Muddy water splashed everywhere as the Reptilian fell face-first under Liora's bewildered gaze.
Mana Barrier, Conjured Chains, Squirt, Sparkblast, Mana Blast, Glacial Shard, Fireball, Wind Cutter…
Those were the spells the one-percent mana affinity trash, Hal Fennec, used to defeat the humanoid lizard monster.
'E-eight spells…how did he even…'
The white-haired young lady had so many questions, her heart racing at the unexpected discovery.
How did he learn and master eight spells to a standard novice level in such a short time?
How did he have the mana to cast them when his affinity was a measly one percent?
Why didn't he specialize on a single path instead of learning eight spells of varying elements and types?
And many more.
Meanwhile, as Liora remained rooted in the shadows, unable to process what she just witnessed, Hal began to harvest the Reptilian's core.
It wasn't too difficult since there was already an opening on the humanoid lizard's back from the ruthless barrage of spells.
He was able to quickly retrieve the core in just a few minutes of tearing and digging through the flesh with his knife.
'Time to get out of this darned place…'
Quickly grabbing the sack bag he threw to the side before the battle began, Hal navigated his way through the deepening darkness, unwilling to face another monster.
He was utterly spent after searching for the elusive female Garbirds and conquering his childhood nightmare.
Unbeknownst to him, just a few dozen meters behind was a white-haired young lady, choosing to trudge nearby for safety's sake.
Two young wizards would always be better than one, right?
Liora realized that what she was doing, especially after witnessing Hal's battle, was dumb as hell.
While she was determined to rise above the rest, going on dangerous missions like the protagonists in her beloved storybooks without being properly equipped for combat was merely courting death.
She wasn't sure she could survive a battle with the same monster.
Fortunately, the return trip to the desolate patch of land outside the swamp was smooth, despite the eerie darkness.
Hal made it out before the skies turned completely black.
Of course, Liora couldn't show herself, still feeling a bit guilty for not helping her schoolmate, even though it turned out that Hal Fennec didn't need any assistance.
She exited the swamp some distance away and directly headed to the Rampar Donkey Exchange Terminal to return to Aeloria City.
Nothing too significant happened afterward. Hal simply made his way back to Rampar Town, stayed the night, and resumed hunting Garbirds the next day, finally managing to find the last lone female he needed after two hours of tedious searching.
Hal didn't want to be detected by another Reptilian or something worse, so he took his time and made sure to be extra careful.
A lethal shard of ice emerged from the shadows of a Whispering Mangrove's roots, piercing through the air and shooting down its target perched atop another mangrove's high branch.
The female Garbird plummeted to the ground and its scarlet beak was skillfully harvested by Hal.
'Hah…finally…'
Then, without dallying, Hal made his way out of the unsettling and unpleasant place.
***
Hours passed.
For most of the trip back to Aeloria City, Hal slept, only waking once the lively noise of other donkey carts and ManaTech vehicles assaulted his eardrums.
It was afternoon, and they had arrived at the wide main street leading to Aeloria City's gates.
A few minutes later, the cart he was on was officially granted entry.
But Hal didn't disembark right away, choosing instead to do so at a farther street on the north side of the city to take the opportunity to explore it further, as it would possibly be his base of operations for the next few years.
Stretching his limbs after descending from the cart, Hal began strolling east, taking the long way back to the academy.
Aeloria City was as bustling as ever.
Well-off children played happily with each other on the spacious sidewalks.
Patrolmen, citizens, and workers walked to and fro, going about their busy day, with some calling out to customers, and advertising their shops.
It was a vibrant scene that made Hal lighthearted.
'Sigh…I wonder how mom's doing?'
He continued his leisurely stroll, checking long street after long street and appreciating every architectural and technological advancement.
Who knew human civilization was already so advanced?
"In contrast..."
Poporo Village was truly a settlement left behind in time.
They didn't even have mana-powered lamps and could only rely on candles for light, woven fans when the temperature got too high, their crops and livestock for food, and whatever the surroundings had to offer for leisure.
Whenever an army scout from the borders informed them of an impending beast or monster tide, they would simply take what they could and retreat to the safety of the neighboring towns as temporary refugees, returning to nothing but the ruins of their huts, their crops, and the blood of livestock too heavy to take with them, only to start over again.
Hal had experienced such a thing multiple times and had even grown somewhat numb to the losses.
But then, he realized something, shook his head, and clenched his fists.
That's right…
There was no need to look back on those dark times, especially when his future looked as bright as he had initially believed it to be, if not brighter.
It was only a matter of time before he and his mother escaped poverty.
'I need to learn as much as I can about city life by then...'
And so, with his heart ablaze and excitement coursing through him, Hal enjoyed the afternoon.
There was no need to rush the completion of quests, as he had already accomplished everything well ahead of time.
Arriving at the street next to the central one, Hal couldn't help but stop upon spotting some Imperial Army Wizards stationed in the city, still in uniform and all, entering a certain establishment with modern bags slung over their shoulders.
The sight made him curious.
To his surprise and bewilderment, some people exited the establishment right after the Imperial Wizards entered.
A man in his mid-twenties, wearing a rather revealing top that showcased his muscular physique, came out first, followed by two women who completely stunned Hal.
They were slightly older than him, both wearing extremely short trousers—if you could even call them that—as they barely covered the thighs.
Their slim, toned waists were exposed for everyone to see, and their shirts covered only a small portion of their torsos, their arms also exposed like the man before them.
Hal had never imagined that people would willingly show their bodies in public.
'W-What are they wearing?!' Hal blew up internally, slightly blushing and staggering backward in utter shock and disbelief. 'Aren't they ashamed?!'