The foothills

There were currently three primary hunting grounds near Avrion City deemed safe enough for second-year students to explore: the forest, the foothills, and the swamp. While there were additional hunting locations, such as the caves adjacent to the city, they were far too dangerous. After the incident with the red door, Ray preferred to play it safe for a while.

The forest was teeming with insects. Although they were weak individually, they traveled in swarms, making them a challenge. Ray had no attacks that could effectively handle multiple enemies at once, making a group of intermediate-tier beasts particularly difficult to face. The swamp housed a more diverse range of creatures, but its terrain would hinder Noir's speed. That left the foothills, a series of rolling hills leading to a mountain range. This area was rumored to host the strongest creatures among the three.

With his destination decided, Ray set off towards the foothills. Noir's speed was remarkable, what would take an hour on foot was covered in just ten minutes with her swift movements. It was even a joy to see such a thing. Ray was increasingly satisfied with his decision to evolve Noir in this direction and eagerly anticipated her future growth. Could she continue to grow even further?

As if sensing his thoughts, Noir let out a small bark.

Ray had never needed to issue commands to Noir. She acted as if she could read his mind, responding to his intentions without hesitation. He felt a pang of guilt—Noir possessed a high level of intelligence, yet he rarely had the chance to summon her.

"In the future, when I don't need to hide things anymore, I promise I'll let you out more," Ray said softly.

Noir barked again, her tail swishing, seemingly pleased with his words.

Soon, the towering peak of the mountain came into view, piercing through the clouds. The summit was covered in white snow, while the lower hills were dotted with trees and caves where beasts likely dwelled. Upon reaching the first hill, Ray dismounted and chose to proceed on foot at a slow pace.

There was no need for a light crystal, as it would only attract attention from the magical beasts. Noir's vision was well-suited for the dark, and Ray had his Dragon Eyes. Activating the skill, he scanned the area, detecting several red life forces. One in particular stood out—far beyond the others in strength. It resided at the peak of the mountain, beyond the clouds. Its presence alone made Ray uneasy. It was the strongest creature he had sensed so far, perhaps even surpassing the Minotaur.

Fortunately, students frequently hunted in the foothills, meaning this powerful beast likely remained at the summit, uninterested in humans. As long as Ray avoided its domain, he should be safe.

The foothills were blanketed in snow, making movement difficult. Many of his Black Sash Knight techniques required precise footwork, meaning he would have to rely on brute strength instead.

Ray headed toward a cave at the top of one of the hills. Along the way, he encountered several creatures known as Qiqrin—dog-sized beasts with furless bodies, save for tufts of fur on their ears and snouts. Their grotesque appearance aside, they were agile, but their speed was no match for Noir, who swiftly dispatched them with a single bite.

The system no longer notified Ray when he obtained basic-tier crystals. Perhaps he had already maxed out his basic-tier points. Nonetheless, he still carved the crystals from the creatures' bodies—he could always sell them later.

Finally, he reached the summit of one of the hills. In the distance, a cave entrance loomed, with a white bear standing guard in front of it. The beast was slightly larger than Noir. Upon spotting them, the bear immediately charged forward.

"Noir, stand down. I want to test my strength."

Ray watched the bear close the distance, its powerful limbs kicking up snow as it ran. Ten feet away, it reared up on its hind legs and lunged.

"If you hadn't attacked me first, I would have given you a painless death, since I'm the intruder here."

Ray smashed his fists together, bracing for impact. As the bear came down, he grabbed both of its massive paws, halting its momentum mid-air. A flicker of realization passed through the bear's eyes—it had underestimated its prey. It tried to retreat, but Ray's gauntlets held firm, their black fingertips digging into its flesh.

Releasing one paw, Ray cocked his free fist and drove it into the bear's stomach. The impact tore a hole straight through its torso. The bear collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Ray grinned. Intermediate-tier beasts had once been a challenge, but now he had dispatched one without taking a single hit. His progress was undeniable, but he still had a long way to go to reach the level of warriors like Sir K or the Minotaur.

<Intermediate Beast Crystal Obtained (1)>

A system notification appeared, signaling his first intermediate-tier crystal drop of the night. It seemed his luck was improving.

Ray and Noir continued hunting across the foothills, encountering two more bears. He let Noir fight one on her own. The bear's attacks were slow, but Noir lacked the raw power to deal a fatal blow. After ten minutes of back-and-forth combat, Ray finally stepped in to finish the beast. Noir looked disappointed, but Ray explained they didn't have the time to prolong the fight.

It was an expected outcome. Noir, after all, was still an intermediate-tier beast, and she hadn't absorbed any additional crystals since evolving. At this moment, she was no stronger than any other magical beast of her tier.

By the end of their hunt, they had gathered a total of sixteen basic-tier crystals and three intermediate-tier crystals. Two had been automatically collected by the system, while Ray manually carved out the third.

He let Noir absorb the first intermediate crystal, bringing her total points up to eight, while his own count rose to six.

With their mission complete, Ray turned back toward the academy, ensuring his roommates wouldn't grow suspicious of his absence.