He couldn’t use magic or his mind because it will be considered cheating. It is physical training so he can’t use magic, and his mind will first reject the illusion he is in if he attempts it. That will cause a ruckus. He had to use his brain in tangent with his body to figure out a solution. He looked around for what he could use to kill them. His new safe zone is bare, unlike the forest.
“There’s nothing here but stones, weeds, and my trusty buckler. How can you kill something with stones…”
He laughed when he realized how easy it was. He had stones littered about him. They are natural ammunition. Even the slow rock people think so too.
“Will need something to carry them with.” He thought out loud.
Then he put off his school uniform. He was wearing single underwear but he didn’t mind that. It’s not as if someone was watching him and even if some were, he wouldn’t care. He wouldn’t mind being seen completely naked either. His mind has already transcended his body.
He placed the uniform on the ground and began searching for choice stones. He didn’t want just about any type of stone. They had to be uniform and must have a sharp edge to them. They also must be able to fit in his hands easily and their weight must be just right for throwing.
“There are about 20 of the blood wasps, So I need 25 stones in total, maybe 30. That should get rid of the pesky bugs.” He ruminated.
The amount of the blood wasps chasing him had been thinned drastically by the titan frogs. They were about a hundred of them when they started chasing him. These remaining 20 will still be a challenge because their speed makes them difficult to hit. But their large size and their inclination to move closer together will make hitting them easier. Still, he must have his stones ready so that he can strike them down faster. Bending down to pick stones while they chase him will be inefficient.
He must eliminate the blood wasps in this area around the safe zone before moving on to the area with the rock people. The space he has to work with is very small, so it will be very difficult to endure their chase and throw stones at them too.
“I just have to hit their wings. They won’t be able to fly if I injure their wings.”
Their fragile wings are another weakness of theirs. He can pick them off if they can’t fly.
He gathered his stones in his academy uniform and picked them up with one arm. Then he left the safe zone for the second run. The blood wasps were spotted immediately. He gave them a wide berth but they began to chase him. He tried to make them run in circles within the limited zone and it worked. They didn’t scatter to chase him from all directions, they stayed together and he led them around. The tricky thing is throwing stones at them while trying to maintain the distance between them. He succeeded in striking down 6 before they caught up to him and he was sent back to the safe zone.
“They are too fast. I have to tire them out, then it will be much easier to kill them all.” He thought as he modified his plan.
The problem isn’t hitting them, their speed can’t save them from his accurate targeting. The problem is his loss of speed when he turns to aim and throw. They use that opportunity to catch up to him.
He picked more stones and began the third run. This time he didn’t seek to resolve the chase early. He was willing to wait and bet his stamina reserves against theirs. Blood wasps have poor stamina. They may be stubborn in their chase but it cannot go on for too long because they will lose their speed advantage as they tire out.
It took a little over 10 minutes before they began to slow down. He waited for another 10 minutes more to make them strained and very tired. Then he began to throw stones at them. He made sure to be cautious and to maintain the distance between them. So it took him 5 minutes to get rid of all of them.
“Whose the boss now?” He shouted at their dead bodies, then he hurriedly clamp his hand over his mouth. He waited for a few seconds before signing when he didn’t notice any rumblings.
“It would be silly if my stupid mouth is the one responsible for waking them.”
He began to walk in the direction of the finish line.
“This is so weird. I don’t need to run and there’s nothing chasing me. It’s so peaceful.”
He said as he strolled by a mountain that is probably a rock person. His feet were light on the ground as he walked. He could run like this, he will have to reduce his speed but he would be able to move silently. But there was no reason to run at all.
The forest obstacle forced him to be constantly on the move. It was either the vines or the wasps. If he had stayed still for a while, then the entire forest would have surrounded and submerged him.
He placed his hand on top of his head and yawned. “This is so relaxed.”
His uniform is now tied around his waist and he is walking barefoot. He was hoping to jinx the ease of his passage but nothing bad happened. He passed one mountain after the other and yet nothing happened. It was another hour later of walking leisurely before something happened. He had just reached an area with more stones than grass.
“This place is very bad for running.” He observed.
Even if he was somehow fast enough to evade the rocks catapulted at him by the rock people, this section of the obstacle course will reduce his speed drastically. The blood wasps will be able to finally catch up and the projectiles will have reached absurd levels by then.
“It’s good that I got rid of the blood wasps.”
Then he noticed something moving towards him in the sky. It was fast but not as fast as blood wasps. Even so, he picked up speed to delay their moment of contact. He didn’t want to stay and find out what it could be. At first, it was too far to make out what it was but then it got closer and Soverick could identify it.
“It’s a Tyngalee. A sky rat.”
Soverick stopped as soon as he recognized the threat. He reviewed the information about it and came up with a plan of action. He looked around for a good stone, the ground was littered with them at this point.
“Running won’t help me. I have to eliminate it here.” He said after selecting a prime stone.
He hefted the stone in his hands and relaxed his arms. Apart from the ground turning into a trap, he couldn’t run so as not to wake the rock people. He doubted he will need to move very fast to escape the Sky rat. The sky rat is much slower in the air, so he can outrun them without exerting himself too much. The problem will come when they reach the ground. They will fold back their wings and their speed will almost double while on the ground. This stone-littered surface will not hinder them one bit, their paws will be able to navigate it easily. So his new incoming enemy must not reach the ground. The right decision isn’t to escape but to eliminate the enemy before it reached the ground.
Even worse is that sky rats are pack animals. He has to eliminate the sky rat before it calls for help or things will escalate very quickly. He doubts he will be able to handle so many rats without waking up those that must not be awakened. Their only weakness is their weak and sensitive nose. They will be stunned if something damages their nose. The longevity of the stun depends on how much damage their nose sustains.
“They are rats with wings. They may be big, giant even. But they are still rats. I haven’t fallen so low to be thwarted by rats, grounded, or airborne. Giant bugs couldn’t get me, and neither will flying rats.” He muttered quietly.
Then he focused and narrowed his eyes. There’s a lot of space between them, so he would have multiple chances to take the sky rat out if he fails his first shot. But he chose to wait. He chose to reduce that distance and ensure the certainty of his aim. Because if he misses, the rat might call for help before he can successfully kill it. Then he will be in a big heap of trouble. So it is a single shot or more sky rats.