Chapter 67: Everyone gathered

The journey to the safe zone took longer than Kael would have liked.

With several injured students in Jeannette’s group, moving quickly was out of the question. The narrow paths and uneven ground made every step a potential hazard, and the crimson sky offered little help in judging the terrain ahead. Even so, Kael managed to guide them through the forest without encountering another group of undead.

He had chosen the safest route he could remember from the game.

Fortunately, navigating the Emerald Forest wasn’t particularly difficult for him. Although the current situation differed considerably from the original storyline, the forest’s major landmarks remained familiar. He knew which paths led toward dangerous areas, which sections were difficult to traverse, and which routes offered the best chance of reaching the safe zone without running into trouble.

Of course, knowing the map didn’t mean he could predict everything happening inside it.

The undead invasion was already far beyond anything that should have occurred during the wilderness survival exam. Kael had no idea how many students were still scattered throughout the forest, how many had been injured, or whether the instructors had discovered the source of the crimson barrier.

He could only work with what he had. For now, getting Jeannette’s group somewhere secure was the priority.

"How much farther?" One of Jeannette’s teammates asked.

"We’re close," Kael replied. "Just keep following and watch your footing. The ground becomes uneven near the entrance."

The student nodded and continued walking.

Jeannette remained behind him, helping one of her injured classmates maintain a steady pace. She had said little since they left the clearing, though Kael occasionally caught her looking toward him as if she wanted to ask something.

He didn’t blame her.

She had been trapped in a tree with a dozen exhausted students, watched an unfamiliar spider construct a webbing system to help them escape, and then followed a boy they presumably considered the academy’s weaker students through a forest filled with undead.

For some reason, the boy in front of her had become someone different in her eyes.

Eventually, the trees began to thin.

Kael recognized the broad stone formation ahead and relaxed slightly. Beyond it lay the secluded clearing, where an unusual protective effect prevented any attackers from moving close to it.

He stepped around the final cluster of bushes and emerged into the clearing.

"Here we are."

The students behind him gradually came into view, and their reactions were immediate.

Several stopped walking.

One of them stared at the open space ahead, while another looked around as though expecting an ambush. Their expressions shifted from exhaustion to confusion as they took in the large number of students gathered within the stone formation.

There were far more people here than when Kael had left to search for survivors.

Students occupied nearly every available patch of ground. Some sat against tree trunks, tending to their injuries, while others gathered in small groups to discuss what had happened. A few were drinking water or resting with their eyes closed, too exhausted to participate in any conversation.

The clearing had become a temporary refuge for a substantial portion of the exam participants.

Kael recognized several familiar faces immediately.

Rinha stood near the center of the clearing, speaking with a group of students. Nearby, Elias was helping organize supplies while Darius watched over several exhausted participants. Mira was nowhere in sight at first, but Kael assumed she was probably tending to the injured.

It seemed his teammates hadn’t been idle while he was away.

Rinha, Elias, and Darius had apparently managed to bring back quite a few survivors themselves.

The moment Kael entered the clearing, however, the conversations began to die down. Heads turned toward them.

Students who had been resting sat up, while others stopped what they were doing to look at the newcomers. A few recognized Kael and exchanged surprised glances. Others focused on Jeannette, whose noble status and reputation made her difficult to overlook.

The sudden attention caused the students behind Kael to hesitate.

They had spent the past several hours fighting for their lives, and the sight of so many people gathered in one place seemed almost unreal.

Eventually, those who recognized the group immediately called the ones they recognized.

Some of the students behind Kael immediately moved and approached the people they recognized and started talking about their experiences. Some rushed to check their friends.

Others hugged each other and cried.

Jeannette’s eyes moved across the clearing, instinctively examining the surrounding trees.

Her surprise gradually gave way to suspicion. She stepped closer to Kael and lowered her voice.

"Why is everyone staying here?"

Kael glanced at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Look around. Almost everyone is here, but nobody seems to be preparing to leave. They’re just sitting around and resting as if they are comfortable in this place."

Her expression tightened.

"If the creatures discover this place, won’t everyone here be in danger?"

Kael understood her concern immediately and he remembered he didn’t explain about it with her.

It was a reasonable question, especially after what she and her classmates had experienced. Team 20 had reacted in much the same way when he brought them here earlier. To someone unfamiliar with the location, the clearing was simply another part of the forest. Nothing about the trees or the ground suggested that it offered any special protection.

Gathering so many exhausted students in one place would ordinarily be a terrible idea. If the undead found them, the clearing could turn into a slaughterhouse before anyone had time to organize a defense.

Fortunately, this place wasn’t ordinary.

Kael smiled. "Fair not. This area has a special property. The undead won’t cross into it, even when they come close to the boundary. I’ve watched them approach the edge and turn away without entering."

He paused briefly before adding, "That’s why everyone is staying here. It’s the safest place we’ve found so far."

Jeannette looked stunned upon hearing it.

She studied him, apparently waiting for an explanation that would make the situation sound less absurd.

Kael couldn’t offer much more without revealing information he had no intention of sharing.

He knew the clearing was a designated safe zone in the game, but explaining that to someone who lived in this world would raise far more questions than it answered.

Besides, he wasn’t entirely certain why the protection worked. He only knew that it did.

Rather than pretend to understand its underlying principles, he decided to stick with what he had personally observed.

"Look for yourself," he said. "You should be able to see the difference."

Jeannette followed his gaze toward the surrounding forest.

At first, she saw nothing unusual. Trees stood close together beyond the clearing, their branches casting long shadows across the ground. The crimson sky filtered through the canopy, painting the undergrowth in an unsettling red glow.

Then she noticed the absence of movement.

There were no undead wandering between the trees near the clearing. None approached the entrance, and none emerged from the undergrowth to investigate the growing crowd of students.

Even the sounds of distant movement seemed to stop short of the surrounding boundary.

One of Jeannette’s classmates cautiously stepped closer to the edge. He remained there for several seconds, watching the forest with his weapon ready.

Nothing happened.

He took another step, then quickly retreated when he realized how close he had come to leaving the apparent protection of the clearing.

"They really aren’t coming," he murmured.

Another student let out a disbelieving laugh.

"So we’re actually safe here?"

"At least for now," Kael answered. "I wouldn’t recommend wandering outside to test the limits."

That earned a few nervous chuckles.

The tension that had followed Jeannette’s group into the clearing began to ease. Several students visibly relaxed, while others sank onto the ground with expressions of relief. One injured boy leaned against a tree and closed his eyes, as though he had finally allowed himself to believe he might survive the day.

Jeannette also released a slow breath.

The explanation was strange, but the evidence was difficult to dismiss. If the undead were roaming throughout the forest yet refused to approach this particular area, then there had to be something unusual about this clearing.

Then she turned back toward Kael.

Her expression had changed, though not entirely in the way he expected.

"How did you know about this place?"

Kael paused.

There it was.

He had been expecting the question ever since he first discovered the safe zone. It was only natural for someone to wonder how a student who had supposedly been among the academy’s weakest could identify a location that offered protection from an entire swarm of undead.

He could hardly tell her that he had once played a game in which this forest had been a map. That explanation would probably get him sent straight to the infirmary, assuming nobody decided to question him first.

Kael awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

"I just happened to read about it in a book."

Of course, it was a lie.

He hadn’t read about the safe zone in any book. Still, it was the simplest explanation he could offer without exposing his secret.

Jeannette stared at him for several seconds.

Kael maintained an innocent expression, although he had the uncomfortable feeling that she was examining him more closely than before.

Eventually, she nodded.

"I see."

Her tone suggested that she wasn’t entirely convinced, but she didn’t press him further. Kael was grateful for that. He had enough problems without having to invent an increasingly elaborate story to explain why he knew things he shouldn’t.

Before either of them could continue the conversation, a familiar voice called out from the other side of the clearing.

"Kael!"

He turned toward the sound.

Mira was hurrying toward him, her expression brightening with relief when she spotted him. Rinha, Darius, and Elias followed closely behind her.

Kael’s attention settled on Mira first. She looked exhausted. Sweat covered her forehead, and several strands of hair clung to her cheeks. Her breathing was noticeably heavier than usual, and she moved with the careful stiffness of someone who had been working without enough rest.

Given how many injured students had gathered in the clearing, he could guess what she had been doing.

Healing people for hours was hardly a relaxing activity.

Darius and Elias, on the other hand, looked surprisingly normal. Elias even managed a casual wave as he approached, while Darius appeared more concerned with checking that Kael hadn’t returned with another group of enemies. Rinha looked tired as well, but she was still standing straight and moving steadily.

Kael returned their greetings.

"Looks like you’ve all been busy."

"You could say that," Elias replied. "We brought back several groups while you were gone. Some were in pretty bad shape, but Mira and the others were helping them recover."

Kael nodded then he glanced toward the crowded clearing.

He suddenly said, "Honestly, I was starting to wonder how many people this place could fit before we’d have to start charging admission."

"Let’s worry about that when we aren’t surrounded by undead," Elias said.

"Right. Terrible time to start a business. No customers with money, and the security situation is awful."

Mira laughed lightheartedly and Darius also laughed slightly. He then told the others not to take their words seriously these two were just like that.

Rinha ignored their commentary and looked Kael over.

"Did you encounter any trouble?"

"A few undead, but nothing we couldn’t handle. I found her and her group trapped in a tree, so we brought them here," Kael said as he gestured at Jeannette.

Rinha’s eyes shifted toward Jeannette and then to the two senior students with them.

Noticing Rinha’s gaze, they exchanged a brief nod of acknowledgement. Although they were both students at the same academy, the emergency had left little room for introductions or formalities.

Mira, meanwhile, was already looking past Kael at the newcomers. Her gaze moved from one injured student to another, quickly assessing their condition. Whatever exhaustion she had been feeling, her healer’s instincts seemed to take priority the moment she realized there were more people who needed help.

Kael noticed the way she straightened despite her heavy breathing. He raised a hand before she could immediately throw herself into another round of treatment.

"Mira, could you check Jeannette’s group? Some of them are injured, and a few look like they might collapse if they keep standing."

"Of course," she answered without hesitation.

Then she looked at Kael more closely.

"But what about you? Are you hurt?"

"I’m fine. I didn’t have any serious injuries."

Mira searched his face for a moment, seemingly making sure he wasn’t hiding anything. Only after she was satisfied did she turn toward Jeannette and the others.

"Please, everyone, sit down somewhere comfortable. I’ll examine you one at a time, starting with those who are most badly injured. If anyone feels dizzy or has trouble breathing, tell me immediately."

The students obeyed, grateful that someone was finally taking charge of their injuries. Jeannette helped one of her classmates settle beside a tree before turning to Mira.

"Thank you. We appreciate your help."

Mira offered her a tired but reassuring smile.

"It’s all right. Just try not to move around too much until I’ve checked you."

She knelt beside the first injured student and began her examination.

Kael watched her for a moment.

Mira had been helping people since before he left the clearing, and now she was preparing to do it again without even asking for a break. Her kindness was one of her greatest strengths, but it also made it easy for her to push herself beyond her limits.

He would have to make sure she rested once the most urgent cases had been treated. There was no point saving everyone else if their healer collapsed from exhaustion in the process.

"Senior," he said quietly, turning toward Rinha. "Thank you for everything you’ve done."

Rinha shook her head. "There’s no need to thank me. Helping other students is our responsibility in the first place." She paused briefly before offering him a grateful smile. "Besides, we’re the ones who should be thanking you and your team. Without your help, things could have turned out much worse."

At that moment, a familiar voice called out from behind Rinha.

"Grayford."

Kael turned his head and spotted a familiar figure approaching them, her silver hair catching the faint light beneath the crimson sky.

Seraphina.

A small smile appeared on his face, and he quietly released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

Thank goodness. She made it.

He had been searching for survivors ever since the situation spiraled out of control, and the uncertainty of not knowing who had made it out alive had been weighing on him more than he cared to admit.

Seeing Seraphina standing there, alive and apparently unharmed, brought him a sense of relief he hadn’t expected.

For a brief moment, the tension in his shoulders eased.

After all, Seraphina was one of the key figures in the future.