Chapter 283 Even the best plan

Chapter 283 Even the best plan

Back at his school, Mount Aiden, Nero was very well known, and though popular wouldn't be the word he'd use to describe himself, he was influential among the students and even the teachers. This was because he had proven himself highly competent in every relevant field, and yet was friendly and approachable, always having an inviting and welcoming smile on his face.

His grades were not notch, combat training was his best class, was extremely driven and always did more than was necessary. In a school environment, especially one where everyone was driven since they knew they'd get military service sooner or later, such behaviour made him popular.

Drawing from that experience, Nero figured that the best way to overcome the distance created by his reputation was to do the same. He remained friendly and approachable, while at the same time proving himself highly competent in what was relevant. As guards and defenders, it was his combat prowess and situational awareness that was most relevant, so by destroying an entire almost nearly unaided, he more than proved himself.

It worked wonders. Considering that all the Neophytes were close in age and experience, it was easy to get along with one another after that initial hurdle was overcome. While they all ate breakfast together, the topic of conversation once again returned to Perilith, though this time instead of discussing the many dangers it contained, Nero talked about how amazing it felt going there, as if they had entered a fantasy book.

He talked about the lands as if they were a treasured land, waiting to be conquered by them. He also put a great deal of emphasis on the fact that since everything was brought down to the same level as them, they had nothing to fear as long as they remembered their training. After all, they were trained from birth to be warriors. They feared no enemy in the same realm. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Just like that, over the course of a single meal, everyone's perception of Perilith changed from a land of terror and death, to a personalised training field. Where else would they find such an abundance of enemies and treasures, side by side, as if they were in a video game? The fact that no enemy was stronger than them in level meant that as long as they were smart, they could get through this easily while gaining a tremendous amount of experience.

Over the course of a single mea morale was raised, and no one besides Noman seemed to notice that Nero had done it purposefully. As someone who focused on leading and commanding, since his own combat abilities were not yet up to par, he was even more impressed by Nero. Not only was he a formidable fighter, he was an excellent leader and tactician as well.

What Noman didn't know was that alongside raising everyone's morale, he was also purposefully demonstrating his ability to Noman, to get the kid to admire him even more. Step by step Nero would build his trust, and then complete his mission.

After breakfast, they all went together to gear up, as soon it would be time to escort the researchers back into Perilith.

For the first two hours of daylight they actually did not enter, as the Arcanists team was inside. Once they exited, they quickly passed a few words to their handler, who came and revealed their objective for the day to Vanessa and the rest.

Then, once again, they entered through the wooden tavern into Perilith. The early morning sun shone the clear sky with resplendent glory, the pink and light blue sky promising bright and positive tidings.

Star rank: 0

Ability: [Display a zoomed in image of whatever the spell is pointed towards]

Flavour text: "Far off shores and distant horizons, I can see from the comfort of my home" - ???

He used the card, summoning a purple pentagram in front of him, with a circle inside of it, just as shown in the card. Within the circle, a zoomed in image of tall grass appeared, but as Nero moved the pentagram, the image changed.

The spell would allow Nero to clearly see far off things, which was pretty useful considering that the path the Arcanists had carved out for them didn't go all the way to the target. A few others climbed up on the tavern and observed the path alongside him, which seemed straightforward except for one ominous stretch of plain dirt where no plants grew, and no animals wandered.

"There's no way we can reach the outcrop without at least a few fights," Nero said as he pointed to a pack of wild dogs who briefly exited the tall grass to attack another animal before quickly returning to the relative refuge of the grass. "The trick will be to pick for ourselves which enemies we should fight, and which ones we should avoid."

"It would be best to avoid any kind of pack," Noman stated as they scouted the way a little longer. Once they were satisfied, they returned to the ground and got in formation before heading out.

Nero, Clarissa and Dave took the lead this time, while behind the group surrounded the researchers, with Bael following up at the end. Dave could sense dangers even if they were obscured by the grass, while Clarissa could spot the weakness in any enemy she faced. Nero was just a plain badass.

With the three of them leading, they had the best chance of reaching their destination unharmed.

But even the best plans could fall apart with a single unexpected incident. The group followed the dirt path cleared out by the Arcanists, avoiding the tall grass. Near the tavern, there weren't even any animals of curses so they were relatively safe.

But around 500 metres (0.3 miles) from the tavern, Nero felt a subtle vibration in the ground. He raised his spear as he looked around for any sign of trouble, just as he got ready to give a warning to the team. But, for once, even Nero was not fast enough.

Someone behind him screamed as a thin, long insect burst from the ground and hooked its pincers into the foot of the nearest soldier, and then retreated back into the ground. It happened so fast no one was able to see the insect properly let alone react to it.

By the time they reacted, the person who had been attacked had his entire leg pulled into the ground.