Alex quickly scanned his surroundings and began moving without hesitation.
He followed his plan to the letter—avoid conflict at all costs.
The reason was obvious: the nobles.
He couldn't risk being caught low on mana against someone who could casually drink mana potions in the middle of a fight. Alex knew the teachers overseeing the test wouldn't say a word about it, and the commoners could do nothing. That was the reality of their situation.
So, his strategy was simple: even the odds by crafting his own potions.
The forest stretched endlessly around him, dense and silent. After fifteen minutes of cautious movement, he had yet to encounter another person—or even a monster—just small animals rustling through the undergrowth.
He searched carefully for plants. He needed three ingredients for healing potions and three more for mana potions.
His first encounter came about thirty minutes after the start of the test: a Rootcrawler.
'Bingo,' Alex thought, excitement sparking in his chest.
According to the academy's bestiary, Rootcrawlers were usually found near mana-rich plants—in other words, perfect guides to magical flora.
Alex followed the creature stealthily until he found the first useful plant: Verdleaf, a common healing herb.
Unfortunately, to harvest it, he'd need to kill the monster. He weighed his options for a moment, then decided to take the risk.
He crept closer and began preparing a spell.
Water Spear.
It was expensive in mana, but it had two major advantages:
Unlike his wind spells, it was almost completely silent—only the faint trickle of water could be heard.
When well-aimed, it could take down an enemy in a single strike.
Alex steadied his breathing, eyes locked on the Rootcrawler's movements.
The instant an opening appeared, he unleashed the spell.
A sharp whoosh echoed as the liquid spear shot forward—not as fast as a wind blade, but impressive for a water spell. It pierced straight through the creature's midsection, right where its monster core should've been.
The spell struck cleanly, exiting through the other side in a burst of crimson spray.
What a pity, Alex thought grimly.
Monster cores were both weaknesses and treasures. They were essential for advancing one's tier and fetched a good price when sold.
But harvesting them intact was tricky. To keep the core undamaged, you had to kill the creature without hitting it directly—something nearly impossible for low-level mages.
Even Tessa, during their first field trip, had to destroy a gorilla-type monster's heart—and its core—with her attack to secure the kill.
Only stronger mages, or teams of weaker ones, could reliably harvest intact cores. Beginners like Alex simply didn't have the mana control or reserves for that level of precision.
After collecting the Verdleaf, Alex quickly moved on, not wanting the scent of fresh blood to attract more monsters.
Hours passed as he ventured deeper into the forest, avoiding unnecessary fights. Eventually, he spotted Glowcap Fungus, one of the ingredients for mana potions.
Alex found more plants along the way, but his pocket watch was already nearly full, and placing magical plants in his travel bag would leave a scent trail that predators—or other participants—could follow. It wasn't a major risk, but Alex had grown cautious, even paranoid. So he left the rest behind.
As he gathered the glowing fungus, he heard movement from the bushes nearby.
"Well, well, what do we have here? If it isn't the bastard who got me disqualified in the first test," came a mocking voice.
Three figures stepped out from behind the foliage.
Outside the forest, Scarlett watched the scene unfold through her observation mirror, anxiety twisting her gut. She knew what was coming—but she couldn't interfere. Teachers were forbidden to intervene unless a life-threatening beast appeared.
"I hope everything works out for you, Alex…" she murmured softly.
Back in the forest, Alex's eyes narrowed.
'Nobles,' he realized instantly.
"How lucky can I be to find you first? You know, there's a nice bounty on your head for this test," sneered the leader.
"Daron, let's just end this and move on," another said.
"Yeah, let's get rid of him. Remember, we'll have to kill him—"
Before he could finish, a sudden crack split the air.
"Gah!" a scream tore through the clearing.
Daron whipped his head around. His friend Oren was gone—only faint specks of light remained where he'd stood.
"Oren…" Daron muttered in shock.
He hadn't even noticed Alex casting a spell. He didn't know what hit them.
A cold chill ran down his spine. Reacting instinctively, he raised an Earth Wall in front of him.
A sharp swish followed—and a deep cut slashed across the stone barrier.
The third noble, Dorren, panicked and fired an Ice Bolt toward Alex.
Alex dove to the side instead of casting a Water Shield. He knew that if he started relying on shields, the fight would turn into a battle of attrition—and he'd lose.
So he threw himself to the ground, without care for dignity or grace.
While prone, he raised his hand again. He saw Daron preparing another spell and made a grim decision: trade damage for damage.
'If I'm going down, I'm taking you both with me.'
Dark thoughts crept in. He didn't want to be disqualified so soon, but a three-on-one fight wasn't something he could take lightly.
That was why he'd silently cast Water Spear earlier, making it go around the group and striking down Oren from behind before the fight even began.
Now he cast Windslicer Barrage, just as Daron launched a massive Fireball—nearly half a man's size.
Alex could maintain his spell for two seconds before rolling desperately to dodge the incoming fire.
The explosion struck close enough to send him flying like a ragdoll.
On the other side, Dorren saw the Windslicer racing toward him and raised both hands.
"Distort!"
The air around him warped violently as gravity twisted the blades' trajectories, sending them veering off course.
Alex staggered to his feet, coughing, his ears ringing.
He was in a tight situation—outnumbered, damaged and with two-thirds of his mana.