Damien finished his current cycle of cultivation from the Phoenix Breath Technique right on time. The sun was on the precipice of rising, indicating it was almost time to meet with the rest. He didn’t give much thought about the fact that there could be a negative reaction about having Erik come along, but his young mind was not worried about such things. He was just happy he made a new companion. Damien grabbed his sword, Thunder, and made sure he had everything ready. His uniform was self-cleaning and self-mending so he had no issues with apparel. Since everything else was to be handled by Yuki, he left the room to start an adventure.

He walked through the empty hallways accompanied by the echoes of his steps. The moment he took a step outside the cold, fresh air brushed through his body, jittering his senses awake. It was mostly dark but the sun was on the move as its colors were peeking over the horizon, displaying a splotch of oranges and purple. By the time he arrived at the specified spot the sun finally peeked over the horizon. As he was admiring the overwhelming beauty of the sun, Cal arrived and put his arm over his shoulder.

“You should see it at the top of a mountain. My father took us one time and it was amazing!”

“We should go one day, on our own!”

Cal let go of his shoulder when Yuki cleared her throat, to make her presence noticed.

“Since everyone is here we should go. No point in wasting time.”

The two siblings were already on their back foot going towards the gate of the academy. Damien had to quickly run past them and cut them off.

“Wait! We have one more person coming!”

They were clearly confused since they had no idea about another person. Damien calmed them down and forced them to wait another ten minutes. Yuki’s patience was wearing thin and he would be the one to face the consequences if it was all for naught.

‘Where is he? I told him the exact details! I’m going to turn out like Cal soon enough.’

It was then that Erik appeared running over, hobbling with a small mountain of gear. He slowly came up to the group and realized that Yuki and Cal were staring quizzically at Damien.

“Let me explain! Erik is my friend now and I invited him. He has something to tell you two as well.”

Everyone watched as Erik was put in the spotlight. Damien happily pushed him forward with a genuine smile on his face. Erik gritted his teeth while he built his courage to face them eye to eye. He knew what he wanted to say but it was still difficult to speak in such circumstances.

“I’m sorry for the way I have treated each of you.”

Cal and then followed by Yuki, both quickly replied with a monotonous tone, one after another like they gave it no thought.

“It's okay.”

“Whatever.”

Just like that everything was back to normal. It was only Erik who was dumbfounded. It took him so much effort just for them to not even seemingly care. It was more of a slap to the face but he could only swallow his pride and catch up to the pack. He waddled his way over to be a part of the conversation. They talked more in depth of their mission the entire walk through the city. They passed by every district and finally reached the main entrance of the City of Gats. They were able to go through the main gates without any issues and once they reached the open land it was decided it was best to rush their way over.

Stolen story; please report.

The Red Forest was about 50 kilometers away bordering the Kingdom of Hanoi. This time Cal was not afraid of the distance since he was allowed to use his spells without restriction. He activated a wind rune that made every step as light as a feather. Damien and Yuki used their natural physical abilities to keep up with Cal. Erik was the only one behind the rest as he was struggling to keep up with all of his luggage. Despite the handicap he never lost sight of them as he had a variety of support spells and the sturdiness of a Dwarf. Without breaks they reached the edge of the forest by noon.

The sun was shining at its brightest giving Damien some more natural strength. No clouds were in sight all the way down to where the horizon met the heavens.

‘It such a nice day. It must be a good sign for our trip!’

Yuki automatically assigned herself as the leader of the group. There was no contest on this issue since she was without doubt the strongest in their group.

“I know a good spot where we can set up our camp. It's a ways away, but it is secure. We are not engaging any beasts, so if any are in our way, we are avoiding them. We do not want to alert a pack and stir up trouble before we are even set up. If you ignore this then you will answer to me.”

Yuki cracked her knuckles with her ending statement and led the rest of the way. Damien was relieved he did not have to worry about Cal’s stamina. He was able to enjoy the scenery of a new place he had never seen. Even though he lived in the middle of a forest with his grandfather, he never explored it, always locked inside the house so he would not harm anything with the strange power that permeated from his eyes. He lightly touched the glasses that passively chilled his face and eyes. Even though he was able to control it, the risk of losing control scared him more than anything. The rest of the way Damien was in a melancholic mood that only Erik was able to notice since he was the one behind him.

On their way through the forest they encountered many low-level beast foraging around. They lacked the awareness to be able to spot them so no issue ever arose. After a couple of hours they finally reached a decent-sized mound that was covered with natural wildlife. Cal casted a simple wind blade Rune Spell that cut a section of it away. It revealed an entrance that led to the interior of the mound. Before anyone entered, Cal sent a blob of light into the hole to make sure it was empty. After it was cleared and okay to enter Cal presented their new resting spot.

“This here was the home of a Golden Earth Bear. After it was killed off by our father, we used it as a base. It was a Mid Sky Realm Beast and its lingering smell drives the other beasts away, so it’s perfect for us!”

The inside of the mound was more spacious than what it seemed on the outside. Everyone was able to have their own proper private space if needed. Damien and Cal set up close to each other while the other two choose a spot where they were rather isolated. Yuki released all of their essential items from the Storage Ring she was able to borrow from her father. Erik watched her in disbelief, for he had to carry his mountain of luggage the entire way. Yuki just looked at Erik blankly for a moment.

“You never asked.”

Yuki continued to do her thing as she handed everyone a sleeping bag and a snack. Once everything was ready at their base site, everyone got together to discuss their formation and attacking strategy if they were to encounter a beast they could not handle on their own. Cal was set in the back to support with Rune Spells and attack from a distance. Damien and Erik were to be interchangeable in close range with one attacking and another defending. Yuki would help anywhere she was needed and be the overall lifeline of the group that held them together.

‘That seems simple enough, we shouldn’t have any problems, I think. ‘

They exited the mound and Erik was ordered to seal the entrance. His attitude was becoming more malleable so he did what he was told without bickering. He stomped his foot bringing forth a layer of earth that molded itself perfectly over the mound. Cal swiftly drew out an earth Rune Spell that hastened the growing process of the vegetation to disguise it. It was an inconspicuous cover that would serve its purpose well since there could be local hunters, adventurers, or students from other academies in the vicinity. It was best to exercise caution in this situation.

This time when they went into the dense canopies of the forest they were not afraid of stirring up trouble. Any Earth Realm beast was fodder for this group so they were able to handle them individually. They were dispatched with ease and stored inside the Storage Ring for safekeeping. When it was Damien’s turn to hunt the beast he was hesitant in his actions.

Damien had his sword drawn while he was stalking an unsuspecting Earth Realm Fiery Ape. His hand clenched the hilt of the sword until they turned white.

‘Now all I have to do is kill it and be done with it. But I can’t move. I’ve never killed anything before. Why does it feel so difficult when I know what to do?’

Damien’s hesitation was easily noticed by everyone. They were able to quickly conclude that he has never taken another life, therefore they quietly appeared by his side. Cal was the one to come to his side and encourage him.

“You know, what we are doing is giving it a merciful death. My father told me that if we are able to give them a painless death then it is a favor to them. Or else they’d be gruesomely killed by a stronger beast or even eaten alive. If you want I can take this one and you can prepare for the next.”

Cal was readying his Dao Magic along with his Rune Spells but was interrupted by Damien.

“I will do it.”