A small test of demonic cultivation

Suddenly, five catlike magical beasts burst out from all around them, each with three heads, a spiked tail, and pupils that shone yellow.

"Don't worry too much. These are only Thorn-Tailed Lynxcats. Everyone, attack quickly. This is a perfect chance for me to test how effective your Necromancy is." Fanny breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the beasts and called out sharply.

As soon as Fanny finished speaking, bone arrows rapidly took shape in midair as the students chanted their spells. At the students' direction, the bone arrows whistled toward the five Thorn-Tailed Lynxcats. Although the five beasts were very fast, three were still struck. Blood instantly blossomed across their brown hides, immediately slowing them down.

But the two charging at the front actually dodged the students' bone arrows and rushed straight toward them. Panicking, the students released bone arrows that either veered far off target or shattered halfway there, making repeated mistakes in their confusion.

The two Thorn-Tailed Lynxcats came from the left and right. Just as the one on the left was about to reach their defensive circle, Fanny suddenly acted. She cast the same Bone Arrow Magic, but three bone arrows abruptly appeared in midair, each striking one of the beast's three heads with perfect accuracy.

Three strange, piercing cries came from the Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat's three mouths. It no longer dared charge and instead hurriedly fled backward as though frightened.

The other Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat charged toward Han Shuo's side and targeted him directly. In their anxiety, the students on that side repeatedly bungled their Bone Arrow Magic, failing to hinder the beast at all.

Gene had been so focused on Fanny's side that he momentarily forgot the threat on the right. Only after Fanny drove the other Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat back did he suddenly react. But by then, he was a little too late. The beast had already rushed right up to Han Shuo, its three fang-filled heads and sharp claws attacking him viciously.

"Brian, watch out!" Fanny and Lisa cried out at the same time.

Seeing the Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat already within arm's reach, Han Shuo remained calm, without the slightest panic. A cold, fierce curve even tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Only when the beast's claws and fangs were right in front of him did Han Shuo suddenly move with lightning speed. He swept his left hand sharply outward, and the hard wooden poles he carried on his arm for use as tent supports instantly blocked the sharp claws that struck first.

Then Han Shuo abruptly thrust his empty right hand forward. Watching from a distance, the others seemed to see a bright red streak flash through the air. Then they saw his right hand come to rest against the Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat's lower belly, pause for an instant, and suddenly withdraw.

At the same time, Gene's two bone arrows finally arrived to his rescue, striking the Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat. Three strange, agonized wails suddenly burst from its three mouths. Then it fell limply to the ground with a thud and never moved again.

As this Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat collapsed, the other four wounded beasts seemed frightened. They fled with strange cries and vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.

"Oh! Mr. Gene's bone arrows are so powerful! They actually killed this Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat in one go. The bone arrows we and Ms. Fanny shot into them only wounded them. They weren't nearly that powerful!" Amy exclaimed softly, looking at Gene in surprise.

At Amy's words, the others were puzzled too. Even Fanny looked at Gene in astonishment and said doubtfully, "Bone Arrow is only the most basic attack spell. To think you could use it to kill a Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat outright in a single attack. That really is rather incredible!"

At first, Gene's expression was a little odd, as though he was equally bewildered. But after Fanny said this, he immediately put on an extremely confident smile and nodded calmly to everyone, as if acknowledging the power of his attack magic.

"Brian, when you hit that Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat with your right hand just now, why did I seem to see a red streak flash through the air? What was that about? Although Teacher Gene killed it, it looked as though your blow was what made it lose its balance. Wasn't it?" Lisa had been watching Han Shuo's side all along. Thinking it over now, she found it a little strange and suddenly spoke up.

"Hehe, Lisa, stop imagining things. Brian did hit that Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat, but his blow had no effect at all. How much harm could a mere errand boy's strength do to it?" Bark glanced at Han Shuo disdainfully and sneered.

Han Shuo smiled guilelessly without saying anything more. Some of the other students had also seen what happened and looked at him with the same puzzlement. But afterward, they all simply assumed that Han Shuo had played no part at all, and that the Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat's gruesome death was entirely Gene's doing.

After all, in their minds, Han Shuo was only an errand boy they could bully as they pleased. How could an errand boy possess such strength and abilities?

"All right, all right, let's get out of here quickly. Thorn-Tailed Lynxcats are magical beasts that bully the weak and fear the strong, but they live in groups. If they come back with help, they'll cause us some trouble. Low-level magical beasts like these have no magic cores, and their hides and flesh aren't worth anything either. Leave it alone. Let's hurry away!"

After her brief surprise at Gene, Fanny did not seem to pay it much mind. She called sharply for everyone to pick up the things they had put down and hurry on. This left Gene deeply disappointed, as he had originally thought Fanny would certainly see him in a new light.

At Fanny's urging, the group of twelve gathered their belongings again and continued south.

Han Shuo stayed at the rear. Before leaving, he glanced at the two wounds Gene's bone arrows had left in the Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat, a strange smile on his face. Two wafts of a scorched smell were slowly emerging from those wounds. Through them, he could see that the flesh inside had already turned charred black.

The Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat's death had actually been caused by the red demonic flame of the Mystic Ice Demon Flame Art that Han Shuo had driven into its body with his right hand. It had nothing directly to do with Gene at all.

Han Shuo looked at his right hand. As he circulated his demonic essence, a fiery red demonic flame suddenly blossomed from the tip of his middle finger. Looking at it, he exclaimed at the terrifying power of the Mystic Ice Demon Flame Art, then chuckled and hurried after Fanny and the others.

That night, bright moonlight passed through the trees' thick foliage and spilled into every corner of the Dark Forest. Unidentified insects chirred softly, bringing a few cheerful sounds to the quiet forest.

The campfire glowed red, spreading warmth through the somewhat chilly night. Holding several wooden sticks laden with fresh meat, Han Shuo kept turning them over the hot fire. As he sprinkled seasonings onto the sizzling, glossy roasted meat, tempting aromas drifted into the Necromancy Department students' mouths and noses.

"That smells wonderful! Brian, I never knew you could do this too!" Lisa wrinkled her cute, straight nose, her eyes fixed on the glistening chunks of meat Han Shuo held up, and exclaimed in surprise.

"Your performance when you encountered the Thorn-Tailed Lynxcats today was truly disappointing. The moment you panicked, you couldn't even cast the most basic Bone Arrow Magic properly. That won't do! And you too, Teacher Gene. Although the power of your final bone arrows was remarkable, you were far too careless before that. If Brian hadn't been alert early on, that Thorn-Tailed Lynxcat would certainly have injured him."

The students sat around the campfire as Fanny, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, scolded everyone sharply and loudly. She seemed very dissatisfied with the students' and Gene's performance that day.

The students all looked meek and compliant, seemingly listening very attentively. Their eyes, however, kept wandering toward Han Shuo's roasted meat, and several could be heard swallowing.

Han Shuo had previously been a full-time homebody, taking care of his own meals every day, and had developed considerable skill in cooking. Compared with the era he came from, this world lagged far, far behind in its culinary development. Now, displaying just a little of his skill immediately had everyone drooling.

Listening to Fanny's reprimands, Han Shuo could not help looking her over a few times, startled by her commanding manner. It looks like Fanny is the one really in charge of this expedition. Even Gene, a fellow teacher, seems to rank below her in the Necromancy Department. No wonder he's somewhat afraid of her. It looks like it isn't simply because he's hopelessly in love with her.

"All right, that's enough for now. We'll encounter even more dangers ahead. I hope you won't be this careless again. Start eating the roasted meat."

After lecturing everyone for a while, Fanny herself could barely resist the aroma of Han Shuo's roasting meat. She had walked all day, eating only simple bread and drinking water earlier. Now that such delicious food had suddenly appeared, her stomach was the first to protest.

"Teacher Fanny, this is yours. Lisa, this piece is yours. Bella, Bark, Gene, these are yours..." With a strange smile on his face, Han Shuo handed out the roasted meat to everyone in turn.

"Mmm... Brian, you really are something. This roasted meat is absolutely delicious!" After eating a piece, Fanny even ran her tongue over her red lips, praising it repeatedly. Her somewhat suggestive loveliness made Han Shuo's heart flutter.

"Yes, it's delicious! Brian really does have some skill!" Lisa also smiled and praised him repeatedly. In the blink of an eye, she had already finished more than half of a large piece of roasted meat.

"What lousy meat! It tastes awful. It isn't even cooked through."

"Ugh... This really tastes terrible. It has no flavor at all."

"Damn you, Brian! You did this on purpose, didn't you? This meat is still raw!"

After taking a couple of bites, Bark, Gene, Bella, and several others who held grudges against Han Shuo all cursed repeatedly about how terrible it tasted.

Looking utterly innocent, Han Shuo smiled guilelessly and said, "Uh... Some of it might really not be cooked yet. I'm very sorry. You've had a bit of bad luck!"