"I hate camping trips."
Ezekiel was sprawled on the ground, revealing an exhausted and helpless smile. Around him were the multiple remnants of his camp. By his side were his friends who revealed even more exhausted expressions than he did. And further away were the corpses of multiple monster-like figures with cuts and holes filling their bodies and allowing their blood flow onto the green grass, staining it with a crimson red color.
"Fuck ." The chanic groaned as he forced himself to sit up. He and his friends had to move before the sll of blood attracted more Mana beasts.
That scenario had happened the last ti after all. They had been overwheld by a wave of almost never ending mana beasts that sought to gnaw at their flesh and bones. And when they had finally overco the wave, more had co, drawn by the thick scent of blood. At that point, the three had been forced to escape, barely able to hold onto their lives.
It couldn’t be helped. Most survival lessons hadn’t been taught to them while they still lived within the Flynn Household, their knowledge about the wild was practically nonexistent.
Worse was that this could all be avoided if they had passed using the main road leading to the capital. Yet the chanic and his friends couldn’t do that. They couldn’t be sure if the organization behind the three who had attacked Ezekiel’s parents were keeping watch on them, so they had to minimize any chance of being seen by the enemy.
This all led to their constant hide and seek battle with the wild mana beasts of the Pytra forest. There were advantages to it, such as the Exp the mana beasts granted upon killing them and the fact that the intense pressure forced Vahn and Yuri to progress even faster. But the disadvantages simply out staged whatever incrent to strength they gained.
The three were beaten up and tired from the constant fighting. Ezekiel’s machinery were already showing signs of wear and would soon begin malfunctioning. And without a suitable location to allow him to bring out his portable work station to attempt to fix his equipnt.
’I’m almost regretting not choosing Quick Fingers.’
(I don’t think that little increase in repair speed would help anyways.) Laura’s voice rang out in Ezekiel’s ears, waking him up from his thoughts. (There isn’t much choice you guys have. You can either find a place to stay, with no beasts dwelling within it, or move as fast as you can while avoiding fights with mana beasts as much as you can.
(According to the little knowledge I managed to record into my database, the mana waves caused by your strong individuals, like your parents, can cause such panic among Mana beasts. The mana caused by your parents’ fight a few days ago still lingers about. It’s agitating the beasts and causing them to attack anything in sight.
(I’m pretty sure if you guys weren’t around, the beasts would attack themselves at any faintest sign of disturbance.)
Ezekiel’s lips twitched. "We can only move forward then. Can’t afford to miss the exams, after all."
Actually, there was another option Laura dared not ntion. And that was leaving Vahn and Yuri behind. They were the reasons why the crew could be more easily tracked, as sensing mana was the tracking thod most beasts had developed. Ezekiel, as a unique individual born with not a trace of mana in his body, was like a fish in the sea if he chose to be. The only way beasts would be able to find him was through sll, and that could always be countered by rubbing leaves onto his skin.
Luckily, while Laura was an AI, built upon calculating with cold, hard logic, she was a smart AI— possessing nearly the sa amount of emotional intelligence as a 10 year old child—and could easily conclude that if she spoke of such a thod, Ezekiel would attempt to shut her down then and there.
Yuri and Vahn were his friends after all. People who had battled by his side, he would never leave them behind.
"Ez..."
Vahn’s voice rang out but it was quickly cut off by Ezekiel’s. "Get your ass up, we’ve still got a long way to go."
The Life mage could only swallow his words upon hearing his friend’s words. He could easily tell that if he dared suggest leaving him and his sister behind, Ezekiel would likely puml him to the ground.
Suddenly, Ezekiel’s voice shouted out. "I found sothing!" His drones had found a well concealed cave a few hundred ters away. Judging by the multiple mana readings his machines sent to him—and the visual image imposed over his field of sight by his head gear’s augnted reality—, the chanic realized the cave was a mana ore.
The use of his drones to monitor his surroundings had already beco a core instinct of Ezekiel. Yet the mana beasts seed to always co from every direction, forcing the chanic and his crew from ever fully escaping them. Looking at the cave, he realized they could finally get so rest soon.
Such a place not only contained multiple rare ores emanating different elents, it was also quite well hidden. Even if a mana beast discovered the cave, it would at most be confused by the multiple elental mana readings, which would cover Vahn’s and Yuri’s, leading it to show no interest in the ores within it. A mana beast had no use for those.
Ezekiel laughed as he zood in on the image just to double-check while a sense of relief overca him. "I’ve found a safe place where we can rest. Even better, we might be able to gain resources from that site."
Vahn and Yuri glanced at each other in surprise and confusion, yet they were soon dragged by the rushing Ezekiel who aid to finally rest his head in peace.
The chanic soared through the air, dragging an athyst streak behind him with his flight while carrying the completely exhausted Vahn and Yuri. The mont he rushed in deep enough into the cave, Ezekiel set up so quick monitoring machines before his eyes drooped and he inevitably fell asleep.
They would continue their journey once he had rested enough.
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