"A shadow domain... Now that sounds like a very useful skill," he mumbled, feeling a sense of anticipation.
"This must be the reward," he thought, and his finger hovered over the skill.
"Wait, let’s see if there’s anything better," he mumbled and scrolled through the list, but as he did so, his brows furrowed.
"There’s nothing above SS-rank... Well, Shadow Domain it is..." he sighed.
He tapped on the skill, and it was his.
[Skill: Shadow Domain learned.]
John grinned and felt his mind grow a bit clearer. He could also feel a faint aura surrounding him, learning the skill had sohow changed him.
"This is amazing!" he exclaid and stood up.
"John? Is everything alright?" Zara asked from inside the tent, her voice laced with concern.
"Yeah, I’m fine," John replied, his mind focused on the new skill.
"Are you sure?" Zara asked.
"Yeah, don’t worry."
Zara stepped out of the tent, the dawn’s first rays illuminating her pale face. She had cleaned off her sared makeup and changed into a fresh, all-black outfit. Her raven hair flowed loosely past her shoulders.
Her tight black shorts accentuated her firm ass and shapely legs. She wore a low-cut black top that exposed a generous portion of her cleavage and accentuated her slender waist.
"I can sense where everything and everyone is within my domain even before I activate it," he said, standing up, facing Zara.
Zara’s brows furrowed. "I see. I guess we should go find that guy we t last night," she said as she turned around, heading in the direction where the New Earth Guard mbers went.
John followed closely behind her, his eyes scanning the area around them.
Their footsteps crunched on the dry leaves and twigs scattered along the path. The scent of bacon drifted from a nearby campfire, and they could hear the clinking of pots and pans as breakfast was being prepared.
People were erging from their tents, stretching and yawning in the early morning light. The camp was alive with activity, and they took in the bustling scene as they walked in comfortable silence.
As they approached the centre of the camp, Zara stopped and turned to John.
"So, what’s the plan?" she asked.
John shrugged.
"I don’t know. We need to find out more about this place and what Liam is up to," he said.
"Alright, well, let’s go talk to that guy we t last night. What was his na?"
John thought for a mont before answering, "I think it was Derek."
"Alright, let’s go find Derek," Zara said, smiling and taking John’s arm.
"What are you doing?" he asked, glancing at her.
"What? They must think we’re a couple, so it’s best we play the part, no?" she asked innocently.
"Sure, I guess," John replied.
They walked through the camp, passing by the newly awakening New Earth Guard mbers.
"It doesn’t look like there are that many of them," Zara observed as they approached the central area.
"I think you’re right. There can’t be more than a few dozen of them, and they all look inexperienced," John agreed, his eyes scanning the people in the area.
As they neared the centre of the camp, a group of people erged from a large tent in the middle of the camp. John imdiately recognised Derek among them.
"There he is," Zara pointed out, gesturing towards the group.
"Let’s go talk to him," John said, leading the way.
Derek spotted John and Zara approaching and waved at them.
"Good morning! You’re just in ti," he said as they ca closer.
"In ti for what?" John asked.
"You’ll see. Co with ," Derek said, gesturing for them to follow him.
Derek led them to a large open area at the centre of the camp. It was an examination test to determine who was fit to serve as guards.
A large group of people had gathered around the area, all eager to test their abilities.
"For this test, we will be hunting Razorlins," Derek announced as he stepped into the centre of the crowd.
"The rules are simple: You will enter the forest in groups of four and hunt down the Razorlins. If you manage to kill one, you may return to the camp. If not, you will be eliminated."
The crowd stirred, a mix of excitent and fear flowing through them.
Derek raised his hand to silence the crowd and continued his explanation.
anwhile, John’s eyes narrowed and he whispered to Zara, "Just a Razorlin? How weak are these guys?"
"I don’t know, but I’ve not seen many monsters around. I think the threat level of this planet is just much lower than Earth’s. It would explain why a guard would only need to be strong enough to defeat a Razorlin." Zara replied.
"That’s a relief, but these guys will all die if they are sent back to Earth."
Before John could say anything else, Derek finished explaining the rules and ordered everyone to draw lots to determine the groups.
John and Zara joined the crowd and drew their lots, John getting a piece of paper with a red strip at its end.
The duo went through the first stage of the examination without issues and returned to their tent earlier than anybody else.
"I guess we’ve got ti to kill," John said.
Zara nodded. "Yeah, it’s a good thing they had the provisions to feed us. Those food stalls back at the campground could probably use your culinary skills," she said with a light giggle.
John shot her a sidelong glance and laughed.
"What are you talking about? I don’t have any skill whatsoever when it cos to cooking."
"And yet, you can whip up a delicious al for every ti I’m around. It doesn’t matter if it’s a luxury dish like steak or a simple bowl of ran. You have a natural talent for this."
Zara’s complint made John’s heart thump with delight, but he maintained his composure.
"Well, luckily for you, I have my inventory," he said as he summoned a small portable stove.
"You’re a godsend," Zara said, beaming with delight as she sat down beside the portable stove.
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