When the white light before his eyes faded, Colin had already appeared at the bottom of the small pit.
"Who can tell the characteristics of a Blight?" he asked, looking up at the students in the classroom. The magic Array in the demonstration area projected his voice into the room.
In this world, Blights were not common monsters.
After all, the conditions for their creation were harsh, and they were highly destructive. Most naturally occurring Blights were eliminated by Druids and Rangers in the wild before they could even gain a foothold. Even Adventurers rarely had the chance to face such creatures.
Information about Blights was part of the curriculum for this new practical training course.
Through the tal grating, Colin saw Sela raise her hand.
He said, "Sela, you answer."
"They live in places like forests and swamps. They appear either through artificial ans or where there is significant energy pollution. They are like a ’pathological phenonon’ in an ecosystem, representing a localized collapse of the natural order. They fear Fla, and when motionless, they look just like withered plants."
"A very good answer. That’s the standard textbook definition, but a definition is just a definition. It must be viewed in the context of practical application."
Colin continued, "To deal with Blights, you first have to identify that they are your opponents. Since they represent a localized collapse of the natural order, you must first assess the surrounding environnt.
"A seemingly normal forest that lacks small animals, has nurous shrubs growing in the shade, and has withered shrubs appearing randomly among the healthy ones—that is the standard environnt where you might find Blights."
After saying this, Colin glanced toward the classroom and saw that so students who had been looking down had raised their heads.
"Right now, there is a Vine Blight in this demonstration area. I recall your textbook ntioning that this is a monster capable of easily strangling an Ordinary person."
Upon hearing the words "Vine Blight," a faint gasp swept through the classroom.
’These apprentices are probably seeing a live monster for the first ti,’ Colin thought. ’Edwin said that even the best among them can only cast Tier One Magic. The academy wouldn’t let them go out and fight real monsters, and this is their first practical training class.’
"First, most Blights have the ability to disguise themselves as dead plants. If you know there might be Blights ahead, you must be on high alert and carefully observe all dead vegetation.
"While shooting an Arrow or casting a Cantrip at every dead plant might seem like a good idea, under normal circumstances, your energy and Arrows are limited. You can’t afford such waste."
Colin walked along the edge of the pit as he spoke.
He carefully surveyed the forest environnt before him. Spotting the Vine Blight’s location in a place like this wasn’t particularly difficult.
After taking a dozen or so steps, he stopped and asked, "Has anyone found where the monster is?"
No one in the classroom raised their hand.
After a mont, a male apprentice raised his hand and asked, "Don’t you know where the monster is?"
"Of course. When you’re an Adventurer, it’s impossible to know a monster’s location in advance."
At this, a few more apprentices looked up, watching their practical training instructor standing in the sa pit as a monster of unknown location.
"Alright, if no one has an answer, I’ll tell you. The monster is ten ters in front of ."
Colin continued, "If you look closely, you can see that the suckers on that dead vine on the ground are attached to a pile of freshly fallen leaves—sothing that would never happen in the wild.
"And it’s worth ntioning that a Vine Blight has the ability to rapidly grow vines and plants within a five-ter radius of itself. As long as you are within that five-ter range, you have to be careful of being entangled by the newly sprouted vines."
Colin drew his Giant Sword and entered his Sword Dance stance.
He spoke again, asking, "So, who knows the Vine Blight’s thod of attack? Alright, Lillian, you answer."
"It uses its vines to entangle and constrict," said the female apprentice who stood up beside Sela.
"Very good."
Colin continued, "If you can locate this monster in the wild, you can bombard it from a distance with Magic that deals Fla Damage. A Vine Blight’s movent Speed is very slow; it can’t outrun an Ordinary person. And then..."
At this, all the apprentices in the classroom looked up.
Everyone stared intently at Colin standing in the pit below. A single thought ran through all their minds: from the way he was talking, it sounded like...
And Colin’s next words were exactly what they were thinking— "...now, I will demonstrate how to escape after being entangled by a Vine Blight."
"Instructor, maybe you should stop the demonstration here," Sela said.
A few others chid in with their agreent.
After all, no one knew if what ca next would be a practical lesson... or a brutal death by constriction.
"Alright, who knows how the Vine Blight will attack ?"
Colin looked up.
The classroom was silent. No one raised a hand.
"Didn’t soone just say it? Like a python constricting its prey, it will wrap around my neck and chest, simultaneously compressing my throat and respiratory muscles."
He continued, "Watch my response carefully."
With that, Colin strode toward the Vine Blight.
Just as he was two ters away from the withered vine, a rapid creaking sound, like the felling of a tree, rang out.
A few screams echoed from inside the classroom.
The small suckers on the withered vine rapidly extended outward, instantly becoming a large, tangled mass of thick vines, which bound Colin’s ankles tightly.
Colin quickly took a deep breath.
At the sa ti, he raised his left arm, bracing his elbow against his chest and shielding his face with his forearm.
The vines growing from the ground continued to coalesce and entangle, quickly forming a humanoid creature made of vines, one point eight ters tall.
The Vine Blight extended its right hand, the vines on its fingers shooting forward to firmly ensnare its prey.
In his peripheral vision, Colin saw that students in the classroom had stood up, all of them staring intently in his direction.
At that mont, his preparatory action paid off.
His air-filled lungs weren’t yet constricted to the point where he couldn’t recite a Spell, and the arm blocking his throat prevented it from being completely choked off.
Using this small opening, Colin recited a Spell. A silvery mist erupted from his sides and completely enveloped him.
The next mont, he appeared ten ters behind the Vine Blight.
The countless vines, having lunged at nothing, uselessly tore through the magical silver mist.
"This is the Tier Two Magic, [Misty Step]. You will definitely be able to learn Magic of this Level after you graduate," Colin said. "This is a relatively good ans of escape. You need to rember the move I just made; it will at least ensure you can recite the Spell."
The apprentices in the classroom breathed a sigh of relief and quietly sat back down.
"After escaping, you’ll have to rely on your own Speed to get away from the Vine Blight. Of course, things like Twig Blights and Needle Blights often appear alongside Vine Blights, so you must act according to the situation in a real battle."
Colin moved around the Vine Blight with ease.
The vine-ford humanoid monster’s movent Speed was incredibly slow. Its shambling steps couldn’t even catch an Ordinary person, let alone Colin in his Sword Dance stance.
Just as the apprentices thought the instructor would end the demonstration there, Colin spoke again. "Next, I’m going to demonstrate how to escape using Cantrips..."
The mont he finished speaking, the classroom erupted into an uproar.
’Another demonstration? And with only Cantrips?’
"...and what’s more, using your thods."
After adding that last part, Colin plunged his Giant Sword into the soil at his feet.
He reached out and undid the straps on his body. The Dagger, Plate Armor, and Hand Half Sword fastened to him fell to the ground, followed by his Helt. Now, all he wore was a thick, yet flimsy-looking suit of Cotton Armor to face the monster.
The classroom fell silent once again.
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