On Patrol

"Be cautious, my friends. The area near the school is vacant land, but now that we have entered the forest, there will be a lot more dangers." -Kaliweir continued walking as he reminded the party.

Leylin did not bother with Neela who was beside him. Instead, he paid more attention to his surroundings whilst his A.I. assistant kept giving voiced feedback of the area he was traversing. This was his first time coming into contact with the dangerous world outside of the academy so he could not help but be more alert.

Abyssal Bone Forest Academy was built in the depths of the dark and inscrutable Abyssal Bone Forest. There were only small brushes and short trees around the school, so the danger was not that great there. However, once entering the forest, the countless trees acted as natural camouflage for any monsters. It had always been the hunting ground of many predators.

Leylin could still recall that when they first arrived here, he almost fell prey to a sneak attack.

[Alert! Iron Thread One-Eyed Snake approaching you from the south! Estimated hazard: C-Class!]

As the A.I.'s voice sounded, light blue lines formed an image in Leylin's vision. From the projection, Leylin could very clearly see a red line snaking its way to them.

A black shadow suddenly leaped out from the grass and viciously tried to bite Kaliweir's neck. The teen's expression did not change as the black cleaver in his hands swung down, knocking the black shadow away.

The black shadow fell on the ground and revealed its true appearance. It was a snake that was one meter in length, with faint traces of blood on its body and only one eye on its triangular head.

"This is an Iron Thread One-Eyed Snake, be mindful of its poison!" -Neela warned.

Right at this moment, Lilisse, who was behind them, suddenly struck and three throwing knives were launched towards the beast.

The Iron Thread One-Eyed Snake's body coiled to avoid two of the blades but the last one slashed at it as it passed, leaving a gash.

"Hah!" -Seizing his chance, Kaliweir ran forward and swung his black cleaver down on the snake's head. With a cold flash, the head of the snake was cut off instantly.

The snake, which had lost its head, coiled in a circle, still bleeding profusely.

"Ah!" -Lilisse was startled.

"It's already dead. This is just a natural reaction to its body. Haven't you learned about basic anatomy?" -Neela harrumphed.

"Only the poison sac and the skin of this Iron Thread One-Eyed Snake is useful. Whoever wants to collect the materials better hurry and do so now. The blood will attract many other living organisms here." -Kaliweir slowly spoke while putting away his cleaver.

'All of this, I already researched months ago...' -Leylin inwardly felt jaded with the monotony.

"I will do it!" -Raynor stepped forward and, after a short while, the five of them continued on their journey.

[It could be worse though, right?]

'Yes, but I'm quickly growing bored of this. If someone is not hurt soon, or a more powerful beast jumps out of nowhere, I'll come up with an excuse and go back to the academy. I'm not here for the quest itself, so it wouldn't really matter to me if I deserted.'

[Let's hope it does not come to that.]

The Farlier heir nodded his head and slightly hastened his footsteps.

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The following day, within the dark woods.

A red-eyed raven blinked its alert eyes and perched on a branch as it constantly ruffled its feathers.

Suddenly, a white arrow was shot.

The raven flapped its wings to move away. While it was evading, there were another three flashes of white light, belonging to the throwing knives that were shooting towards it.

Dodging in a fast arc, the red-eyed raven avoided the knives and landed in an open space.

But then, a shadow hopped out from some shrubbery, two hands grasping a cleaver, and hacked towards the red-eyed raven. It seemed like the arrow and the throwing knives earlier had all been there to force the bird to the ground.

A black cleaver brought about a gale as it attacked the bird. It cawed loudly, letting off an unpleasant noise.

There was a flash of human-like resentment in the raven's eyes and a pair of black claws met with the cleaver.

Although the red-eyed raven was a little larger than the average raven, it was only about the same size as a chicken. It had unexpectedly used its black claws to push back the Knight wielding the black cleaver.

The raven cawed again, and a few black feathers drifted down from its body.

Taking advantage of the retreating Knight, the bird actually went forward and clawed at the Knight's face with its sharp claws.

"Pandora - Greygonger!"

A hurried and quick incantation sounded and a ball of green liquid flew out suddenly, hitting the red-eyed raven squarely on its body.

White mist rose continuously, and the cries of a raven sounded.

A few seconds later, the screams from the raven completely vanished, and all that was left was a ditch. Lying inside were a few feathers that did not have enough time to corrode.

"Are you alright, Kaliweir?"

A nearby shrubbery shook and a few figures made their way through it.

Kaliweir shook his head: "No worries. Although the red-eyed raven has the strength of a Knight and can even fly, it is still not an opponent for us humans who wield weapons."

Looking at the person in the middle, he said: "Nonetheless, let me praise you, brother Leylin. The timing of your Acidic Aqua Shot earlier was flawless."

"It was all due to everybody's teamwork." -Leylin faked a humble smile.

Kaliweir then walked to the large ditch where Leylin's spell hit, used a branch to brush away the feathers, and picked up 2 black claws from the pile of goo.

The side of the black claws was extremely sharp. They released a chilling luster as if reflecting the difficulty of dealing with its original owner.

"Although the might of the Acidic Aqua Shot is great, it also corroded the red-eyed raven greatly. Apart from its hard claws, there is nothing left..." -Kaliweir said with a tinge of regret.

'Which is exactly why I used it instead of my crossbow. I don't want you getting any free materials out of my efforts.' -Leylin thought.

"Hmph! If not for Leylin, you guys might have paid some kind of price to kill that bird!" -Neela protested in defense of her crush, seemingly displeased.

"That is quite true. I apologize if I offended." -Kaliweir sheathed his cleaver. Right now he had matured from his previous behavior and knew that Neela was rather spiteful, so he was not angry at all.

"Think nothing of it, dear Kaliweir." -Leylin kindly reassured.

"With this red-eyed raven, we have gathered enough materials. Should we head back to the school to turn in the quest?" -Discerning that Raynor and the rest were looking tired, Kaliweir asked.

"Naturally, we have to go back now. The forest is too dangerous. We couldn't even have a good sleep during the night!" -Neela said immediately.

Lilisse and Raynor hurriedly nodded their heads too.

As for Leylin, he had what he came here for, so he did not care if they returned. He refrained from wording his sentiment, nevertheless.

"Alright, then. Let us go back..." -The leader of the patrol said somewhat disheartened.

Kaliweir was a little regretful as he carefully put away the claw: "It is a pity, though. With our abilities, we could definitely kill more of the red-eyed ravens. They are worth much more money than the Iron Thread One-Eyed Snake from before..."

"Keliweir is right. We can take many more of these animals down. Who knows, there might even be a bonus pay if we manage to kill double the required number..." -Leylin suggested, to which the expressions of the other four turned resolute.

[You truly want to see them dead, don't you?]

'Not necessarily. I intend to push them to their limits, so they can't help but unleash their trump cards. Then, since we'll be watching up-close and in detail, you'll be able to dissect each of Kaliweir's and Neela's Knight abilities.'

[You see profit in every situation, don't you? I'll do as you bid, Doctor.]

"Those are the words of a true adventurer! Prepare yourselves, friends!" -Kaliweir encouraged.

The party packed up quickly and started on their second hunting run.

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The chirping of insects could be heard in the quiet forest from time to time, and the lush branches and leaves of the trees covered the sun completely. Sunrays occasionally shone through the gaps like beams of light. Familiar sounding caws could be heard ahead.

Kaliweir, who was leading at the forefront, furrowed his brows: "Why are there so many red-eyed ravens? These creatures are very aggressive towards humans. If we do not clean their numbers up in time, they will attract more of their kind which will be extremely troublesome!"

"What now? Should we take a detour and surround them?" -Raynor asked.

"I'm afraid that might not work. They have already discovered us. I can see them flying at us in the distance..." -Leylin looked at the image in his holo display and said without leading one to suspect him.

The sound of wings flapping gradually got closer.

Kaliweir then laughed: "Since they have voluntarily come to seek a fight with us, we shouldn't hesitate to welcome them!"

The expressions of the others were at ease. After this period of polishing their teamwork, they all trusted Kaliweir's leadership in combat against these creatures.

On the other hand, Leylin silently cocked his heavy crossbow. It now had been upgraded with a repeating mechanism, which meant he could fire two bolts in quick succession before needing to reload. Furthermore, it was loaded with incendiary ammo. Unlike regular bolts, they were capable of dealing damage to various of the lesser monsters of the Magus World.

[These ravens are bigger. They went from low C-Class to middle C-Class hazards. Do you need me to engage the ESP Matrix?] -Asked the A.I.

'No. I can deal with these creatures no problem. My physique has seen improvement since I started my meditation of the runes, and that target practice I did in my last hour of the spell testing room has sharpened my aim to sniper level. Plus, I won't help those trashes unless I think they are about to die. Can't have them leave this world just yet. Not before they give me all of their secrets.'

"Not good! There are 2 of them!" -Leylin adverted his expression changed suddenly to one of alertness.

Kaliweir was startled. As per Leylin's warning, there was indeed another black shadow behind the first red-eyed raven that flew over, and its size seemed to be bigger than others of its kind.

"We're in trouble!" -Kaliweir's brows furrowed: "Leylin and Neela, you two deal with the one in front! As for the other one, leave it to us three!"

"Use your sword, I'll cover you with my crossbow." -Leylin urged Neela behind him.

"Fret not, Lord Leylin. I shall prove myself to you by killing it!" -The redhead smugly asserted, wanting to leave an impression.

[She is surely trying hard to please you, Doctor.]

'Words are empty and insignificant. I want to see her uphold them with actions.'

The red-eyed raven at the front let out an angry cry and flew towards Leylin.

It actually seemed like it did not sustain any injuries.

"Let's lure it away! I'll use my Secret Skill and quickly finish it off!" -Neela exclaimed.

Leylin's expression of pretended wariness did not change, as he put down the crossbow and made a run for it.

'Using her technique just like that? These people know nothing of concealing one's power. What could I expect from walking meatbags...' -The Farlier heir mocked.

Seeing Leylin and Neela luring a red-eyed raven away, Kaliweir made up his mind. He shouted: "Raynor and Lilisse, stall the other red-eyed raven so I can have enough time to prepare my spell!"

Raynor and Lilisse looked at each other and then dashed towards the red-eyed raven at the back.

As Raynor rushed the bird, he grabbed the bow on his back and shot towards the sky. A few throwing knives accompanied the arrow.

The huge red-eyed raven flapped its black wings and slapped the arrow and knives down.

"What?! It used its bare wings to knock the projectiles away!" -Raynor's face turned pale and his footsteps were interrupted.

The raven that was significantly larger than its cousins had already swooped down, as its huge claws cut into Raynor's shoulders, leaving behind a large wound.

Raynor was being mauled on the ground by the red-eyed raven.

"Aaagh! Sa-Save me!" -Raynor shouted and pleaded.

Just as the Red-Eyed Raven was about to peck down on his cranium, a bright light flashed. Lilisse raised a huge sword that was even larger than her and swatted the red-eyed raven off from her companion.

An iron wire that was made into a net was thrown in front of Raynor.

"I'll hinder it with my attacks! Hurry and take the chance to throw the net!" -Lilisse, who was usually quiet and a little shy, now seemed to be a completely different person.

"Sure!" -Raynor looked at Kaliweir who was still preparing the cast his spell, and forthwith picked up the net.

Lilisse had obviously trained with swordplay before, and the huge steel sword brandished in her hands turned into a silver streak as she knocked the Red-Eyed Raven away to the side.

"Hah!" -With a graceful sweep, Lilisse knocked the Red-Eyed Raven down onto the floor, making mud and gravel splatter everywhere.

"Now it's my turn..." -Raynor's eyes flashed, and the sharp pain transmitting through his shoulder made his eyes a little bloodshot as he spread the steel wire net and trapped the red-eyed raven within it.

The raven continuously thrashed inside, and it seemed as though it would break free from the steel wire net at any moment.

"Kaliweir, hurry! The red-eyed raven's feathers are too thick and I can't hurt it!" -Lilisse shouted anxiously.

"Thank you for your struggle, friends!" -At this moment, Kaliweir finally finished his spell, and a dark red colored fireball was blazing in his hands.

"Move out of the way!" -After Kaliweir shouted, Lilisse and Raynor hurriedly scattered.

"Let's go! Negative Energy Fireball!" -With a fling of Kaliweir's hands, the dark red fireball streaked across with a booming sound until it landed perfectly on the red-eyed raven's body.

A huge sound reverberated continuously in all directions, along with a surging heatwave. The intense wind from the explosion also burned a huge crater in the ground, and the surrounding plants and shrubbery did not escape from it either.

"Nice one!" -Raynor had run a little too slowly and was swept onto the ground by the wind behind him. His clothes were stained with mud. Nonetheless, when he looked at the red-eyed raven, he felt invaded by an abrupt joy.

"Haah..." -Kaliweir panted as his forehead dripped with perspiration: "This Negative Energy Fireball takes too long to cast and I need someone to help me stall the enemy; however, its blasting might is great!"

Lilisse straightened her acolyte robes. As she looked towards the direction that Leylin and Neela had run in, there was an obvious trace of worry in her eyes: "I wonder how they are faring against their raven... It was the biggest of the two, after all..."

"Don't worry; Leylin and Neela are very strong! Seeing as we managed to deal with one ourselves, they should be fine." -Kaliweir comforted her. This was the first mission that he had taken in a year, and he, too, wanted the perfect ending.

"We're safe for now, it seems." -Just as Kaliweir was speaking, both Leylin and Neela walked out from a thicket of bushes.

A few burnt black feathers clung to their bodies. The girl resembled to be upset about something, but neither of them seemed to have sustained any injuries.

"Where is the other one?" -Raynor questioned, feeling tense.

"Over here." -Leylin raised the black claws in his hands, and then looked at the huge pit for a second, before returning his gaze to the group.

'This fellow... I reckon that spell he used had at least 6 degrees of power. Kaliweir is pursuing lethal spells, so I better watch him more closely from now on.' -Leylin decided.

[The analysis of his spell will be done by tomorrow. And do bear in mind, you're still more than a match for him, Doctor. Seeing as your average casting time has been cut down by 70%.] -Aralis reminded.

'That may be true, but you know I don't dare underestimate any potential enemy. I may look down on them in general, but I acknowledge the threat they pose to me should they turn into my enemies.'

'Speaking of which, how did the scan of Neela's Secret Skill go?'

[I'll have it defragmented and reverse-engineered in two hours or so.]

'Nice job. Inform me as soon as you have both techniques ready for me to learn.'

[Roger.]

"Since everyone is okay, let us hurry back." -Kaliweir's face darkened: "The monsters lurking around the school these days seem to be a little too much..."

"I agree; were your previous academy missions this dangerous?" -Leylin asked wanting to draw even more intel from the group.

"No, they weren't. Even if we accepted a patrolling mission like this, we needed at least 1 month to find 10 red-eyed ravens. However, we have currently exceeded that amount in just 2 days..." -Neela explained beside him.

"After we return, let us report this situation to the overseer. I feel there's something amiss." -Lilisse declared suddenly.

"If there are any problems it'll be for the Magi to solve. As Kaliweir said, we had better leave here as soon as possible." -Raynor added.

"No more talk, then." -Kaliweir said as he threw the broken iron wire net aside and picked up a black claw.

As everyone did not have any objections, the team hurried back.

"Why would these 2 red-eyed ravens ambush us like that?" -Raynor suddenly felt uneasy and hastened his footsteps.

The rest of them seemed to have the same ominous feeling, and the team hurried along.

"Do you think they were perhaps guarding some treasures? You know, ravens have a habit of collecting shiny items." -Neela, who was at the back of the group, saw the gloomy expressions on everyone and said half-jokingly.

"Although the red-eyed ravens also have the word raven in their name, their bloodlines are closer to that of a Bramble Thorny Bird. Therefore, they don't have the habit of searching for treasures, but instead, have an acute sense of a few special plants. In fact, Magi often raise Bramble Thorny Birds and use them to search for those special plants." -Leylin replied, not turning back.

"How do you know that?" -Raynor was obviously not convinced.

"Bramble Thorny Bird's origins and how to raise them. It's on the level 3 bookshelf in the Library, I read it recently." -Leylin replied blandly.

"Oh, Lord Leylin! You're so awesome!" -Sparks could be seen in Neela's eyes again.

[You have where you wanted her. Since you pretty much saved her from that raven after her technique failed to kill it.]

'Whatever. She's more of a long-term investment. She'll be useful for me once she grows in power. For now, I'll just keep leading her on and hooked on her budding addiction to my approval.'

Raynor turned away.

[Doctor! I have readings for a B-Class danger within the security perimeter! I advise you to evacuate the vicinity immediately!] -The A.I. dutifully told with concern in her tone.

'No, I don't think I will...' -Leylin's countenance reflected an eager character for an instant before it disappeared.

"Hmm?" -Lilisse took a sniff and suddenly smelled a very fragrant scent.

"Stop! Did you guys smell anything?" -The green-haired lass halted in her tracks.

The group stopped.

"Smell what?" -Kaliweir's expression tightened, and he gripped the cleaver in his hands.

"I seem to have smelled a very fragrant scent!" -Lilisse explained.

"Fragrance? There are only odors that make people want to vomit in this forest! And now it is getting more serious!" -Raynor interrupted.

"I actually smelled a whiff of Jasmine Flowers mixed with Black-Oiled Roses!" -Lilisse wrinkled her nose.

"Damn it! Such is the odor of a wild beast!" -Kaliweir unsheathed his cleaver. This situation was obviously strange.

Leylin placed his left hand into his black satchel.

A gust of wind blew over at that instant. It carried a fishy stench that stung the nose.

The roar of a ruthless beast sounded. The plants in the surrounding black forest also bent from the pressure caused by the beast's roar.

Kaliweir's face changed greatly: "Be careful, it's a huge one!"

The heavy steps rang, allowing Leylin and the rest to behold the appearance of the creature.

It was an enormous black bear and its skull was split open as if exposing its brain. There was also a 'V'-shaped, white mark on its chest, like a lightning scar.

"The Violent Hilly Bear! Each one is comparable to a level 3 acolyte! It was this fellow we met the last time one of our party was killed!" -Kaliweir's pupils shrank to the size of a pin.

"It is mainly its roaring attack the one you have to be wary of! It was this attack that killed Hank previously!" -He yelled.

"Shit, let's disperse and run!" -Raynor's face turned pale and he suddenly turned around and scooted off.

"This coward!" -Neela fumed and her face turned red. The Violent Hilly Bear increased its speed because of Raynor's sudden escape.

"There is no choice left! This exceeds our capabilities, so let's scatter and run. Let's hope to meet each other back in the academy!" -Kaliweir made his decision as a leader.

And so, the young acolytes fled the scene in a desperate attempt to escape certain death.

Except for one.

The Farlier heir immediately took out a blue vial from his satchel and drank it up in one gulp.

'Now that the rats have scampered out of my way, I can get down to business...' -Leylin's mask fell for a second, revealing a bloodthirsty grin.