One of the Horned Goats, twice the size of a human, charged toward the group.Alex swiftly aimed his crossbow at the beast's heart and lung area.It was a small target, but with his expertise, the bolt found its mark, piercing the lung.Despite being hit, the goat continued its charge.However, the bolt was coated with a paralyzing agent that began to seep into the creature's bloodstream.The beast's frantic pace slowed, and it finally collapsed in front of them.Some of the students, who had been trying to flee, hesitated and returned.Alex, ever the professional, turned to them. "This is a Horned Goat," he said, pointing at the fallen beast."Its outer layer is thick, but around the lung and heart area, it's softer. That's where you should aim.""But Alex," a female student called out, "we don't have your skill with a crossbow. How could we possibly do that?"Alex smiled. "Don't worry. I have a surefire way for you to kill the beast."A few minutes later..."That Alex! He actually t
The students had never felt happier.They hunted until nightfall, only stopping when darkness descended and they could barely see anything.With the help of some friends, one of the students—whose family owned a restaurant—roasted the goat meat, starting a barbecue under the night sky.Everyone was overjoyed."Everyone, please," Alex called out, seeking their attention."Today, each group has hunted 60 beasts. In total, among the seven groups, we've made $42,000," he announced proudly.The students applauded excitedly."Here's the plan," Alex continued."Half of the money will be invested through me. I'll find a way to make even more from this, and later, I'll buy elixirs for each of you to help you reach the Bronze rank."The other half will be divided. You'll receive daily payments, and the rest will go toward crossbows, bolts, and safety equipment. Each of you will get $500 for your daily payment, and another $500 will be invested in your weapons and armor. What do you think?"Sudd
Cassandra knew of Alex.She had heard rumors about how he and a group of commoners had been fighting horned beasts on their own, making it look almost easy.Curious and prideful, she had secretly followed them, believing she could handle the beasts alone.But she hadn't realized that the horned beasts could call for reinforcements, and soon found herself surrounded and in real danger.Seeing Alex take down two of the beasts with just two bolts, leaving them paralyzed, she felt a burning curiosity about what he had used—but her pride wouldn’t allow her to ask.Cassandra lowered her katana. "I'm here for training. If you hadn't helped me, I could've killed all three."Alex smiled faintly. "Yeah, sure. Like I'm buying that.""I can kill them," Cassandra insisted, her eyes catching the moonlight as she glanced at him.Alex sharp eyebrows and confident smirk gave him a subtle handsomeness she couldn't ignore."Whatever makes you happy," Alex shrugged.He knew she had been secretly followin
The next morning, Cassandra awoke abruptly from her deep cultivation.As she surveyed her surroundings, she noticed the remnants of a campfire, and the sky was already a bright shade of blue.Alex opened his eyes and remarked, "You shouldn't be cultivating in the middle of the night and in the middle of nowhere!"Still feeling a bit dazed, Cassandra had never experienced such a deep cultivation session before.Her body brimmed with energy, and she felt remarkably light.Glancing around, she saw about ten Horned Boar carcasses lying nearby."You protected me through the night?" she asked, finally realizing how vulnerable she had been while deeply immersed in cultivation outdoors.She could have easily been in danger."You didn't give me much of a choice," Alex replied, standing up."We're going to be late for the institute, and I need to maintain my perfect attendance for my scholarship."He glanced wistfully at the carcasses. If only he had a space storage ring, he could take them wit
Alex's heart was already set on Sofie; Cassandra was only a faint shadow in his mind.Without much thought, he said, "Alright, I'll help you with the massage technique to treat your illness every three days. Follow my instructions, take those herbs, and you'll be fine.""Okay," Cassandra whispered, nodding silently."Show me the bruised area?" Alex asked.Cassandra's cheeks flushed as she pointed to the back of her foot. "Here."Alex looked down, his frown deepening as he saw the deep purple bruise on her silky white skin. "That's serious.""Luckily, it's on your foot, so it'll be easier to treat." He sat down and carefully grabbed Cassandra's leg. "I'll be done soon.""Alright," Cassandra said quietly, placing her foot on his leg.The warmth of her smooth skin under his hands made Alex's heart skip a beat. Her slender calves seemed even more delicate in this moment."Don't get the wrong idea," Alex said, meeting her eyes. "I'm only helping with your injury. The girl I like is Sofie.
When class started, Vlad cast a dejected glance at Sofie.Despite her high status, Sofie was warm and friendly with everyone—not just him.Vlad had always believed that Sofie should reserve her kindness solely for him, being the successor to a Duke.But she quickly bonded with many of the girls in class, even the commoners.Any boy who dared approach her, however, would inevitably find himself summoned by Vlad to the back of the institute for a little "chat."With an important test approaching in two months, both Vlad and Sofie were confident they'd advance to the junior Enhance Fighter class.Vlad glanced at Alex, sitting at the back of the room, and smirked."Bronze rank fighter in two months? If trash like you can pull that off, pigs might fly. Just wait—if I don't break your bones today, my name isn’t Vlad," he muttered, signaling to a few of his noble friends.When the institute's bell rang, signaling the end of class, Cassandra approached Alex’s table."Alex, you've helped me so
Alex believed that training with someone as talented as Cassandra could accelerate his progress. Without hesitation, he responded,"Sure. Let's exchange numbers."He pulled out a small device that looked like a smartphone, though it was merely a budget version, functional only within the city and nearby areas due to its dependence on the local tower network.Cassandra happily shared her number in front of everyone.Previously, some female students had approached her, asking, "Why do you get close to that loser? He's the bottom of the class. Why not hang around with us?"She simply ignored them, as she didn't care what others thought; she'd always been a lone wolf.She believed that those who mocked and looked down on Alex were ignorant.One day, they'd realize they were wrong.Only she knew his true talent.In the classroom, Sofie and Vlad were stunned.They couldn't believe what they were seeing."How is this happening?" Vlad muttered, his face darkening. "How could someone like Cas
Shenny was momentarily speechless.Since class began, Alex had been dozing off, yet he claimed to already know the material she was teaching—and even went so far as to try to teach them himself.Who would believe him?"I wonder if you even know the inscription pattern on the board," she sneered. "Why don't you enlighten us about it?"Alex glanced at the intricate design. "It's a low-grade fire inscription, barely a Bronze pattern," he said."It has 35 foundation rune patterns in its structure—weak. Good enough to warm a bed, perhaps. But the Bolton family thinks this is one of their ancestors' best creations, yet it's just a lie."The class erupted in laughter."He didn't hear a word!" a student guffawed. "Says the Scarlet Sunburst Pattern has 35 foundation rune patterns when Teacher Shenny just taught us it has 30!""Used to warm a bed?!" another laughed until tears streamed down his face.Sofie stifled a smile, but Vlad Bolton's face darkened.Alex had just insulted a Bronze pattern