Trap

Duncan squatted by the dry riverbed, his wrinkled fingers gently picking up a clump of soil, sniffing it, and then letting it fall through his fingers. He straightened up, clapped his hands, and glanced at the slightly scorched woodland around him.

"In short, no matter what," he said calmly, with a seasoned air, "the Stille have a keen sense of smell and are extremely sensitive to magical contamination. After what Team Two did, the living water in this area is ruined; they definitely won't come near again anytime soon."

He raised his chin, gesturing for everyone to look up at the sky. Several blurry figures were using Flight Magic to hover at different altitudes, their magical perception Swirl outwards like invisible ripples, clearly eagerly searching for new water sources or prey.

"See? The quick-reacting ones have already moved," Duncan said calmly. "Unfortunately, their magical perception isn't precise enough to detect the few remaining clean puddles."

Lichta crossed her arms and coldly remarked, "A headless fly, wasting its time."

Laufen sighed softly, "Everyone's working hard..."

"Effort doesn't equal effectiveness." Duncan interrupted her, turning and walking in the opposite direction from the lake. "Let's go, we need to get away from this 'stagnant water.' Their scheme is far more than just causing trouble."

The group walked along a barely visible path. Not far away, they encountered another group of people who looked dejected.

"What exactly are those guys in team number two trying to do?" one of them couldn't help but complain, kicking a pebble on the ground. "If they freeze the lake, the Stille definitely won't come. Are they just trying to cause trouble?"

Duncan didn't stop, but merely glanced at the young man. "Making trouble? Hmph, young man, you're oversimplifying things. This isn't some childish prank; it's a carefully planned scheme. We need to figure out their true intentions, not complain here."

He didn't look at the man, and led Lichta and Laufen deeper into the dense forest at the edge of the basin. The ground beneath their feet gradually softened, and the trees became increasingly dense and gloomy.

The group walked silently for quite a distance, the surroundings growing increasingly quiet, even the chirping of birds and insects becoming much rarer. Suddenly, Laufen, who was walking in front, stopped and pointed to the branches of several large trees not far away.

There were three or four corpses of examinees hanging from tree trunks, several meters off the ground, swaying slightly in the wind. Their clothes were disheveled, indicating that they had been through a fierce battle.

Duncan merely glanced at it, his tone completely flat. "Dead. Killed by a monster, huh? How immature. Let's go, don't waste time."

"Old man," Laufen couldn't help but shout, "At least... put their bodies down, okay?"

Duncan stopped and turned to look at her. "No. Look up at what's above us."

Laufen and Lichta instinctively looked up and, through the gaps in the intertwined branches, could see several blurry black shadows silently circling high in the sky, their sharp eyes fixed on what lay below.

"There were more than just one or two circling monsters, you saw them too," Duncan said slowly. "These corpses were enchanted with a special Tracking Magic. Once someone tries to break free, the caster—the monster that set the trap—can immediately sense it. This is a common hunting tactic used by monsters called 'Corpse-Luring Birds,' which use sympathy to lure other creatures. These teams were probably wiped out because they fell into a similar trap."

He paused, then added, "While we might not be outmatched given our abilities, the exam is the priority right now. There's no need to create unnecessary trouble."

Laufen fell silent, finally letting out a soft sigh, "It's really... strange. The association actually set up the venue for the First-Class Mage exam in a place inhabited by such cunning monsters; it's as if they don't care about the lives of the examinees at all."

Upon hearing this, Lichta, unusually, took the initiative to explain, her tone still flat. "Laufen, is this your first time taking the First-Class Mage exam? The reason is simple. First-Class Mage certification neither needs nor tolerates those who would die in a test of this level. The exam confirmation clearly warns of the risks; choosing to participate means accepting this selection method."

He paused, then continued with a hint of sarcasm, "After all, there's still a group of old fogies in the Continental Magic Association who are stuck in the 'might makes right' fantasy of the Demon King's Army's era. But now it's a relatively peaceful time. Mages, like warriors, are ultimately just combat professions. Although some important checkpoints still require a First-Class Mage to pass, in reality..."

"They are indeed people who are behind the times." Duncan took over the conversation, his tone calm, but with a deep emotion.

Lichta raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh? That's unexpected. I thought you'd be a staunch supporter of this 'glory of the old days'."

Duncan shook his head, his gaze deep. "Mages don't need inflated 'quality.' The qualification of First-Class Mage often exists merely as a symbol of 'authority.' No matter how powerful a mage is, if they can't win people's hearts, they're no different from a powerless weakling. I've seen far too many colleagues far more capable than myself suffer persecution after losing the protection of their status and position. Powerful strength inspires fear, and fearsome authority will eventually be overthrown. Besides, magic itself... has never been anything noble."

Lichta responded with a nonchalant, sarcastic remark. "Oh? Is that so? I see. So, according to you, being 'neither strong nor weak' like you is the optimal solution, maintaining a certain balance?"

Duncan wasn't angry; he simply replied calmly, "You greenhorn, you've got quite the nerve. I could beat a mage of your caliber with my eyes closed."

Lichta gave a soft snort and said nothing more.

Duncan's team has gone some distance further.

Laufen strained to sense his surroundings, then shook his head. "I can't detect any magical fluctuations from Squad Two at all. They're hiding really well."

Lichta: "It seems they've completely hidden their magic and gone into hiding."

Duncan crouched down again, dipped his hand into an inconspicuous little puddle, and withdrew it after a moment. "The water sources here have also been tampered with. All the water sources we've discovered so far have been infused with a tiny amount of magic."

Laufen tried it too, and asked in confusion, "I can't sense anything, old man. What about you, Lichta?"

Lichta sensed it for a moment, then shook her head as well. "Me too, I can't sense anything unusual. Was it done by Team Two?"

Duncan stood up and patted the water droplets off his hands. "The amount of magic injected is extremely small. Even if the caster herself returned, she probably wouldn't be able to clearly sense it. But just because she can't sense it doesn't mean she didn't do it. As long as this is done, the Stille, which are extremely sensitive to magic, will never approach these water sources again."

Laufen suddenly realized, "So that's it! They're clearing out the area! They're polluting all the water sources that might attract the Stille. Then, somewhere, there must be one 'clean' water source that hasn't been infused with magic! They're lying in wait there!"

Lichta looked at Duncan: "Duncan, what's the next step? The basin is so big, are we looking for a needle in a haystack?"

Duncan remained calm. "Wait. We haven't encountered Stille all day, which proves they're extremely rare. Finding even a few fully-hidden mages in such a large area is unrealistic. We need to conserve our energy and mana. They've set this up; they'll eventually reveal their location. We just need to patiently wait for the signal."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the basin, in a relatively low-lying, secluded valley.

Rabiñe held her breath, suppressing her magic to its limit, clinging to the shadow of a giant tree like a rock. She had just narrowly avoided a round of meticulous magical perception from Methode's team.

Not far away, Kanne was kneeling beside a nearly dried-up puddle, her hands lightly touching the water's surface, her eyes closed in deep concentration. As a water mage, her perception of water elements far surpassed that of ordinary people, and she was carefully examining all the remaining water sources in this area.

Frieren sat quietly in the center of the valley, beside a small pond that was now only a shallow basin. Her long silver hair seemed to blend into the surrounding light, her emerald eyes were half-closed, and her aura was as still as an ancient tree, perfectly concealing even the slightest magical fluctuations, achieving a wondrous harmony with the surrounding natural environment. She sat there, as if she had become part of the scenery.

After marking yet another water source, Kanne quietly slipped back to Rabiñe's side, lowering his voice. "Most of the scattered water sources we could find have been marked with minute amounts of magic, as planned. Although there might be a very few missed, the coverage should be sufficient."

Rabiñe nodded slightly, his gaze still scanning the surroundings warily. "Hmm. Now, it's just a matter of waiting patiently. It's all up to Frieren... It's unbelievable that she could do something like this; her magic has almost completely disappeared."

Kanne sighed, "She just said there was still an extremely small amount of it dissipating... but unless you get very close, you can't detect it at all. With the Stille's perception, it would probably just think of her as a lifeless stone, right?"

"That's how it is in theory." Rabiñe still didn't dare to relax. "Our job is to keep watch. Don't hold me back."

Kanne immediately retorted, unconvinced. "You're so annoying! There's clearly a lot of moisture in the air over this area. If the barrier hadn't blocked the rain, I definitely could have used my full power!"

Rabiñe retorted without hesitation, "Who told the association's barrier to block even rain? Now you're just a useless fellow."

"What did you say...!" Kanne puffed out his cheeks in anger, but needing to remain hidden, he could only glare fiercely at Rabiñe.

At this moment, Frieren was oblivious to the little squabble between the two far behind her. She calmed her mind completely, as if she were in deep meditation.

Time passed slowly, and the angle of the sunlight gradually shifted.

After an unknown amount of time, a bird-like monster, similar in appearance to the monster that had attacked Kanne earlier but slightly smaller, flapped its wings and landed. After cautiously looking around, it quickly drank a few mouthfuls of water. It tilted its head and looked at Frieren, who was sitting quietly not far away, seemingly puzzled, but it did not sense any magic power. Finally, it flapped its wings and flew away, never regarding the stationary object as a living being.

The trap has been set, and the hunter is in position. Now, all that remains is for that crucial bird to step into this meticulously woven, silent net.