“This is amazing!” I exclaimed, staring out of the cruiser’s window.
My nose was glued to the multi-layered, beast-proof glass, and I couldn’t help but study the people and structures below.
The cruiser was similar to the skytrain, yet it was also entirely different. Like the skytrain, cruisers traveled through the air, carrying people. However, that was where their similarities ended. A cruiser, or at least the Zerogs’ cruiser, was a small vehicle. It was a six-seater that flew effortlessly through the air.
“It uses the ether in the atmosphere to charge the core in its engine. Without the core, it’d cost a fortune of etherstones to keep the cruiser in the air,” Mr. Zerog said matter-of-factly from the driver’s seat.
“You shouldn’t be glued to the window. We will leave the Bastion and accelerate quite a bit. Lean back and make sure your seatbelt is properly locked and tight,” Mrs. Zerog reminded me.
Albeit reluctant, I pulled back after I caught sight of a few more cruisers flying nearby. Their appearance was marvelous, to say the least. Their rims were sleek and sinuous like serpents, yet wide enough to carry several people through the air. The cruisers’ ability to fly made literally no sense, especially the fact that they did not have to follow the ether streams. They could change direction freely and cruise through the air without restrictions.
It would have made more sense if they had wings like avian beasts, but they didn’t even have that. How in the Rulers’ name are they flying?
It probably made sense, and I was just too inexperienced and undereducated to understand the principle behind the cruisers’ existence. Nonetheless, it was exhilarating.
But as marvelous as the other cruisers were, they couldn’t match the cutting-edge technology of the Zerog family’s cruiser. Even someone with an untrained eye could tell that Daniel and his parents used the best of the best.
The thought of owning a cruiser formed in my mind, but I quickly discarded it. Even an old, second-hand cruiser was likely more expensive than anything my family and our ancestors owned in the last few centuries.
“Can we stop in the Windbloom Forest? It is the only Wild Zone I’ve been to, and I think knowing my surroundings would be very helpful,” I asked, pressing my back firmly into the comfortable backrest.
The cruiser accelerated, and my throat and stomach tightened simultaneously as we phased through the dome.
“That is reasonable, but it is not what we want,” Mrs. Zerog said, turning to look at me struggling to keep my composure as the cruiser shot through the air. The distance to the Bastion increased rapidly, and it wasn’t long before the landscape around us distorted. However, as quickly as the space around us seemed to distort, I regained a clear view just as fast.
We were flying at a much higher altitude than before, and my heart skipped a beat. An ocean of green that could only be the Windbloom Forest, followed by the massive structures of the Oridon Mountains, unfurled before my eyes. Aureus appeared on my shoulder and yipped excitedly as we watched the beauty of the far-stretching lands outside the cramped Bastions.
“We want to see you at your very best, surrounded by the unknown. I know you studied quite a bit, and I want to see how much you can remember,” Mrs. Zerog added after she gave me a few seconds to digest nature’s beauty. “We want you to defeat ten 3-Star Wilds and survive in an unfamiliar zone. If you can manage that, we will help you join the Camp.”
That was far from the best-case scenario, but it could have been worse. Daniel and his parents were there to protect me if something went wrong. At least, I wouldn’t die. Probably.
I turned to see how far we were from the Bastion once I’d gotten used to the cruiser’s velocity and grimaced. Maybe, if everything took a turn for the worse, I could make it home on the ground. Then again, I doubted that would be necessary with the Zerog family on my side.
Stop overthinking.
The reminder was something I really needed. Unfortunately, it did little to dispel my worries.
Hunting a 3-Star Wild didn’t seem like a major problem, but doing that ten times in a row was another matter entirely. Either I’d search for suitable targets, sole beasts in an unfamiliar zone, and fight ten lone hunters one after another, which would inevitably tire me out, or I would have to fight smaller groups of two or more 3-Star Wilds. Unknown Wilds I hadn’t fought before.
The final trial was not a fight of raw strength. It required stamina, endurance, strategy, decent analytical abilities, and the means to locate suitable prey and hunt them without sustaining injury.
As troublesome as it was, the rewards were enticing.
Then again, the rewards weren’t everything. The challenge was enticing. I liked it—especially the recognition I’d receive if I succeeded.
I… would no longer be a nobody as long as I make it work.
Aureus shared in my excitement and rubbed his little head against my neck. The mutant Soilback had grown quite a bit; the glutton was finally as long as my forearm. He’d also grown in width and looked less like a malnourished lizard and more like a proper Soilback, resembling the komodo dragons from ancient times. Although Aureus was still a lot smaller, with more vibrant scales and a thousandfold cuter face, the little glutton looked the part.
I had yet to notice any benefits from our bond, except that my World constantly struggled to meet Aureus’ ever-growing demand for soul energy—but that was more of a blessing in disguise than a problem. Our bond was growing stronger by the day, which increased the soulshare and, in turn, the amount of power Aureus shared with me. While that didn’t affect my physique much, it provided me with a lot of extra soul energy to use. And use I did.
My daily World refinement sessions never stopped. If anything, they expanded and would have lasted longer as my soul energy reservoir increased—if not for how much more efficient I’d become at using the Blastor Refinery technique.
Regardless, Aureus had grown stronger, and my World was expanding faster than I could have ever dreamed of. My core was growing alongside the World, and it was only a matter of time before I could focus on nourishing Aureus to push him to 3-Star and beyond his racial limit. That’d require money, which was hopefully something I could solve with the Zerog family’s sponsorship.
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As for Aureus’ power, I would definitely make use of it today. At this point, Aureus could temporarily paralyze 4-Star Wilds. I’d witnessed that—unfortunately—and it wouldn’t surprise me if we could freeze two or three 3-Star Wilds. That was my greatest asset to beat today’s challenge.
The thought of fighting ten 3-Stars made me shudder. Checking the time didn’t help.
I had only a little bit more than nine hours left to finish my mission. Regret filled my heart. I should have arrived at the Zerog family estate early in the morning, but how could I have known something like this would happen? Preparing to meet Daniel’s parents at the estate had been a full-blown mess. I was clean and looked better than ever, in my humble opinion, but looking down at myself, I could only smile wryly.
Most of it would be caked in dirt and blood—if not thoroughly shredded—by the end of the day.
If that’s what it takes to succeed… so be it.
My attention was still locked onto the Bastion, which rapidly shrank into the distance.
“To think there’s so much space out here, yet we’re forced to live in fear, hiding behind the Bastions’ protective domes.”
I turned back to see that Mrs. Zerog was still looking at me. She looked like she had something to say but turned away with a smile. Daniel, in the meantime, had been bombarding me with an endless stream of facts. He looked like an excited child on an excursion and continued to chatter about all the things he thought about.
Usually, listening to Daniel was feasible, but not today. My hair stood on end, and I was sweating in spots I didn’t even know could sweat. Tension was eating me alive, yet there was nothing I could do—except wait… and mute Daniel’s voice.
***
We landed in the Oridon Mountains, though farther from the Bastion than necessary. If memory served me right—and I wasn’t a complete fool with directions—we were in the east of the Oridon Mountains.
I stepped out of the cruiser behind Daniel and traced the sparse forest around us.
“Nobody should bother us here,” Mrs. Zerog muttered, sounding oddly satisfied.
I wasn’t too sure about that, but it wasn’t like I had anything to say. At least we were in a valley in the Oridon Mountains and not in the plains or another zone with few hiding spots.
The good news about the chosen location? I’d learned a thing or two about the Oridon Mountains. My studies weren’t as extensive as they had been for the Windbloom Forest, but I knew some facts about the zone’s beasts and its habitats. Not all of them, of course—but enough to calm down a little.
Unfortunately, my studies didn’t help dispel all worries, since there was also some bad news I had to digest.
“Erm… we are in an Awakened Zone,” I murmured, my hair standing on end as the meaning of my words sank in.
The ether density in an Awakened Zone was many times greater than in a Wild Zone, which attracted more—and stronger—beasts. The weakest beasts were forced to evolve and grow stronger, or else they would die. In the best case, they would be forced to flee into the adjacent Wild Zones.
It should not come as a surprise, but even the weakest beasts in the Oridon Mountains were 2-Star Wilds, and they rarely lived long either. The weakest beasts that survived in an Awakened Zone were usually 3-Star Wilds, and that was only due to their numbers.
“Indeed,” Mr. Zerog said, not even bothering to turn to me as he touched the cruiser.
One moment, the cruiser stood before him, and in the next, it vanished in a burst of ether.
My eyes widened and I had to suppress a surprised yelp.
That’s only a large storage unit. Obviously, they have multiple massive storage units. They’re loaded. So, stop acting like a hoodlum and get your act together, Adam!
“You don’t have much time left, and you have to find...”
Daniel’s cascade of words ceased as soon as I glared at him.
“Ten 3-Star Wilds, I know. Let me think,” I snapped, and I immediately felt sorry for my tone. “Sorry about that, Daniel. I’m happy you want to help me, but I don’t think your parents would accept that. I am supposed to do this alone.”
“Together with Aureus, of course,” I added, grimacing as Aureus’ claws dug through my shirt and into my shoulder.
The glutton cooed and rubbed his head against my neck.
“We have to expect attacks at any time,” I reminded Aureus, who confirmed he understood through the bond. “If something happens, disappear in the World. We studied manifestation long enough to use it properly.”
Aureus confirmed once again, which was enough for me.
I unsheathed the refined silvernit sword and weighed it in my hand. The weapon was clearly better than my old weapon, yet it was not too different to make things harder on me. I nodded back at the others and watched them disappear into a violet cloud. Crackles of electricity whipped through the air, but they dispersed just as quickly, leaving no sign of the Zerog family.
If not for Aureus’ presence, I would have panicked as they disappeared, leaving me alone, but the Soulkin kept me sane. And… excited?
Joy and anticipation flooded the bond, and it was oddly contagious. The corner of my lips curled up, and I turned to the closest mountain to move to the edge of the valley.
The high-rising mountain would offer me little protection. If not for the beasts living in the mountains, it would have been the best natural defense, but I could think of half a dozen beasts with habitats in the mountains.
Most avian beasts live in the upper third of the mountains. If I find a… never mind that.
My mind came to a screeching halt as I caught something in the corner of my eye. Aureus warned me of impending danger at the same time, releasing a high-pitched hiss in the direction I was heading to.
“Shh,” I whispered, willing Aureus to calm down as a storm of anger and hatred flooded me.
It was surprising to see Aureus like that, but so was my first encounter with a pair of mature Soilbacks feasting on a… shredded carcass. I didn’t bother with the carcass and focused on our first prey. Aureus was up for the task, ready to leap from my shoulder to charge the three-meter-long monstrosities. They were almost as wide as they were tall, with a height that ranged up to sixty centimeters, and they were heavy. Incredibly so.
They had strong, muscular bodies, thick limbs, and a long tail that was roughly as long as their body. However, as strong as they were, their ferocity, their weight, and their durability were a Soilback’s most dangerous aspects. Thick layers of mud-like scales covered their bodies, adding several kilograms to their already hefty weight, yet they weren’t slow. All that weight, which could reach up to 250 kilograms in some rare cases, did little to interfere with their agility.
That was what transformed them into perfect Soulkins; a soulshare with a Soilback greatly empowered the Blessed’s agility, strength, and durability. And that, from the looks of it, was what Aureus hated the most. Their raw physical power.
Both Aureus and the pair of Soilbacks were of the same race. They were exactly the same, yet… Aureus was barely as long as my forearm.
As grateful as I was for locating a familiar beast, I disliked the type of beast I’d have to face. However, the worst was, by far, Aureus’ demanding nature. If I ignored the feasting Soilbacks, Aureus would be angry for days. He was as petty as he was hungry… and Aureus was a glutton.
Aureus clawed me lightly in annoyance, but our bond remained unchanged.
“Calm down, buddy. We will attack the Soilbacks and show your brethren that you’re the best,” I grumbled in defeat. “Are you happy now?”
The Soulkin yipped excitedly and nudged my neck to make me move. So I did exactly that, sword brandished.