Chapter 34: River Creek village.

In the aftermath of a devastating war, the world was divided between humans and supernaturals. To survive the frequent monster attacks, humans reconstructed their cities and villages, encasing them in colossal walls that soared a hundred meters into the sky.

But there was one village that defied the norm. Its walls were half the usual height, just fifty meters tall and a meter thick, yet they stretched an impressive 3,000 kilometers around the settlement. The village was a patchwork of wooden structures, some intact, others bearing the marks of destruction. Even the wall itself told a story of resilience, having been breached by an attack and subsequently rebuilt.

This village, neglected by the government and receiving only minimal supplies, was a place where the less fortunate toiled for their existence. In contrast to the cities—bastions of wealth, power, and security—the village was vulnerable, its people living in the shadow of potential doom.

At the village center was a marketplace, alive with the trade of goods crafted from supernatural materials: crystals, scales, and monster parts turned into wearable, wieldable, and usable items.

On a day that seemed like any other, with a gentle breeze and the warmth of the sun, an unusual phenomenon occurred. The wind began to whirl, sparks erupted, striking the earth, causing panic among the villagers.

"What could that be?...!!" someone yelled, fear evident in their voice.

"It could be another attack!" another exclaimed, and with those words, the air thickened with anxiety, as everyone braced for what might come next.

"Clear the area!" The command cut through the air as a group of armed men, clad in gear and wielding spears of supernatural crystal, made their presence known. They swiftly encircled the anomaly, a tear in the fabric of space barely ten inches across.

The soldiers worked efficiently, ushering the villagers back to a safe distance, their weapons trained on the portal, poised for whatever might emerge. Then, in a flash akin to lightning, five figures tumbled out, landing in a disoriented heap.

"Ah, man. No one mentioned teleportation would be this rough," Jack groaned, rising and rubbing his head. "I think someone landed on me."

"Stop your whining," Ella retorted, her voice laced with mock severity.

A squabble erupted over who had fallen on whom, with Zephyr burying his face in his hand. It took a stern cough from one of the armored men to snap the group back to reality.

"Why are we surrounded?" Ella's tone shifted to one of readiness, her hand moving to her weapon, mirrored by the others. Zephyr, however, remained calm, his weapon sheathed. He knew that if these men had intended harm, they would have struck during the confusion.

A man with long black hair and piercing brown eyes stepped forward. His rugged appearance suggested a life shaped by hardship. Sheathing his short saber, he extended a hand in peace.

"Apologies for the misunderstanding. We weren't expecting additional champions," he said, signaling his men to lower their weapons. "The name's Grema. Welcome to River Creek village."

Zephyr stepped forward to accept the handshake. "I'm Zephyr, and these are Jack, Browny, Jade, and Ella. We're students from Orchid Academy." The others offered awkward waves as their names were called, still acclimating to their sudden arrival.

"What peculiar names, it's nice to meet you all," Grema said. "I'm afraid the introductions will have to be brief. Please, come with me; we have urgent matters to discuss," he added before shouting, "Fall out!"

At Grema's command, the men quickly assembled, and the group, with Grema and Zephyr at the forefront, began to move.

"Who died and made him the leader?" Ella muttered from behind Zephyr, who ignored her. Jade swiftly pulled her sister aside.

"Quiet, Ella. This isn't the time," Jade hissed.

Zephyr thought, 'Ella is becoming troublesome. She needs to learn some manners. But that can wait.' He found Grema's 'urgent matters' intriguing.

As they walked through the village streets towards a known destination only to Grema and his team, the group observed the village. What caught everyone's attention were the areas of destruction. Houses lay damaged, with large, burnt holes as if something had exploded, causing destruction for meters around.

"Uh, Grema, what happened here?" Jack asked, though he had an inkling.

Grema, with a stunned look and without turning to anyone, replied, "It was those bastards who invaded the wall—about a hundred of them. We don't know how, but the wall was suddenly breached, and skinwalkers began to flood in, causing havoc wherever they went, slaughtering and feeding on people indiscriminately."

"It was a gruesome scene. We had to defend our base and rescue as many people as we could, losing half of our entire force. That's why we called for help from all the academies, but only a few responded and sent reinforcements like you."

'Skinwalkers?' Zephyr thought, alarmed.

Skinwalkers are a type of undead race, fleshy and repulsive beings devoid of skin. They possess only muscle fibers and move on all fours, lacking eyes but sensing their surroundings to hunt their prey. They are brutal creatures that never cease feeding.

'Skinwalkers attacking the village, how intriguing,' Zephyr mused, scratching his chin. 'But given the way Grema described them, and considering all these men are armed with Minor level weapons and yet survive, the skinwalkers must be at a Minor level or on the verge of advancing to the next.' He pondered the mystery of the destroyed wall.

As they passed the once-breached wall, now sealed with earth, Zephyr paused to study it before realization dawned on him.

"The wall has been breached from the inside, which means someone or something inside broke through it," Zephyr announced, prompting everyone to halt. Grema approached for a closer look, grasping Zephyr's implication.

"That could mean there's a supernatural entity among us," Zephyr declared with a smirk, finding the situation increasingly fascinating. He had deliberately shared his discovery with the group, as part of his plan to draw out the supernaturals hiding within.

Upon Zephyr's revelation, Grema swiftly notified the others and arranged for a few individuals to escort their guest to accommodations, as dusk was approaching. He deferred their meeting to the following morning, anticipating the arrival of others from different academies. Grema intended to convene a meeting with all the champions once they had gathered.

Zephyr and his teammates were led to a massive building, distinct from the wooden houses, as it was entirely constructed of concrete and adorned with elegance. It featured light yet sturdy glass windows and was painted in a harmonious blend of brown and blue. Upon entering, they were greeted by a reception area and a lounge for relaxation. The structure was an inn, and with the aid of two individuals sent by Grema, they checked in with ease. Their luggage was minimal, the most notable item being a bag provided to Zephyr by the Quest building's receptionist.

Contained within the bag were supplies and a device designed to aid them in their missions in various ways, with Browny assuming responsibility for it.

They were shown to their rooms—one for the girls and another for the boys. It was an unusual arrangement for them to share the same space. The rooms were sparsely furnished, each with two beds and ample room. An additional bed was placed in the boys' room to accommodate the trio.

*****

Authors note: Sorry for the late updates, I have been unwell for the pass few days. But I'm back and ready to give you all the greatest experience of my novel. Keep supporting with Gifts and Golden tickets and I'll release more, thank you!!