My Magic Has No Upper Limit

Chapter 129: Chapter 128: I’ll Go First

Lena walked to the front of the group and clapped her hands sharply.

"Everyone, listen up!"

She put her hands on her hips, her fiery red eyes sweeping over each Mage’s face like a hawk.

"I want you to pay attention. From the moment you step into this forest, you are no longer the pampered students from the guild, nor are you some young masters or ladies from noble houses."

"You have only one identity—Adventurer!"

"I know many of you are leaving the warmth and comfort of town for the first time, seeing a real Demon for the first time. You might be scared, you might be nervous, but there’s one thing you must understand."

"Magic isn’t a performance you put on in the Martial Arts Arena. There are no Protective Arrays here, and no Marvin to clean up your messes!"

"If your Fireball Skill goes astray, it won’t just leave a black mark on a wall—it could blast your teammate in the back! If your team’s positioning isn’t cautious enough, a Demon’s claws could tear your throat out!"

"So, I want you all on high alert!"

Lena’s words were like a bucket of ice water poured over their heads.

The expressions of the Mages who were visiting the Gray Wood Forest for the first time grew much more solemn.

"Good."

Seeing that her words had the desired effect, Lena nodded in satisfaction.

But Zelir couldn’t quite empathize with her speech.

’After all, I’ve never had the mentality of someone born into a high position...’

’My life was worthless to begin with. If I don’t fight for it, how will I ever get ahead?’

Back when he wasn’t even a Magic Apprentice, he had already worked with a squad to take down a juvenile Fog Demon.

But when he thought about Lante’s previous performance, Zelir felt it made sense.

After Lena finished speaking, Manlin took a step forward, her gentle gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"I hope you all take Instructor Lena’s words to heart, but you don’t need to be overly anxious."

Manlin’s voice was soft and serene, possessing a power that could soothe one’s heart.

"Fear is a natural instinct for everyone; there’s no shame in it. Accept it calmly, then overcome it. That is one of the purposes of our journey."

Manlin raised her hand and pointed toward the depths of the forest.

"This Gray Wood Forest, and the Hengduan Mountain Range in the distance, are both a nest of Demons and a great treasure trove."

"Here, not only can you gain combat experience that you could never get from books, but you can also discover many precious Magic Materials."

"A single Sunflower growing on a cliff face could be worth several hundred Gold Coins."

"The Demon Core found within a High Tier Demon is also a necessary material for crafting Magic Wands. Danger is always accompanied by opportunity."

"So, go all out and experience true combat. Just as I said before—experience pain to its fullest, because it will be the most profound mark of your growth."

Manlin’s words were quite inspiring.

"And I will be here to ensure that every one of you can bring that mark home safely."

The atmosphere, which had grown tense from Lena’s lecture, relaxed a little.

Everyone responded in unison.

"Yes!"

"Begin your preparations."

With Instructor Lena’s command, the pre-battle tension shifted into orderly hustle and bustle.

Everyone began unloading their bags and supplies from the carriages one by one.

Since there were plenty of people, each person only needed to carry a small portion, so the load wasn’t too heavy.

"Leiden, Zelir."

While everyone was busy, Lena called the captains of the Third and Fourth Squads over and handed them two maps.

Zelir took one, and the moment he unfolded it, he finally understood why there had been so few commissions from the Adventurer’s Association recently.

They had all been reserved for this Monster Hunting trip.

The map detailed the route for the next few days.

Furthermore, it clearly marked all the Demon Creature Communities along the way, covering almost every known threat in the outer Gray Wood Forest.

Of course, these marked Demon Creature Communities would no longer appear as commissions at the Adventurer’s Association.

’Thinking about it that way...’

’The Adventurer’s Association really sacrificed a lot for this.’

"The route has been planned out for you. Just follow it."

Lena’s voice pulled Zelir back from his thoughts.

"Next, I need to explain something. This Monster Hunting will use a rotation system."

"The participating Escort Team will be paired with one Mage Squad to lead the way at the very front, responsible for clearing out Demons."

"The remaining Mage Squad will observe and learn from a safe distance behind."

"The Mage Squads will rotate after each battle."

"This ensures everyone gets a chance at real combat, and also gives you enough time to rest and reflect."

"As for Instructor Manlin and me, along with the other two Upper Level Adventurers, we’ll be watching from the very back. Just pretend we don’t exist for the most part."

"Additionally, any Demons killed during this hunt will be tallied according to the standard bounty amounts from the Adventurer’s Association, and the payment will be settled and distributed after the hunt is over."

Lena looked at the two of them. "Understand?"

"Understood," Zelir and Leiden nodded together.

"So... Zelir, Leiden, which of your squads wants to go first?"

Lena looked at the two of them with a teasing glint in her eyes.

"I can give you a little spoiler... the squad that performs better during this hunt will receive a special mystery prize prepared by the instructors."

Leiden still seemed hesitant, even after hearing about a prize.

Zelir, however, spoke up directly.

"Fourth Squad will go first."

"Good!"

Lena clapped her hands in satisfaction. "Nice spirit. Then your Fourth Squad will take the lead."

The group quickly finished their preparations and got ready to enter the forest.

Zelir’s Fourth Squad and the members of the Escort Team participating in the battle were at the very front.

Leiden’s Third Squad was in the middle.

And bringing up the rear were Lena, Manlin, Hank, and Yisi.

The entire group formed a clearly layered, spearhead-like formation.

"Give the order, Zelir. You’re the captain now," Gray said with a smile.

"Hmm..."

Zelir unfolded the map to study it carefully, and the others gathered around to look.

"Let me see... on the route map, the first Demon Creature Community we need to clear out is..."

Zelir’s finger slid across the map, stopping on an area marked with a red ’X’.

"Ah, an old friend."

A Goblin Community.

’Not much of a Challenge, but that’s fine. We can treat it as a warm-up.’

Zelir looked up at the group and began assigning roles.

"Rivaya, you scout ahead. Report back immediately if anything unexpected happens."

"Marcus is the team’s first line of defense. Gray, you’ll support him."

"Valles, you can position yourself freely, just stay behind Marcus’s protection. And you three..."

Zelir looked at Bev, Yanni, and Lante.

"Stay by my side, and remain vigilant at all times. Pay attention to your surroundings."

"When a fight breaks out, I don’t expect you to join in immediately. Protecting yourselves is the top priority. After that, we’ll see."

"If you get a chance, you can try to provide support with some ranged control or Magic, but remember, be mindful of coordinating with your teammates."

Zelir’s gaze fell on Lante. "Remember your bad example from last time? Don’t make the same mistake again."

"Understood." Lante, having been called out, shrank back a little.

Bev and Yanni also nodded seriously.

Throughout this, Yanni was very cooperative, showing no signs of objection.

After all, they were in the perilous wilderness. She knew how to prioritize; any personal grudges had to be set aside.

At least during the adventure, the captain’s word was absolute authority.

"Alright, let’s move out!" Zelir waved his hand.

The combat group formed by the Fourth Squad and the Escort Team entered the forest first.

The Third Squad followed behind them.

Seeing Zelir’s series of experienced arrangements, Lena let out a soft chuckle.

"He’s certainly experienced."

"See? I was right. I don’t praise people for no reason," Manlin said with a gentle smile.

After the Third Squad entered the forest, the Tower Shield Vanguard, Hank, and the Dual Sword Swordsman, Yisi, also moved out.

One on the left and one on the right, they advanced with a wider flanking perimeter, guarding the Mages ahead.

Finally, the duo of Lena and Manlin leisurely strolled after them.

...

「Gray Wood Forest.」

The autumn air was crisp and clear.

If you ignored the hidden dangers all around, it was actually very pleasant weather, perfect for an outing.

Bev walked behind Zelir, her gaze unconsciously drawn to his back.

Compared to the relaxed and carefree time they had gathering herbs together, Zelir was clearly much more serious this time.

The Night Peace Magic Wand was always in his hand, the sharp point at its tip occasionally reflecting a cold glint of light.

Bev also noticed that Zelir had swapped the sword at his left hip for a new, heavier-looking one.

’As long as Zelir is here... I feel so safe.’

The deep, quiet atmosphere of the forest made Yanni, who was entering this kind of environment for the first time, a little scared.

She subconsciously moved closer to Bev, tightly gripping the sleeve of her Magic Robe.

Bev, on the other hand, had been to the Gray Wood Forest with Zelir once before and had some experience, so she seemed a bit calmer than Yanni.

"By the way, I’m a little curious," Zelir said, turning to Gray beside him. "How is your pay calculated?"

"Equipment wear-and-tear is covered, daily expenses are covered, and if there are no special circumstances, the pay is Three Gold Coins a day."

Gray flashed a proud smile. "It’s all thanks to you, Zelir."

’Three Gold Coins a day...’

Zelir was lost in thought.

’This trip to the Hengduan Mountain Range and back will take at least ten days, right?’

’That’s almost Thirty Gold Coins in the bag. What a haul.’

’And you don’t even have to worry about your safety. No wonder so many Adventurers were fighting to join the team.’

’If only I could get paid Three Gold Coins a day, too...’

The goblin camp marked on the map wasn’t too far. After about two hours of walking through the woods, signs of goblin activity began to appear in the surroundings.

Small, messy footprints started appearing on the ground, there were scratches on the tree bark, and a foul stench even began to hang faintly in the air.