Bab 19: Chapter 19: Acting Alone
Alicia continued, "First, the rules of this hunting competition are based on the specific Feral Beasts each team hunts."
"They are all level 1 Feral Beasts, but the points for a Raccoon versus a Furious Boar are vastly different. We need to aim for a higher score, but there's one thing you must keep in mind." Alicia raised a finger, her tone suddenly turning serious.
The other four team members, including Eric, listened quietly.
"Safety comes first, above all else. So, don't stray too far. If you encounter an Exotic Beast that's too powerful, your first priority is to retreat. Then, call for me, and we'll regroup." Alicia's voice was full of sincerity.
"Understood, leader!" one of the male teammates said, admiration clear in his voice.
Alicia gave a final piece of advice: "Remember, especially with Steel-armored Bears and Furious Boars, these are Exotic Beasts you cannot handle. Even I wouldn't stand a chance against them. If you encounter one, retreat immediately!"
Eric smiled faintly. He didn't say anything, but inside, he felt a measure of respect for Alicia. It was clear that she had done her homework before coming here.
"Everyone, kill with confidence! First place and the scholarship are ours!" Suddenly, from the other side, a burst of excited shouting erupted.
Kevin, that guy, was pumping his fists, rallying his team. A group of teammates also joined in, shouting their support.
The fearless atmosphere on their side stood in sharp contrast to Alicia's more cautious approach.
Eric and his teammates began their search and hunt for Exotic Beasts.
Even Alicia, along with the others, had a hint of nervousness on their faces. After all, this was their first real battle.
Even a simple Raccoon suddenly popping out would make their hearts race and their nerves jump.
But Eric was different. He strolled calmly, barely glancing at the surroundings, as though he were simply walking through his own garden.
"This is the outermost area of the Exotic Beasts zone. No dangerous Exotic Beasts should be here. Even a Raccoon is rare," Eric thought to himself, silently.
His goal for this trip was to hunt Advanced-level Exotic Beasts, those above level 1. Even if a Steel-armored Bear appeared, he wouldn't be interested.
Yet, because of Eric's image in the minds of the others, he ended up being quietly protected at the back of the group.
"Let's play it by ear," Eric thought, shaking his head slightly.
"Eric," Alicia called out specifically, "stay at the back and don't wander off."
"I'll try," Eric shrugged.
Suddenly, a flurry of panicked voices echoed through the air!
"Exotic Beasts have appeared! It's Steel-Tooth Rabbits!" From a thicket of bushes, several small rabbits with sharp, dagger-like teeth, exposed outside their mouths, suddenly burst out.
Though small, these creatures were vicious and were chasing a few of Eric's teammates.
The Steel-Tooth Rabbit, a level 1 Exotic Beast, with dagger-like teeth that could easily tear through flesh, was still considered a Low-level Exotic Beast, similar to a Raccoon.
Even so, as soon as these Steel-Tooth Rabbits appeared, the members of Eric's team immediately felt the tension rise.
The Physical-Cultivation Practitioners, armed with wooden sticks or iron swords, panicked as they tried to fend off the Steel-Tooth Rabbits.
Even Alicia didn't hesitate to take action.
"Frostbite!" she called out sharply, and a staff appeared in her hand. With a quick chant, an ice spell was triggered.
Eric's attention was immediately drawn to her. "A staff? But it's not of high quality, probably worth around 20 W dollar," he thought to himself.
This wasn't a true staff, it had no grade just a basic tool for novice mages. When Eric had visited the shop, he had seen the cheapest D-grade staff, which cost 50 Wdollar now that was a real staff.
Alicia couldn't use a real staff yet, since she wasn't a Low-level Magic user.
However, Eric couldn't help but feel a bit envious. "With the class president's background, it's not surprising that she has this kind of equipment, even if she hasn't yet become a Low-level Magic user."
"But really, just a few little things like this need four people to fight them?" Eric thought as he watched the four of them struggling. To him, these four Steel-Tooth Rabbits would be dealt with in a second.
Under the combined attack of the four, the Steel-Tooth Rabbits were quickly killed.
"This is an Exotic Beast? It's way fiercer than regular animals..." After the battle, several teammates couldn't help but comment nervously, "Yeah, we almost got bitten!"
"Thank goodness for the class president's support. Magic is just so powerful!" A few teammates praised Alicia, who was still holding the staff.
This was Alicia's first real combat with Exotic Beasts. With everyone praising her, her face flushed slightly. "It wasn't much, really. After all, it's just an entry-level spell," she modestly replied.
But despite her words, there was a distinct glint of pride in her eyes.
With the death of these few Exotic Beasts, Alicia's team now had their first haul of spoils.
Alicia glanced over at the other teams. They had already scattered, moving farther away, but it seemed they had also gotten some kills.
She suddenly realized, "If we stick together in a group of four, it's safer, but the efficiency really isn't great. Sigh, especially with Eric here, who can't fight..."
To avoid falling behind, Alicia spoke up, "The Exotic Beasts around here are similar to the Steel-Tooth Rabbit we just fought not very strong. Everyone should spread out and hunt, keeping about twenty meters between each of you."
Upon hearing the class president's instructions, the rest of the team nodded, their nerves now fully alert as they began searching for prey.
Eric, too, began his own hunt. Looks like I can go solo now, he thought to himself.
After the earlier hunt, Eric had picked up a few tricks for quickly locating prey, so it didn't take long for him to spot a pair of Swift Hares behind a large tree.
"Whoosh!" With a quick Water Sphere Technique, the two Swift Hares, barely ten meters away, were blasted to the ground and killed instantly. The alert animals didn't even have time to realize who had attacked before they died.
"Got them... but for low-level prey like this, they're only worth a few thousand dollars…" Eric muttered, shaking his head, though he still collected the carcasses.
"Besides Swift Hares, there's also other animal droppings around here, and there's a small stream nearby. There must be plenty of Exotic Beasts in the area," Eric observed, scanning his surroundings.
After a quick assessment, he decided that if he went further in, he would definitely encounter more Exotic Beasts.
In stark contrast to Eric's rapid progress, his teammates were moving much more slowly. Due to the caution from their earlier experience, each of them took small, careful steps, and without much experience, they were naturally much slower.
Meanwhile, Eric, unbothered, strode ahead confidently.
As expected, not long after, he discovered a pack of Swiftwind Wolves inside a cave about five of them. These wolves were smaller in size but incredibly fast!
In terms of danger, they were as formidable, if not more so, than the Steel-armored Bear he had hunted last time.
Intrigued, Eric thought to himself, This pack of Swiftwind Wolves, each worth around 1Wdollar, I'll take them.
Just then, a voice called out from behind a large tree, full of surprise: "Eric?"
Eric turned around and saw Lilith standing there, her eyes wide with surprise as she looked at him.
Behind her, there was no one else. From her expression, it seemed like she had been hunting alone and had probably arrived here before Eric.
Eric narrowed his eyes and asked, "Are these wolves your prey?"
Lilith hesitated slightly. Ever since the incident at the Magic Guild, she wasn't sure how to face Eric.
Even after returning home, she often replayed the image of Eric using Magic so fluently during the test. That scene had left a profound impact on her.
"No…" Lilith shook her head. "There's no way I have the strength to deal with this pack of wolves. When I spotted them, I immediately hid behind the tree and was planning to back away slowly."
"Perfect." Eric nodded. That settled it this prey was undoubtedly his now.
Just as Eric was about to make his move, he noticed something strange: the wolves inside the cave had suddenly started to grow restless.
"Hm?" Eric remained still, observing carefully. A moment later, he saw what was causing the commotion. From the opposite direction of the cave, another pack of Swiftwind Wolves was approaching this one even larger, with seven wolves in total!
The two groups seemed to be rivals, tension high as they squared off, ready to fight for territory.
Eric couldn't help but smile faintly. "Well, well, I didn't expect to get so many at once... Looks like I can take them all out in one go."
Beside him, Lilith's expression grew increasingly tense as she watched the scene unfold. Her eyes widened slightly as she muttered, "This place... it's far too dangerous!"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone