Rebecca stood at his back, immediately casting a large spell.
Boulders popped up from ground beneath and covered them on all sides in no time.
Mathew and Edrin both took the right and left flanks.
Edrin sat down and a tree root spread its branches from where he was standing all the way down the hill, trapping a monster before it could reach their position.
Mathew bombarded it with fire bombs, injuring it.
Azek slowly released an intricate spell.
Four stones hovered in front of him.
He was only manifesting mana externally.
The spell he was currently manifesting was utilizing earth elemental mana without shedding the element.
Instead of simply exciting mana, he excited the whole structure.
The stones sped at almost invisible speed, rapidly shedding debris until only small finger-sized metallic structures remained.
Mana bent and shapes started forming.
They elongated like bullets, their heads becoming sharp like arrowheads.
He released them.
They pierced through the monster's skull.
One wasn't enough to instantly kill the monster, even though it was a small alligator-like monster with relatively low defense and already injured by Mathew's fire spells.
But one after another, sharp nail-like bullets pierced through the same point in rapid succession.
A crack resounded and the monster skull exploded in a bloody mess.
And it didn't end there.
They returned to their original position and Azek launched them again.
The monsters became a mesh of flesh in a matter of seconds.
Before they could marvel at the sight and celebrate their first victorious fight, four other monsters were running towards them baring their teeth.
"Edrin, bind them."
Azek commanded almost immediately.
"Azek, they are coming from behind as well!"
Rebecca panicked.
"Hinder them and slow their speed. Double cast the shield. When they are near, switch position with Edrin."
Azek had already explained to them in detail about position formations and his rough plan of action.
And they had spent enough time getting familiar with his commands and the different techniques he employed during their earlier reconnaissance.
Now even though this was their first fight, they were holding themselves relatively well.
Rebecca cast basic spells one after another.
Stone boulders popped up randomly, targeting monsters and blocking their path.
Mathew hurled fire arrows and small bombs towards the front, crippling the front wave significantly.
Azek shot bullets nonstop.
There were now twelve arrowhead bullets, which pierced monsters through their eyes to the skull, instantly killing them or decapitating them from moving further.
"They are here!"
Rebecca shouted.
Edrin switched with her instantly, binding monsters in vines and thorns that lodged into their limbs, rendering them motionless.
She came to the front and the recent wave of monsters got buried under a shower of boulders.
"Mathew!"
Mathew came to the front with Rebecca now on the right and Edrin moving to the left.
Azek went to the back, killing the already injured monsters in a few minutes.
They rotated their positions strategically while keeping formation steady and lifting each other's burden.
Monsters didn't simply come from the front.
They could appear from anywhere. They weren't mindless creatures only attacking front ignoring all sides.
Therefore Azek had come up with his plan.
Instead of making rookie mistake he placed all his team members covering all sides.
And now, after another hour, when they were catching their breath, they looked at the sight in front of them in sheer amazement.
More than 20 monster corpses littered the small hill path.
Not a single one was left alive.
And all of this was possible due to Azek's radical leadership.
Rebecca looked at her hands.
She never knew that she was capable of playing a central role in a fight.
This was the first time she had used her power both defensively and offensively.
This battle had pushed her limits.
And now a spark was radiating in her eyes.
Mathew gave her a look and snorted.
Another one came to know.
But I guess it's nothing surprising.
Azek was someone bound to become the leader sooner or later.
And that was not due to privilege—but due to his own capabilities.
The last spell gave him shivers when Azek instantly popped three monsters' skulls in a matter of seconds while he had been struggling to hold them.
The precise control of his element was what gave him chills.
He had never seen elemental mana used like that.
And in his first battle he was able to grasp the timing and perfect synergy with others to land critical blows by finding their most vulnerable spots.
That was something that wasn't taught in class.
It was a matter of personal intellect and talent.
And to be able to do that in battle—
Haaaa…
He sighed.
He sure is a monster.
That was his evaluation.
Edrin got up from the ground and lightly stretched.
"It's time we move."
Mathew looked at Edrin's nonchalant demeanor and got up.
Azek wasn't the only monster in the group.
This smiley bastard had already grasped large-scale spells, and with the constant reconnaissance and the large map in his hands he could basically pass the exam on his own as well.
He shook his head.
With monsters like these leading him, even if he wanted to—
he wouldn't be able to fall behind.