The 188 students completed their preparations as they gathered together outside of the Western Zone Fortress Wall. Each of them is armed with three to four different weapons including some healing medicine, and a few of them comes with some stimulants in their bag.
Although the stimulants are nothing new to them, the purchasing qualification is only given to Licensed Hunter like themselves. Plus, the costs of these commodities is not cheap. With the prices starting from 1gm Mineral Salt, their prices can increase to over 10gm Mineral Salt a vial.
Still, only those with good savings of Mineral Salt can purchase these items. Plus, they're only tradable using Mineral Salt, and not anything lesser than that. Which means, If you're so unlucky to reserve meats instead of salt, then you will have to go through a few depreciation before they sold you one.
"Alright! Had all of you decided with your team?" one of the three teachers asked. Filled with anticipation, he looked at the 188 students hesitates for a moment before they went to their chosen leader. As the clock ticks, the ten teams started to form.
Among the ten of them, eight of them were evenly crowded. Included the leader him/herself, they're 21 members in this eight teams. Corias, Messiah, Vector, Adrian, Rexxon, Samuel, Benyamin, and Yen. They're 168 members belonged in this team.
Meanwhile, fourteen of the eighteen remaining members went to Quin, the last in the top ten, leaving Technos with four people in his team. It wasn't a problem in fact, but this also means that his popularity inside the class isn't too high compared to the others.
Although Quin is also one of the people with Outer Fortress Society standings, he was likable by the others because his father was a member of the Pioneer Hunter Department. This brings his position amongst the people in the same standing like him higher. Plus, where can an orphan get his support from?
And the four members in his team is actually rejected from the others before they have no choice but to join his team. After the team arrangement is all set, the next teacher started to explain the condition of their mission.
"Each of you will have to collect 20 pounds of Medan Stone. I would suggest you collecting 30 pounds each person so nobody will fail the task due to collecting some wrong stones." he took a piece of Medan Stone for everyone present to inspect.
"Make sure you take note on how they look. The stone in your hand works as the attraction stone which will pull the Medan Stone to them when they're located side by side. Of course, for those that carry the Medan Stone powder in their hand can use their own method."
"Now, I will let you know the team's task. According to the number of your teammates, this number will be the amount of additional Medan Stones you will need to collect. If you reach the target, the Commercial Hunter Department will agree to craft each of you a tool. And if you failed, the collected Medan Stones will be confiscated."
"Follow us. The three of us will now bring all of you to the Medan Lake. And also, be extremely careful, because even if your teammates are fallen to prey, you will still need to accomplish the team task." after finishing their instructions, the three teacher leads the 188 students to the Medan Lake, which was located further past the Zone 2 Forest.
With their equipment and strength, the large numbers of Red Ruby Lizards are not a threat to them. Taking the loot from the kill as their additional food supplies, they reached their destination after traveling nonstop for one hour and ten minutes.
"This is the Medan Lake! My father told me this area is very populated with..."
"SHUT UP!" Daguza shouted at the student trying to finish his words and stopped him from continuing to speak. And at the moment they went silent, a scythe was swung across the gap above their head. After that moment of silence and void of screams, the monster left.
"Kill... Ruby Eye Mantis... The assassins..." the student whispered. On the bottom of his pants is a patch of yellowish liquid that smells like his urine. That strike will probably kill him if their teacher did not warn them and pulled him down to the ground.
"The Medan Lake is populated with two different monsters. Ruby Eye Mantis and Ruby Snail. You just saw the Ruby Eye Mantis. They're extremely dangerous, agile, and ruthless. Make sure you take note on their scythe. If you do not possess good strength and defense, don't fight against their weapon." Daguza warned the others before allowing them to enter the Medan Lake perimeters.
Although it was dangerous, the students went in without any hesitation. Under the leadership from the top students, they went closer to the Ruby Eye Mantis and started the battle. With the backup from fellow students, the fight proceeds positively. But one small mistake allowed a fellow student to fall before any monster is defeated.
"NO!!!" the student cried, but the Ruby Snail's sharp spine pierced his chest and pulled him over like a hook and lunge itself at the student. Using an incredible force to pull the student, the Ruby Snail completely swallow the student into it's Ruby Shell.
"Help!!!" knocks from inside came out from the round shell, but the longer it goes, the softer the voice becomes. Soon, everything went quiet. The situation was silenced for a moment as if everyone was grieving for his departure, but a slash from the Ruby Eye Mantis wakes everyone up.
In that short instant, two students died under the hand of the monsters. The head that rolled on the ground scared the others as they run, and caused two of the teams scattered all around the lake about 6-kilometer in diameters.
"We're not going to join their battle. Follow me." Technos gave his instruction to his team to move somewhere else from the crowd. It may look like a reckless move to split themselves from the larger group, but based on the situation now, leaving the group of sitting ducks is better than joining them to try to resist from being eaten.
"Understood!" the four students in his team left the crowd and escaped quickly. When they reach another spot that less likely to be crowded with the Ruby Eye Mantis or Ruby Snails, Technos stopped. By traveling in a team, he notices something.
First, nobody noticed the Elon Bracer, and also the vibrating pulse it released. This matter relaxed him from being too careful with his teammates. As for the second issue, it was the location where most of the Medan Stone is located.
The vibration pulse failed to sense any Medan Stone nearby them. And on where they're under attack from the Ruby Snail and Ruby Eye Mantis just now, his pulse reported 3 Medan Stone is spotted there. This allowed him to come up two different deductions.
One of the two monsters has Medan Stones inside their body. Or, the Medan Stones is packed on where they were earlier, and not other parts of the Medan Lake. Since they're out of danger, the speed of their movement is reduced to present their stamina. Like usual, they put a large part of their attention in searching for the Medan Stone, and a little to explore their surrounding.
Technos did not follow their practices. He steps forward without any precaution and heavily relies on the pulse ability from his Elon Bracer. After scanning a Red Ruby Mantis not far from them, he still failed to sense any Medan Stone in this surroundings.
"Guys. We have a Ruby Eye Mantis here. Pay more attention to its attack. I will take the defending position so all of you should fight when the chances are here." he gave them instructions and charged at the Ruby Eye Mantis. The short sword clashed against the scythe, but Technos found out that his sword is the one chipped instead.
"How sharp is the scythe? It can fight against my Medan-Material short sword on equal!" Technos was amazed by the fact a chip appeared on his sword. It seems that he will have to fight carefully against the Red Ruby Mantis.
He exchanges a few more hits with the Ruby Eye Mantis before retreated. Changing his weapon from the Medan-Material sword into a twin Old World Steel Daggers, Technos took a deep breath before he waits for an opportunity to turn up. He stares at the four members trying to disturb the Ruby Eye Mantis attention to create a chance for him.
"Its here!" Technos charged. Like an arrow released from the bow, he aimed his short dagger just at the joint of the two scythes and removed them from the Ruby Eye Mantis. The pain caused the Ruby Eye Mantis to cry, but the four teammates chopped the four walking limbs next.
The Ruby Eye Mantis can only wait for their death the moment the six limbs are cut off from its main body. Coming closer to the side, one human stabbed the sharp knife into the gap between the eyes to gouge their pair of compound eyes beautiful like a ruby gemstone out.
Next, another human went to its waist and split its thorax and abdomen into two separated parts before scaling off the solidify ruby substance on its body. At the end of the harvest, the Ruby Eye Mantis is only left with useless innards and chopped off carapace protecting the fragile body.
"Hey... What's this..." Technos did not join the others in the harvest but spent his time to see what can be made from the scythe. He did not expect that after it was processed by the Left Elon Bracer, the results are a pile of precious usable dust.
"I did not imagine before that the hard to process scythe of the Ruby Eye Mantis can yield 2gm of the Rubion Dust." Technos took another glance on the Rubion Dust collected inside of a bottle before he keeps it back into his Right Elon Bracer.
As a resident of the Dominus Fortress, it was a must to know knowledge to differentiate what kind of special material is produced in each sector. First and lowest class among all of them, starts from the Bone Tool. As the world changed, the basic understandings in the most preliminary elements changed.
The edibles remain edibles. Plants are no longer categorized into farmable or wild, and meats are no longer came from livestock. Everything changed and returned to how it was before, void of technology and science. Of course, the Elon Bracer of unknown origin remained as an exception.
This means the mineral composition has changed as well. Bones that was obtained from the hunted monsters such as Red Ruby Lizard are something that can be made into powder form before molded into desired products, such as cooking pot, weapons, and even housing bricks.
Their composition that similar to damp clay that can be fired into a certain level to hardening end up as the central supporter of humanity. The destroyed civilization once again was rebuilt under the form of a fortress, where human started to thrive once more within.
And if the Bone Tool is the lowest grade of them, they're followed by a material one class higher. It was known as the Old World Steel. Lighter and more durable, these materials can be found in every corner of the world. Their concern on this material is that they rust easily, making it troublesome to be used for a long span of time.
But after the two cheapest and easily obtained material, humanity can choose to use the Medan-Material instead. Durable, Strong, and Lightweight, the Medan-Material Tools keeps the job done without too much effort is needed.
And above the Medan-Material, it was the sector's unique product. For the West Sector, it was this Rubion Crystal. They possess a moldable quality when they're fired into melting temperature. Different from old world crystals or gemstones, the Rubion Crystals are a high-quality metal product that carries durability twice stronger than Medan-Material and comes with the weight of a third compared to Medan-Material.
The only issue now is... To make a block of Rubion Crystal, one must get Rubion Dust! And to obtain the Rubion Dust, their choices are only by visiting one of the five most dangerous places after the five Forest Zone nearby the Dominus Fortress.
Holy Tree of Champions that was located past Zone 1 Forest, populated by Red Ruby Champions and Ruby Lizard Lord.
Medan Lake, the location where they're located at this moment, populated by Ruby Eye Mantis and Ruby Snail.
Decaying Forest, an area situated after Zone 3 Forest, populated by Ruby Carapaced Centipede and Ruby Tunneler.
Mother's Mountain, a cavern mountain zone whats situated after Zone 4 Forest. This location is the home for all Ruby Spiders and Ruby Broodmothers. It was left untouched by human due to the fear of inciting the Ruby Queen's wrath.
Salt Mine or Medan Mine, another mountain area situated after Zone 5 Forest. Inside here is one of the most visited locations by hunters because of their immeasurable amount of Medan Stone and Mineral Salt is available here. This location is also listed in the most dangerous places is not because of the danger from outside monsters, but inside.
The Mining Cave is resided by a monster known as Rock Eater. This Rock Eater is not an aggressive monster, but their blind condition caused them to slaughter over 1,000 hunters every year due to mining or transporting reasons.
To prevent such incident happened again, humans tried to lure the Rock Eater our from the cave and kill it, but unfortunately, a weapon as sharp as Rubion Crystals. This is because the Medan-Material weapon failed to leave a scratched on the monster at all.
"Leader, we're done," one of the teammates approached Technos and reported their progress.
"Great. We will now continue to look for the Medan Stones. Be prepared for a battle anytime, because I feel that there is a Ruby Snail Nearby." Technos finished his words and started to explore the Medan Lake and the woods surrounding it.