Kale kept hiding and observed. The round fluffy bird soon came back and the group decided to advance.
'Now what should I do? My means are limited and I also can't use the WitchCraft directly so my contribution will definitely want in the top 10 if I were to move alone, and if I snatch opportunities from others or take of them then my image will be affected, I don't mind my image getting affected as long as I can show my strength but I still need a team as a backup plan,' Kale thought.
He had many ways to raise his strength with WitchCraft both direct and indirect. The one he used earlier was indirect as the traces of him using WitchCraft will disappear after the method is used. In direct ways, he had to carry things with him that might leave traces of it being used around, Kale would definitely not use such means near the academy.
'The best option is to head inside with them, then split?' Kale made his decision, he stopped using ‹Camouflage›, and 'stealthily' approached them.
Everyone in the group was slowly advancing while being in formation, Night Hunter was around the middle of the formation, he casually reached out his hand to his machete, then he suddenly turned around and threw his machete in a particular direction at a tree.
Kale stood on the tree branch as he saw the spinning machete heading in his direction, he didn't dodge, when the machete was just a few meters away from him, he swiftly reached out his hand and grabbed its handle.
'The Master level mastery of «Snake King Body Toning Art» is more than enough to increase my body's physical capability this much,' Kale thought.
He looked down and saw everyone in the group staring at him.
Layla and Arlo instantly recognized him. Misha too saw his silvery-white hair and guessed his identity but kept quiet, it was a basic understanding between them, this was why she was addressing Arlo as Razor, it was called respecting their privacy.
When others were still watching, Amber raised her staff and a magic circle started to appear but Kale was faster, he raised his hand towards her and cast the spell.
'Wooden Thorn'
Amber stopped casting the spell and instinctively backed off, the green thorn stuck at the ground she was stepping on a moment ago.
"Everyone calms down, I know him," Layla was the first to interrupt.
"I also know him," Arlo also raise his hand.
"Me too," Alice meekly said.
According to the rules of the Academy, there was no rule when the students were outside the Academy, they could do whatever they want as long as they don't kill each other. For example, robbing their equipment.
Furthermore, even if they kill, it's an accident and it's proved, then the student can escape the punishment, but the academy's ways of the investigation were not something to sneer at.
This was the reason why the big class got divided into smaller groups. The academy did it to prepare the students for the outside world because killing for money and equipment was common in the wilderness.
Kale lightly jumped off the branch like he was intending to step into the air in front, he landed on another branch, then he jumped again, in three steps he landed on the ground then threw the machete at Night Hunter.
He caught the machete without any problem but kept staring at Kale, although he didn't use Battle Qi, he was still surprised when Kale caught his attack so easily.
"Just found you by chance," Kale spoke.
"It's fine, guys chill out he wasn't trying to ambush us," Mike intervened to break the ice. He then looked at Kale and extended his hand "I am Mike, it's nice to meet you…"
"Anonymous," Kale said and accepted his handshake.
"It's been a while…, Anonymous," Misha said with a meaningful smile.
Kale had no choice but to nod in agreement, he knew his hair would give him away, but he didn't mind, hiding identity was just a cover he was using, his main intention was to hide his expressions.
"Hey, guys would it be fine if he joins us?" Layla turned to Mike and asked.
"As I said, I found you by accident- " Kale tried to explain.
"It's fine, how can we refuse our precious Beast Tamer Lady's request, and we are just eight I think one more member joining the team wouldn't hurt," Mike said with a smile as he patted Kale's shoulder and looked at the remaining three that hadn't spoken.
Kanna was staring at Kale all this time, when Mike looked at her, she snapped out of her daze and nodded in agreement "I don't mind, the more the better," She said with a cheerful smile.
When Kale saw her carefree behaviour, for some reason, he felt a little pain in his chest.
Amber retracted her wand, indicating she didn't mind. Night Hunter turned around and spoke "Let's not waste more time,"
Kale shrugged his shoulders and decided to join. He was positioned just behind Layla.
"In the morning, I gave you so many calls but you didn't pick up so I left the message regarding the test, it's good that it worked, I almost thought you won't come," Layla said to him in a low tone.
"My phone was switched off, when I turned it on, I saw the message and decided to come. That aside, I didn't think you would join her and this team," Kale said while looking at Misha.
"Normally, I wouldn't and she isn't the leader but guess what, she is a Healer and you see the girl beside her, she is Kanna, her childhood friend. Moreover, she is a summoner, how lucky. You already talked to Mike, he was ranked 2nd in the entrance examination, he is without a doubt the best tanker in our batch.
He is the one who asked us to join the team, he also asked Misha to join and Kanna was her friend so she also joined as for Arlo he seems to already know Mike," Layla said.
"Hmm…" Kale nodded while staring at Kanna.
Her answer was within his expectations, furthermore according to him, Mike wasn't an easy figure and had a good backing that Misha wants or she won't agree that readily to act under someone.
Layla followed his gaze and grinned "She is cute right? I knew you would like her, if you had come to take classes every day then you could have also met her,"
"No, I was just wondering why did she summon that fried chicken out of all the things?" Kale said.
"Pfffttt… Haha, she is not abnormal like you who could fight Enlightened Mortals while still being a mortal. I had talked to her before, she said it isn't easy to approach and convince a strong beast to make a contract and it isn't easy to remain in the spiritual plane for a long time as it can hurt her soul," Layla said.
Kale shook his head, according to him those who are afraid of such risks and injuries shouldn't aim to become practitioners at all. Because talent had a limit but handwork doesn't.
Talent could only take a person to a particular height, without effort they cannot go higher and this will become their biggest shackle.
Alice heard their whispering sound from the side and joined in the conversation "You earn so many CP every day but you still haven't bought any good equipment except that knife, what are you saving them for?" She asked to Kale out of curiosity.
"I did spend them, I spend them on strengthening my body, didn't you see how I was able to catch his machete. The things I bought were expenditure type but were expensive so I don't have any CP left for physical equipment, moreover, I don't like heavy equipment, so I will wait until my body gets stronger before buying them," Kale said.
Alice nodded in understanding.
Kale had made up that whole lie since he decided to practice «Snake King Body Toning Art», as for saving points, he needed them for his future plans.
After they were close enough to the nest, Mike signaled them to stop, when they looked through bushes, they saw the ongoing fight between unorganized groups of students and foxes outside a waterfall.
"According to the map, the cave is hidden behind the waterfall that's how the group became so big without others finding it out till now. Most of the foxes inside are Water Foxes of Uncommon-Grade with the pack leader being the Aqua Fox of Rare-Grade, their strength is under Level 20, as a group as long as we are careful enough we can surely do it," Mike said while trying to raise the morale of the group.
…Ooouuuu….
At this time, a blue-furred fox twice as big as a normal fox leaped out of the river flowing under the waterfall and pounced at the student nearest to him.
The student was taken by surprise and before he could even muster the thought of activating the bracelet, the fox bit his left hand he was using to wield the sword and ripped apart his flesh.
The whole group including the students outside were shocked and horror-stricken. Knowing about something and experiencing it in person was a completely different thing, it was the time when they came to experience just how big the difference between these two really was.
"Ahhhhhahhhh….."
The student screamed in pain, all he could do was scream, unlike him, the fox wasn't surprised in the least, after making his hand useless, the fox aimed at his throat. The fox opened his big mouth which looked like a sacrificial bowl and aimed at the boy's neck.
…Swoosshh….
A sharp knife slew at wind slashing speed and hit the fox's eye, blood gushed out making his blue fur red, but the wound wasn't deep enough to kill him. The fox hurriedly retreated and dived back into the river, one of the injured student's teammate ran to him and hurriedly gave him a Mortal-Rank Common-Grade Health Potion, although it wasn't strong enough to cure the injury it could at least stabilize the wound.
Other students continued their fight, but during the delay, they at least peeked once at Mike's group remembering their faces.
Mike reacted, he looked at Night Hunter and praised "Good, that was a good shot, the range was already at peak among Mid-Range Fighters," He said with a smile, but inside he was a little embarrassed because as a team leader instead of getting taken by the shock he should have reacted first.
Night Hunter didn't reply at first, he looked at the four curved edged spinning shuriken in his hand which he had taken out earlier then cast a glance at Kale and said "It wasn't me,"
"Eh… Huh?" Mike was startled, he turned and looked at Kale who has taken out the «Fallen Sakura» and activated ‹Life Sense› with another hand without looking at him.
Amber and Night Hunter also glanced at him from the corner of their eyes but didn't speak.
Misha was surprised as she thought 'I knew it,'
While Kanna only stared at him with her big innocent eyes.
Layla had a smug look on her face, she was about to speak when Kale interrupted her.
"Three Level 10+ foxes including the one I hit are approaching," Kale said. Although he couldn't sense their accurate levels but after using it many times, he found out that the creatures above Mortal-Rank have a particular aura to them depending on their type.
This time, Mike reacted first, he raised his big shield and took the lead "Get in formation,"
Everyone moved on to the command.
Arlo, Night Hunter, and Kale were just behind Mike, all three of them were either close or mid-range fighters so it was the best place for them to advance and retreat.
Alice and Amber were in the rear because they were long-distance fighters.
Misha and Kanna remained in the middle side, because they were support type rather than fighters, Misha was a Healer while Kanna was a summoner but she had almost none battle strength.
Layla was standing behind Kale and Arlo, as a Beast Tamer, the closer she is to her foxes the better could she control them but if she advances too much then the other enemy foxes would likely attack her first.
..Splash… x 3
Just as Kale has said, three foxes jumped out from the shore of the river, one of them had an injured eye while the other two were completely fine.