Chapter 52 - From secret families.

The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the landscape.

"My advice would be to rest well and continue your quest in the morning," the driver, who had spoken little until now, finally said.

The group exchanged glances, nodding in agreement. The driver had a point. He had no obligation to advise them—his only job was to follow their plan, drop them off at the nearest safe location, and wait for their return. Yet, he had seen far too many reckless youngsters rushing headlong into danger, blinded by excitement. He also had experience with young masters accustomed to getting their way. If they refused his suggestion, he was prepared to apologize and step back. But as an experienced guide, he felt it was his duty to offer sound advice.

"I'm sure you know a good place to eat and rest," Nephis said, placing a hand on her stomach.

"Of course," the driver replied. "Why not rest somewhere close to your target location? That way, you can begin your work at dawn."

The remainder of the journey was spent in conversation—discussing their academy experiences, preparations for the Inner Branch exam, and eventually shifting to Tyler’s bottleneck in training.

When the truck finally came to a halt in front of a hotel, the group disembarked. They had dinner and proceeded to request rooms for the night.

The driver, uninterested in luxuries, simply went to the back of the truck and lay down to sleep—it was a routine he was well accustomed to.

Inside the hotel, however, a debate had sparked.

"This place is too expensive. Should we just sleep in the truck as well?" Tyler suggested, finding an unexpected ally in Harry.

Gracie face-palmed. These two were utterly hopeless. This morning, Harry had handed them a space ring as if it were nothing, yet now he was hesitating over a few coins for a room. The thought of how their colleagues must perceive them made her cringe with embarrassment.

"Ahem," Eldrich coughed to regain their attention. "How about we book three rooms? Nephis and I can share one, Harry and Gracie can take another, and Tyler can have the third." He smirked at Harry as he spoke.

Nephis, catching the implication, reacted instantly—striking Eldrich between the legs. Fortunately, he managed to block it just in time.

"You're getting ahead of yourself," she scoffed. "Gracie and I will share a room, and you three can take the other." With that, she paid for two rooms, effectively ending the discussion.

Harry wasn't particularly disappointed, but he did feel a bit bad for Eldrich. Unlike him and Gracie, Eldrich and Nephis were actually dating.

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The Next Morning

At the break of dawn, the group was ready. The golden rays of the rising sun cast a warm glow over their faces, reflecting off the glass windows of nearby buildings.

The driver, already prepared, waited for their signal. However, they told him to rest a while longer—the jungle was only 15 kilometers away, a manageable trek for them.

After walking for a kilometer, they reached the city's outer walls, where guards and mercenaries passed in and out.

This was a common sight. The Darkwood Jungle was a prime hunting ground where hunters pursued bounties, mercenaries sought fortune, and guild members completed their quests. The Adventurers' Guild issued contracts for slaying beasts, harvesting rare materials, and gathering valuable herbs. Even the academy’s quests were often redirected from these guilds.

As they approached the gate, they drew attention—not because they were young, as many aspiring adventurers started young, but because of their robes.

Their attire unmistakably marked them as academy students.

"We should have changed into something less conspicuous," Tyler murmured.

"No, this is fine," Nephis replied firmly. "Wearing our academy robes ensures we won’t be harassed by the locals."

A group of three adventurers approached them.

"Need any help?" one of them asked. "We can join your hunt in exchange for some benefits."

The jungle was filled with parties looking to recruit extra hands, but it was just as common for opportunists to take advantage of unsuspecting newcomers.

Harry remained cautious, recalling Aiden’s warning—letting unknowns into the group could lead to unnecessary complications.

"We're fine," Nephis declined without hesitation.

Beyond the city walls, the terrain changed abruptly.

A vast, barren desert stretched before them, and the Darkwood Jungle still lay far ahead. Traversing the wasteland would take about half an hour at their pace.

Without wasting time, they sped up, covering three kilometers before encountering their first beast.

It was a massive sand lizard—ten meters long, its brown body camouflaged against the desert, with a dark gray tail.

[Inspect]

[Sand Lizard – Survival is their foundation.

Foundation Building, Level 9]

Harry couldn't help but chuckle at the description. Not too long ago, he had run for miles to escape a Level 9 beast.

After ensuring no other threats lurked nearby, they stepped forward.

"Kill it quickly," Gracie said, glancing at Tyler.

They could have slain it in an instant, but their goal wasn’t just victory—it was growth. Tyler was the one who could benefit the most from this fight.

Drawing his newly acquired katana, Tyler advanced.

The lizard reacted, swinging its powerful tail to intercept his strike. However, Tyler’s special ability kicked in, allowing him to foresee an opening in the creature’s exposed underbelly.

But as his mind calculated the next move, another possibility emerged—if he followed his instinctive attack pattern, he would leave himself open to the lizard’s fangs.

Trusting his judgment, Tyler maintained his course, meeting the tail head-on. The collision sent him skidding backward.

For some reason he believed in his thoughts more than his ability to foresee.

Undeterred, he lunged again, this time throwing his sword. The lizard deflected it once more with its tail, but Tyler capitalized on the moment—pouring all his strength into a devastating punch straight to the creature’s skull.

Green blood dribbled from the beast’s mouth, its vision unfocused. It swung its tail wildly, but its aim was off.

Seizing the opportunity, Tyler unleashed a flurry of precise strikes—one to the lower torso, another to the stomach. Finally, retrieving his katana, he drove it through the lizard’s eye, blinding it.

Realizing its impending doom, the creature attempted to burrow into the sand. Halfway underground, Tyler grabbed its tail and tore it clean off.

Yet, the resilient beast still refused to die.

"It'll likely bleed out," Gracie observed.

"Not necessarily," Eldrich countered. "These creatures can survive even after being split in half. Don’t expect it to die easily—but at least it won’t be attacking us anytime soon. It’ll need time to regenerate its tail."

With a flick of his wrist, Eldrich summoned the water element. The lizard was dragged out of the sand, momentarily suspended in the air. A sharp water slash followed, severing its neck cleanly.

As the beast's body collapsed, a beast crystal emerged from its remains.

Eldrich cleaned it with water and handed it to Tyler, who accepted it gratefully. He knew its worth and stored it inside his bracelet.

Eldrich and Nephis, however, were left gaping.

"You… you have a storage bracelet?" Eldrich stammered.

Gracie smirked, lifting her hand. "I have one too."

Both Eldrich and Nephis were momentarily stunned.

"Are you guys from some hidden aristocratic family, secretly blending in?" Eldrich finally asked, still trying to process the revelation.