All the students entered the testing grounds. Lucius was bringing up the rear because of Joan. Even so, he wasn't in a hurry.
There were still many hours left before the end, and it didn't matter who arrived first; what mattered was who had the better Mana Mark.
Although there weren't many beasts in this area, thanks to Old Garen's research and the limited knowledge of the Grumpy Old Man at the inn, he was able to figure out where to find key hunting spots.
While the others searched blindly or went to specific locations researched by their families, Lucius ventured among the dark rocks and quickly reached an area teeming with beasts.
'There are many Rank F beasts and a few Rank E ones.' Lucius looked out at the terrain in front of him, hidden behind a rock.
The first thing he saw were 17 Sharp-Legged Light Ants, working among the rocks, carrying pieces of a huge seven-meter-long snake they had killed.
These ants were scattered about, each moving at its own pace. Some moved quickly, others more slowly.
'They're Rank F and among the weakest, but their marks are useful for puppets and grant some mana credits,' Lucius thought.
When he came here, he didn't just plan to enroll in the academy. He knows that his biggest problem right now is a lack of resources. Money doesn't just buy food and lodging; it also buys training materials and other things necessary for stabilizing the Mana Marks and his own Fractured Core.
You can't rely on Silver Marrow Elixir your whole life. In fact, after the first few months, it becomes almost useless for your work, unless you take a lot of doses—which will obviously make you an addict.
And that's the most dangerous drug in the world, so you can't use it for too long.
That's why he needed resources. And only by hunting could he obtain those resources; the problem is that it's not easy to go hunting when you're a student. They usually don't let you do it very often each year.
That's why he must seize the moment.
'I could also sell the Marks once I gain access to the System's Trade Centers.'
Lucius made up his mind. There were still many hours left in the trial, so he had time. He'll make the most of every moment he has and see the mission through to the end.
Thanks to the rocks in this wasteland, Lucius had safe spots from which to attack and sneak up from behind, so he took full advantage of them. He drew the sword the grumpy old man at the inn had given him, and when he was a meter away from one of the ants, he leaped toward it.
The ant had its back turned, biting the snake. He used the snake's body to hide behind and, in an instant, leaped onto its back.
With a newly learned horizontal strike, he struck the back of the ant's head and severed it.
Despite this, he did not kill it.
The ant felt the pain and blue blood ran down its body, alerting it to the danger.
KIII! A peculiar alarm sound rang out all around as the ant's legs scuttled across the ground and it jumped backward, searching for its attacker.
But it wasn't there anymore.
Lucius managed to roll across the ground after falling and positioned himself right beneath it. One of the ant's legs landed near him, nearly breaking his arm.
He attacked from below, thrusting his sword right beneath its head. With that final strike, he severed its head, and though the ant twitched for a few more moments, it was only to warn its companions of the danger.
Despite this, they were so absorbed in their food that they didn't hear the alarm.
'Incredible. I've actually killed a beast without using magic.'
The body fell on top of him, but he managed to roll out of the way in time to avoid being crushed. Even though it's a lightweight ant, it still weighs quite a bit.
He admired the feat he'd just accomplished with a smile. He'd never killed a beast without using magic; he was amazed that it was actually possible, even though he'd seen it many times before.
Still, this was only the beginning.
'Since I haven't figured out a way to use the magic within me without forming a symbiosis, I have to keep killing with my sword. This is going to be slow,' he told himself.
He looked over the dead snake and observed the position of each of the ants.
They were far enough apart that he could kill one and then figure out a strategy for the other, but if they weren't as careless as they were this time, the squeaking sound made by the ants' legs would alert them all.
No matter how good a swordsman he was (which he wasn't), he couldn't fight so many at once.
And he was saving his symbiosis for when he had to fight some dangerous Rank-E beast that he would use to pass the test.
So he had to be careful.
He walked, hidden among the rocks, and positioned himself behind another ant, the one farther away. The huge rock covered his body.
He leaped within range of the ant and attacked it from below, plunging his sword into its neck. At the same time, he executed a U-shaped motion to slice its neck in half. He had seen this move several times in his past life.
It was the first time he had ever performed it.
He felt the sword pierce through the ant's head, and when he finished his movement, the ant's blue blood splattered on him and its heavy body fell behind him.
'Wow. Such an easy kill.' Lucius smiled. For the first time since he'd arrived in this body, he was excited.
He looked at the other ants and began hunting them, one by one.
After 30 minutes of hunting ants from blind spots, he stopped.
'They're huddled together and starting to move. It looks like they're about to start carrying loads back to their nests,' he thought.
He couldn't keep attacking anymore. Fortunately, there were only seven left.
He leaned back against the rock and let the ants go about their business. He looked at his hard-earned loot and smiled with satisfaction. '10 F-Rank Marks and 53 credits. Not bad at all.'
He looked into the depths of the area where he was.
In the distance, he could hear the roars and howls of beasts, as well as the shouts of battle.
The mana was slightly agitated, which meant there was a fight not too far away.
'It's time to keep going deeper. I can still hunt more before reaching the Rank E zone.'