The teams began to make their way back to the Academy once they realized that the ratio was in the crabs’ favour, and that without the ability to swarm them, the Flatfoot Hunters were hopelessly outmatched.

Only after the battle was over was Kalli certain that a direct fight was not what the hunters would usually engage in. They didn’t have the ability.

Instead, they most likely swarmed the crabs, stole as many eggs as possible, and then retreated. So, the crab population was crushed with the loss of their next generation. It might be a necessary balance, but with the Academy nearby to keep the adult population in check, it should be fine.

The teams returned to the Academy as the crabs retreated to their beach, leaving only bones of the Flatfoot Hunters behind, nearly picked clean by the victorious force.

"Grab something to eat, and you can head out to make sure that the Swineherd Demons aren’t forming up just behind the tree line. There are still quests to defend and collect the tubers, and I’ve got storage space." Kalli instructed as the others reached the grounds.

"Such a slave driver. But that’s a hard mode quest. Technically two of them, if we kill four boars and four Swineherd Demons per ten-person team. That’s four more points, this Trial might actually be looking up for us," Reggie agreed.

The others laughed, and Kalli went down the wall to hand them all their rewards so that they could go out and finish the other quests for the day.

One point for stopping the Flatfoot Warriors wasn’t much, but some of them needed to restock on ammunition, or had finally gotten enough points for that one last item they wanted.

"You seem like you’re in a good mood." Niall noted as he came to claim his rewards with the rest of the Student Council team.

"It’s been a good morning. We protected the food supply, and everyone got a relatively easy point. Now, we just have to wait and see if the Special Forces got the gains that they were hoping for."

The Student Council waited as everyone else left, so it was only Esmeralda, the council and the Special Forces team.

"Did you get it?"

"Sort of? We made level 1, but we’re not awakened. It says that we’re level one Common Mercenaries. We didn’t get a skill, but we’ve now got the skill tree. So, once we have a few more points, we will be able to buy something.

It looks like it’s up charging us, though. Our first skill costs twenty points, not five."

Kalli nodded. "What is the first skill?"

"There are two options. The first is [Sharpshooter]. Double damage with ranged weapons when targeting the vital areas of an enemy. The same one that Sanchez got for free. The other is [Cleave].

Our suspicion is that we need to buy it to awaken.

Once we have it, we should be close to the same stats as a level one hero. We’ve been building up our bodies with your daily quest as well. But we don’t get as much as the heroes do.

It’s like everything is pumped up for them, so they live up to their names."

"Well, soon you’ll be able to have a skill. Do you have a group to go with and try to complete the hard mode quests?"

They nodded. "We’re actually in Esmeralda’s group, except for Sanchez. She was planning to go solo, so there was no harm in adding the nine of us to her team."

"Alright, you go with her again, then. Might as well earn your keep. Who is Sanchez with today?"

"I grouped with the ones who were left behind at the Academy for the first mission, since I knew I’d kill more than enough to complete it. Now, I’ll go do the gathering quest while the others hunt the pig demons. Or, I’ll join one of the teams with an odd number."

The handful still in the Academy shook their heads. "Go join another team and make sure they do the harvest on the way back. We still need more supplies, especially if they’re in danger. Perhaps Esmeralda and the Special Forces team can do a bit of scouting?

If you find a camp or village full of the Swineherd Demons, that will change everything about how we deal with their presence.

A lot of them, we will have to pick them off as we find them.

But if it’s only a few, then we’re not all going to get the quest completed, and it’s better to focus on harvesting the boars."

"Got it, we won’t let you down. We will also bring back better information for your logs. The more that you can compile, the better the idea we will have about what this Trial is going to be about.

It just said survive, which suggests that will be much more difficult to do than expected. So, we can’t get behind on the very first day."

Kalli smiled. "I’m glad you understand. I will see you all soon."

The last groups headed out, leaving just Gerry and the Tinkers to man the Academy with Kalli.

"I don’t suppose that there is some sort of automated defence system in your store, is there?" Jane suggested as she stared at the stairs up to the tower.

Kalli searched the options, and found it in the vehicle section.

{Automated Sentry Turret} Projectile. Short range, uses standard 12 gauge shotgun shells.

{Cost} 50 points.

{Automated Sentry Turret} Laser. Medium Range, uses stored energy to eliminate hostile targets.

{Cost} 150 points

"There are options, but they are super expensive. I stopped at the second choice, which was 150 System Points, but there are more."

The Tinker laughed as she tried to imagine what sort of defensive item they would get for a hundred and fifty points. It would surely be amazing, and it would keep them safe even when most of the heroes were outside the Academy.

But that price? That was crazy.