Ding Ding—
"Would you like to spend 2 potential points to try to fuse 'Butterfly Dance' and 'Hound Step' to deduce a new martial art?"
The Gluttony system can even fuse martial arts?!
Alan was pleasantly surprised.
He really wanted to give it a try.
Unfortunately, he only had 1 potential point right now.
He would have to wait until he had enough potential to try fusing the two martial arts and see what new creations he could create.
…
Inheritance Island.
The island where the Warlock Academy was located covered an area of over 20,000 square miles.
Aside from the island's beaches, most of the island was covered in dense primeval forest.
Including Alan, there were 60 apprentices in total.
Following Herent, they disembarked at the port.
Standing on the dock, they gazed south.
A white tower loomed between the mountains and the jungle.
That was the iconic building of the Warlock Academy.
The thousand-foot-tall magic tower stood in the center of the island.
Beyond the campus walls, the pristine jungle surrounded them.
Although the destination was within sight,
getting there wasn't easy.
Next, Alan and his group had to hike through the jungle.
It would take at least a week to reach the Warlock Academy.
This final journey wasn't easy.
It was actually a test for the new students.
It was like an entrance exam.
After disembarking, Helen handed everyone a map.
On the map, a thick, zigzag line was drawn in red.
It was very conspicuous.
This was the route for the next hike.
"Senior, why don't we just walk in a straight line?" Angel raised his hand and asked.
Herent sneered, his tone tinged with sarcasm, "Student Angel, you've asked a stupid, nerdy question!"
Angel ignored her beauty and refused to go on a date with her.
For a succubus, this was a profound humiliation!
Herent's pride was hurt, and she felt resentful, so she certainly wouldn't give him a good look.
"Herent, Angel isn't the only one who thinks this way. I have the same question."
Alan took over, speaking to Angel's relief.
After spending over a month together, he had a good impression of Angel.
This thin, withdrawn, and handsome boy had good character...a quality that really aroused his protective instincts.
"Hmph! Just spoil him!"
Herent complained sourly, then got back to the point.
"Going in a straight line is indeed the shortest way, but it's also very dangerous!"
"The island's primitive jungle is full of poisonous insects and monsters."
"Each monster has its own sphere of influence."
"I've circled each monster's sphere of influence on the map with different colored crayons."
"And marked the danger level."
"If you look closely, you'll see."
"The route outlined in red perfectly avoids danger zones above level 3."
"With your apprentice-level abilities, you should have no problem dealing with ordinary beasts in level 1 areas."
"Dealing with dangerous creatures in level 2 areas is a bit of a stretch, but with me watching over you, there won't be too many casualties."
"As for the level 3 danger zone... haha, unless you're tired of living, it's best to avoid it!"
After hearing the senior's explanation, the rookies were convinced.
The rest of the itinerary was entirely Herent's.
Day 1.
The journey was still in a Level 1 zone, as relaxing as a picnic.
The only trouble along the way was a pair of large mountain cats.
Alan didn't even have a chance to make a move before he was chased off by the apprentice ahead of him.
He was content to be lazy, biding his time, and keeping a low profile.
In the evening, everyone set up camp in a clearing in the woods.
As soon as the campfire was lit, a group of uninvited guests arrived.
They were a group of noisy little bats.
They were about the size of moths.
Their beaks were pointed like needles.
When they pounced on people, their mouthparts pierced the skin and greedily sucked blood.
Even worse, the little bats' mouthparts had barbs!
Once bitten, if you pulled hard, you would tear off a piece of flesh, causing even more serious injuries.
"That's a stirge, a blood-sucking monster somewhere between a bat and an insect."
Herent led the student to a dark spot away from the campfire and whispered softly.
"Ordinary bats are afraid of light and won't go near a campfire."
"Stirges are more like moths in this respect."
"I'm sure you all know the story of moths flying into flames."
"When camping outdoors, campfires often attract these nasty little monsters."
As he spoke, Herent pulled a bottle of spray from his backpack and shook it evenly.
"This potion repels stirges and poisonous insects."
"Spray your face, hands, and feet, and any areas not covered by clothing."
Soon, the spray was passed to Alan.
He sniffed the bottle, and the familiar scent of insect repellent was palpable.
Magic and alchemy can extract substances similar to cypermethrin and DEET from natural herbs.
After spraying insect repellent, the stingrays no longer harassed them.
Everyone returned to the campfire, but the swarms of flying stingrays were still annoying.
So Heron cast a spell, summoning more than a dozen monkeys with wings on their backs.
The flying monkeys swooped down in a swarm, laughing and hunting the stingrays.
In a short time, the stingrays were completely decimated by their natural predators.
The flying monkeys caught the stingrays and stuffed them into their mouths.
The chewing was so intense that the juices spurted out, creating a bloody scene.
Heron whistled and waved to the sky.
The flying monkeys, receiving their command, left the camp.
The sounds of their playfulness quickly faded, disappearing into the darkness of the dense forest.
Herent had just cast what seemed to be some kind of summoning magic.
Alan, watching from the side, was again enlightened.
The next day.
The apprentice tour group began their journey into the Level 2 danger zone.
Morning.
A jungle monitor blocked their path.
Herent stood guard.
The young apprentices each cast their own spells, surrounding and attacking the monitor.
Flames, lightning, frost rays…the sky flew everywhere.
Though they were only level 0 spells, they were no match for the sheer number of people.
In less than two minutes, the unfortunate monitor was surrounded and slain.
Alan had played another minor role, feeling quite pleased.
Herent saw that he was deliberately slacking off.
He didn't expose his intentions in front of everyone.
But his true intentions were revealed in private.
"Mr. Allen, you're so gentle and thoughtful!"
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Allen had a bad feeling.
"During the siege of the jungle monitors, you didn't put in any effort."
Herent smiled faintly.
"Others think you're slacking off, but I understand your heart."
"I'm just being lazy, don't overthink it!"
Alan panicked.
"Don't try to hide it. I know you're deliberately conserving your energy."
Herent feigned a smitten look.
"Because tonight, you're going to spend that precious energy on me... I'm so touched!"
Herent! You... you want to get away with it for free, right?!
Alan regretted it deeply.
Fortunately, there would be a chance to make amends soon.
As the sun was setting, the tour group passed the edge of the Level 3 danger zone.
While setting up camp, we unfortunately disturbed the local jungle overlord!