"Chain of Holy Water!"
"Wood Element: Entanglement!"
"Sacred Water Shield!"
Yan Yue and the others worked together seamlessly, pinning a first-level Snow Wolf to the ground with practiced coordination.
"Wood Style: Wooden Spear!"
Smith moved in for the finishing blow. With his hands quickly forming seals, four sharp wooden spears erupted from the ground and pierced straight through the Snow Wolf's skull.
Perfect.
This marked the tenth first-level monster the four of them had defeated together.
From the clumsy cooperation at the start to their current synergy, the group had built a solid understanding of each other's rhythms and abilities. With every battle, their coordination had become smoother and more efficient.
As the Snow Wolf collapsed, Smith rushed forward, drew his dagger, and began inspecting its skull—eager to find a demon core.
But once again, there was nothing.
This was the third time in a row.
To be precise, since they had slain the Violent Demon Bear days ago, Smith hadn't found a single demon core.
This wasn't surprising.
Generally, only second-level monsters were guaranteed to produce demon cores. First-level beasts could occasionally develop one under rare or specific conditions. The Violent Demon Bear had been a lucky exception.
"…Nothing again."
Smith sighed in frustration.
His excitement from earlier had gradually faded with each disappointment. The hope of collecting cores to gain energy points now seemed like wishful thinking.
First-level monsters didn't drop cores often.
And he wasn't strong enough yet to take on second-level ones.
It was a tough road ahead.
"Still!" Zhao Mei beamed, raising her fist in celebration. "This makes ten monsters! We've officially completed our mission!"
Each team was tasked with hunting ten monsters within five days.
Today marked day four—and they had already achieved their quota.
"It looks like our teamwork finally paid off." Wei Lin exhaled in relief.
From those early days of fear and uncertainty to now, they had adapted to this life. Ten consecutive battles had not only improved their teamwork but also helped them better understand their individual powers.
Through these fights, they had grown—not just stronger, but also more confident.
What had impressed Yan Yue and Zhao Mei most were the surprisingly versatile wood-based abilities of Smith and Wei Lin.
"I really didn't expect the Wood Element—once seen as useless—to have so much potential," Yan Yue remarked, clearly amazed. "It can attack, defend, and restrain. It's practically a complete system."
Over the past few days, she had witnessed a variety of Wood Release abilities from both Smith and Wei Lin—many of which defied the traditional limitations taught at Huaihai College.
"Yeah!" Zhao Mei nodded. "You've both turned a once-dismissed ability into something so effective. I can't even call it 'useless' anymore."
She covered her mouth, realizing what she said, and quickly corrected herself. "Sorry, that came out wrong. Clearly, Wood Element powers are not useless."
Smith chuckled proudly. "Heh. No offense taken."
Beside him, Wei Lin scratched his head bashfully. "Honestly, it's all thanks to Smith. I would never have thought to explore the Wood Element this deeply without him."
He meant it. It was Smith who had led the charge, creating techniques and guiding strategies that made the Wood Element so viable in real combat.
"As expected of an S-rank," Zhao Mei said, giving Smith a thumbs up with a bright smile. "Your skill development is impressive!"
Yan Yue, observing Smith's demeanor, leaned in slightly. "By the way, Smith, your Spiritual Eye ability is also S-rank, right? I've noticed during battles—your eyes seem to change. Almost like they're shifting into another form. Is that another ability you've developed?"
She smiled softly, her eyes full of curiosity.
Smith's expression didn't change. "Well," he said with a shrug, "haven't you been holding out on your Holy abilities as well?"
Rather than answering, he redirected the conversation.
After all, it wasn't wise to casually reveal the secret of his Sharingan.
Yan Yue was a rare Double S-rank Holy Water user, yet he'd only seen her use Water-based techniques so far. Not once had she showcased any Saint-type powers.
Could it be that she hadn't unlocked them yet?
Unlikely.
"Yeah, Yueyue, I don't think I've ever seen you use holy powers either," Zhao Mei added, clearly interested.
Wei Lin nodded in agreement.
Everyone knew that Saint-type supernatural powers were the rarest and most powerful among all abilities. They were so rare that only two people at Huaihai College were confirmed to possess them—Yan Yue and the Principal, Wang Daochuan.
And even the principal had never demonstrated his powers publicly.
Until now, the Saint System had only existed in theory—talked about but never truly witnessed.
Put on the spot, Yan Yue smiled shyly and waved her hand. "The Holy attribute isn't that special. It's not that different from other types. You'll get to see it eventually."
Then she gave Smith a playful side-eye. "Still, you didn't answer my question. You've never told us what those eyes of yours can do."
Smith responded coolly, "It's nothing dramatic. Just enhanced memory. I can remember monsters' attack patterns more easily, that's all."
Of course, none of them fully believed him.
But they didn't press further.
After all, every student had been taught never to reveal their true abilities lightly. Doing so would only give your enemies an edge.
In this harsh world, exposing your hand was the same as showing your weakness.
"Alright, it's getting dark. Let's head back."
The sky dimmed above them, casting shadows across the forest. The four of them quickly dragged the Snow Wolf's body and made their way toward the camp.
---
At Base Camp
Monster corpses had been piled into a small hill at the center of the grounds.
After four days of non-stop hunting, most teams had brought in decent results—though none matched Smith's team in efficiency or speed.
Currently, around seventy to eighty monster corpses lay in the center of camp.
And they still had one more day left.
When Smith and his group returned dragging the heavy Snow Wolf corpse, the other students turned to look—mostly at Yan Yue and Zhao Mei.
In this brutal environment, seeing two beautiful women together felt like a blessing to many.
Zhao Mei wasn't quite as dazzling as Yan Yue, but she was still widely regarded as one of Huaihai College's beauties.
"Wow… a Snow Wolf. That's their tenth beast, right?"
"They completed the mission already? That's insane!"
"Not surprising. They've got Yan Yue, after all."
"It's not just her. I heard Smith and Wei Lin have some powerful new Wood-based abilities."
One student, however, didn't share the admiration.
"Tch. Even if it's new, it's still just evolved from a useless power. It's not that impressive," muttered Xu Kun, eyes cold with jealousy.
He was bitter—originally, he had the best chance to team up with Yan Yue. But his place had been taken by Smith and Wei Lin. The sting of that rejection still lingered.
As the crowd gathered, the person in charge of tracking mission completions stepped forward.
It was Heishui, a member of the Executive Department.
"Snow Wolf… not bad." He checked his records, then nodded. "This is your tenth confirmed kill. Congratulations—you're the first team to finish the mission."
Smith and his teammates gave modest nods.
The reactions around them ranged from admiration to envy.
"Alright, everyone!" A familiar voice rang out.
Qingyun, standing on a nearby platform, addressed the gathered students.
"Stop crowding! Get some rest! Tomorrow is the final day. Complete your missions and prepare to return!"
The crowd dispersed.
Smith stood with his team, watching the sun set over the monster-infested forest.
They had finished their task.
But his journey was only just beginning.
pàtréóñ(Gk31)