The thought process behind such a decision was clear. He wanted to get stronger and needed the other two to grow. This was crystal clear in Dio's mind; it was better for them to come train instead of chilling and exploring. Or so he thought, and didn't pay much attention to what they had to say.
The monster subjugation wasn't dangerous; it trained them in practical combat experience and gave them the courage to stand face to face with creatures stronger than them. This was necessary, especially as mages, who generally were perceived to stand behind the warriors and attack from a distance.
It could make them complacent; the perceived distance allowed them to think danger wasn't in front of them. This was not true; most of the time, such a thing should be credited to the frontliners' might and willpower, not the Mage's skill.
The next day, a total of fifteen students gathered at the outskirts of Bayspire. The clouds were gloomy, and the breeze was humid. Even at such a distance, the scent of fresh salt collecting was astonishingly strong.
"Twelve brave first years, and three seniors…" Ember nodded with a calculating look in his eyes. "Before we begin, you will each be given a gem. When crushed, it acts like a beacon indicating your location in case of any emergency."
"There should be nothing going wrong, but then again, it's better to stay safe in all situations."
"Any questions?" he asked before opening up the floor to the students. The seniors seemed disinterested, almost like they'd taken part in such exercises before. Which made sense; once their second year began, all the students focused more on practical learning and combat experience.
"What kind of monsters will we be facing?"
"Hmm, Goblins, Kobolds, trolls sometimes, and although not too often, you might face a Dryad. In such a case, stall, run, but do not engage," Ember's eyes narrowed onto every single student there; the seniors felt a shiver pass down their spine. The other batches of students were sent to other cities across Heartrow, Sunhold, Hillstall, Dao, etc. The monster subjugation around such places vastly differed, with the constants being Goblins and Kobolds.
These two were the weakest and easiest monsters to hunt; previously, this position was occupied by Slimes. However, through the years, it was discovered that Slimes were never hostile, and frankly, they were extremely helpful in the right hands. For example, to a trained alchemist, slime helpers were invaluable. From their excretions to their ability to enrich ingredients, everything about them made them perfect.
Dryads were nature spirits; they protected the forests and symbolized the very existence of it. Similar to every other monster, these too had ranks. The lower-ranked Dryads looked similar to trees, and as they progressed, they developed more humane features. They were clearly classified as non-invasive or non-hostile, but to stay away from them was the best course of action.
With their knees shaking and their hands trembling, John and Judas followed Dio and the group into the wilderness. The thick branches and fleshy leaves made it so that light couldn't pierce through easily. Trios were formed from the students who volunteered, and right behind them were the seniors, with the Professor leading the entire group.
"Goblins! Up ahead!" Ember yelled. As much as he seemed like he lived in his delusions, he was very well-known and renowned. He was an activist and a leading figure that mediated the arguments between the two continents. There was no objective right or wrong between the two; it was just that Adrenia chose to enforce and lie about Runes and Magic while the Lutherian Empire was ruthless and cruel with its approach. Nevertheless, Ember was someone who acted along Luna's generation of adventurers, so he wasn't merely a scholar but a fighter as well.
"Let's go," Dio charged forward, chucking the tiny blade in his left hand. With the other, he cast an earth spell and blasted the rock into the hilt of the blade. The attacks were perfectly timed in such a way that the blade stuck in one goblin's head was hammered into its skull by the rock, splitting its body into two.
He pounced onto the corpse, retrieving the blade before chucking it again, this time into the eyes of a goblin with a pipe that shot poison darts. This was precisely what made them dangerous; goblins acted in groups and prioritized cutting the mobility of the opponent.
The goblin closest to him looked a little lost, its eyes following the slaughter accompanying Dio. It had a round wooden shield in one hand and a dagger the size of Dio's blade in the other. Of course, Dio wasn't going to wait for it to catch up; he appeared in front of it and punched it in the stomach, followed with a roundhouse kick to its chin.
"Woah…" John muttered, as he hadn't even taken his first step forward before his roommate completely eradicated the first set of goblins.
"Truly… beautiful," Judas joined in, absolutely mesmerized by the performance. The rest of the groups stared at the display and were in awe—some because of the skill, and others because of how unconventionally he fought.
"Impressive. As expected of a Wolfriver," Ember whispered to himself while smiling. At the same time, a chilling feeling crept down his entire spine.
Meanwhile, in a distant location within a completely dark room with tiny bluish lights. "Who is the next target on our list?"
"….."
"Trimp!"
"Y-Yes, Sire!!!"
"You bastard, do you think you're here to doze off? Tell me who the next target is before I vaporize you!"
"Uhh… It… it is Ember… Ember Mert. He played an active role alongside the Warborn Mourner and that treacherous woman…"
"I see. Change the subjects; send in a single Giant accompanied by multiple Imps. That should be enough for the scholarly fool," the other voice grunted, and very soon a giant magic circle formed right above them.
"Now… we wait."