There were currently three primary hunting grounds near Avrion City deemed safe enough for second-year students to explore: the forest, the foothills, and the swamp. While there were additional hunting locations, such as the caves adjacent to the city, they were far too dangerous. After the incident with the red door, Ray preferred to play it safe for a while.
The forest was teeming with insects. Although they were weak individually, they traveled in swarms, making them a challenge. Ray had no attacks that could effectively handle multiple enemies at once, making a group of intermediate-tier beasts particularly difficult to face. The swamp housed a more diverse range of creatures, but its terrain would hinder Noir's speed. That left the foothills, a series of rolling hills leading to a mountain range. This area was rumored to host the strongest creatures among the three.
