They spent twenty minutes observing the Titan Boar's movement patterns. The creature was territorial, pacing back and forth through a section of the valley like it was patrolling. Its movements were predictable and methodical, which was good. Predictable meant they could plan around it.
"Okay, here's what I'm thinking," Lukas said, gathering the team. "That thing is strong and has thick hide, but it's also slow and moves in straight lines when it charges. We use that against it."
He sketched a rough diagram in the dirt. "Theo, you set up barriers here, here, and here. We create a kill box that funnels the boar into a narrow path. Once it's trapped, Elena hits it with everything she's got from range. The barriers should hold long enough for us to wear it down."
"What about close combat?" Marcus asked. "Someone needs to keep its attention so it doesn't just smash through the barriers."
"I'll handle that," Lukas said. "I'll engage it directly and keep it focused on me. Marcus, you support from the side and attack when you see openings. Kieran, stay mobile and hit it from behind when it's distracted."
Elena looked worried. "What if the barriers don't hold? That thing looks like it could smash through stone."
"My barriers can handle gold-rank attacks for at least a few minutes," Theo said with quiet confidence. "As long as we don't drag the fight out too long, they'll hold."
"Then we move fast," Lukas said. "Get in position, spring the trap, and finish it quickly. Everyone ready?"
They nodded, though Marcus and Elena still looked nervous.
The team spread out. Theo moved to the side of the valley where he could set up his barrier network without being seen. Elena found a high position on a rocky outcrop that gave her clear line of sight to the kill zone. Kieran disappeared into the underbrush, positioning himself for a rear attack. Marcus stayed with Lukas, ready to support.
Lukas watched the Titan Boar complete another patrol circuit, then gave the signal.
Theo raised his hands, and massive earth walls erupted from the ground in three locations, forming a U-shaped corridor that funneled toward where Elena waited. The boar noticed immediately, its head snapping toward the sudden movement.
It roared, a deep sound that shook the trees, and charged toward them.
"Now!" Lukas shouted.
He stepped into the open, directly in the boar's path. The creature's red eyes locked onto him, and it accelerated, its massive body barreling forward like a landslide.
Lukas held his ground until the last possible second, then dove to the side. The boar couldn't turn fast enough and slammed into the narrow corridor Theo had created. The earth walls held, barely, cracks spreading across their surface from the impact.
Elena unleashed her prepared spell. A massive fireball, larger than any she'd cast before, struck the boar's back and exploded. The creature roared in pain and fury, its hide scorched but not penetrated.
The boar spun around in the confined space, looking for its attacker. Lukas was already moving. He closed the distance and drove his sword into the boar's flank with all his strength. The blade punched through the thick hide, drawing blood.
The boar thrashed and swung its massive head toward him, tusks aimed to gore. Lukas pulled his sword free and jumped back, the tusks missing him by inches.
Marcus came from the other side, his blade striking at the boar's legs. The hit landed but barely penetrated. The creature's hide was incredibly tough, and Marcus's strength wasn't enough to cause serious damage.
Kieran appeared from behind, his daggers finding a gap in the hide near the boar's rear legs. He struck twice, fast and precise, then retreated before the boar could react.
The creature was bleeding from multiple wounds now, but it was far from finished. It charged at Lukas again, this time with its head lowered, aiming to crush him against the earth walls.
Lukas sidestepped and brought his sword down on the boar's neck as it passed. The blade cut deep, severing muscle and drawing a spray of blood. The boar stumbled but kept moving, its momentum carrying it forward until it crashed into the barrier wall.
The wall cracked further but held.
Elena hit it with lightning this time, the bolt striking the boar's head and making it stagger. The creature was disoriented now, wounded and confused by attacks coming from multiple directions.
"Keep the pressure on!" Lukas called.
He moved in again, targeting the same wound on the boar's neck. His sword struck true, cutting deeper. Blood poured from the injury, and the boar's movements became sluggish.
Marcus and Kieran continued their attacks, hitting the legs and flanks whenever they could. Theo maintained the barriers, pouring mana into keeping them stable as the boar occasionally slammed into them.
Elena launched another fireball, then another. Her mana was running low, but she pushed through, each spell adding to the accumulated damage.
The fight dragged on for five more minutes. The Titan Boar was incredibly resilient, its thick hide and massive body allowing it to absorb punishment that would have killed lesser creatures ten times over.
But eventually, the accumulated wounds took their toll. The boar's movements grew slower, its charges less aggressive. Blood loss was weakening it.
Lukas saw his opportunity. When the boar turned to charge at Marcus, exposing its wounded neck, he sprinted forward and jumped. His blade came down with all his strength and momentum behind it, striking the previous wound and cutting through to the spine.
The Titan Boar collapsed mid-charge, its massive body hitting the ground with a thunderous impact that shook the entire valley.
For a moment, everything was silent except for the team's heavy breathing.
Then the boar's body dissolved into light particles, leaving behind a golden token that gleamed in the afternoon sun.
[+100 Points]
"We... we actually did it," Marcus said, staring at the token in disbelief.
Elena collapsed to a sitting position on her rock, completely drained of mana. "That was insane. I can't believe that worked."
Kieran laughed, the sound slightly manic. "We just killed a gold-rank monster. A gold-rank! That's supposed to be impossible for first-years!"
Theo lowered his hands, the earth barriers crumbling now that he'd stopped maintaining them. He looked exhausted but satisfied.
Lukas picked up the golden token and added it to their collection. "Three hundred seventy points total. That should put us near the top."
He checked the time. They had about an hour before the extraction would activate.
"Let's head back to a safe area and wait for pickup," Lukas said. "We've done enough."
The team didn't argue. They were all exhausted, mana-drained, and carrying various minor injuries. Pushing for more points would be stupid at this stage.
They made their way back to the clearing where they'd camped the previous night. The area was still secure, and they settled in to rest and recover.
Marcus kept staring at the golden token. "You know what's crazy? Most teams probably won't even see a gold-rank monster, let alone kill one."
"We got lucky with the terrain," Lukas said. "If we'd fought it in an open area, it would have been much harder."
"Lucky and smart," Elena corrected, pulling out her notebook despite her exhaustion. "That barrier trap was brilliant. We turned the fight into a controlled environment instead of a chaotic brawl."
Kieran was bandaging a new cut on his arm. "Lukas is also a monster himself. Did you see how deep his strikes went? I've never seen a first-year hit that hard."
"Training," Lukas said simply.
They spent the remaining time discussing the fight, reviewing what worked and what could have been done better. It was good tactical analysis and helped everyone process the intensity of what they'd just accomplished.
When the hour was nearly up, Professor Kaine's voice echoed through the forest via magical amplification. "All teams, prepare for extraction. You will be pulled back in five minutes."
The team gathered their tokens and equipment. Three hundred seventy points from two days of hunting. Not a bad haul at all.
The world dissolved into light as the teleportation array activated.
---
When they materialized back in the academy courtyard, it was late afternoon. Other teams were already there, looking various degrees of exhausted and injured. Some looked satisfied with their performance, others disappointed.
Cassius's team stood near one of the arrays, their equipment barely damaged and their expressions confident. They'd clearly had a successful run.
Ace's team arrived a moment later. Ace himself looked frustrated about something, though Lyra appeared calm as always. Their equipment showed signs of heavy combat.
Princess Seraphina's team materialized with practiced composure, looking tired but organized. Damien's team looked beat up and demoralized.
Professor Kaine moved among the teams, collecting tokens and tallying scores. When she reached Team 3, she raised an eyebrow at their golden token.
"Interesting," she said. "You encountered a gold-rank?"
"Titan Boar," Lukas confirmed. "We set up an ambush."
"And succeeded, apparently." She counted their tokens carefully. "Three hundred seventy points. Well done."
She moved on to the next team, and Marcus let out a relieved breath. "We actually pulled it off."
Over the next hour, all teams were tallied and final scores were calculated. The results were posted on a large magical board in the courtyard.
FIELD EXERCISE RESULTS
Team 1 (Cassius Drakos): 425 Points
Team 3 (Lukas Grant): 370 Points
Team 2 (Ace Reinhardt): 340 Points
Team 4 (Seraphina Von Astoria): 315 Points
Team 6 (Vera Noctis): 290 Points
Team 5 (Damien Kelso): 245 Points
Second place. Team 3 had come in second, beaten only by Cassius's powerhouse team.
"Holy shit," Marcus breathed. "We got second place."
Elena stared at the board in disbelief. "We beat Ace's team. And the Princess's team. How did we..."
"The gold-rank kill made the difference," Kieran said, grinning widely. "That hundred points pushed us over everyone except Cassius."
Students were staring at them now, whispering and pointing. Team 3, led by Lukas Grant, had somehow outperformed most of the class's top fighters.
Professor Kaine returned to the center of the courtyard. "Excellent work, everyone. All teams performed admirably, and several exceeded expectations. Team 1 demonstrated overwhelming combat superiority as expected. However, Team 3 deserves special recognition for strategic planning and execution. Taking down a gold-rank monster with your team composition was impressive."
She looked directly at Lukas. "Well done, Grant. You led your team effectively."
Lukas nodded, trying to ignore the attention.
Cassius approached after the dismissal, his expression neutral. "Good work. That gold-rank kill was smart thinking."
"Thanks," Lukas replied. "Your team's score was impressive too."
"We encountered two gold-rank creatures and killed both," Cassius said matter-of-factly. "One was a Crystal Drake, the other a Shadow Panther. My team is strong enough to handle that level of threat."
It wasn't bragging, just stating facts. Cassius's team really was on another level.
Elara joined him, nodding to Lukas. "Your tactical approach was sound. Using environmental advantages to compensate for individual power gaps is smart strategy."
They walked away, and Marcus let out a breath. "Those two are scary. Four hundred twenty-five points is ridiculous."
"They're the top students for a reason," Elena said.
Ace approached next, his expression complicated. "Congratulations on second place."
"You did well too," Lukas said. "Third place is solid."
"We encountered a gold-rank," Ace said. "A Flame Wolf. We... couldn't bring it down. Had to retreat."
There was frustration in his voice. His team had found a gold-rank target but lacked the strength or coordination to kill it. Meanwhile, Team 3 had succeeded.
"Different circumstances," Lukas said. "We had favorable terrain for an ambush. Open combat against gold-rank is much harder."
Ace studied him for a moment, then nodded and walked away.
Princess Seraphina watched from a distance but didn't approach. Her golden eyes tracked Lukas for a moment before she turned to leave with her attendants.
"Let's get cleaned up and rest," Lukas suggested to his team. "We earned it."
They dispersed, exhausted but satisfied with their performance.
Back in his dorm, Lukas collapsed onto his bed and checked his system notifications.
[You have been idle for 6 hours during rest periods]
[+6 to all stats]
[Current Stats: Strength 181, Agility 181, Mana 181, Endurance 181]
[Achievement Unlocked: Gold-Rank Slayer]
[Bonus: +10 to all stats]
[Current Stats: Strength 191, Agility 191, Mana 191, Endurance 191]
He'd gotten bonus stats for killing a gold-rank monster. Nice. At this rate, he'd hit two hundred soon.
The field exercise had been easier than expected, but it had served its purpose. Team 3 had proven themselves capable, earned a strong score, and gained recognition.
And Lukas had managed it all without revealing his true strength.
Overall, a successful two days.
He closed his eyes and let sleep take h