A few minutes later, Stark could not figure out how to get out of the dark and deep hole. He closed his eyes and tried to think of a plan.
Suddenly, his sword glowed in the night. He stared at the sword. The sword grew out a vine.
Confounded, Stark whipped the vine up into the surface. The vine instinctively constricted around a nearby tree.
In the meantime, Hafen noticed the traps and carefully disabled any that he came across. He realized that it would be difficult to survive the night without nutrition and set out to look for a source of water. As he heard a scream nearby, he headed towards it.
On the way, Hafen noticed an activated trap which was a hole.
A vine that was constricted to a tree hung down into the hole.
Hafen looked into the hole, and the vine reached deep into it. He was impressed by the trap. He wondered what happened but headed towards the scream.
Hafen arrived where the scream led him, but there was only blood and a broken arrow on the ground.
A while ago, Stark reached Matteo after climbing out.
Matteo was passed out with an arrow in his leg. He hung from a rope.
Stark sliced the rope and freed him. Concerned, he woke up Matteo and asked him what happened.
Matteo replied that he activated a trap when gathering berries. He continued that he must have passed out.
Stark broke the ends of the arrow. He asserted that some traps were deadly, and he used his sword's power to bandage Matteo's leg.
As leaves wrapped around his leg, Matteo asked Stark how he bandaged him.
Stark assumed that the sword could control the plants, and he helped Matteo get up.
Matteo apologized that he was going to fail.
Stark reassured Matteo that they would pass, and that Old Man Blacksmith never mentioned them not being allowed to help each other.
Stark and Matteo ventured further into the forest and set up a camp. They easily built small shelters with Stark's sword.
Matteo was shivering, and he complained about being cold. He asked Stark if he could use the sword to create a fire.
Stark tried but couldn't. He asked Matteo if his sword could.
Matteo grasped his sword and tried to create fire.
The sword glowed in the dark. Suddenly, the blade burst into small flames.
Stark and Matteo watched the fire in amazement.
Stark exclaimed that Matteo's sword could create fire.
Matteo agreed. Delighted, he swung the sword around.
The fire illuminated the area, and they were surrounded by spiders.
Matteo and Stark were stunned.
One of the spiders slowly approached the two. It was a spider with giant red eyes. It bared its fangs.
Stark stood in front of Matteo. He declared that he would defend his brother.
The spider hissed. A few spiders crept closer.
Stark swung his sword.
The spiders hopped and avoided the attack. A spider charged and lunged.
Stark dodged and countered with a swing. His sword struck the spider.
It squealed.
Stark was surprised. His sword cut right through the spider, and it died.
Just then, more spiders leaped towards them.
The brothers defended themselves and fought back with all of their strength.
After a while, Stark and Matteo defeated the spiders and were exhausted.
Matteo asked how there were so many spiders in The Sacred Forest, and he sat down.
Stark shrugged.
Matteo set their campfire with his sword and the wood that they have gathered.
Afterwards, the two ate a few berries that Matteo found. After they ate, they left their campsite to search for more food.
Meanwhile, Hafen found a steep underground cave and ventured inside.
Inside the cave, he struggled to navigate through the dark cave and tripped on the rocks. He fell all the way down to the cave's floor and landed in a puddle of a shallow liquid.
Monsters on the ceiling were alarmed and flew around the cave.
Hafen groaned and stood back up while his ears rung. He wondered what was making the chirping sounds. He closed his eyes and began to focus. He realized that the chirping sounds were coming from bats, a species of monster, and that the liquid was water. The cave's room was wide and open.
Harvin concerningly sensed someone else's presence in the water. When he opened his eyes, he noticed his sword glowing and dripping water. As he swung his sword, he watched as the water moved to his movements. Hafen concluded that he could control water with the sword.
All of a sudden, he heard footsteps as someone approached him.
As his sword majestically glowed in the dark cave, Hafen pointed it towards the person that approached him, but then, he heard footsteps coming from all directions. He also heard groans coming from them. Hafen closed his eyes again and focused.
Just then, one of them lunged at Hafen.
As he opened his eyes, Hafen reacted and sliced the person in half.
It was a zombie. The zombie continued crawling with his arms and demanded Hafen to lead him to his love.
Hafen asked the zombie what he meant.
The zombie valiantly declared his love for their princess, and another zombie attacked Hafen.
Hafen swung his sword but was stopped when the attacking zombie grabbed his arm.
His sword-controlled water splashed into the attacking zombie's eyes from when he swung his sword, and he escaped the attacking zombie's grasp.
Another zombie lunged.
Hafen cut him down.
The zombie fell to the ground. He groaned and wanted to find his love.
Hafen wondered why the zombies were there.
A zombie charged at Hafen from behind.
Just before the zombie could reach him, Hafen dodged. However, he tripped.
As Hafen fell, a zombie grabbed his leg and swung him onto the water. He dragged Hafen through the water.
At the same time, Stark and Matteo stumbled into the cave and ventured inside.
Matteo utilized his sword as a light source, and they made it to the bottom. They found Hafen struggling against three zombies and helped out. T
he three of them successfully defeated the zombies and rested.
Matteo asked Hafen what he was doing.
Hafen stated that he was thirsty, and he discovered the cave by chance.
Together, they drank water. The three of them headed back to their campsite. Once they arrived, they ate more berries that they collected, and eventually, they fell asleep.
That morning, they woke up recovered at Old Man Blacksmith's Mancave. Pepe waited for them.
Pepe greeted the three brothers with half eaten food and congratulated them for passing the trial.
After they ate, Old Man Blacksmith entered the room with a diamond plated sword and ordered the three brothers to kneel before him.
The brothers obliged.
As he patted their shoulders with his sword, Old Man Blacksmith courageously declared that they passed the trial and that they were now his apprentices. He continued that they survived in the forest by working together, and they were suitable to protect the forest.
The three brothers were amazed and grateful.
Pleased, Old Man Blacksmith asserted that the three of them had great potential and were going to be fine warriors. They had proven themselves to be worthy to wield his weapons.
Pepe was proud of the brothers.
Matteo questioned him about the deadly traps.
Old Man Blacksmith reassured that all the traps were controlled by him and that he knew all of their capabilities beforehand due to Pepe's inquiry. He added that the trial was designed to teach them how to survive by relying on each other.
Hafen asked about the zombies in the underground cave.
Old Man Blacksmith admitted that the zombies were a surprise to him, too, and he praised that the brothers have outdone themselves and others. He continued that they were ready for their first mission.
He read a report. He explained that Pepe explored the forest and discovered that two commanders of the zombie army, Baby Zombie Prince and Baby Zombie Princess, have invaded the forest.
He handed back the swords that they used for the trial and continued that their first mission was to defeat Baby Zombie Prince.
Reminded of the swords, Matteo asked what the swords were made of.
Old Man Blacksmith stated that he created them from his passion of blacksmithing and that they're called elemental weapons. He divulged that his first apprentice also knew how to make them.
As he handed out battle suits, Old Man Blacksmith explained that Matteo's sword was a rapier, that Stark's sword was a two-handed great sword, and that Hafen's sword was a katana.
Hafen remembered what the zombie told him, and he asked Old Man Blacksmith about the zombie princess. He wondered what was special about them.
Old Man Blacksmith elaborated that they were the leaders of the zombie army. He asserted that there was a queen and king for each species and that their eldest child was next in line to inherit the title. He continued that their children were known as either a prince or a princess, and the queen and king of a species have absolute control over their armies.
Matteo questioned who the queen and the king for the humans were.
Old Man Blacksmith paused for a moment. He chuckled and admitted that he had no idea.
The next morning, the brothers took off their dirty clothes and wore their new battle suits. They had accepted their first mission and headed to the forest.
The brothers hunted for their first target, Baby Zombie Prince.
How would Stark, Hafen, and Matteo fare against Baby Zombie Prince?