28 [ Party Training ]

After packing our essentials, including clothes, food, and water, we embarked on a journey to the Ruonar Beast Forest in a carriage. Upon our arrival, we ventured just beyond its forest boundaries.

Upon reaching our destination, our training commenced promptly.

"First and foremost, I'd like to assess your combat capabilities. If you exceed my expectations, we can skip the basics and dive into monster hunting training," Leno informed us.

Leno wore a smirk as he laid out the challenge. "The test is straightforward. All of you, attack me at once. Let's see what you're made of, kids."

Gina leaned over to Vanessa, whispering, "Seems a bit juvenile, doesn't it?"

Vanessa nodded, replying, "Indeed, quite in line with his character."

While my teammates took a step back and adopted their combat stances, I remained still, observing their readiness. It wasn't due to hesitation on my part but rather a genuine curiosity about their abilities. I wanted to see what these other kids could do and, in a way, let them take the lead first.

Leno noticed my approach and addressed me, saying, "You're free to attack me in any way you choose."

In a swift motion, a purple light streaked from my right, revealing Deni as he dashed toward Leno, his left hand crackling with lightning. He aimed a lightning-charged punch at Leno's face, but Leno, ever watchful, evaded it effortlessly.

Deni, however, wasn't done. He kicked off the air, spinned his body and swiftly adjusted his trajectory to land another punch. Leno, recognizing the impending strike, had no choice but to block it with his arm, dispersing the lightning with a mana-coated barrier.

Leno commended Deni's effort, saying, "That's a good swing, but not enough, Deni. Try again," and he sent Deni flying with a powerful kick to the stomach, leaving Deni coughing and flying a few feet away.

"Nex—" Before Leno could continue, Sarla surged forward with a water whip, but Leno's sharp reflexes allowed him to narrowly evade the approaching blue whip.

As Sarla closed in and continued to whip the water with increasing speed, Leno's keen eyes tracked its trajectory until he caught it with his bare hand.

"You're rather predictable in your attack patterns, Sarla," Leno remarked, to which Sarla responded with a knowing smile.

However, before he could react, Naera suddenly leaped from behind Sarla, unleashing a turbulent wind blast toward Leno. Simultaneously, Sarla transformed her water whip as if it had a mind of its own, encircling Leno completely to restrict his movements.

In response, Leno shielded himself from Naera's wind blast with his body, causing him to take a step back. The force of the wind made the grass beneath him scratch, leaving two visible lines.

Leno's confidence was evident as he effortlessly shattered the water chains that had bound him. "That's good," he acknowledged, "but you guys have to do better."

With a sudden burst of speed, Leno charged towards the two girls. "Now, try to defend this!" he called out. Just as Sarla and Naera were about to leap aside to evade his punch, Leno abruptly retracted his fist. "Kidding," he quipped, and the ground beneath the two girls began to tremble.

Cliff's urgent warning pierced the air. "Be careful, below you!" he shouted while extending both of his hands.

Two earth ground platforms lifted Naera and Sarla up in the air before another earth ground came out and destroyed the platform. But Naera and Sarla were quick and immediately left the platform.

"You read my attack?" Leno's astonishment was evident as he recognized that Cliff had not only anticipated but also thwarted his Earth Magic attack by swiftly conjuring a platform to protect the girls.

Leno's gaze fixated on Cliff, who, in response, felt a surge of anxiety creep over him as he realized he had captured Leno's attention.

This momentary distraction left Cliff momentarily paralyzed, rendering him unable to react to the sudden upheaval of earth beneath him, hurling him several feet away.

"Oh, guess it was just a fluke."

Naera and Sarla made a coordinated dash towards Leno, but just as he readied himself to counter their attack, I had silently closed in from behind. Leno, quick to sense my approach, subtly adjusted his stance, anticipating my move.

With the intent of a simple yet effective attack, reminiscent of hunting a wild boar, I conjured a water ball in my right hand, slightly larger than my head, aimed directly at Leno's face. Leno reacted swiftly, slicing the water ball with his hand, causing it to burst into a splash. In an instant, my left hand was charged with a gust of wind, which I used to propel the splashed water right at Leno.

The water splashed onto Leno's face, but Sarla remained focused, swiftly employing her water whip to ensnare Leno's body. Naera, not missing a beat, conjured another gust of wind and unleashed it toward the water-bound Leno, catching him off guard and propelling him through the air.

Before he could land, Leno broke free from the water bindings, landing gracefully as if the whole ordeal were inconsequential. He chuckled, remarking, "That was unexpected."

I pointed behind him, countering, "No, now that was unexpected."

Deni had already charged another burst of lightning in his hand and threw a punch that landed squarely on Leno's face. As his body was still drenched in water, the lightning coursing through him delivered a powerful shock.

"Ouch," I exclaimed, feeling the residual effects of the electric shock.

Gina and Vanessa approached Leno, who was still recovering from the unexpected jolt. They inquired, "So, did they exceed your expectations?"

Leno remained silent but gave a thumbs-up gesture in response. This prompted all of us to burst into laughter.

"Damn it, I was just going easy." He said to Vanessa and Gina who were laughing at him.

With daylight still on our side, we continued our training. I also tried to learn a few things about my teammates while at it.

During this session, our mentors provided valuable guidance on how to harness and optimize our abilities more efficiently.

As evening approached, we shifted our focus to hunting animals and monsters in the forest. It wasn't that challenging since most of our hunting were supported by our mentors.

When night fell, our mentor gathered us to share feedback on our combat abilities after we had our dinner cooked by them.

Leno began with a faux cough, appearing slightly embarrassed about the events of the recent afternoon. "Well, here are the reports and feedback regarding your combat abilities," he announced.

Leno began the feedback session, addressing each of us individually. He started with Deni, offering his assessment.

"Deni, your agility and footwork in combat are remarkable, surpassing your teammates. However, your impatience and rash decision-making sometimes hinder you. Nevertheless, your collaboration with Sarla and Raul, combining lightning with water magic, shows great potential for devastation. I suggest implementing this strategy in our upcoming Squad Battle."

Continuing with the feedback, Leno turned his attention to Cliff. "Cliff, your ability to anticipate magical attacks is commendable. However, your self-doubt holds you back. You possess more strength and skill than you give yourself credit for. Your role might be well-suited as a watchful guardian for your teammates, providing support and defense from the rear." Cliff nodded as he gripped his hand.

Addressing Sarla and Naera, Leno remarked, "Sarla and Naera, your teamwork is impressive, and you seize opportunities effectively. Sarla, your mastery of water magic and that whip of yours is commendable, but your attack patterns are somewhat predictable."

"Naera, your powerful gusts of wind are notable, but it appears that close combat might not be your forte. I believe Naera, you are better suited for rear support roles and Sarla is better for vanguard."

Both Sarla and Naera nodded simultaneously, showing enthusiasm for their assigned roles.

Leno's attention eventually shifted to me. He began, "Raul, your father has already informed me about your dual elemental ability. The way you wield both elements is remarkably creative and effective. Your positioning and coordination with your teammates are also commendable. However, your magical power is slightly lower compared to the others. If I had to pinpoint a role for you, you could excel as either the controller or the team coordinator."

Leno's smile conveyed his approval and confidence in my potential within the group.

'False, his magic powers are stronger than his teammates!' Garen countered.

I responded calmly, 'Take it easy, there's no need to showcase all of my strength. Doing so allows our mentors to better strategize for us. Besides, I'm aiming to align my abilities with those of my teammates. It's important for them to understand that they shouldn't depend solely on others, but on their own skills.'

Garen asked, 'Why do you think that way?'

I explained, 'I've played plenty of cooperative games. If you encourage your teammates to rely on you too much, it can hinder their skill development and overall growth. I don't want that to happen.'

"In other words," Gina summarized, "Your roles in the Squad Battle are Sarla as the Vanguard, Deni as the Flanker, Naera and Cliff as the Rear Support, and Raul as the Controller and Vanguard."

"This clarification highlighted each team member's specific role and responsibilities for the upcoming Squad Battle."

Vanessa took the lead in discussing the team's approach for the Hunting Prowess. She addressed each team member's target ranks and the groupings.

"As for our plan during the Hunting Prowess, Raul and I will form one group, concentrating on chasing Lower D-Rank monsters or those below that rank."

"Deni, you'll be with Cliff under Leno's guidance, pursuing Intermediate D-Rank monsters."

"And finally, Sarla and Naera will be under Gina's supervision, targeting Intermediate D-Rank monsters."

Vanessa emphasized the tactic. "Initially, you'll hunt with your mentor, but as we notice improvement in your abilities, we'll allow you to hunt on your own while we act as observers. This way, we aim to double our points and enhance our overall performance."

In all honesty, it was my idea, and I conveyed it to Vanessa when we had the opportunity for a private discussion.

Initially, she had reservations, but I managed to persuade her by assuring her that I would give it my all if she teamed up with me. With her determination, she successfully convinced the other two mentors to support the plan without telling them the real reason behind it.

That night, we settled into our sleeping bags, which had been thoughtfully provided by Leno. There was no need for tents, as we chose to sleep under the open night sky, with only the starry canopy above us.

The next morning, we resumed our training as we had done the previous day. However, when night fell, we each returned to our respective homes, marking the end of our brief adventure in the great outdoors. Vanessa had promised to pick me up the following morning.

As she left, Vanessa offered a playful reminder, "Don't oversleep, kiddo!" My parents waved goodbye and thanked her for the day.

Feeling quite tired that night, I took a shower and promptly went to bed. Garen noted, 'You seemed very excited for tomorrow.'

I replied with enthusiasm, 'Of course, finally I've found something to look forward to after being reincarnated in this world…' And with that, I drifted off to sleep, eager for tomorrow that awaited me.