Judging by the auras surrounding each group, one would be able to tell the Southern group was the one with the weakest aura among the lot.
"This should be better worth it," Marc, the dark-haired boy, said with a frown. His eyes scanned the lot gathered, falling on a silver-haired boy.
"Hey Ezekiel, what do you think about that kid?" He asked a blindfolded boy beside him.
"Huh? Umm... He has a little amount of qi," he said, placing his hand on his chin. "I don't think he's a c...."
Clang!
A loud sound was heard silencing the noise. Standing before them was a huge man with bulging muscles. He was covered entirely by yellow-coloured armour. Hung on his back was a great sword twice his size.
"Listen up, cadets! Welcome to Planet Amiron, one of the several planets close to the chaotic planes."
The military, contrary to the families that ruled each region, was known for exploring the vast world. Although they had a main base on Earth, they had successfully attained a planet close to the chaotic plane by cheer luck, setting up another base that was used for training recruits. The planets was filled with valuable resources needed by humans to enhance their strength.
Apart from the humans on Earth, various humans live on different planets that had been explored. Though they didn't go far, only exploring those planets that were close to their solar system.
After the last war against an alien race that tried to take over Earth, some factions had been set up in space to fight against alien races from invading Earth. The humans had won the war suffering losses on their side. For years now, the world had been peaceful, with only little scuttle going on between families.
Planets close to the chaotic planes were filled with terrifying beasts of high level, and the energy was also unstable, making it hard for one to draw in the world energy in the atmosphere.
"'We shall now head to the military base."
'What! Are we walking there? Why not use a teleporter?" A student voiced out.
The crowd was getting rowdy as the students voiced their complaints.
A thunderous clap resonated, silencing the crowd once again. "This will also serve as an opportunity to show you guys around." He said without looking back.
He quickly called the teachers, who had accompanied them. Each region was required to bring a maximum of three teachers to accompany the students.
A total number of twelve teachers had gathered around Henry. "I want you guys to keep an eye on the students. The group is quite large and will attract several beasts. This will also serve as an assessment for the students. Take note of the talented ones. We don't want to waste our limited resources on someone who won't amount to anything," he said before dispersing them.
"Alright, giddy up, everyone. Time to leave." He said, taking the lead. The total number of students was over a thousand and was quite a large group to protect by the few teachers. Each teacher had been assigned a specific region to guard.
Will couldn't help but be surprised. The man leading them was at the peak stage of the foundation realm.
[ Name: Henry Cavalli ]
[ Realm: peak stage of the foundation realm ]
[ Ability: ??? ]
[ Host level is too low to obtain the necessary information ]
They hadn't walked for long before they were ordered to stop. Will closed his eyes as he activated his skill [ enhanced sense ]. He could sense a high energy heading towards their direction. Not long, the ground began to tremble as a cloud of dust rose high.
"So soon, we haven't even gone far," Henry thought as he stared at the cloud of dust heading towards them.
"Listen up! Each region will take a turn in fending off the beasts without the teacher's support. This will also serve as an opportunity to see your skills. The southern region this is on you, he said, leaning against a huge tree."
"Prepare to engage, don't worry. It's a low-level beast." He said loudly as he continued forward. The beast finally made their appearance.
They have large rotund bodies, covered in a haze of black fur. Their small limbs were cladded with tiny claws on both hands and feet. Their most distinctive feature is their large mouths filled with multiple rows of sharp teeth, which they use to attack prey, and their signature red cat-like eyes, which sometimes appear fluorescent from a distance. Their fur appears more wild and spiky. Hidden in the fur on their backs are small quills like a porcupine, which they can shoot at their prey with great accuracy.
They moved in large groups and would serve as a problem for even a peak middle-stage warrior with their large number.
"Remember, the one with the kill takes the crystal. Less I forget, crystals are used as a source of exchange in the base." Henry's voice echoed in the air.
The students prepared themselves, and some drew out various weapons while others activated their abilities.
Ding!
[ A threat is coming your way ]
[ Quest received: kill the highest number of beasts]
[ Calculating number of incoming beasts]
[ 1256/ 1256 beasts ]
[ Host will need to take down about 35 per cent of the beast horde to complete the quest ]
[ Reward: ??? ]
His eyes narrowed as he read through the quest. When he had decided to stay low, the system had other intentions. 'How do I get the highest kill without showing off,' he thought as he swung his hand towards an approaching beast smashing it down. He dug his hand into the beast, removing the crystal.
Will drawing in some breaths activated the first step he had learned in the scroll. He channelled his Qi to his fist and legs, reinforcing them.
The battle had begun with the southern region facing off against the beast. Some decided to use flashy skills trying to make an impression. A beast jumped towards Will, his mouth opened wide. He grabbed its mouth, punching its stomach, creating a hole. He pulled out the crystal before throwing the beast to the ground.
[ 35exp ]
[ 2/300 beasts ]
'I can't fall behind,' he thought, looking at the battlefield. He could see some of his peers killing groups of beasts at once with just an attack. 'How do I keep up with that?'
Drawing his newly acquired katana blade, he activated his ability. His eyes locked in on his prey as his feet were engulfed in a gust of wind, boosting his speed as he kicked off the ground. His body moved across the land, his movements fluid and precise. With each swing of his blade, sharp deadly wind blades shot out, striking several beasts down.
"He's quite strong," one of the boys within Ezekiel's group said, staring at Will.
"Show off," Ezekiel snorted, glancing out at him for some seconds before turning away. "This isn't worth my time," he said, stretching his body.
"What clan do you think he's from? Ezekiel asked Marc, who stood silently at his side.
"Don't know. His qi is quite low, and he hasn't shown any technique."
"Maybe he's among the lucky few who managed to unlock their inner energy. I don't see anything special about him anyway."
Will had just slashed a beast once again, with his sword slicing it apart. He flicked his sword, removing the blood on it.
[ 200/ 440 ]
This is exhausting. I don't think it's possible, except... maybe I can pull it off after all.
He contemplated activating the dash skill but decided against it as he didn't want to show his cards this early. Pouring more qi into his legs, he shot off the ground, his body weaving through the beast. He had brought out his other sword, increasing his damage output. His body was an unstoppable force that cut down everything in his path.
Huff, Huff. He stood hands on his knees, trying to regain his breath. "That was quite the work." He said, wiping sweat off his face.
Ding!
[ Quest completed: 440/ 440 beasts ]
[ Reward: Host has been given some set of skills to choose from ]