By the time the sun reached its peak, it was already 1 p.m. Norman and Ellie sat comfortably under the shade of a tree, enjoying their simple packed lunch. They had spent the morning hunting around the outskirts of the Marlowe Hunting Area, making decent progress without pushing themselves too hard.
As Ellie sipped from her water bottle, Norman stood up and dusted off his trousers. His eyes glanced toward the distant woods.
"Let's head to another area," he said casually.
Ellie nodded, standing to follow. They strolled through the forest together, Norman's senses constantly tracking traces of mana in the air. Thanks to his mana compass talent, he could feel the presence and movement of nearby mana beasts—though he made sure not to make it too obvious.
As they walked, Norman mentally noted the activity of their classmates. Some students had formed small groups for safety and efficiency, while others wandered solo, confident in their abilities. So far, there had been no reports of second-tier mana beasts in the area—likely due to the watchguards carefully screening and clearing threats before the test began.
After entering the next hunting zone, Norman abruptly stopped. His usual relaxed demeanor shifted. A serious expression crossed his face.
He sensed something.
A faint, yet unmistakable trace of strong mana flickered near the edge of his perception. The strange part? The reading came from within the designated safe zone—an area supposedly cleared for all students to access. This wasn't normal.
Norman hesitated. Should I check it out?
He glanced at Ellie, then back in the direction of the energy source. After a brief moment of deliberation, he made up his mind.
"It's inside the survival exam boundary," he murmured. "I'd better take a look."
Turning to Ellie, he said, "Let's split up for a bit. I need to check on something."
Ellie, trusting him completely, simply nodded. "Be careful."
Norman moved quickly, navigating toward the mana trace. It led him to a river flowing calmly through the forest. He examined the surrounding terrain. The source wasn't visible on the surface.
"Underground?" he muttered.
His gaze shifted downstream where the river fed into a natural waterfall. That's when he noticed a group of students nearby—Rex and his group of four. They approached the waterfall confidently and, one by one, slipped behind the cascading water... but didn't come back out.
"There must be a hidden cave behind it," Norman concluded.
He quickly put on his mask and switched into his Roman persona, swapping his sweatshirt to conceal his identity. Then, he quietly followed Rex's group into the concealed cave behind the waterfall.
As he descended deeper, the air grew thick with mana. Norman slowed his pace. He was now certain—something powerful was resting inside.
Before approaching the group, he decided to prepare. Opening his Talent Panel, he looked through available upgrades and spotted a new one:
Faceless Mimicry (D): Allows the user to temporarily alter appearance, voice, and aura signature to impersonate others or blend into environments.
"Exchange points for Faceless Mimicry (D)," he commanded.
> [Ding! 1400 points deducted. Faceless Mimicry (D) acquired.]
He checked his remaining points. Only 1554 left.
"…Sigh." He let out a heavy breath. Still, the upgrade was worth it.
He stepped closer to Rex's group, altering his voice to mask his identity. "What are the four of you doing here? This cave hasn't been cleared. You'd best stay out of it."
Rex looked startled at first, then narrowed his eyes. "We found it first, senior! Don't act like you're here to protect us. You just want us gone so you can steal whatever treasure's inside. I'm reporting you!"
Norman didn't flinch. "Do what you want. But if you go deeper, don't come crying when a mana beast stronger than your tier eats you alive. I'm warning you now: this place hasn't been checked. It could be dangerous."
The concern in Norman's voice was genuine—his mana compass talent had already revealed something lurking deeper in the cave. But Rex's pride got the better of him.
"This is our chance!" Rex shouted. "Come on, guys!"
Despite the warning, Rex and his group of four—equipped with smug grins and arrogance—continued deeper into the cave.
"Suit yourselves," Norman said under his breath, following behind at a safe distance.
About five minutes later, the group stopped. The mana here was dense, and even without special talents, the pressure was now palpable.
"Hide behind that rock," Norman ordered calmly.
Rex turned. "We don't take orders from you."
"Wait, Rex," one of his henchmen said nervously. "Maybe he's right. There's something ahead…"
They reluctantly ducked behind a large boulder. Peeking over the edge, their eyes widened.
A massive snake-like mana beast rested in the center of a cavern, its body coiled atop a glittering mound of mana crystals. Its scales shimmered faintly, and the aura it exuded was oppressive.
Norman leaned forward and said sarcastically, "Go on then. There's your treasure. Just a harmless early third-tier awakened beast."
Panic washed over Rex's face.
"Senior, maybe... we could work together—"
"No," Norman cut him off coldly. "You're all useless here. Get out. I'll report this place to the instructors."
Realizing they were in over their heads, Rex and his group reluctantly turned around and retreated, shame and fear written all over their faces.
Now alone, Norman stepped forward and stared at the snake.
It really is early third-tier… he thought, feeling the weight of its presence. Norman was currently a peak second-tier mana adept, and he could break through to the third-tier in mental refining right now if he wanted. But that wasn't his plan. He preferred to win with overwhelming advantage, not brute force.
If he advanced now, he'd lose time grinding for points—unless he shifted to deeper, riskier hunting zones. His actual plan was to upgrade three core talents—Manaforged Flesh, Arcanepulse, and Aegis Mind—to B-rank before pushing for the next breakthrough.
"I only brought my three daggers..." he muttered.
After a moment's thought, Norman slipped away and tracked Rex's group. Using a subtle mental intrusion, he knocked them out temporarily, then confiscated their weapons—four swords, in decent condition.
He hid them safely nearby and returned to the cave.
"Three daggers for piercing. Four swords for slashing. Three trees for smashing," he whispered to himself, mentally preparing for the battle.
The snake stirred in the distance.
It was time.