The mushrooms in Ren’s hair pulsed softly as he counted the day’s crystals. One hundred and twenty in total value, that was his "lucky" but not suspicious amount. ’Not quite the thousand-plus crystals counting materials from that first day,’ he reflected while carefully storing his gathering, ’but it’s safer this way for now.’ The numbers were consistent: between one hundred and one hundred fifty crystals daily. By month’s end, it would amount to roughly 4,000, which the school would double to 8,000. Progress toward the needed 50,000 was slow, but at least it was steady. ’Two days until the expedition,’ he thought while climbing through the hidden tunnel. The prospect of gathering beyond school boundaries offered new possibilities. Life had fallen into a rhythm. Taro practiced mana circulation daily, his control improving remarkably. He no longer needed as much guidance to distribute energy correctly. Morning training with Lin had become more bearable too. His muscles no longer screamed in protest with each exercise, and occasionally he could even maintain coherent conversation while completing his sets. It was today, after one of these morning sessions, when something unexpected happened in battle class. ♢♢♢♢ "Have you decided on your teams?" Master Yang’s voice resonated across the training field. His Stone Behemoth gleamed under the morning sun as he surveyed the students. An uncomfortable silence was his answer. Though some groups had clearly formed, like Jin with his usual followers, many students still seemed undecided. "As I thought," Yang crossed his arms, the Behemoth’s markings rippling across his skin. "It’s difficult to choose partners without truly understanding how you work together in combat." Lin stepped forward, her crane manifesting in feather patterns along her arms. "That’s why we’ve prepared something special for today." At her signal, several assistants began pushing something massive onto the field. It was a reinforced iron cage, covered by a dark canvas. "In the final exam, you’ll face a Bronze-rank beast," Yang continued as students instinctively backed away. "But before that, you need to understand the fundamentals of monster combat." Lin removed the canvas with a fluid motion. The students collectively held their breath. Ten enormous stones... Most students fell silent in confusion, some laughed... until Yang struck one of the stones and woke it. Inside the cage, a Stone Lurker moved cautiously. It was roughly the height of a ten-year-old child, with a stocky body covered in protrusions where rocks and minerals adhered. Its four short legs ended in adhesive pads that allowed it to climb vertical surfaces. "A Stone Lurker from the northern mines," Yang announced. "Beasts that stalk the tunnels, disguising themselves as rocks to ambush their prey. This one’s barely an Iron-rank juvenile." The creature observed the students with small, bright eyes, almost hidden among the stone plates covering its face. Its behavior was notably cautious, finding itself surrounded by beings larger than itself. Especially the teachers and assistants. "We don’t just breed them here, we regularly capture them from other mines," Lin continued. "If we let them multiply outside the school’s breeding chamber, they’d leave the caves and become a real danger to children. They’re especially problematic because they tend to hide from adults and ambush prey their size or smaller." The Stone Lurker hunched in a corner of the cage, the rocks on its body rearranging to resemble a common big stone. If not for the slight movement of its breathing, it would be difficult to distinguish from its surroundings. "They’re slow but resilient," Lin explained. "Their armor absorbs impacts and can rapidly grow to protect damaged areas. The key is finding points where the growth is weakest." "They won’t attack directly," Yang added while the creature maintained its disguise. "They prefer to wait for the right moment. In caves, they’d drop from the ceiling onto distracted travelers. Here, you’ll have to force them to move." "They’re naturally cowardly," Lin added. "If they face serious resistance, they’ll try to flee. The challenge is either defeating them or making them attempt to escape." The mushrooms in Ren’s hair pulsed as he absorbed this information. The Stone Lurker was a specialized predator, not particularly strong, but perfectly adapted for its ecological niche. Despite its modest size, its mass was considerable, the rocks covering its body adding significant weight to its already robust constitution. Ren found the creature fascinating, a beast that compensated for its lack of speed with adaptive defense and precise ambushes. His spore’s knowledge revealed intricate details about its behavior and weaknesses that others might miss. What appeared to be a random pile of rocks was actually ten perfectly camouflaged Stone Lurkers. "You’ll form teams of three if you haven’t already," Yang continued, his voice carrying across the field as he passed the students a list to fill. "Each team will have five minutes to face it. You don’t need to defeat it, we just want to see how you handle a resilient creature while working as a team." Lin began bringing out the training equipment, laying it carefully on a nearby table. "Choose your weapons according to your style. We have spears for maintaining distance, shields for defense, maces for blunt strikes... Pick what suits your approach best." ♢♢♢♢ "As first team," Yang announced, consulting his now full list, "Han, Sora, and Jun." Han, a boy with a weaver spider that created intricate hexagonal patterns on his skin, stepped forward decisively. Sora, whose deer manifested small but elegant horns in her hair, and Jun, who had a monkey that manifested brown markings on his hands, followed with notably less confidence. "Choose your weapons," Lin indicated, gesturing toward the equipment array. "You’ll face one of them." Han took a spear confidently, his spider beast granting him excellent control with long tools. Sora chose a shield, its surface gleaming dully in the morning light, while Jun opted for a short sword despite its obvious limitations against stone. "Cutting weapons are a poor choice against rock," Lin murmured, but didn’t stop him from making his selection. This was, after all, a learning experience. "Remember," Yang warned as the assistants selected which Stone Lurker they would face, "these are ambush creatures. Don’t let their apparent passivity fool you until the end." The team entered the designated area. The chosen Stone Lurker was released, immediately blending with its surroundings like just another rock. The only sign of its presence was a faint scraping sound as it settled into position. "Begin!"