Chapter 32

Gil was woken up by Tash in the middle of the night for his turn watching for monsters.

"Are you sure your okay" Tash asked

"Im fine, thank you" Gil replied

"I can stay with you of you want" asked Tash

"No, you should head to bed yourself" Gil wanted to be alone and look at the core in his inventroy

As Tash and Hope went to there tent Gil took a seat and opened his inventroy, removing the green core.

[Tree stalker core]

[Unable to use core]

[Would you like to absorb mana {Yes/No}]

Gil wasnt sure what would happen he picked Yes. The green mist inside seemed to leak from the core and into Gils hand.

[Nature mana learning]

[Core insufficient to learn all stored skills]

[Select available skills:

Camouflage

Mana absorption

Wood manipulation]

Gil read the last on several times not knowing what option to pick, the camouflage one would be useful as he could hide better and sneak on his opponents. However, this would drain his mana quickly Gil thought. Mana absorption wouldnt have any impact on his fighting skills but would enable him to restore his mana quicker. Lastly the wood manipulation would open up a lot of new skills to use after some time Gil picked one.

[Mana absorption learnt]

[Mana absorption lvl 1

Absorb the mana in the air to replenish mana quicker, The higher the level the more mana is absorbed. Has a small chance to absorb a new element which will be instantly learnt, chance increases with higher level]

Gil instantly activated this skill as there was no down side to having it on, testing the skill Gil fired of a large wind spear into the sky where it wouldn't impact anything. Looking at his mana recover he estimated this restored it by 5 points each minute.

"This will allow me to use some skill infinitely" Gil thought, although they are weak skills if it levels up he may be able to use the elemental spears like that.

Gil checked the other notifications he got when he faced the tree stalker.

[Flaming wind slash lvl 1

A combination of wind slash and fire that has combined. Has the same properties as a wind slash but the slash is imbued with flames]

Thinking back Gil tried to work out when this would have been created, realising he performed a wind slash whilst having his blade coated into fire he made a note to practice this wath the other elements.

[Mana concentration lvl 1

concentrate mana to a part of the body to imbue it with mana]

After reading that Gil focused mana into his leg thinking it would work.

[Mana concentration level not high enough]

After Playing around and trying to concentrate mana in different area's Gil was only able to concentrate some in the tips of his fingers. After doing that he felt the find stronger on those fingers, running his hand along the log he was sitting on he also felt he had improved grip.

"If only i could increase my movement speed" Gil mumbled.

Practicing other things Gil could think of he improved his handling of his skills. Once he was happy and couldnt think of anything he could do without waking the others up Gil tried something new. Raising a pillar of earth about 3 meters tall and 1 meter wide, Gil compressed it to as small as it could. Slowly the weak and crumbling pillar stiffened up and got slowly smaller and smaller, after a few minutes of this it was around 1.5 meters tall and 50cm wide. Focusing all he could, Gil compressed it to make the width smaller, whilst doing this Gil pictured a strong material. The first thing that popped to mind was a dragon horn but thinking that was to unrealistic Gil then thought of steel. Slowly small parts of the earth pillar started to turn a slightly dark silver.

[Weak staff made]

[Weak staff

made from densely packed earth and small patches of impure steel]

[Transmutation learnt]

[Transmutation lvl 1

Change one element into another, this higher the level the easier, faster and more pure the transmutation will be]

Gill looked at the staff in front of him, he wanted to be able to make a weapon encase he losses his sword again. Gil thought that the weapon would have to be at a certain level before a skill would be made allowing him to instantly make a weapon. Gil spent the next 4 hours slowly turning the staff completely into steal, raising his transmutation skill.

[Weak staff

Made from densely packed turned into impure steel]

Feeling happy with this, Gil turned it back into earth which was easier then turning ot to steel, and then putting the staff down and slowly returning i back to the earth. The first person to wake was Will.

"Morning, any monsters" Will asked getting food out to make breakfast.

"Thankfully none" Gil answered.

AS the two slowly started to prepare food Jade and Ruby joined them followed by Hope and lastly Tash. All of them sat down in and started to eat the food Will and Gil made. Once they finished Ruby ran round the camp to see if there was any note, after conforming there wasn't she came back conforming it.

"So, are we going to the lake" Tash asked

"Unless anyone has any objections" Ruby said.

No one had any so they dismantled there tents and Will put anything they wanted to keep away. Gil removed the walls of the camp and flattened the earth leaving no trace they camped there.

"Which way do we go Ari" Gil asked

"This way for about 30 minutes then we reach the bank of the lake" Jade responded.

The group made there way there in a tight group, Ruby was at the front with Tash behind her, Will and hope where side by side in the middle and behind them was Gil and Jade. every now and them they would move position this was the one they defaulted to if Hope sensed a monster. Gil was very aware that his and Jades hands had brushed on multiple occasions with Jades hesitating for a fraction of a second, but he thought it was only because he still had mana concentrated in his finger tips.

After 35 minutes the trees opened up and the ground turned to sand and before them stood the large lake. Gil looked down the shore he saw one other group already there and pictured others slowly coming there as it was the last day.

"How are we going to change" Tash asked, suddenly realising non of them had though of this.

Gil constructed several walls and made two rooms for the girls to change in and one for Will. After a few minutes every one came out in there beach wear. Hope who came out first was wearing a one piece bathing suit that was black and white and covered in several patterns. Ruby who was next was wearing a bikini that was bright red revealing her figure. Will came out breaking the line of girls in a pair of shorts covered with stars. Right after Will, Tash arrived wearing a bikini, hers was light blue covered is white snow flacks again showing here figure due to her intensive training. The last person was Jade and when she arrived Gil noticed she wasn't just wearing a simple bikini like the others, Jades swim wear was covered in bright coloured flowers nearly hiding her green bikini underneath. Unlike the other girls Jade had here green hair down and flowing in the wind.

"Ari you look like a water nymphs" Gil blurted out causing her to turn bright red.

"Are you not changing" Will asked

"I didnt bring anything thinking we where going to be facing non stop monsters" Gil replied rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh" the girls said nearly together.

Gil removed the earth huts and turned them into chairs for them to sit in. After an hour or so of talking about random thing everyone headed to the water leaving Gil there. Gil looked at out into the lake and activated mana detection. Closing his eyes, he pictured the water moving in different ways. opening them Gil was small wave forming and collapsing. After doing this for a while he went back to his chair and watched as other students came to the beach.

"Hey" Jade said walking out of the water and to Gil

"Hey, do you want a fire to warm up" Gil asked not knowing how cold the water might be.

"Im fine" She replied sitting on the arm of Gil chair "What do you fancy doing this Saturday as one of days i owe you" She asked.

"What do you fancy ding as i spend each day training" Gil asked

"A picnic is nice, we can make an order at a bakery in Serv for fresh food then go to a flower field i like" Tash proposed

"Sounds nice, what shall i bring" Gil asked

"Nothing, this was for saving my life" Jade said

"The school wouldnt let you die, especially not a great family" Gil teased.

Before Jade could responded a small wave of water hit them both. Looking at the others, they saw Tash and Ruby laughing at there water attack. Gil responded by causing a wave to crash into there face. Soon there was water being shot at Gil and Jade and waves attacking both of them.

After a while everyone came out to have lunch but a gate appeared in front of them.

"Students, this is the end of the test. Please step through to return to the school, you will be given the rest of the day to make note about the monsters you faced and what there weaknesses are" The voice was coming through the portal which Gil recognised as Sarah's.

Before the girls stepped through Will gave them one of his robes to wears and Gil gave Jade his cloak from his bag to cover herself up. Stepping through they noticed other female students other female students other attempting to cover up or just in swim wear.

"We'll see you later" Ruby said

"Bye" Hope answered

As everyone said there by Jade pulled Gil aside.

"Ill meet you at the front of the castle at 8:30 on Saturday" Jade whispered

"Okay, see you then"

Gil met up with Tash and they walked to there rooms together.

"Are you going to right in your room" Tash asked

"Yeah, are you" Gil replied

"Same. Do you want to get a new custom training uniform Saturday" Tash asked.

"Im good with the school ones, anyway me and Jade are going out Saturday" Gil was about ot invite Tash but wasnt sure it would be the best thing to do. They reached there rooms saying bye and started to right there experience of the last few days. Gil they spent the remaining time until Saturday training non stop hand to hand combat not sleeping for during that time. When it came to Friday night Gil went to sleep early to remove his tiredness ready for his day with Jade.