Chapter 64: Handyman

"This campsite is the only safe zone in this entire place," Instructor Sterling addressed Class 1-A, his precise voice cutting cleanly through the heavy, low-lying vapors of the wetlands.

"So if you get into absolute trouble while you are out hunting, then you must immediately make your way back here. Are we clear?

""Yes, Sir!" the students responded in unison.

The campsite was completely humongous, protected by a massive, high-density mana dome that covered the whole perimeter like a shimmering crystalline shield. Inside the boundary stood a few heavy stone buildings which the instructor had said were specifically built for the professional mana beast hunters who regularly frequented the place. This was a dedicated place of rest for veterans, and since the freshman classes were occupying the sector, those sturdy buildings were where the instructors were going to stay. The students, however, had to pitch their own tents in the wide open space between the stone walls.

Each class had been assigned a fair amount of ground, and that ground was divided per group. They were also given packages of heavy canvas tents, and surprisingly enough, the lessers had absolutely no clue on how to set up their gear. In fact, Julian had been the one to set up all four of the tents for their group, since Mina and Lina had decided to share a single shelter. Looking around the wide perimeter, the rest of the High-bloods were also deeply struggling with setting up their tents, their pampered upbringing rendering them completely useless outside the luxury spires.

"Julian, a question," Thomas asked flatly, his dark eyes wide open as he watched the noble succession heir tie an intricate frontier knot. "How are you able to do something like this that even the rest of your people can’t?"

Julian let out a cold, defensive scoff. He was currently crouched over the damp grit, making a fire for them to prepare breakfast. They had arrived at the campsite in the early hours of the morning, so they had little time to waste.

"Unlike them, I come from an exceptionally harsh region," Julian spoke matter-of-factly, his long fingers manipulating the kindling with practiced efficiency. "My family’s domain is located at the border between Samra and the forgotten ruins of Delsadra. It is a rough, lawless place, and it is my family’s sacred duty to guard the wall and keep the monsters from the ruins at bay. At a young age, my parents took my sister and I across the border and left us entirely alone in the wild to fend for ourselves. We were young, unawakened children left in one of the most dangerous places known to man to survive for a full week. And well, as you can see, we are both alive, so that’s that."

Hearing that raw revelation, Thomas froze instantly, his face remaining smooth as glass but his intellect stalling. He was thoroughly not expecting such a personal confession, especially from a proud, arrogant High-blood core successor. Even though he was intensely curious to learn what had truly happened during that bloody week in the ruins, he knew that pressing for further details would be highly unwise. He kept his mouth shut about his own parameters and let the conversation end there.

Thomas sat down on a nearby rotted log and took out the comprehensive leather-bound map of the marshlands Cecilia had provided. The wetlands were vast, encompassing a great deal of the outer territory of Samra, and their group was currently positioned directly in the thick of them. There were multiple massive sectors explicitly marked as uncharted territories on the parchment, and he knew that finding himself or his friends inside those particular unmapped areas would mean an immediate, catastrophic end.

"Where should we begin our hunt?" Thomas asked, his fingers tracing the outer boundaries.

Mina and the others finally settled down around the gathering warmth of the hearth. The girls had politely asked to take over the cooking duties to prepare breakfast, but Julian had sternly shoed them away with a sharp flick of his wrist, arrogantly stating that hie would never eat food prepared by the hands of a lesser. Mina had immediately fired back, asking him if his personal maids and household servants back at his ancestral estate were not lessers themselves. Julian instantly blushed crimson under his silver-rimmed glasses, thoroughly embarrassed by the logical counter, but he still stubbornly shoed them away. In the end, the elite freshman group had found themselves a high-tier noble maid and a handyman all in one.

"Well, what about the uncharted territories?" Julian asked, pointing a knife toward the dark center of the map.

The rest of the group’s eyes violently widened into circles of pure shock, wondering if the toxic smoke from the fire had suddenly affected his mental reasoning.

"What... that is suicide, dude," Ryan answered fiercely, his wind core pulsing softly beneath his dark jacket.

Julian slowly shook his head, completely ignoring the protest. He was currently wearing a plain cooking apron and a tight fabric bandana covering his hair while calmly holding a bundle of raw swamp vegetables. It was a bizarre, hilarious sight that none of them had ever imagined witnessing, but they were lucky enough to see it firsthand.

"You are looking at it wrong," Julian explained, his voice dropping into a serious weight. "Think of the absolute possibility of us hunting a high-tier, powerful mana beast and securing the top rank of the entire expedition. You three need to think about how much those points would benefit your placement. Thomas and I are already inside the Horsemen of Calamity, enjoying the very best resources the academy has to offer. But what about you three? Look at this dangerous trip as a direct way to get stronger and hone your abilities to the absolute peak of your current grade."

Julian’s calculated answer seemed to instantly ignite a fierce spark of ambition in the hearts of Ryan, Mina, and Lina. But Thomas merely raised a brow, his unreadable mask remaining hard as stone.

"And what about me?" Thomas asked flatly.

"What about you?" Julian asked, genuinely confused by the interruption.

"What the hell would I be risking my life for?" Thomas asked, a hint of pure irritation breaking through his tone. "I already have the resources, and I am starting this hunt with minus ten points anyway."

Julian shrugged his shoulders, his posture remaining perfectly rigid as he turned back to the boiling pot. "Oh... right. I did not think that far ahead. I simply figured you would go nonetheless."

Thomas shook his head, thoroughly defeated by the noble’s lack of tactical empathy. But Julian did have a valid point. Since his closest friends were determined to march into the mist, he was bound to follow them to ensure their survival, but the physical danger of the zone was unimaginable. And with the two creepy deacons from the Holy Church lurking around the perimeter, his entire situation had just gotten ten times harder.

If those golden-cloaked figures were truly here to execute a covert strike against him, he did not know when or where they were going to make their move. Nor did he know their exact power grades or the types of their hidden talents, which was a critical, mandatory piece of data before entering a bloodbath.

"Julian, can we talk privately?" Thomas finally asked, his voice dropping into a low murmur.

Julian looked up at him from the crackling fire, his bare ebony eyes narrowing into thin slits behind his spectacles as he slowly shook his head. "Not now. There are far too many ears listening."

Hearing his coded response, Thomas quietly nodded. It appeared as though Julian was already fully aware of the dark church warning he wanted to discuss. Thomas shifted his weight and looked straight toward the far building closest to the Class 1-D grounds, tracing the source of the suffocating gaze he had been feeling all morning.

Standing on the high stone balcony was the exact same deacon from the transport. His golden cloak was fluttering wildly in the damp wind, his face still completely obscured by the heavy hood. Slow as molasses, the creepy figure raised a tattooed hand and delivered a silent, mocking wave directly at him.

A sudden jolt of pure, bone-chilling adrenaline shot straight down Thomas’s spine, his back becoming instantly wet with sweat beneath his uniform as he forced his head to nod back respectfully before looking away into the fire.