It turns out, that excuse had been good enough for everyone. Xi had apparently told them all the same thing last night when the rest of the group had gotten back. It helped that my classmates had also seen me asleep out by the river. Barry and Ashton did give me a couple of pitying looks, but other than that, everyone just smiled and welcomed me back while they were sitting around the fire. Baern had lit it on fire that morning with trees that Xi had cut down. Halfi was still out in the forest foraging for some berries, and Cylkia was warming up some oats in a pot. Cylkia informed us that she was going to make us create our own meals and do this from here on out, but since none of us had learned much yet, she would give us the first day off. Halfi returned shortly, and we all ate our oatmeal with berries and a little honey that Baern had procured. It wasn’t amazing food, but it tasted like heaven to me. I hadn’t eaten since the provisions Xi had given us at training yesterday, and I was absolutely starving.

After that, Cylkia had us all group up so she could give us all a clearer breakdown than she had given us all yesterday. Xi, Halfi, Baern, and Cylkia only had the time to train us for five more days. She and the other noble houses had been called by the queen for a war meeting, and her presence was very much mandatory. Once she saw the queen, she did intend to bring up our arrival and our current circumstances with her. She had elected that the four of them would give us as much training as they could before leaving.

As for our training, besides for this morning as she had already said, the mornings would consist of people from Xi's group gathering firewood and Halfi’s group would find and bring back fresh water to the others. Then people from Baerns group would use magic to light the firewood, along with conjuring bread and then helping to boil the fresh water. Cylkias group would cook breakfast using whatever food Halfi and his group had foraged or hunted the day prior.

After that, we'd split back up into our respective groups and go through skill drills with Xi, Halfi, Baern, and Cylkia until lunch. We'd then take a break, snacking on the rations that Xi and the others had brought with them, before we all got back to our training. Cylkia had made it sound almost like it would be fun, and that it would be enjoyable all around, almost like a sumer camp I guess. To be fair, she probably wasn’t wrong for the others, but for me? Well… when she’d said that, I hadn’t failed to notice Xi rubbing their gauntlets together and looking in my direction.

Everyone took the news differently, but I think the fact that they had gone to sleep in this world, and then woken back up and were still here, helped to really enforce the fact that we were all really stuck here. Still, I didn’t fail to notice the groups beginning to form. Some of my classmates were absolutely ecstatic to hear that they would be getting the ability to travel and adventure here. I overheard James and Ashton whispering to each other about how this was all like a dream come true. That wasn’t too surprising to me, since they’d always been pretty hard on that whole survival of the fittest strength thing. What surprised me more was how many people joined them in that thought process. I’d always enjoyed reading stories about entirely new worlds, but I’d also known they were totally unrealistic. I always thought that no one would really just be okay with just being brought to another world… Though, I guess when the only other option is to go back to a normal boring life back on earth, it was pretty enticing. Here, we all had the potential to be a super strong warrior, badass hunter, an overpowered healer, or a powerful mage, what more could you ask for? Especially when Cylkia was promising you riches and fame.

Still, there were some of my classmates that hadn’t accepted that they were really stuck here. I overheard some of them murmuring to each other about how theu definitely didn’t want to become adventurers or heroes and risk their lives for the kingdom. Cylkia noticed, but each time they spoke up or against her, she would always pull them aside to have a talk with them. It was… odd, but they didn’t seem to be getting yelled at or anything. After the talk, they still didn’t seem like they loved the idea of being stuck here, but they would stop complaining or speaking up after that. I’d noticed that she had asked Melody to have one of those talks, and I made sure to ask her about it since I knew she couldn’t keep a secret. Still, even with her habit of saying whatever was on her mind it took a bit of prodding. I finally got her to admit that Cylkia had promised her and the others that they’d each get a plot of land, servants, and riches if they were able to become great adventurers. I sighed and cracked my knuckles. Underhanded tactics for sure, but I guess if she actually followed through with them, I couldn’t really argue with that. Besides, if what Xi told me was right, then my classmates were apparently going to be able to become unbelievably strong in only a few years. I guess at the end of the day, it was a minor price to pay for her.

When we all broke into groups for training, I stuck with Xi. I still wanted to get as strong as I could, even after the bad feeling I had gotten watching them rub their hands excitedly. After Xi stood in front of the others and trained everyone how to properly use their skills and abilities, they turned their attention fully onto me. I was put through the most hellish training regimen Xi could think of. I had only learned that one skill, sword slash, but Xi didn’t want me focusing on learning any other skills. Instead, Xi had me use sword slash over and over again on that same tree from before. Something about it’s better to have the one strong skill than several useless ones? I still had the sword Xi had left with me hidden in the branches of that one tree on the outskirts of the barrier, but for training Xi lent me a sword like everyone else. I could hear the rest of my classmates laughing and using their skills, cutting down trees and makeshift practice dummies left and right, but I focused on my tasks. First, Xi had me activate sprint and run until I dropped from exhaustion. Then, after a quick dunk in the rejuve river, Xi would have me practice sword slash. I struck over and over, until I couldn't feel my hands anymore, and my muscles ached as the torn muscle fibers begged for a break. I swung until I was gasping for air, my lungs burning as if I’d just swallowed liquid fire. Xi wasn’t wrong about my ability allowing me to train for much longer before I ended up feeling exhausted. Though, even with the extra endurance boost, Xi made sure to break me past whatever limits I had, and then still made me continue to strike.

When they finally deemed that a break had been earned, I would stumble and crawl back to the river, my body knowing the way back by instinct at this point. Then I’d fall in and finally get a chance to relax and bathe off the pains of the day, almost as if they never happened. The ice cold river water would slowly start to heal all the aches, torn muscles, bruises, and pains of the day until I could feel my hands and breathe normally once more.

I groaned at just the memory. Xi was merciless, and they wouldn’t even let me have a break longer than a half hour. They would always be able to find me, and they would force me to race right back to that tree, take the sword up again, and strike it over and over. It was just repeating the process, endlessly. Only once the sun started to set, and the last rays of sunlight would start to vanish, would Xi allow me to head back to the barrier along with my classmates. They, of course, had been allowed to go back several hours prior. Something about their energy reserves or whatever…

Once Xi and I made it back to the others, we would all work together to make dinner. It was a lot like how we had made breakfast, and we split up the tasks between each of the groups and ended up working together in the end. Once dinner was made, we would all sit in a circle around a massive bonfire that had been made from all the wood that Xi’s group had cut down. We would all eat our meals, joke with each other, and laugh after a long hard day.

After we had all finished eating dinner, we would all pay attention as each of the four of them would take turns teaching us. It almost felt like I was back in school or at an actual summer camp funnily enough. Though, the topics were so far removed from what we would talk about back home. No marshmallow roasting, or scary stories. No, each of them had vital information to tell us, and we all strained our attention to each thing they told us.

Halfi would teach us all about tips and tricks to surviving in the wild, from what plants and fruits were edible, to how best to find safe sources of water. He showed us how to fillet a fish, tie an unbreakable knot, and then how to break out of said unbreakable knot. I learned a lot from Halfi, though he always seemed like he’d rather be out in the wilds than here.

Baern would teach us about the history of the world we were now in, such as the goddess Malxonus who was not only the strongest divine being here, but also that she was the queen of gods in this world. He informed us of the various other incredibly strong beings and the demigods that roamed over Zioln. He described, in quite vivid detail, the various species of monsters and demi-human tribes that lived all over Zioln as well. What probably surprised me the most though, was that he was surprisingly spry for such an old man. He would laugh and dance around the fire as he taught us, taking long swigs from a container that he would procur from his robes. When one of my classmates asked him how he was so spry, he told us that it was because of his high level. Apparently, besides allowing for the learning of different skills, it also gave him several health benefits.

Xi was surprisingly well informed of all manner of spells, abilities, and skills. They shared with us all of their strengths, weaknesses, and even how some of them worked. They told us how most people born here could only hope to become a veteran in a skill by the time they died, and that most people were about level 15, since very few of them ever went out and hunted monsters. They told us that once you reach a certain level, you would also be able to learn special skills, ones that would reflect your ability. Once a skill had become stronger from practice, use, and knowledge, you could also evolve, combine, or consume that skill in order to make it, or yourself, stronger in some way. I made sure to memorize that for the future, especially given my lack of a good ability or any skills.

Cylkia would teach us about life in Zalsh, explaining what kind of technology was in use, such as the fact that there was (thank the gods) plumbing and civilized society. The farmers here were subject to frequent raids or invasions by monsters and beasts and had to be protected by adventurers or guards. Each town was usually based around a dungeon entrance, which is where certain monsters and beasts would make their homes. Adventurers could delve into them in search of treasures and in order to get stronger. She described some of the intricacies of handling other races, and even what to do if one of them captured you.

I still wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about her. She would help anyone who had any questions, and always seemed to be full of cheer. She would laugh and always seem concerned whenever one of us was hurt or depressed. It was hard to hold any form of ill will towards her. Still, even though I never saw that disgusted look from her again, I always made sure to be wary of her. In the end though, I guess I didn’t have to worry too much, Cylkia seemed to have forgotten about me entirely.

Most of my classmates listened with rapt attention, but there were some that would joke and laugh during the whole coaching time. I definitely didn’t miss Halfi and Baern’s glares at the problematic individuals, but they never punished any of us. I still frantically tried to memorize everything I could, even without them looming over us. I wrote all of it down in the soft ground at my feet, and I recited it as well as I could before and after I went to sleep. I knew that my memory wasn’t the best, but I also knew that some of it was life and death considering what Xi had told me that first day.

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Xi had never actually discussed what they’d told me that day again, and every time I’d tried to talk to them, they had given me harder or more taxing workouts. I guess I couldn’t complain too much. I hadn’t had the chance to fight another monster since then, but the constant sword slashes and time that I’d spent striking the tree and sprinting had netted me some improvements and in my skill proficiencies. Without even having to think too hard, I brought up my status. I’d trained a lot to be able to bring it up quickly, but I had learned from Xi that only I could see it, so it didn’t actually do that much.

Name: ???

Race: Human

Level: 2

Title: Goblin Slayer

Abilities:

Enduring Heart (INCOMPLETE)

Skills:

Sprint (Adventurer)

Sword slash (initiate)

Sword slash had leveled up in proficiency to Initiate, which was apparently the second lowest proficiency level. Though based on what Xi had told me, these were the easy proficiency increases, and it would get harder to improve the higher I got the skill. It was pretty infuriating, especially given the fact that my classmates had already learned several different spells and increased them past that point. Nevertheless, my sword slashes had definitely become stronger, and I’d actually been able to start dealing some small damage to the tree. I wasn’t exactly sure why my name was still blank, and whenever I asked anyone about it they either gave me a blank stare or said they didn’t know why. Maybe it was a glitch in the system when I wasn’t able to come here in the first place, but I wasn’t really sure. My parents had named me Matt, and even though it had never felt right to me, I never went by any other names or nicknames. If I was being honest, I missed them and my siblings… I spent the first few nights wishing that I could’ve seen them at least one more time. I sighed and shook my head. According to Cylkia and Baern, there was no record of otherworlders returning back to their worlds. Apparently, all the otherworlders in the past had adapted and lived out the rest of their lives here. No one knew what happened back on their homeworlds once they were taken, and Baern theorized that Malxonus erased their memory from everyone there. Otherwise, there would have had to have been some form of precedent or legend about it in the otherworlders history.

I sighed and leaned back so that I could look up at the stars. I really did miss my family. I suppose you may hear about it all the time, about how life in a big family was loud and annoying. That’s partially true. I’d never had a room to myself, was always fighting to use the bathroom, and my only clothes had been hand me downs from my older siblings, or christmas and birthday presents. They were all so infuriating, and I remember how often I would get into fights with them. And yet… as I sat there in a different world, surrounded by a magical barrier and feeling stronger than I ever had before, despite having worked myself to the bone the day prior, I realized something. I missed them all… My mother Jane, my father Adam, my brothers Josh and Ethan and even my sisters Mary and Sylvia. I couldn’t help but smirk as I felt tears silently roll down my cheeks as I remembered all the times I’d fought Josh and Ethan, and played with them in our backyard. All the times I had seen my sisters plays and volleyball tournaments. God, I missed them, I missed how they used to poke me over and over and I missed how we would talk to each other late into the night. I missed when my older brothers would come back home and we’d all sneak out to get ice cream. I even missed how loud they were… It was just so silent here and honestly, it was starting to get to me. Sure my classmates were always loudly joking around and fighting, but it wasn’t the same. It was one thing to be fighting a brother, but quite another to listen to them fight while not even knowing you were there. I was… alone. Surrounded by classmates that I knew, but I doubted that even one of them really knew my name. I was just the poor guy who got screwed over by the goddess, and was probably gonna die before making it to town. I sighed and shook my head. No, I couldn’t even blame them too much if I was being honest. Even with my skill, and the personal ‘training’ Xi was giving me, I didn’t know if I was going to survive. Who'd wanna hang around a bummer like that? It’d just be a pity party for me, and they had their own problems to worry about. Hell, they didn’t even know if they were gonna survive in this world!

I leaned my head back and I closed my eyes. I didn’t need to worry about that right now. I had a plan, and I needed to focus on that first. Cylkia had mentioned they would be leaving us tomorrow to go to that important war meeting between the barons, baronesses, generals, and the nobility of the kingdom, and that she was required there with her entourage. We also couldn’t go with them because Baerns fast travel spell only worked for the four of them, and once he casted it, he’d be out of range of us all and the barrier he had erected would end up dropping. That night, Cylkia had asked everyone to make our own travel groups, taking at least one person from each of the different teachers. She had emphasized that it was to make sure everyone made it back to town safely. Following that, everyone had rapidly begun breaking off into groups. The first to form, had Traci, Ashton, Keaton, Jake, James, Jeremy, and Kirie, who had been hanging together recently. Making another group there was Melody, Barry, Clark, Cassie, and Sydney. To make another, Alyssa, Charlotte, Brady, Hailey, Bryce, and Lyla which made the third. Finally Jason, Kenney, Faith, Amanda, and Mrs. Fletcher formed the fourth group. I had watched from the back while everyone had rushed to grab their friends and whoever they thought was the strongest. I knew that no one wanted to team up with me, and I understood why. I was weak, and quite literally a handicap for anyone who had me on their team. That was fine though, because I had a plan.

That was, until I had felt something tugging on my shirt. I had been pretty confused, especially when I had turned around and seen that it was Sarah, one of the sweeter AP students in the class. She had just been nervously standing there. Confused, I’d looked behind her at her group, which also happened to be the largest group. It was made up of Mason, Cyan, Kai, Sylphie, Diane, and Sam. They must’ve been all the people that hadn’t been chosen by the other four groups, or just friends with each other from before. I had raised my eyebrow and looked back at Sarah, “What’s up Sarah?”

Blushing, Sarah looked down and nudged a rock, “Hi uh… I’m sorry, but I never caught your name, what was it again if you don’t mind me asking?”

“My name's Matt…”

“Uh… Okay Matt, well I noticed that no one had asked you to join their group, so I and the others wanted to ask if you wanted to join ours? I know you didn’t get the best blessing from Malxonus, but there’s strength in numbers right? So if you joined us, maybe we could help cover for you and help you make it to town safe?”

Shocked, I hadn’t even responded, I just ended up staring at them in confusion as Sarah kept stumbling over her words. Then Diane and Sam had rushed forward laughing, “Oh Sarah, you always get so awkward with this stuff. Look, you don’t have to give us an answer now Matt, but you’re welcome to come with us when the barrier drops. I know you haven’t really wanted to hang out with any of us since we got here, but we should stick together. Strength in numbers like Sarah said. Besides, who knows what happens after we get to the town? Better we all tried to stick together, right? Sarah and Diane are in Xi’s group, so just let them know what you decide on tomorrow.”

After that, Sam and Diane had dragged Sarah back to the rest of their group, and I’d been too bewildered to do or say anything else. After that I’d just walked over to the tree I was in now and crawled up and onto one of the thickest branches. I didn’t really know how to feel about being asked to join Sarah and their group. I mean I should just say yes right? Like they had said, strength in numbers… though… it's not like I was going to be able to contribute much to their group… Why would they ask me? Was it maybe a trap? No, what would they get out of that? They were still my classmates, and I really doubted that they’d go through all the effort of laying a trap for me. Besides, Sarah had always been nice to me at school, and Diane had always seemed like they had a strong moral code. Plus, we had only been here for five days, it's not like they could have changed that much.

I sighed and opened my eyes again, and stared up at the stars. Before I'd been brought to this world, I'd never really cared to learn about the constellations, so I couldn't call myself an expert. Still, even I could tell I wasn't looking at the same stars as back on Earth. There were so many, way more than back on Earth, which was probably because there was no pollution here. When I had sprung the question to Cylkia, she didn’t even know what fossil fuels even were. They'd never had anything like dinosaurs and other kinds of fossils. Plus, they didn’t even have a way to even dig deep enough to utilize them. Though, according to Halfi, there were rumors that the Dwarves of High-peak mountain had discovered a new power source, which might be similar to fossil fuels.

I slowly tapped on the branch I was laying on and I considered my old plan again. I had originally assumed no one would want me in their group, and had based my entire plan around that. I’d stashed the sword, shield, and pouch that I’d looted from the goblin in the branch above me, and had intended to take them and make my way skirting around the forest to the nearest town. Halfi had told us it was a solid seven day walk north, which was why they couldn’t just take us back themselves. Each of the groups would either have to follow the river that ran through the forest, or skirt around the trees and risk the openness of the grasslands. Both had their drawbacks, but I’d decided on skirting around the forest, even though I’d gotten a lot more used to it through Xi’s training. I figured I could probably cut the seven day walk in half if I jogged for a few hours every day, and activated sprint here and there. Because of the drills Xi had put us through, I’d retained my stamina from cross country thankfully. When I had created my original plan, I had intended to make use of that, in order to make sure I cut as much time as possible where I would be exposed to danger.

If I decided to go with the others, I doubted I’d be able to keep that same plan though. It was just impractical to expect anyone to be able to keep up with me, even considering my classmates' newfound strengths. Diane and Sarah could probably keep up for the first few days, since they had also been doing drills with Xi. The issue wasn’t them though. I sighed and glanced in the direction of the others. I doubt Mason or Kai could keep up longer than a day, since they’d been studying all day with Baern and Cylkia and had more of a spell focus… sorta like mages I guess. I thunked my head against the trunk and sighed. Ugh, but on the flip side, the safety that a group offered might just be worth giving that extra speed up, especially with how weak I was.

I shook my head and rested my back against the bark of the branch, casting my eyes up to the night sky again. As my eyes wandered, I let out a long sigh. I’d have to think about it more tomorrow. I rolled my shoulders and winced. Gods damn it, I swear that sadistic fuck was actually to kill me. Even with all of the healing from the river. I flexed my hands and ground my teeth together, before relaxing and closing my eyes. I could heal back all of my torn muscle fibers in the river, but there was no way for me to recover any lost sleep. I turned over, trying my best to get comfortable on the hard tree trunk. It honestly wasn’t that much harder than my bed back home, but what I missed the most was a blanket. It isn't cold now, but I really wish that they have beds and blankets at Cylkia’s homestead. I sighed and forced my mind to slow down, and quiet. I needed to just let the sound of the wind blowing through the trees slowly lull me off to sleep. I just needed to let the darkness finally overtake me…