Isaac POV
Isaac watched the clouds unravel.
The mana in the air eased, and the battlefield grew quiet.
He was quite pleased by Tyr for understanding his intentions. The main reason Isaac entered melee was to divert everyone’ attention from Tyr, and allow him to search for the mage.
Vax slumped to the ground with a long sigh.
Renji, standing nearby, had a tired but amused look on his face. His lips twitched into a bitter smile, the kind that came from accepting defeat with grace.
Zeke was still out cold, sprawled awkwardly across the ground.
Sovereign of Land: Level 3 → Level 4
Active and passive effects strengthened by 120%
He tried using the skill.
Now, he could summon roots without problem while still holding down the Molten Hornbull.
The numbers of roots had increased along with their strength, and size.
He found he could summon larger or smaller roots if he wished.
If he was ambushed again, he could defeat Vax and his team with Sovereign of Land alone. He would not need to enter melee.
The Molten Bullhorn stopped breathing.
Isaac felt a warm feeling surging through his link with Tyr. A sense of fullness filled the link.
It was the sign Tyr had reached level 10.
"As expected. An Elite-ranked monster was enough."
That was how the system worked.
The higher the opponent’s level and rank, the more experience was rewarded.
The reverse was just as harsh.
Kill something with lower level than you, and you’d get close to nothing.
That was why strong monsters in the wild didn’t bother attacking cities unless it was out of spite.
"Now comes the hard part. I need to find out the evolution conditions for Tyr."
Beasts didn’t have classes like humans.
They evolved when they made a breakthrough in rank.
To do that, they needed to meet special requirements.
"I’ll ask Professor Catherine if she knows someone who can help me with finding out evolution conditions for Tyr."
Before he could think further, footsteps echoed from the far end of the ruined street.
Professor Ren approached, carrying Freya carefully in his arms.
Tyr trailed behind, smaller now, with his head down and shoulders slumped.
"The combat training has ended," Professor Ren announced as he reached them. "Team A won."
Isaac offered a quiet nod.
Professor Ren glanced at Freya, then at Isaac.
"She fell of a building. We’ve treated her injuries with the healing potions, but the poison is still in her bloodstream, and it would take us time to return to Stronghold, and get the antidote.
"Do you have an antidote? I can pay."
"There’s no need," Isaac said, already opening his pouch. "You can have the antidote for free."
He pulled out a vial of Velumbra Lily antidote.
While antidotes of Dreadbloom, Viperthorn, and Miragepetal weren’t cheap, he knew Professor Ren could easily get them from the Sanctum of Masters for free.
It would’ve been short-sighted to ask for payment now.
Gaining someone like Ren’s favor was worth far more than a few thousand Obols.
Besides, Isaac had watched how he set this whole training up.
The split between teams was well balanced, and well thought of.
And by revealing Isaac’s title out loud before the fight, he made sure no one underestimated him.
He framed the whole fight before it began, challenging Isaac while also giving him the space to prove himself.
A genius tactician.
Isaac had seen through his plan, but he followed it as it was an easy way he could get to fight Molten Hornbull alone.
If it was someone else other than Isaac, they wouldn’t have been able to see through the plan of Professor.
He handed the vial over, and Professor Ren took it with a small smile.
Then he extended his hand.
Isaac shook it.
Nothing was said, but the message was clear.
Professor Ren accepted his token of friendship.
Freya drank the antidote with help.
She didn’t speak, only winced, then exhaled and slipped into unconscious sleep. The pain was gone.
"Where’s Professor Catherine and Leora?" Isaac asked, glancing around.
"They’re busy," Ren replied smoothly.
Something about his tone was off. Isaac didn’t press. But he filed the thought away.
His attention shifted to Tyr.
The treant stood quietly, gaze fixed on the ground. He looked unsure. Almost... guilty.
"What’s wrong, buddy?"
Tyr didn’t speak. Isaac followed his line of sight.
Freya.
Tyr was afraid. He thought he’d done something wrong, and Isaac would scold him.
Before Isaac could respond, Vax stood up, stretched, and clapped a heavy hand on Tyr’s wooden back.
"Don’t stress about it, big guy. Getting hurt’s normal in combat. Honestly, if you’d gone easy on her, she’d be more pissed."
Tyr blinked. Slowly, he stood straighter.
Then Vax turned to Isaac with a grin and extended his hand.
"You’re a damn good fighter."
Isaac shook it firmly.
Zeke stirred, groaned once, and started to sit up.
He rubbed his jaw, the bruises already starting to darken.
"That was something," he muttered. "I never knew farmers can throw hands."
Renji joined them a second later. His bitter smile hadn’t faded.
A shout rang out from across the battlefield. "Isaac!"
Nero sprinted toward them, sweat dripping, breathing heavy. His coat was dusty with one sleeve torn.
He spotted Renji and Vax standing around Isaac.
"Don’t worry, I’ll help—!"
His voice trailed off as his eyes landed on Professor Ren, who stood quietly at Isaac’s side.
"Professor Ren...? Why are you here?"
Professor Ren nodded toward him.
"The combat training ended. Your team won."
The words hung in the air.
Nero stared blankly.
He looked at Isaac, standing upright without a scratch, then at the corpse of the Molten Bullhorn, then at Freya, clearly unconscious. Vax bruised. Renji beaten. Zeke dazed.
"You defeated them alone?" Nero asked after a pause.
Isaac gave a small shrug. "Tyr helped."
Nero didn’t respond.
He just stood there, frozen in disbelief.
Later, when the full group reassembled, the mood had shifted.
Broon and Vax were showering Isaac with praise, grinning like fools.
"You have to visit the barracks," Vax said, slapping Isaac’s back. "Fourth-years would love to meet you."
Broon laughed too loudly. "Yes, that’s a good idea!"
"You just want them to suffer like we did," Renji said, chuckling.
Vax didn’t even try to deny it.
Nero was still in daze. His usual stone-faced calm was gone. He hadn’t said a word since.
Thalia stared at Isaac, shocked. Her blank expression matched Nero’s.
Freya was still out cold, but breathing steadily.
Zeke sat on a stone block, staring at the ground. Kael stood over him, arms crossed, pacing.
"How did this happen?" Kael demanded. "All of you were defeated by a single student who hasn’t had his Talent for a week!"
Zeke didn’t answer. He couldn’t.
Because it wasn’t a defeat. It was a demolition.
Professor Ren followed behind the group, floating the massive corpse of the Molten Bullhorn in the air with a casual gesture.
The body bobbed slightly, steam still faintly rising from the hide.
He told Isaac the corpse was Isaac’s as he took it down alone.
Isaac had nothing to carry something so large. Professor Ren decided to help him bring it to his house.
Isaac planned to sell everything but the meat.
The rest—horns, hide, organs—would bring in close to three million Obols.
If this was what a single Elite rank monster’s corpse gave, Isaac understood why everyone wanted to be an Explorer despite the danger.
’I already have 11.6 million Obols, and with this I would have 14.6 million Obols.’