Seeing the three incoming Nuslucks, whose appearance somehow reminded him a little of Congalala, Knox grinned.
"If only I could pull some monsters from the Monster Hunter series…" he muttered.
He shook the thought away and focused on the enemies in front of him.
Then Knox raised his right hand forward, palm open, like giving a command.
"Alright, guys. Although it hasn't been that long since our last team battle during the Cyclops evaluation, how about we try and train a bit~?"
Cindy immediately lit up.
"Ohhh, nice idea!"
A spear formed above her head.
"Let me try my new soul spear move!"
At the same time, a magic circle appeared beside Claudia, forming a whip made of poison that lashed toward one of the Nuslucks.
Meanwhile, Merida simply yawned and cast her sleep curse.
One of the Nuslucks, still charging at Group 8, suddenly slowed… then slid forward and collapsed into sleep.
"Eat this!"
Cindy threw her soul spear.
It pierced straight through the Nusluck's body and burst out the other side. Its eyes rolled back as it dropped, completely limp.
Claudia stepped in right after.
Her poison whip struck the Nusluck repeatedly, venom splashing with each hit. The creature writhed in pain before she pulled sharply, tripping it and sending it rolling across the ground.
It stopped right in front of her.
"Let me try my original magic on you."
"[Claudia Menzies Original - Gorgons]."
Her hair suddenly moved.
Strands twisted and transformed into snakes, lunging forward and biting into the Nusluck from multiple angles.
The struggle didn't last long. Moments later, the Nusluck went still.
With that, Knox nodded.
"Hmm hmm, good job, girls! Now, let's hunt another one!"
Even though Knox barely lifted a hand and mostly gave orders, the three already saw him as their leader.
More importantly, they understood his intention.
He wanted them to gain experience.
After clearing the first wave, Knox and the others moved forward.
They pushed deeper into the forest, taking down Nuslucks one by one as they appeared.
Thanks to their training—and their experience during the Cyclops evaluation—the four of them worked together smoothly.
The deeper they moved into the forest, the more frequent the encounters became, as Nuslucks began appearing not just as lone wanderers but in small groups, drawn toward the presence of humans.
Knox stayed slightly behind, watching everything without stepping in. His gaze moved from one member to another, carefully observing how they reacted, how they moved, and how they adapted under pressure.
He didn't interfere, only giving subtle signals when needed, letting them take control of the situation themselves.
Cindy was the first to move.
Darkness gathered around her, condensing into form as a sleek black scythe slowly materialized within the swirling shadows. At the same time, her body shifted through Spiritualization, her figure becoming faint and almost intangible, like a spirit slipping between layers of reality.
With that change, her movements sharpened instantly.
She surged forward, weaving through the Nuslucks with fluid, almost weightless steps, her scythe tracing clean arcs through the air as she struck at precise points, each swing controlled and efficient, wasting no energy.
At the same time, Claudia established control over the battlefield.
A spreading haze of Poison Fog began to fill the surrounding area, its presence subtle at first but quickly turning oppressive as it seeped into the Nuslucks' bodies, slowing their movements and dulling their reactions. Rather than rushing in, she maintained her distance, allowing the poison to gradually wear them down.
To reinforce her position, she raised a Slime Wall, the green mass forming from wriggling blobs that gathered and expanded into a thick, uneven barrier, intercepting incoming attacks and forcing the Nuslucks into disadvantageous paths.
Behind them, Merida barely shifted her posture.
Her eyes remained half-lidded as her magic spread outward in a quiet wave. Instead of collapsing mid-charge, one of the Nuslucks suddenly lost focus, its movements turning sluggish and uncoordinated. It staggered to a stop, swaying in place as if its body could no longer keep up with its own momentum, before slowly dropping where it stood.
There was no impact.
No dramatic fall.
Just a quiet shutdown, as if something had been switched off.
Meanwhile, the flow of battle continued to tighten.
Cindy moved through the openings created by Claudia's control, her scythe cutting through weakened targets with increasing precision, while Claudia maintained pressure through positioning, poison, and defense.
When the moment was right, she stepped forward.
Her magic shifted, and the technique Gorgons manifested as her hair came alive, strands twisting and transforming into serpents that lunged forward and sank their fangs into a weakened Nusluck, finishing it off as it struggled briefly before going still.
Throughout the entire exchange, Knox remained focused.
He watched their timing, their spacing, and the way they responded to unexpected movements. When necessary, he made small adjustments through gestures, guiding them to reposition or tighten their formation, allowing them to correct mistakes without directly taking over.
They improved with each encounter.
Their movements became more coordinated, their roles more clearly defined.
Cindy pushed the offense with speed and precision.
Claudia controlled the battlefield, dictating the flow of combat.
Merida disrupted threats before they could fully develop.
And Knox ensured that everything stayed on track.
By the time another group of Nuslucks appeared, their response came almost instantly, their coordination noticeably sharper than before, as what began as simple practice gradually evolved into something far more structured.
A rhythm.
And with each step deeper into the forest, that rhythm continued to grow more refined.
"Hmm," Knox said while inspecting the tracks on the ground.
The three girls noticed his movement.
Then Cindy suddenly spoke up.
"Hmm? Wait a minute! Don't explain it yet! Let me guess—based on these tracks, and based on what you explained yesterday about tracking, this should be related to the Nusluck we're looking for! It could even be the boss Nusluck's tracks!" she said, hands on her hips.
Hearing that, Knox, Merida, and Claudia all froze for a moment, then slowly turned to look at her.
Their expressions were filled with surprise.
Cindy puffed out her chest proudly.
"Hehehe, what? Surprised? Awed? Hehe, admire me more!"
Merida's mouth twitched.
"Wow… I'm so admiring you. How about I put you to sleep so I can admire you more?"
Cindy's face instantly turned pale, while Claudia let out a laugh.
Then Knox narrowed his eyes.
"Wait… who are you?!"
He stared at Cindy like he had just discovered something suspicious.
"There's no way the Cindy we know is this smart. Imposter. Honestly, I'd sooner believe Paimon becomes as smart as Alhaitham, or that Paimon goes on a diet, than believe you suddenly became smart."
Cindy's mouth twitched.
Her forehead twitched too.
"I don't know who Paimon or Alhaitham are, but what I do know is… you're mocking me!"
There was a brief pause—then they all started laughing.
After the laughter settled, Knox finally returned his attention to the ground.
"There's a good chance the boss Nusluck is nearby. These footprints are much larger than the usual ones, and they look fresh."
After checking the tracks for a while, Knox came to a simple conclusion. The boss Nusluck was still quite far from their current position, and considering how long they had been hunting, continuing without a break would only reduce their efficiency.
So he decided they would rest first.
The others agreed without hesitation.
Right at that moment, Cindy's stomach let out a loud sound that echoed just enough to be heard clearly by everyone.
She froze on the spot. Her face slowly turned red, and after a brief pause, she forced out a small, awkward laugh.
"…hehehe."
That alone made the decision feel even more necessary.
They began looking for a suitable place to rest, and it didn't take long before they found one.
It was a spot beneath a large, shady tree with wide branches that filtered the sunlight nicely. A gentle breeze passed through the area, making the air feel cool and comfortable. The ground was slightly elevated, giving them a clear view of the surroundings, which made it easy to notice anything approaching, whether it was a monster or something else.
It was a good place.
Knox stepped forward and took out a mat from his inventory, then spread it neatly on the ground before bringing out the food.
One by one, various items appeared.
Sandwiches with different fillings, including ham, tuna, egg, and even a full vegetable option. Alongside them were fresh salad, cookies, small jars of jam, and bottles of fruit juice.
The moment the food was laid out, Cindy immediately sat down without holding back, reaching for a sandwich and taking a big bite as if she had been waiting for this the whole time.
Claudia sat down more properly, though her attention still drifted toward the food as she picked one up, looked at it briefly, and then started eating in a composed manner.
Merida moved at her own pace, lowering herself onto the mat before casually grabbing whatever was closest and eating without much reaction, as if this was just another ordinary moment for her.
The atmosphere gradually shifted.
The tension from the earlier fights faded, replaced by a quiet, comfortable calm. The sound of leaves moving in the wind blended with the soft, steady rhythm of them eating.
For the first time since entering the forest, everything felt relaxed.
A short break, but one they clearly needed.