At school, unsurprisingly, Oak's Will was still the main subject of discussion. It was gaining even more traction as more and more people started buying capsules. Even though it was expensive, for many people it was well worth the price since it was basically like having 8 extra hours each day.

Out of his friends, two chose the elves. The Lithelit region was pretty large, so there was a very low chance of them finding each other before a while, but they still had some things to talk about, like the current war. His two friends also decided to participate in the skirmishes because it seemed like the main quest for the Elf race at the moment. The three friends were hoping they might find each other during the war, even if they might be enemies, it was still a thrill to fight against a friend.

School finished and Boeros went back home, did some homework as usual, and went to check the forum.

He came back to, some, although not great, success. His post, "Elven skirmishes ! How to take part as an Irka's elf", had 150 views. In all honesty, it wasn't too bad, he made 15$ from simply playing a game and finding information. Sadly, it wasn't enough to put the money back in his bank account, the minimum needed to transfer was 25$. Although he found it a bit annoying, this meant he could make a real profit with his next paid post! And this was only a test, which he wasn't too hopeful about. Exciting news!

Then, Boeros thought that his bed wasn't very useful anymore before hopping into the VR capsule.

***

He reappeared in his room at the inn and checked the time. He was right on time to be there for Humera's lesson.

When Fang arrived, everybody else was there, except for Kirk.

-Since I said I would start at dawn, let's begin!

-Also, please give a brief summary of this lesson to your missing friend, it's important, said Humera looking at our party.

-So, while I said I would be giving lessons on scouting strategy, this first lesson is more so a gift from me to you, my scouting team. Here are sets of two objects for each of you.

[Red Colored Firework]

[Grey-Common]

[Used to give a signal]

-Up first, the fireworks. We use them to communicate, but since the enemy will be close to us, you will only use the fireworks if there is an emergency.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

[Forest Camouflage Cloak]

[Grey-Uncommon]

[Helps you blend in the forest]

-This one is pretty self-explanatory, as scouts we need to try to avoid battle as much as possible. You'll only take fights that are necessary or in which you are sure to win.

Then, Humera proceeded to help the present members to put on the cloak, which might seem easy at first, but putting it on was a real hassle for Fang. Right after, Kirk joined in and they started walking towards their final destination, which, from the information Humera gave them, was called District 4. Fang didn't think it sounded very elvish.

While walking, the rest of the party explained to Kirk what he missed. Fang was looking around the forest. He still found it fascinating how real all this felt. As is it was a second world. He noticed the gentle breeze on him and could hear leaves rustling and birds singing. It seemed very peaceful but, in reality, it gave him an uncanny feeling since he was actually playing a video game.

They arrived three hours later at the border. Upon reaching their destination, Fang was pleasantly surprised by the army's camp. It seemed the elves gave great importance to comfort. Humera told them to wait and went inside a luxurious tent. When she came back, she told the scouts that this was the Warmaster's tent. She also explained how the elven regimen worked :

-You guys, are at the bottom in importance, unsurprisingly. You are the troops. Then, we have me, a Team Leader, as my title suggests I'm leading you guys. Over me are the Warmasters, each of them supervises six to ten teams. Our Warmaster is called Sol. On top of the Warmasters is directly the king. While it might seem we have few units, since the king also controls 8 Warmasters, we have over 600 units in total.

-Now this ties in our first mission. Because all the Elf Kings have pretty similar levels of power, they also should have a similar amount of units in total. The only problem is the distribution of power. T'Irka has decided to deploy one Warchef's team in District 4 but the enemy might have two of them. If that's the case, we need to find out fast, at least, if we want any chances of success in our fight.

-Any questions?

Humera was very clear and to the point with her explanation, she had experience. Fang was pondering that the elves were probably not as peaceful as they seemed on the outside.

-When are will we be starting? I'm itching for some action, asked Golden Goose, with her usual battle-addict tone, getting a chuckle from Ayla, the short female ranger, and me.

-I will lead you to your tents, to rest for the night. As usual, meet me at dawn and I'll give you the final information for the mission and split you up into teams of three.

Fang looked around the camp while Humera brought the team to their tent. He was surprised to see shops. "It's probably for repairs, but I might as well try and see if there's anything for me tomorrow", he thought. There was only one tent for the team, but it was surprisingly large: it could probably fit ten people. Fang went to bed quickly, to have some time before school began.

***

The next day, before Boeros went to bed, he checked the forum once more. His paid post had peaked at 200 views. He would be able to transfer money from a video game for the first time with his next cash-gated post if he made more than 5$.

Right after, he went into his capsule. Entering the game, Fang realized he was the first from his party to appear in the tent. Well, it would give him some time to look around the shops he saw yesterday.