Chapter 56 Wild Lands

Vroom...

The bus moved along the highway effortlessly, achieving a speed comparable to that of an airplane. The scenery outside was a blur, changing too quickly to take in fully.

Despite the comfortable seats, I felt a sharp pain in my back as if something was jabbing into me. Sweat beads formed on my forehead, though the bus's temperature was normal.

The guy next to me was staring at me with a look of disgust, since I looked like I just stepped out of a sauna.

"Shit..."

However, I couldn't care less about his contemptuous gaze. My mind was occupied with more important things, such as saving the lives of the protagonists.

Previously, Robbin announced that upon our arrival in the Wild Lands, we would immediately begin hunting abominations and other monsters.

We were divided into teams of four, and I found myself surrounded by a group of Extras.

[ Team 13 ]

1. Aiden

2. Evelyn

3. Kyle

4. Rick

Our success in hunting monsters would determine our points, with the strongest and most numerous yielding the highest scores.

The team with the most points would be declared the winners and receive a reward of some kind.

Initially, I had been anxious about slipping away from Robbin, but now the plan seemed clearer than before. All I had to do was 'accidentally' get separated from the group and proceed with my plan.

The only problem was that I would be closely monitored not only by Robbin but also by the three other students.

"..."

Though I couldn't recall their ranks, I doubted that they could stop me if I truly wanted to leave. My strength had grown to a level where I could consider myself above average in the protagonists' class.

However, if possible, I wanted to avoid clashing weapons or running away from my group. There was no need to create animosity between us, especially with the looming threat of war with the demons.

Click...

The bus abruptly came to a halt before a colossal gray wall that spanned the horizon and stood hundreds of feet tall.

The top platform was riddled with claw marks and other imperfections presumably left by monsters that had managed to climb over the massive structure.

My gaze was also drawn to the turrets, or as people called them, Mana Cannons. The weapons resembled massive artillery guns, but their bullets were entirely made of mana and could even harm A-rank monsters.

Any creature attempting to climb over the wall was undoubtedly obliterated without a chance to defend itself.

"Everyone, off the bus! It's time to hunt."

Robbin rose from his seat, leading us towards the gates situated at the base of the wall.

We exited the bus in a straight line, following him closely.

Many students' eyes glimmered as they gazed around, except for Kai, who struggled to stay awake.

Click...

Robbin pressed his fingerprint to the scanner located on the wall and smirked as the massive metal gates, reinforced with mana barriers and other materials to make them more resistant, began to open.

Creak...

The gates parted like the jaws of a massive monster, allowing sunlight to penetrate through the small gap, forcing me to squint my eyes.

The view that unfolded before our eyes was breathtaking in a grim way.

A desolate landscape of ash-grey soil stretched out for miles in every direction. Despite the lack of living greenery, scattered trees and shrubs still stood tall, their skeletal branches reaching towards the dark, clouded sky.

As if frozen in time, their withered remains were a testament to the harshness of this unforgiving territory.

In the distance, we could discern the ruins of an old defense bunker, its walls and towers long since crumbled to the ground.

"..."

Momentary silence engulfed our class before Robbin clapped his hands, jolting us from our stupor.

"I hope you remember your groups..."

He said, glancing briefly at his wristwatch.

"Let's meet up in this same spot in 5 hours!"

Whoosh...

With a sudden gust of wind, his figure became blurry, and the next moment he disappeared, leaving us alone.

For a moment, the students looked like fish out of water, their eyes wide open, but some quickly composed themselves.

"Team 3! Who's in Team 3?" Tess raised her hand in the air.

Others followed suit, quickly finding their groups and introducing themselves. I managed to find my group pretty quickly too.

"Are you Aiden?"

As soon as I approached Team 13, asked a tall student with glasses, extending his hand towards me.

I could see his muscular frame hidden by the baggy jacket and shook his hand.

"My name's Rick."

He said, his grip tightening around my palm. His fingers pressed mine tightly as if trying to crush my bones, but it failed to gain any reaction out of me.

I also tightened my grip, making him raise his eyebrow.

"..."

I understood that this was some kind of attempt to make me submit. It was easy for students to see one's rank when they just joined the Academy, and mine was G Rank.

Rick probably thought that I would be whimpering in pain, but I wouldn't give him the chance to enjoy it. Although I wanted to be a Shadow, this Shadow didn't intend to be kicked around by real Extras.

He probably wanted me to show who's boss and just order me to stay at the back of the group, not getting in the way.

"..."

Now that I think about it, this role could fit me quite well!

"Agh... Could you let go?"

I asked, shaping my face into one of agony and even slightly bowing as if in pain.

This seemed to confuse Rick, as just a moment ago, I had stood my ground perfectly and even tightened my grip around his hand.

"..."

We looked at each other for a moment, his red eyes scanning mine, before he finally let go of my grip.

"Trash..." He said.

Ahh... the classic villain line. How unexpected.

I flexed my fingers, which had gone numb due to Rick's grip. It wasn't that I was strong enough to resist his strength, as it was my weakest attribute. I had merely managed to endure the pain of my hand bones being slowly crushed.

Shifting my eyes to the other two people standing further away, I noticed that the girl was looking at me with a slightly sad expression. It was the kind of glance one would give to a lost puppy.

The guy standing beside her, on the other hand, was looking past me, his irises blank. He seemed to be blind.

"What a team I have..."

I muttered, ruffling my hair and resisting the urge to groan. Although I knew Kyle from the game and was aware that he didn't have an issue fighting without his sight, what irked me was the girl.

Evelyn was one of the characters who was supposed to die in this episode, or rather, become obsessed.

It wasn't explained in the game, but for some reason, during the sudden attack of the Abominations, Evelyn succumbed to some kind of mind control and was responsible for backstabbing Drake from behind.

Having her in my team made my entire body tense.

"Evelyn, since you're a mage, you'll be responsible for dealing the main damage, while Kyle and I will hold the monsters in one place until you cast your spell..."

Rick quickly spoke, looking towards the vast ash desert. His expression hardened as he turned towards me.

"You... don't get in our way!"

He spat out, walking forward without even checking if I was following him.

I felt a vein pop up on my forehead. I really wanted to punch him.

"Are you okay?"

Evelyn asked, looking towards me through her thick eyelashes. She was a beautiful girl with green hair and an hourglass figure, but I could sense hidden danger deep within her eyes.

She gave off the vibe of a snake, ready to kill you with its poison.

"I'm fine..."

I replied, keeping the dialogue as minimal as possible. I picked up my pace, following Rick, who was striding through the wasteland with his hands in his pockets.

I noticed that he was wearing some kind of knuckles, and the Mana flow around his hands seemed to be more... Free? I guessed that it was some kind of weapon that was very sensitive to Mana.

"..."

As our team moved through the wasteland, I couldn't help but notice the lack of communication between us. Evelyn tried to engage with everyone, but it seemed like Rick was the only one who bothered to respond.

Kyle and I just kept to ourselves, barely acknowledging her attempts at conversation.

While Evelyn and Rick were flirting, I took in the surroundings, noting every detail that could help me navigate through the area. The trees and ruins provided important landmarks, allowing me to pinpoint our current location.

As we continued on, I realized that our path would soon lead us to the dead forests, where abominations and monsters were known to roam.

My plan was to separate from the group in the forest.