.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  "Survival can't be taught inside. It can't be learned through textbooks. It requires us to leave the comfort of a roof and head outside," Zeth continued his lecture. "Each of you pair up. The person you pick will be your partner for this entire course. They fail, you fail. Choose wisely."

  Ghel and Hyntia immediately grouped together. It made sense. They knew each other before they joined the academy. But it still made Alex feel left out. He would need to pair up with someone he didn't know, but who? He looked around at the other students. Groups were already forming. Students who knew each other before the academy, like Hyntia and Ghel, or who met and bonded during their Pearls, Power, and Privilege class, flocked together. If only Rin had also been in this class. She would have been the perfect partner.

  Worry settled in his mind. What if he didn't find anyone? In a few breaths, pairs had formed, and there were only a few unpaired people left. His mind flashed back to middle school gym class. He had never been super popular at school and was often left behind for picking teams or partners.

  His eyes settled on the tanned farm boy from earlier. While Elderwind might have sent him out of the class, he had seemed earnest. And who better for outdoor survival than someone who knows the land. Alex confidently walked up to him.

  "Bredwin, right?" Alex said, remembering the boy's surname, and extended his hand toward him, "I'm Alex. We had Elderwind's class together."

  The muscled boy seemed surprised someone had walked up to him before shaking Alex's hand. "Name's Aimes. I remember ya. Sat next ta other Kahrn, right?" His accent was way thicker now that he wasn't speaking to a professor, and Alex had some trouble understanding some of his words, but he got the gist of what he was saying.

  "I did, and nice to meet you, Aimes. So, what do you say? Want to pair up for this class?"

  "Sure, surprised ya want to. Ya were there when I got sent out."

  "I was, but don't think you deserved it," Alex smiled at the muscled boy. "You made a mistake, and you apologized. You didn't need to miss out on the rest of the class."

  "Oh, we still gotta Pearl," Aimes said with a big smile on his face. There was something conventionally handsome about the tanned farmer. Back on Earth, people would swoon over someone like him.

  "You did? I thought Elderwind sent you to Headmaster Whylk?"

  "He did. Bunch a us there, other classes too. Headmaster gave us a talking to an making us stay bind after our last class for the rest of the week." The more Aimes talked, the less his accent seemed to distract Alex from understanding him. "Then he gave us a Pearl. All bronze ones, though. I heard some of ya got silver ones."

  "Yeah, I was one of the lucky ones who got one," Alex scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

  "Ya did? Whatcha get?"

  Alex tried to briefly explain his power to Aimes and what other option his silver Pearl had offered him. From the look on the tanned boy's face, Alex could tell he was amazed.

  "That sounds awesome, both of them. Those silver ones sound like a great boon."

  "Well, not for all of us. Rin, the Kahrn I was sitting next to, had a silver Pearl as well, but her power was rather underwhelming, at least to her. So what did you get with your Pearl?"

  "Animal Intent, allows me to kinda talk to beasts. Not full-on words, but I can understand critters. Woulda loved to have it back on the farm." Aimes seemed thrilled with the power he had gotten from his Pearl, and it was going to no doubt be a great help during this class.

  "Everyone has a partner," Zeth announced from behind the table. "Time for the first test. Trust your instincts. Each pair will come and create their pack from this table." His hands waved over the items piled on top of the large wooden table. "Questions?"

  Hyntia was the first to raise her hand.

  "Don't bother asking permission, just ask," Zeth said, a massive contrast to Elderwind's teaching style.

  "Oh, uhm, what are we preparing for, Mister Rixtor?"

  "Just Zeth, and good question. Survival is about preparation. I will drop you off in the woods on the academy grounds. You will be required to make your way back here. First one here gets a reward. Last one goes to Whylk."

  Now Alex knew why there had been only two classes scheduled today. This class was going to take the rest of the day. And how was this supposed to be teaching them anything? Was he just going to drop them off and then let them figure it out themselves?

  "Can't we just walk back the way we came?" The girl with the ornately braided hair asked.

  "We won't be walking there." It seemed Zeth was back to his usual brief responses.

  "Then how are we supposed to find our way back? Those woods are massive," a student in the back of the group asked.

  "This map," Zeth hung a massive map of the entire campus on the blackboard behind him. "When you come up, study it. It will remain in this room."

  "Can't we have our own map?" Ghel asked.

  "If the question hadn't been asked, you wouldn't have a map at all. Any other questions?"

  "What if we can't make our way back?" Alex asked. He was sure there was some plan to make sure they would all make it back.

  "You will. I'll make sure."

  That didn't explain much. How would he make sure? So far, Zeth had not been a very communicative teacher. Though from what he knew about the assassin, that fit his character.

  "Alright, you two, come up," Zeth beckoned the closest pair to the table.

  They hesitantly made their way to the table as the rest of the students started discussing with their partner what to take. Alex couldn't see what items they were picking, but as soon as they were done, Zeth put his hands on both their shoulders before they all disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

  Once again, Alex had already seen him use this power the very first day they met, the day he arrived in this world. The other students gasped and whispered as they disappeared. A minute later, Zeth reappeared without the first pair of students, and he called the next pair of students to the table. Alex could hear him placing new items on the table, probably to replace the ones the first pair took.

  "Is there an'thing ya want on that table?" Aimes asked. They had both tried to see what the first pair picked, but it seemed Aimes had decided it was time to form their own plan.

  "I'd love a waterskin if they're filled. It's important to stay hydrated. But other than that, I'm not sure. How about you?"

  "Yer right about the water. That would be my first choice as well. I think I also saw some jerky. That would be nice." Aimes tried to look at the items on the table as he talked. "Rope would be good too, plenty a uses with that one. Also canna go wrong with a knife."

  "That all sounds good. I spent most of my life indoors, so I'll probably rely on you quite a bit in this class if that's alright." Alex admitted.

  "All good. Just happy ya decided to partner up. Us farm boys are usually looked down upon." His words were a big contrast to the large smile currently plastered on his face. Picking him must have really lifted his spirits. "Say, do ya think the prof is going to leave that map up there the rest of the day?"

  "Probably, I don't see a reason why he might take it down. Why?"

  "Wanna try out that power o' yours?" Both of them grinned as the plan settled in. He had only one snapshot for now, but this seemed like the perfect place to use it.