The students took their luggage and exited the ship. Some carried camping sized backpacks with their sleeping bags rolled on top, while some carried roller suitcases made for all terrain. Only Crule and Ming looked like they carried nothing since all their needs are stored in Crule’s spatial storage.
The spatial storage is a pocket dimension that Crule took over ten years to create by slowly consuming space in a pocket dimension attached to his soul. He had to carefully erode it to its current size while reinforcing it with his energy in order to maintain stability. Things inside of the spatial storage do not age, so rotting is of no trouble. Old books can also be kept in its original condition it was received.
The students looked eagerly at the prairie before them and the flattened gravel road leading to the tranquil looking forest off in the distance.
[Crule]: Let’s look around.Crule went to a vendor by the gate connecting Juilas and the Wild. It was a tall stone and metal wall with a large tunnel in the middle that’s well guarded. Street vendors line the tunnel. With the roof of the tunnel being nearly a hundred meters tall, large shops could even set up in the tunnel. They had restaurants, general stores, and even apothecaries. The tunnel looked like a decent sized old western town.
[Crule]: Everyone, remember to pair up. We will meet at the end of the tunnel in an hour.The students eagerly paired up and went to browse the store. Some students already bought some of the delicious street food and are nibbling on them as they walk.
Crule and Ming went to a nearby store. The store was labeled, “Williams Wagons.”
It was a store that sold old fashion looking gypsy wagons that doesn’t require a mount to run. The sizes ranged from a small six person plus driver wagon to a full sized bus style wagon that holds up to fifty.
[Crule]: Hmm…this will be interesting.Crule went and purchased a medium sized wagon. The wheels were incredibly large and the room in the wagon was actually a sphere placed upon a gyro for stability. The wagon itself runs on two different type of fuel source. It runs on electricity or wood. The electricity was in the form of a battery pack made out of a Glutonium. It had the capacity to store enough electricity for the wagon to run non-stop for two weeks.
In emergencies when the electricity does run out, it has a spare steam engine that runs on any sort of burnable fuel. It’s highly inefficient but it’s a last ditch effort to get the wagon to a charging station anyways.
The wagon was made of a strong light metal alloy and had a polyurethane rain cover on top. The inside could hold at most fifteen people. The front of the wagon had spots for two drivers. The wagon does automatically follow the key holder and doesn’t require a driver unless it’s a get-away situation.
The salesman hands Crule and Ming each a copy of the key. Crule paid him and left with the wagon. Crule and Ming then found a quaint café near the end of the tunnel to wait for the students.
[Ming]: If we can find one more B ranked beast, we might be able to get the sixth gate without trouble. [Crule]: That’s a huge if… [Ming]: Oh, I didn’t both to ask earlier since I was admiring the thing, but why did you buy a wagon? [Crule]: We are going to tire the students to the point of breaking. [Ming]: Don’t I do that every day anyways? [Crule]: Yea, but we will have no rest stops until night falls, so we will have the students fight for a spot in the wagon to rest. [Ming]: So you’re going to turn the three groups against each other? [Crule]: Everyone needs a healthy rivalry to push them beyond their limits. [Ming]: Hahaha, that’s true.Crule took a sip of his coffee and Ming took a sip of her iced tea.
The blazing twin suns are blocked by the darkness of the tunnel but blue incandescent lamps dimly glow above them, handing like a chandelier from the top of the tunnel.
The students came back after buying a bunch of souvenirs and food stuff. They looked satisfied and ready for the journey ahead of them. Little did they know, the torture they will soon face might be their hardest moment yet.
The students finally all returned and they set off past the last check point. The guards let them pass as soon as they saw the Shining Radiance Academy emblem on their jackets.
The blistering twin suns shined down upon the group. The soothing wind blew across the prairie with no obstructions. A cool breeze with warm sunlight made it the perfect day for hiking.
They students stayed near the wagon with Crule and Ming sitting on it. For now, most of the beasts that attacked the group were enraged domestic animals that escaped into the wild and evolved. Boars, cows, and even giant chickens was defeated by the groups of students. The three groups covered the wagon, one in front, and one on each side.
The beast that were defeated were placed in the wagon. Most students didn’t bring large amount of food stuff since they knew the wild had plenty of edible plants and beasts.
Hours upon hours of walking through the prairie, but the forest on the horizon doesn’t look any closer.
[Lawks]: Just how far is the forest…?She asked Crule.
[Crule]: We will get there tomorrow morning at the speed we are going. [Lawks]: Tomorrow… so it’s several hundred kilometers?! [Ming]: Yep, it’s not that bad.The students upon hearing that their destination was several hours of walking, started to feel imaginary fatigue already.
Since everyone have heightened physical prowess and can use their aura to speed up, the group was already moving at around forty kilometers an hour if they all started running. The students walked for hours upon hours. The blazing suns seemed more and more brutal. The occasional cool wind was like a blessing from the gods each time it blows though.
Several hours later, and a few dozen bottles of water later, the sun finally started setting.
[Crule]: Let’s set up camp while we still have some light.The students finally sighed with relief and collapsed on the ground. Most of them took off their shoes and started rubbing their feet.
They took out the tent equipment and started setting up their tents. With the easily constructed tents, the students finished making a ring of tents around the wagon in half an hour. They left a small circle open and dug a pit. Some students went around and found some decently sized rocked and made a ring around the pit.
Some other students went and found some dried prairie grass and dumped them into the pit. One of the student who had fire attribute set the fire pit ablaze. The night had some and without the warm sunlight, the cold breeze made the night quite chilly. The warmth from the blazing camp fire made the students huddle around it.
[Crule]: Let’s cook.Crule took out some of the beasts they killed today and skillfully prepares the meat for roasting. The innards were cleanly removed and the edible parts were sliced and rubbed with seasoning of choice. He skewers a few piece of metal on a thin metal rod he bought at a general store in the tunnel. He placed a HUGE pile of them onto a large wooden table he took out of the wagon.
[Crule]: Come get it.The students ravenously grabbed at the skewers of meat and placed it over the fire. They stare with incredibly hungry eyes and drools at the corner of their mouth as the rich aroma of cooked meats and roasted spice fill the air.
Some students started crying upon biting into the savory chunks of meat on the skewers.
[Ming]: Always remember, to enjoy food while you can…Everyone enjoyed a hearty meal of roasted kebabs.
