Farmboy becomes King with the Lust System

The next class was a team drill, and Jae could feel the buzz of anticipation in the air as the teacher led them out of the stuffy classroom and into the crisp morning woods surrounding the academy.

The smell of pine and damp earth hit him hard, a refreshing change from the usual chalk dust and mana zaps of the training halls.

Birds chirped somewhere high in the trees, and the crunch of leaves under his boots made him feel alive, even if his muscles still ached from yesterday's flag fight.

This drill was all about testing leadership, teamwork, and thinking on your feet, the teacher had said. She stopped them in a clearing, her glasses glinting as she faced the class, her voice cutting through the chatter.

"Listen up," she said, hands on her hips. "This drill is simple but tough. One member of your team will play the injured target, hidden somewhere in the woods. Your job is to find and rescue them before the timer runs out. You've got ten minutes per team. There'll be obstacles, traps, barriers, maybe even decoys. Work together, or you'll fail."

She held up a stack of maps, each marked with an X for the target's location. "Choose your injured target now."

Jae glanced at his team, Amira, Jeon, and Elise. Amira, her dark hair pulled tight, was already stepping forward, her eyes sharp like she was born to boss people around. "Elise, you're the target," she said, not even looking at her.

Elise blinked, her quiet face showing a flicker of surprise, but she nodded without arguing. Jae's felt a little anger, such decisions should be voted by all members of the team, but Amira clearly didn't care.

The other teams picked their targets, and the teacher led them off, including Elise, disappearing into the dense trees.

Jae watched her go, her small figure swallowed by the forest, and felt a pang of worry. He wanted to make sure she was okay, especially after her peck on his cheek last night.

The teacher handed out maps, and the teams spread out, clutching the crinkled paper like it was gold. Jae's team huddled up, Amira snatching the map from Ms. Lira's hand.

The buzzer blared, a harsh sound that echoed through the woods, and Jae's heart kicked into gear. Ten minutes. Not a lot of time.

Amira spread the map on the ground, her fingers jabbing at it as she tried to figure out where the X was. "Come on, Jeon, help me," she snapped, her voice all business. Jeon, lanky and bored-looking, leaned over, squinting at the lines and symbols, but his blank stare said he was just as lost.

Jae stepped closer, trying to get a look, his mind racing with the ticking clock. "Let me see," he said, keeping his voice calm.

Amira's head whipped up, her eyes narrowing. "Stay out of it, commoner," she hissed, clutching the map like he was gonna steal it.

Jae's jaw tightened, frustration bubbling up. The seconds were slipping away, and they were getting nowhere. He could hear the other teams crashing through the underbrush, already moving, while his team stood here bickering.

Screw this, he thought, his patience snapping. He reached out and grabbed the map from Amira's hands, ignoring her outraged gasp. "Hey!" she yelled, but Jae was already scanning it, his eyes darting over the lines.

The X was clear as day, marked near a shed not far from their spot. "Elise is at the shed," he said, pointing. "It's this way, maybe a five-minute run."

Amira glared, her face red, but Jeon just shrugged, ready to move. "Let's go," Jae said, and they took off, weaving through the trees.

The forest was thick, branches snagging at Jae's uniform, the air sharp with the smell of sap and moss. Jeon, nimble as a cat, started jumping from branch to branch above them, his long legs making it look easy. "Keep up!" he called, his voice cutting through the rustle of leaves.

Jae's legs burned as he ran, his breath coming in quick bursts, but he kept his eyes on the path ahead, the map's image burned into his mind.

Amira was right behind him, her footsteps heavy with annoyance, but at least she wasn't arguing now.

"Got it!" Jeon shouted from above, pointing through the trees. "The shed's up there!" Jae's heart leaped as he spotted the rickety wooden structure, half-hidden by vines.

But his relief fizzled when they hit a massive crater blocking their path, a deep, jagged pit that looked like it could swallow them whole.

A thin wooden bridge stretched across it, barely wider than a plank, swaying slightly in the breeze. Jae's gut screamed trap. This was too easy, too direct. The academy would want to test them, and a flimsy bridge over a death drop was classic.

"We need a plan," Jae said, catching his breath. "That bridge looks sketchy. Maybe only one of us should go, test it. Direct paths are usually traps." He glanced at Amira, hoping she'd listen for once.

She didn't. "Don't be stupid," she snapped, brushing past him. "Jeon, come with me. We're crossing now."

Jeon hesitated, his eyes flicking to Jae, but Amira was already moving, her boots hitting the bridge with a creak.

Jeon followed, his steps lighter, but the wood groaned under their weight. Jae's heart pounded, his instincts screaming to stop them, but Amira was too stubborn to hear him out. This is gonna go bad, he thought, his hands clenching.

Halfway across, the bridge snapped with a loud crack, the wood splintering like dry twigs. Amira screamed, her arms flailing as she plummeted into the crater. Jeon tried to leap back, his legs scrambling for a branch, but the ground under him crumbled, and he fell too, his shout echoing as they both hit the bottom with a thud.

Jae froze, his breath catching, the forest suddenly too quiet except for the distant buzz of other teams. Amira and Jeon were down, and the clock was still ticking. Elise was out there, waiting, and now it was up to him to figure out how to get to her.