Poking his head over the ledge, Tyrus’ heart skipped a beat. Surrounding a ring of fire was a mob of goblins, each one snarling at the phenomenon before them. What was even more surprising was the person inside of that ring of fire, a sword clasped in their hand.

“Igneal?” Tyrus shouted, climbing to his feet.

He turned; a grimace plastered on his face that quickly morphed into an awkward smile. “What the… Still here, are you? I suppose that's to be expected, considering you’re right at home in these conditions.”

Igneal looked as if he had wrestled in mud. Brown and red specks dotted his attire, and a few leaves and soot sprinkled his hair. With his face glistening and chest rising more than usual, it seemed as if he had gone through a lot.

Wiping his brow, the boy clenched his sword. “I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is no. I am not struggling against these inferior creatures.”

The goblins maintained a considerable distance from the fire, expecting it to fade away. Igneal must’ve used a spell to shroud himself in a ring of fire to protect himself. It was the smart thing to do if one wanted to regain their breath in the heat of battle. However, it would only be useful if the enemy had no means of extinguishing the flames or bypassing it. So far, the goblins had no such means.

Speaking of goblins, they eventually noticed Tyrus standing in the distance. One of them pointed a club at him, issuing its brethren a few guttural snarls. By that point, all of them were nodding in agreement at whatever it said and barreled toward him.

As Tyrus prepared to raise his sword, he saw Igneal confidently step through the fire without flinching and lift his arm towards the sky. Slowly, the crackling flames from the ground began swirling into the sky like a spiral staircase. In about two seconds, the fire from below had transferred into a fireball the size of a small barrel.

Just as the goblins were an arm’s length away from Tyrus, Igneal brought his arm down and unleashed his spell with a smirk. A wave of heat and smoke assaulted Tyrus as he retreated, shielding himself from the spell. The goblins, feeling the heat, turned and their eyes widened as they realized their impending doom.

A roar of cries and sizzling came crashing as Igneal’s spell slammed into the mob of beasts. The goblins all writhed and screamed, rolling onto the ground as the flames peeled and incinerated their frail skin.

One by one, the cries died down as the goblins were reduced to flaming piles. Igneal nodded in satisfaction as he walked past the heaps. He even crushed one of their heads, yet didn’t break his stride nor give the creatures a momentary glance.

“It’s finally gotten quiet. I’ve always despised their squealing and snickering. Anyway, I would like to thank you, commoner. You’ve proved to be splendid bait.”

“Bait? Are you saying you couldn’t handle them on your own and needed my help?”

He scoffed, letting his sword rest on his shoulder. “Don’t kid yourself. I’ve slaughtered a lot more on the way here. Even with silent casting, it still takes time for me to complete my magic. And before any misunderstandings arise, I did not need your help with these wretches. They mistakenly targeted the wrong enemy.”

“Uh-huh… Whatever you say,” Tyrus said. He didn’t feel like hearing any more of his excuses, so he changed the subject. “By the way, do you know how much time we have left? Tracer doesn’t really tell time like a clock would.”

“A clock? Why would Tracer tell time? It’s a ring, not a watch,” Igneal chided, ignoring Tyrus scowl. “I could tell you, but I’m afraid we have a problem on our hands.”

“A problem?”

“I find your speaking tone to be disrespectful. You should not address a son of Family Head Lockhart in that manner, or any noble for that matter. However, because I am very generous and understanding of your position, I’ve been overlooking your behavior. From now on, you’ll address me as Young Master Ign-“

A nearby whistle interrupted his words. In response to the noise, Tyrus winced, and his muscles tensed. He knew what happened last time a whistle rang out, and it led to some unfavorable circumstances. Unlike last time, there wasn’t a dying lizardmen in the midst. Just what could they be alerting each other for this time?

“We need to move to a safer place,” Tyrus urged. “I know a great place we can camp out at.”

“Camp out? Are you suggesting we hide from mere beasts? It’s unbecoming of someone of my status to cower away like a scared kitten.”

Another whistle echoed across the area, this time sounding more urgent than the last. Tyrus sighed and faced Igneal. “If you follow me, I’ll think about becoming your friend. You said you wanted to befriend me, right? Or did you change your mind?”

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Igneal smirked. “Looks like you couldn’t avoid my enticing offer after all. Who wouldn’t want to be acquainted with Igneal Lockhart? I accept your conditions! Lead the way to this camp of yours.”

Please don’t make me regret this, Tyrus thought. Considering the danger of the Wasteful Wetlands, he opted to travel in pairs. From the lizardmen to the goblins, if he wasn’t careful, then failure would be an inevitable outcome. Exhausting all his options would come first before he verbally confirmed quitting.

Unfortunately, he was uncertain if Igneal would be open to the idea of working together for the rest of the exam. Given his prideful nature, he might even refuse Tyrus’ suggestion. With the added detail of his recent loss in a duel against someone he deemed inferior, he might resort to tricks in order to get back at him. Tyrus would have to be always on guard if Igneal were to sabotage his chances. He seemed like the type to do so.

He would just have to wait and see what Igneal was up to. Whether he was friend or foe, he’d find out later. If he had to cut him off to succeed, then he wouldn’t hesitate to do so. It was his future to worry about, and he wouldn’t let a well-off person like Igneal ruin it for him. But before he could worry about that, they needed to get to a shelter.

No way would he want to take another swim if more lizardmen were to come.

****

Reaching the cave was a much easier time than last, even if it took longer to arrive at the destination. Because of the crocodiles and the height, they couldn’t even think about jumping down the cliff, so they had to walk along the edge until they found a slope, which took little time. Even better, they had no encounters with dangerous creatures.

The pair occupied the cave, listening to the waters slide against the rocky shore. Tyrus sat near the entrance, meditating to regain his depleted mana while Igneal paced around the cave with a bored expression. His sword was currently in its scabbard, an item Tyrus didn’t know the Lockhart had possession of.

When they were standing in front of Selena, Igneal wasn’t holding a sword or possessing a scabbard. He must’ve gotten them right after Tyrus was teleported. It was a mystery how he got the items since there were no swords or scabbards lying around. Either way, all that mattered was that he wasn’t walking around unarmed and was only left with magic.

“This is boring,” Igneal said. “Do you really intend to stay here? Completing the exam this way isn’t fitting.”

“It doesn’t matter how it’s completed; the goal is to survive for three hours. As much as I would like to train my swordsmanship and magic on the beasts, the lizardmen make it hard to do so.”

Igneal laughed. “The lizardmen? Those savages are the reason you’re hiding? You’re Beastfolk, or half of one. Those vile beasts shouldn’t be intimidating to you. To be frank, it makes you look pitiful.”

“If I’m pitiful, what does that make you? Don’t forget I beat you a while ago.”

“That hardly qualifies as a win considering I was taking it easy on you, but believe what you want. You only won because I was considerate enough to let you do the exam without a hitch.”

Tyrus sighed, opening his eyes. “Speaking of exam… Why are you here, anyway? You have the money to buy yourself a lot of things. I don’t see why you need to become an explorer.”

Igneal regarded Tyrus for a moment before strutting over to him. “You’re awfully talkative right now. Curious about my reason for becoming an explorer, are you? Well, I’ll happily indulge your curiosity about me.”

Humming to himself, he sheathed his sword and leaned against the cavern wall. “I don’t have a special reason for becoming an explorer. In fact, I had no intention of becoming one in the first place. What’s the point of becoming an explorer if I already have money and status? It’s a job designed for the masses, not for the upper class such as I.”

He paused, casting his eyes upon the swirling fog, before uttering another word. “Aunt Selena tried to convince me to apply at her branch, yet I refused. While annihilating beasts daily and flaunting my kills is an enticing and fun idea, the profession is beneath me. From then on, she respected my choice and never brought it up again. However, my viewpoint abruptly changed following an amusing incident.”

Tyrus tilted his head quizzically, waiting for Igneal to say more, but the Lockhart just stayed silent. When Igneal said nothing else on the matter, Tyrus just shrugged and followed his gaze, watching as the fog drifted through like a cloud. The thought of asking him to elaborate on what changed his mind crossed Tyrus’s mind, but he had a feeling it would just annoy him.

During the silence, Tyrus’ thoughts wandered over to the lizardmen, particularly the one that triggered the chase. Its words still bothered him greatly, especially the one about it killing his lot, whatever that meant. Considering the clues and facts, he seriously doubted it was referring to the other applicants. Reducing it to merely the ramblings of a crazy beast might be for the best, but seeking answers was like an itch that needed to be scratched.

There were also the words the skull helmet reptile spoke before Tyrus’ inevitable plunge. A masked intruder that was polluting the life in the sanctuary and the savages he brought along. The lizardmen were clearly furious at the intruder and the damage it apparently brought to the land. Maybe that’s why the lizardmen were intent on killing him.

As if an arrow struck him, Tyrus’ shoulders tensed, and he muttered: “Wait, a masked intruder? Could it be…?”

Alas, before he could put the pieces together, a flicker of movement in the corner caught his eye. When Tyrus looked up, he found Igneal shuffling away, sword in hand.

“Where are you going?” Tyrus asked. “If you need to let it out, I can give you some privacy in the cave.”

Coming to a stop, Igneal let out a snort. “I don’t need to relieve myself. I’ve rested enough and regained my energy. Now is the time to resume the fun. I hardly ever get the opportunity to go out and face wild beasts.”

“You’re going out already? What about the lizardmen? If they find you, you won’t escape and will have to resort to using Tracer to–“

Suddenly, Igneal whipped around and marched toward Tyrus, stopping just a finger away from him. “Your lack of education is painfully obvious. Do you really believe I’m clueless about lizardmen? That assumption is quite insulting. I’m confident I can defeat them on my own. Like many creatures, they have exploitable weaknesses. If you’re skeptical, I can prove my point as we progress to the source.”

“Progress to where?” Tyrus asked.

Igneal walked back to the entrance, stopped, and pointed at the water. “Naturally, our focus should be on the origin of the corrupted mana.”