On a chilly morning, as I was making my way to the academy for the first time, someone suddenly tapped my left shoulder.

Turning to face the person, I heard a friendly voice. "Asriel, good morning!" Ash greeted me with joy.

He was donned in leather armor crafted from the hide of a Great Wolf, level 15 , and a sheathed steel blade, a drop from a Rock Golem, level 30 in the Abandoned Mines far south of the city, hung at his waist.

His equipment alone was worth a couple of gold coins. As expected, my friend sported a bronze insignia on his right chest, attesting to his status as an E-rank adventurer.

He glanced at me with concern.

In contrast to his well-equipped attire, I was clad in simple leather armor crafted from Forest Wolf hide, with an iron blade secured at my waist, a drop from a Undead Warrior, level 20, commonly found at the entrance of the Graveyard of the Undead.

The equipment I wore was roughly valued at fifty silver coins.

As we entered the school gate, we made our way to the assembly hall.

It was teeming with students, mostly F ranks and around twenty E ranks. On the stage, Guild Master Gray and seven adventurers with silver insignias were visible.

These were the D-rank adventurers of our city.

Following Guild Master Gray's welcome speech, the students were divided into seven groups, each consisting of approximately thirty members.

We were designated to class 1-A under the instruction of Professor Klein Ironheart, a rank D Brawler.

Brawlers primarily rely on their fists equipped with knuckles, excelling in close-quarter combat and boasting high defense.

Professor Klein led us to our classroom, situated on the first floor at the far end of the hallway.

I chose a seat in the far back corner, with Ash taking the one right beside me.

Many of my classmates were familiar faces from my first semester in college. Professor Klein introduced himself and then asked us to introduce ourselves to the class.

Our class had three D ranks, including Ash. The other two were Lucas Briggs, a fellow Warrior, and Cain Alder, a D-rank Assassin. Assassin is a class that depends on high mobility and reflexes, primarily employing shortswords and daggers.

They excel in sneak attacks, with their main emphasis on agility.

I was about to introduce myself when a voice echoed around the room, Lucas.

"Hey, Asriel, it seems that being smart doesn't help you become a strong adventurer," he remarked, referring to the iron insignia on my chest.

I chose to ignore him and continued with my introduction.

My impression of Lucas is an average guy with excessive pride and a penchant for showing off.

Failing a couple of subjects clearly wounded his ego.

"Mr. Ferrer, it seems your friend lacks the courage to fight stronger monsters," Lucas added.

"Stop it, Mr. Briggs! I don’t condone malicious behavior in my class," Professor Klein uttered in a rough voice.

Lucas fell silent, and for a moment, I felt his glare directed at me.

The class continued, and we were given pamphlets for the upcoming lessons and training.

At the end of the class, we were asked to group up with five members.

Ash and I were in the same group, along with two girls, Claire Ashfall, a Healer, and Rain Campbell, an Archer.

Our last member was Neil Ashfall, a Mage, who is Claire's twin brother and Ash's cousin.

Ash suggested that we have dinner together after class to discuss the practical exam tomorrow.

Everyone agreed, and we went to a nearby restaurant, the Bellflower Diner, which is owned by Rain’s family.

It was my friend Ash's treat, so I ordered something that looked tasty, fried Sand Fowl with teriyaki sauce and rice.

Sand Fowl are level 15 bird-like monsters that are abundant in streams and wastelands.

They can’t fly but run pretty fast and have sharp beaks and talons.

After our dinner, we discussed our strategy for the practical exam scheduled for tomorrow.

The exam involves defeating the field boss of the Black Swamp, the Goblin King, a level 19 monster wielding a two-handed greatsword.

It's accompanied by several level 16 Goblins.

Although the Goblin King is a low-level field boss, it can't be easily handled by just a couple of rank E adventurers, as they may get overwhelmed by hordes of goblins.

Field boss has higher stats compared to higher level normal monsters.

They have rare skills that are pretty dangerous if you’re not prepared. We finalized our basic formation, with Ash and me as the vanguard, and Claire, Rain, and Neil as the rearguard.

Before heading home, we visited the ancient pillar and a nearby adventurer's shop to purchase some provisions.

On a sunny morning, we reached the entrance of the Black Swamp, being the first group to take the exam.

There was a sense of concern among us, including my friend Ash.

"Don't worry; as long as we stick to the plan and don't panic, we can pass this exam easily," I reassured them.

They glanced at me, offering a weary smile.

I couldn't blame them; even with Ash in our group, we were only F ranks, and we just met the minimum recommended adventurer rank to tackle the Black Swamp.

The purpose of this exam is to boost everyone's confidence and foster teamwork.

"Take your time and return home safely," cheered our professor, giving my shoulder a reassuring tap.

Our group ventured into the swamp, where tall trees and bushes surrounded us, and the murky water stained our boots and the muddy ground slowed our movement as we moved forward.

Soon after, a group of Goblins appeared ahead of us.

Ash and I swiftly drew their attention by launching our attacks.

The goblins were armed with short swords and small wooden shields, and one in the back wielded a bow.

It fired an arrow at me, but I swiftly evaded it using Dash.

Rain responded by shooting the goblin with the bow directly in the head, killing it instantly.

Archers, with their high dexterity, excel in using ranged weapons like short and long bows, boasting exceptional accuracy.

Despite their lack of defensive capabilities, they prove deadly in ranged battles.

Ash took care of two Goblins, while I dispatched the other two with my sword.

After dealing with a few more goblins amid the bushes and trees, we took a brief rest in a nearby mangrove, enjoying some snacks.

I brought out two sandwiches with grilled Red Boar meat, each filled with a bit of lettuce and tomatoes.

I handed one to Claire since she had forgotten to bring her food.

She thanked me as she quietly enjoyed the meal.