It was needless to say, I performed the worst.
Beasts, you see, were a lot different from golems. They had weaknesses that I did indeed write about, but they weren't as glaring as man-made products like said golems and even robots.
I created beasts with the philosophy that they were crafted by the world itself. Their flaws were sanded out by the passage of time through evolution and natural selection.
They were a force of nature. A strength that was unparalleled.
And sometimes, a calamity.
Meanwhile, man-made products had yet to reach such a stage. They were still developing at this moment in time.
Thus, this was where the difference between Lily, Virion, and I lay. Skill and strength.
Lily had the best movements. The most refined strikes. Her every move was an indication of years of training. Training that she had to endure since her early days as a young child.
Virion, with his unconscious Specialisation, [ Bloody Halo ] could siphon energy and life out of the enemies that bled around him. If he himself bled, he would turn his life force into power.
His Physical Ability would then rocket up, turning from F+ rank to matching Lily at E- rank.
Together with his battleaxe, no beast could properly defend his attacks without getting out unscathed.
Finally, there I was, running around with a dagger in my hand, slashing randomly like there was no tomorrow. If I saw something I could cut, I would cut it. If I was given an opportunity to strike, I would strike.
Yet, the wounds I dealt were all shallow. The alignment of my blade as well as how I used its sharp edge was severely lacking in proficiency, preventing me from properly cutting through tough muscle and sinew.
Much less, bone.
I had yet to kill a single beast while the two had slain four, maybe five already.
All I could do was move around like a scrambling ghost, using Mana Vision to watch the flow of the beasts' mana and predict their next moves.
Though, I never said that my lack of skill was inherently a bad thing.
The beast was bleeding out of a dozen wounds, suffering with every second that passed. It wailed in pain as I struck another shallow wound into its body.
I couldn't help but smile.
Those wails were music to my ears. Slowly, I would let its health dwindle with every nick and every light scratch I inflicted upon it.
Blood sprayed across the battlefield as the beast writhed and collided with other beasts in the area.
I dodged the charge of another beast that emerged from the forest and watched as it collided with the one I was fighting. Both of them roared at each other as I slashed with my dagger several times in the span of five seconds.
More roars of pain echoed out.
Then came the third beast.
Once again, since I couldn't kill them, all I could do was wound them in several places.
I was having fun. The clear inferiority I had in skill and strength was actually a boon. More pain, more gain.
Thus, I moved across the battlefield, slashing at every opening I could get. The dozen or so beasts that had followed Virion out of the forest were all wounded in painful places. I couldn't help but cackle.
"Don't kill them so fast!" I yelled out to Lily and Virion, who both frowned upon witnessing the blood that splattered across the grassy ground. The pained cries of the beasts were starting to bother their ears.
Reverse psychology came into play despite it being far from my intentions. They began picking up their pace, targeting the wounded beasts first and putting them out of their misery.
"Aw," I sighed, "Very well. I guess this works as teamwork."
Thus, after a few minutes, the battle ended. I pulled my hood lower as I went over to Deuzetai's side and sat down to meditate.
The way that Virion and Lily looked at me was filled with doubt mixed with a bit of revulsion. Virion especially. It looked like he wanted to say something but was pondering on his words. It was amusing.
"Caelum Phricius," But it was Deuzetai who first spoke to me, "Do not torture the creatures of the forest in front of the god of nature's altar. Do not lump me in with you when you wish to court death. If you are to kill, kill with grace and mercy."
His cold gaze fell upon my meditating form. I opened my eyes.
"My apologies, High Professor. I did not have the ability to kill them swiftly like those two, therefore preventing me from bringing them a painless death... I am deeply ashamed of my own weakness," I said, with feigned regret in my eyes and tone.
But Deuzetai was indeed correct. It was a small oversight on my part. I was too engrossed in my own weakness and desires that I forgot that I had been fighting in front of Liefanissus's altar.
Luckily, the god didn't seem to be angered.
I think...
"It is good that you are aware of your own faults." Deuzetai returned to reading his book, "Aethercaller has many beginner skill books. Learn something from them or you will be a disgrace as the current leading examinee.
"Remember. A top-notcher must set a good example. If you cannot wield your own blade properly when class begins in a month, I will personally have you expelled."
Top-notcher. When I heard that, I nodded.
"Yes, High Professor. I will do my best to learn from those skill books."
Indeed, I killed the golem with the greatest efficiency and I was also the first to escape the forest—unscathed at that. This meant that I was likely at the top of the leaderboards.
And that also meant...
A certain young mistress would be bothered.
I stole a glance at Lily and saw a hint of shimmering rage in the depths of her gaze. She was looking at me in a manner filled with incredulity and frustration.
How does he keep performing better than me with such an inferior skill level? How can the High Professor even consider him the top-notcher? I have clearly outperformed him in every way! The battle earlier was clear evidence of that!
Those must be her thoughts at this moment. It was unfortunate for her that the earlier battle wasn't actually a part of Deuzetai's tests. It amused me to no end.
Thus, I happily returned to my meditation, ignoring the piercing stare of the ice queen herself.