"The Academy had taught you how to use Mystic Arts. At least, the basic ones." Jack said in calm voice. "I'm not a Mystic Scholar. I can't do better than your teachers in Mystic Art knowledge. But, I can teach you different things."
"You are all pathetic in survival ability and adaptability." He told them without mincing words. "You seem to know nothing about common senses in adventure and exploration. So, we need to change that. Or, you're going to die in this mission and drag others with you."
"Alright!" Jack started. "First lesson..."
He pointed at a plain blue-leafed grass not far from them. "Harold! Try to collect it."
Harold Mason raised his eyebrows. But he did as Jack had instructed. Crouching next to the grass and focusing all of his effort to harvest it. Technically, it would gain a perfect ten in the mystic classroom.
"Did you see the problem?" Jack asked.
Alenna raised her hand. "Isn't that the right way, Sir? That's how the teachers told us how to perfectly harvest plant specimen..."
"... in safe environment." Jack cut her bluntly. "Here? Not exactly a good idea. You should never focus on one thing in the wild. Danger could appear anywhere. First lesson... Vigilance!"
The students looked around. Baffled.
"Vigilance isn't just about looking and listening when you are asked to do it." Jack continued. "It's about staying aware at all times. Your periphery, your back. Look around before you do your task. And, don't focus on one action for too long. Break your tasks into multiple short segments. Pay attention to the surrounding between the segments."
Most of the students nodded now. It did make sense. Getting too focused and not realizing danger nearby could bring them a lot of trouble indeed.
"And don't just use your eyes. Listen! Let's assume it was safe at the moment. Pay attention. Listen! What do these woods sound like?" Jack waited.
"Do you hear it? The sound of the breeze, rustling leaves, chirping insects, bird songs?" He asked after a while. Seeing the students nodded, he continued. "Good. Then, regularly check and pay attention of what doesn't belong. A sudden silence. A distant snap. A different bird call. Any different sound can be indication of a potential threat."
Reina chimed in. "If your nose and skin are sensitive enough, do the same with them. Use your sense of smell and touch to record the 'safe' baseline. Check regularly. Anything different from the baseline... it might be dangers, or opportunities."
Jack and Reina spent the next several minutes teaching them survival common sense. He showed them how to track not just by looking for footprints. But also by observing the way the grass bent against the wind. Or how the local insects went silent when a predator was near.
He showed them that learning to track thing also meant that they were learning not to be easily tracked. He taught them how to walk stealthily, where to put their feet, and how to find a 'safe' cover.
And then, he taught them about seeing locations strategically. He pointed at one location next to the amber-leafed forest in the distance.
"See that clearing?" Jack asked. The students nodded. "It looks nice, doesn't it? A good place to camp? But what you see is a kill zone. Lower ground, no cover, high visibility from the tree line. Remember, you should never pick a location because it's pretty. You pick it because it has an exit strategy."
...
Later, Jack moved on to the mystical side of survival. He wasn't discussing the powerful spells or high-level mystical theories. He showed them how to utilize their basic knowledge of mystic art efficiently.
"Allena, use [Fire Spark]!" Jack instructed.
The girl complied. She instantly cast the cantrip. A tiny flame flickering in her palm briefly before disappearing.
Jack shook his head. "Too bright. Not hot enough. If you want light, use [Cold Light] or [Glowing Stone]. When you cast [Fire Spark], focus on the heat, not the glow. Aimed it into a point. You use [Fire Spark] to start a fire, not to announce your location to the potential predators."
He showed them how to gather the driest materials, prepare tinder, arrange kindling for maximum ignition, and use a focused [Fire Spark] cantrip to start a fire efficiently. Even in damp conditions.
...
Then, he demonstrated a simple ritual. Carving a ritual circle and a few runes into the dirt with the tip of a twig.
"This is a very basic detection circle." He said. "I'm sure you've been taught about it. It doesn't need a complex materials. Just accurate enough runes drawn by wooden materials and a tiny bit of your mystic energy. In the wild, you use it to check whether an object is safe or not to consume."
He looked at the students in serious expression. "So far, we are still consuming our ration, but there's a chance for us to run out of it. This will be useful. Hold whatever you want to eat above the circle. Use your mystic energy. It will vibrate if the material is poisonous or harmful to consume. It won't tell you the exact nutritional content. But it will tell you if it's safe to eat or not."
The students watched, mesmerized. Even Dr. Crafton and Professor Enderson took notes. Jack's approach was pragmatic. The knowledge he explained was basic and simple. But he used it in completely different ways than what the academy taught.
...
"Next, it will be what you might learn in the academy as the 'ritual of luck'." Jack said. "Did you notice that the professors, many of the guards, and Reina did it when we were about to leave the basecamp? I noticed only a few of you did it."
"That is a useless ancient ritual, isn't it?" Nick Glaiver asked. "We are taught that is an example of safe, basic rituals. But it does nothing, doesn't it?"
Jack sighed "It won't do anything... for anyone who lives in safe environment."
"It's actually used to enhance your 'danger sense'." Reina explained. "Without any danger, you won't feel anything even if you do it a million of times. Ancient people used it before they hunted in the wilderness to enhance their 'luck', their ability to return home safe and sound."
The students all widened their eyes. Realization dawned in their eyes. The ritual was simple. It was just drawing a rune in the palm of their left hand using their mana coated fingers before using the palm to wipe their face. The teachers did tell them to do it, but they felt it was useless.
"But you and some guards didn't do it either, did you, Mr. Night?" A student asked.
"Ritual of luck isn't the only way to improve intuition and danger sense." Jack clarified. "In fact, because they are too basic, there are a lot of abilities that aren't compatible when being used together. I have my own ways. And I'm sure the guards are similar."
"Anyway..." He continued. "You've known the ritual already, haven't you? Do it now!"
The students immediately followed the order. And once they were one...
"The ritual will last for a day." Jack told them. "It won't make you invincible. It's about sharpening your internal alarms. A faint hum on your ears, a prickle on your skin, a sudden chill... learn to recognize these as warnings. They're your body telling you something is wrong before your conscious mind catches up."
...
"Alright! Next, we'll talk about combat." Jack said. "As I've told you, I'm not a Mystic Scholar. But it didn't mean I don't know how they can make an efficient use of their spells."
He made a gesture, and multiple cantrips were activated like a show. [Fire Spark], [Dreamy Mist], [Cold Light], [Water Splash]...
"First of all... Cantrips!" Jack said. "I noticed that none of you use any cantrip in combat."
"They are too weak, aren't they?" Nick said. "None of the guards and the professors use them either."
Jack sighed again. "Of course they won't use them. They have spells and abilities that can harm their opponents. All of you kids, on the other hands, won't damage your targets much during the fight."
"If our spells can't damage the enemies, why do we need to use the even-weaker cantrips?" A student asked in bafflement.
"If your strongest spell can't harm your target, stop trying to damage it." Jack said bluntly. "Especially when you are not alone. There are more to combat than that."
"Alright, Reina!" Jack turned to her. "Tell them. What do you think is the most useful cantrip spells in combat?"
"Obviously [Vicious Taunt]. A hundred percent." Reina answered in full confidence.
The students all looked at Reina as if she was an alien. That was the most problematic cantrip spell ever to use in combat. Attracting enemy's attention and making themselves as targets were... definitely looking for death. They were Mystic Scholar Apprentice, not knights.
"I know you think that was a bad answer." Jack said in serious tone. "But actually no. It's the correct answer. But only if you are not alone."
"I can manage to make the full use of [Vicious Taunt] even when I'm alone." Reina added. "But that's because I have an 'escape method'. My primal ability, teleportation."
"Without an escape method, and while being alone, using the cantrip is basically attempting to commit suicide." Jack admitted. "But, in a group fight against opponents with simple intelligence and when more than one person know it, this one is gold."
"Is it... taking turn using the cantrip spell?" Alenna asked hesitatingly.
"You get it." Jack answered. "With some smart positioning and timing, even just a couple of you can make a powerful monster run back and forth forever."
"True!" Professor Enderson chimed in. "The [Vicious Taunt] uses minuscule amount of mana, is an instant-cast cantrip spell, and has a great range. Used cooperatively, it can be a game breaker."
"Assuming that the opponent isn't speed type or numerous in number, of course." Dr. Crafton added.
The students' eyes widened in understanding once more. There was actually such an application for the cantrip spell like [Vicious Taunt]. They hadn't thought about it that way.
"The point is..." Jack said. "Everything has its uses. Even cantrips can be applied in battle. Don't just think of using your strongest spell all the time."
He gave them some more examples. Conjuring [Dreamy Mist] right in front the target's eyes to cloud its vision. Using [Cold Light] or throwing [Glowing Stone] to distract the opponent. Casting [Fire Spark] or [Water Splash] in specific situations...
Jack then moved on to the efficient use of basic spells. Like [Magic Missile].
"It's a most popular basic spell for a reason." He said. "It's homing projectile. It's weak and can be blocked. But it can't miss. So, use it to target one specific weak points. Eyes. Exposed flesh. Ears. Concentrate your targets in one point. Don't scatter them. Five missiles to an enemy's eye are better than five scattered over its entire body."
Observing and finding an opponent's weak points became a running theme in the impromptu lecture.
"Every creature has them." Jack claimed. "It can be eyes, throat, underbelly, crotch, gap between its scales... It can be anything. Observe carefully and study them. Don't just blast wildly. Look for the gaps in their defense, the patterns in their movements. Where do they protect themselves? Where don't they?"
And then, Jack moved on to one of the most important point to survive in combat... positioning.
"Positioning in a group battle is crucial." Jack hammered home. "Don't be too close to each other. You can't maneuver. But don't spread too thin either. You'll get picked off. Its best to maintain a distance of about two meters from each other."
"Maintain vision and communication." He continued. "But don't talk too much. Only deliver important message. A short shout in the right direction can save a life. A complex instruction will make your friend died before they could respond."