Linfel then took out his MCOM without anyone noticing except Alvin. "Alright, this should be enough."
"What are you doing?" Alvin asked Linfel while running. His breath seemed to slowly stabilize without him perceiving it.
Linfel smiled at him and didn't answer. Instead, he asked something else. "You seem quite fine, don't you?"
Alvin was taken aback for a moment and checked himself. He was definitely tired, and his Magic Energy reserves weren't all that great at the moment. Yet, he was quite surprised with his own calmness even though the events just now were dangerous. "I think... I am?"
Felia was happy for Alvin. "Master, you are getting used to it. That is great news!"
Linfel nodded. "She is right. Anyway, you should take your MCOM and write a report to send back to the Sky Island."
"A... report?" Alvin got confused.
Linfel smiled. "Did you forget what we are doing in this field exam? We are patrolling the borders while testing our Magic Energy endurance. If we don't report the events in this place, would it even be considered a patrol? Alvin, you should pay more attention." Linfel then put his MCOM back into his Spatial Storage without anyone noticing again.
Alvin felt a chill on his back and immediately took his MCOM. There was a new option there where one could ask for help. Simply put, you could send a voice message, and that's what those who were rescued used to escape. Alvin knew about this one. Well, he was still somewhat skeptical, but he decided to send a message anyway. "Ahem... A mob of Boromes has been found around 50 kilometers into the patrolling route." Alvin then pressed send, and the message was gone.
*Plin.*
A few seconds later, a message in plain text arrived in his MCOM.
-Report received. Continue with the mission.-
"It's true..." Alvin was surprised and quickly spoke. "Thank you, Linfel."
"It's fine." Linfel shook his head. He then paid attention to the Magic Energy inside Alvin. "By the way, seems like the effects are finally showing up."
"What eff-" Alvin was about to ask when someone touched his shoulder.
"Alvin, how could you be so cold? Weren't you worried about me?" It was Connor, showing a sad expression while Tratil followed him closely.
Alvin's mouth twitched. "You aren't using a single iota of Magic Energy. What kind of danger this attack of Boromes could possibly pose to you? Do you think I didn't see it? You immediately used your Magic Energy and ran away from the battlefield. You were the one to ignore me!"
"I didn't run," Connor explained. "I made a strategical retreat. Besides, with Linfel there, was it really dangerous to you?"
Alvin wanted to retort, but he knew Connor was right. Linfel's senses made it almost impossible for them to be caught by surprise by the Magic Beasts. he would feel their Magic Energy ahead of time, especially in a place like this where Magic Energy is so thin. The Magic Beasts probably look like beacons in Linfel's senses. "Fine, I'll let that go."
Connor laughed. "Hahaha! That's my brother."
Tratil, on the other hand, felt embarrassed. "Master, is it really okay?"
"We are scouts, aren't we?" Connor shrugged without a care. "Staying alive during the patrol is our main priority. I'm only following the rules."
Linfel agreed with Connor. "He is right. His actions make everyone look at him like he is shit, but he is still right."
"That was... an unnecessary comment, no?" Connor felt helpless.
Alvin definitely agreed, though. "I see... So, Shit- I mean, Connor, keep up the shit- I mean, keep up the good job."
"Hmph! You are just jealous of my strategy." Connor spoke back... seeming to try to convince himself at the same time. "Anyway, I'm going a bit ahead. I don't want to risk losing the guides out of my sight." And so, he dashed to the front.
Alvin and Felia took that chance and asked Linfel. "So... what effects were you talking about?"
"Look around. The answer should be obvious," Linfel didn't explain.
The two began to observe the other Maguses and Familiars in their group. Most of them had already stopped filling the Receptors with Magic Energy. It's not like they wanted to do it, but they had reasons to do so. First, the previous attack left them scared, and they wanted to at least have some Magic Energy to defend themselves. The other reason is that they simply couldn't keep up with the Magic Energy expenditure even if there were no dangers around.
However, Alvin and Linfel hadn't reached that point yet. They had used quite a lot of Magic Energy, and even more so during the attack of the Boromes. Nonetheless, they quickly noticed that their reserves were starting to stabilize. They were doing it while the Receptors in their possession continued full of Magic Energy. "We... aren't losing to the students from Rank A and B classes at all... How?"
Linfel was happy they noticed. "Clean Magic Energy. You have been training with me, absorbing almost spotless Red Magic Energy until now. So far, you were forced to train with those Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones, which are obviously very impure. After you changed to our cooperative method, the impurities in your channels and meridians are being washed away."
Linfel pointed at Alvin and Felia. "You might not notice this, but I do. Your Magic Energy Channels and Meridians are not as dirty as they were when we first met. They get cleaner and cleaner with each day you train with me."
Right after, he looked at the high-ranked students. "Most of them came from prestigious backgrounds and had access to great resources and equipment, so they also have cleaner Magic Energy Channels and Meridians. It is only natural that you are catching up to them now. In fact, you will eventually surpass them in this regard since they don't have me to help. In a place like this, your channels and meridians make the whole difference. With a cleaner path, the wider they are. You can take in more Magic Energy from the surroundings at once. Keep it up, and you should achieve a great result by the end of the Field Exam."
Felia and Alvin were surprised. It was hard to believe, but the proof was in front of them. "Alright!"
Linfel then warned the two. "By the way... I won't warn you regarding Magic Beasts anymore."