Tom reached the school bus stop and made his way into the classroom, still half-asleep from the night before. As he walked through the quiet morning air, he heard a soft voice behind him.

  "Ex... excuse me..."

  Tom stopped in his tracks and turned around, unsure who was addressing him. When he turned, he saw Jenny, the shy girl from the day before, standing a few steps behind him, clutching the strap of her bag nervously.

  "Oh, it's you," Tom said, raising an eyebrow. "What's up?"

  "Em... about... about yesterday..." Jenny stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

  "What?" Tom asked, leaning in slightly. He could barely make out her words.

  "I'm sorry... about yesterday," Jenny said again, this time loud enough for Tom to hear.

  "Oh, that," Tom said with a grin. "No problem. Happens to the best of us. Did you have a chance to think about what I asked before you ran off?"

  Jenny flushed bright red at the reminder of her earlier embarrassment. She couldn't meet his gaze and fidgeted with the strap of her bag.

  "D-do you really want me in your team?" she asked suddenly.

  "Of course!" Tom replied. "Why would I ask if I didn't mean it?"

  "Then... then I'd like to join," Jenny said softly.

  "That's great!" Tom exclaimed, grabbing her hands in excitement. He shook them enthusiastically as if sealing an important deal. Jenny froze, completely stiff, her mind racing. It was the first time a boy had ever held her hands.

  "Oh, right," Tom said, letting go quickly when he noticed her awkward reaction. "I forgot to ask what class you play. I only know you're a support."

  "I'm a protection spell support," Jenny replied, her voice barely audible.

  "A protection spell support? That's actually really helpful. We were looking for a healer, but preventing damage works just as well. Welcome to the team!" Tom said, smiling brightly.

  Jenny nodded shyly, her face still red.

  The two walked into the school together. Tom did most of the talking, asking questions while Jenny responded in short, clipped answers. Through their conversation, Tom learned that Jenny was already level 32, having leveled up steadily while playing with her friend. It was far from Tom's own level 60, but he figured she could easily reach level 45 before the tournament began.

  When they reached the school building, they parted ways after exchanging phone numbers. Jenny was initially shocked when Tom asked for her number, but after he explained it was just to coordinate their team plans, she gave it to him with only a slight hesitation.

  After classes ended for the day, Tom had his usual training session at the dojo. Before heading there, he texted Felix and Jenny, telling them to meet outside the city gates in Beta at 2 p.m. Felix would inform Julius, as Tom didn't have his number.

  Training at the dojo was as grueling as ever, though Tom was slowly finding it easier to keep up. The punching and kicking drills still challenged him, but with Tyson's guidance, he managed to finish the session without falling behind completely. By the end, he was drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted.

  After grabbing a quick bite to eat at home, Tom logged into Beta, ready to meet his teammates. He reached the city gates at 2:05, slightly late, and saw the three of them already waiting.

  Felix's equipment hadn't changed much. He carried a banner on his back and a short sword at his hip. Julius wore a dark robe, holding a wooden staff topped with a crystal. Jenny, in contrast, wore a white robe adorned with pink flowers and carried a two-meter-long staff. A paper charm engraved with protective runes hung from the end of her staff, gently swaying in the breeze.

  Tom knew that protection spell supports only had a single spell engraved on their staff when starting out. They channeled mana into the staff to activate the spell, which provided defensive barriers to their team. While effective, the concept had significant drawbacks. If their staff was broken or lost, they became essentially useless in combat. Despite this, Tom wasn't concerned. Healers were similarly vulnerable if caught by attackers, so it made little difference to him.

  After introducing Jenny to the group, they set out to hunt monsters. Tom had already selected a good area for them to train. Outside the city was a region inhabited by creatures known as killer rabbits. These monsters were level 40, making them perfect for helping the others level up.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Tom had considered leveling in this area himself but preferred fighting monsters he could skin for materials. Killer rabbits, unfortunately, were not worth skinning. Unlike regular rabbits, they had no fur, just wrinkled, leathery skin that few tanneries would touch. Even the price for their hides was abysmal, making it not worth the effort.

  The journey to the hunting grounds was long. Despite moving quickly, the group's pace was slower than Tom's usual solo travel. It took them over an hour to reach the grassy hills where the rabbits lived. The area looked peaceful, with the creatures hidden in tall grass, but Tom knew better. These rabbits were hunters, not prey.

  Tom already had a plan to lure them out. He turned to Julius and asked, "What spells do you have as a pyro mage?"

  "Hmph... Watch and be amazed," Julius replied, puffing up his chest. "I have Fireball and Flame Wall like most fire mages, but as a pyro mage, I can also summon a Fire Ring, a superior version of Flame Wall."

  Julius raised his staff and began casting, creating a small ring of fire about a meter wide around himself. The flames singed the grass, but when Julius ended the spell, the fire dissipated immediately.

  "Well? What do you think?" Julius asked proudly.

  "Okay... you're useless," Tom said bluntly.

  "Hmph! What do you know?" Julius snapped. "If I had more mana, I could make a fire ring spanning kilometers!"

  "Oh, really?" Tom asked, his tone skeptical.

  "Yes, really!" Julius replied, crossing his arms.

  "Then prove it." Tom tossed him the mana battery staff he had received from Pech.

  Julius caught the staff, inspecting it curiously. When he realized it was a mana battery, his eyes lit up. "Muhahaha! Now, let me show you my true power!"

  Raising the staff, Julius cast the Fire Ring spell again. This time, the flames expanded rapidly, creating a massive ring of fire that burned through the tall grass. At first, Tom was impressed, but then he noticed the fire spreading far beyond what he was comfortable with.

  "Uh, Julius, that's enough. Stop the spell," Tom said, his voice tinged with concern.

  Julius froze, turning to Tom slowly. "Ehm... here, take your staff back," he said, handing it over awkwardly.

  Tom inspected the staff:

  [Uncommon Mana Battery]

  Can be used to cast spells without consuming the user's mana. Needs recharging.

  Current Capacity: 0/10,000 Mana.

  Tom stared at Julius like he was the biggest idiot alive. Shaking his head, he pocketed the empty staff. "Alright, that's enough. The grass is trimmed. Stop the spell."

  "Uh... I can't," Julius admitted.

  "Excuse me?" Tom asked, his eyes narrowing.

  "I can't stop the spell! I don't have enough mana to end it!" Julius shouted.

  "What the hell? Are you stupid?!" Felix yelled. "You're going to get us killed!"

  "Don't yell at me! This was YOUR plan!" Julius shot back defensively.

  Before Tom could say anything, a blur of movement caught his eye. Something burst out of the flames. A killer rabbit, charging straight at Julius.

  Tom moved to intercept, but the rabbit was too fast. It leaped at Julius, aiming for his throat. Just before it struck, a glowing barrier appeared around Julius, absorbing the impact and shattering. Tom seized the opportunity to strike the rabbit mid-air, killing it with a single blow.

  More rabbits began emerging from the flames, their eyes glowing with malice. Dozens of them surrounded the group, drawn by Julius's out-of-control fire spell.

  The flames burned all around them, cutting off any chance of escape. With no way to flee, the team had no choice but to stand their ground and fight.

  Before he could fully process the situation, Tom instinctively began shouting orders.

  "Felix, place your banner and buff our attack speed! Julius, stand between me and Felix together with Jenny. Focus on regenerating your mana until you can stop this spell of yours! Don't even think about wasting it on attacking the rabbits. Jenny, keep shielding yourself and Julius. Felix and I are tough enough to survive a few hits, but you two won't last long if they target you directly!"

  As soon as he finished barking instructions, Tom launched into action, swinging his fists against the onslaught of killer rabbits. The rabbits died in a single hit, their bodies crumpling under the force of his attacks, but their numbers were overwhelming. Even as Tom thinned their ranks, more poured out of the flames, their glowing eyes full of murderous intent.

  Felix did as he was told, planting his banner firmly into the ground. A faint aura spread from it, granting the group increased attack speed. Despite the buff, Felix's clear speed was painfully slow. His class, designed for supporting rather than dealing damage, left him struggling to kill even one rabbit at a time.

  Tom quickly noticed the imbalance. He was forced to move constantly, switching sides to cover Felix whenever too many rabbits swarmed him. Every few seconds, Tom glanced over at Julius and Jenny. They were standing back-to-back, the mage clutching his staff tightly while Jenny channeled protective barriers around them both.

  Jenny was doing her best, but the rabbits weren't mindless. They noticed her glowing staff and quickly deduced she was the one casting the shields. Within moments, a growing number of rabbits shifted their focus to her, their vicious attacks threatening to overwhelm her defenses.

  Tom felt a pang of worry. If the rabbits broke through Jenny's barriers, both she and Julius would be finished in seconds. He redoubled his efforts, punching through the nearest wave of attackers and rushing to cover their position.

  "My mana is running low!" Jenny shouted, her voice panicked as she struggled to maintain the shield.

  "Hang in there!" Tom called back, slamming another rabbit aside with a powerful strike. Julius, how much longer until you can end this madness?"

  Julius didn't respond. He was too focused on frantically channeling mana into his staff, trying to gather enough energy to extinguish the flames. Tom gritted his teeth in frustration. The rabbits showed no signs of letting up, and Jenny's exhaustion was evident as her protective barriers flickered intermittently.

  The flames from Julius's spell continued to rage, cutting off any chance of retreat. They had no choice but to endure.

  Just then, Jenny shouted, "I'm out of mana!"

  What perfect timing, Tom thought sarcastically, gritting his teeth.