Chapter 18: 18 Change Of Plans
"Can't you be any faster!? We have been waiting." Ben could hear Flash's voice booming from a distance away from him as he came closer.
"Sorry guys, wasn't done packing." Ben said holding his been over his shoulder.
"Let's start moving." Flash no longer cared about Ben and started walking.
According to the map given to every group captain they would have to go to the eastern side of the Yellow Bone mountain all together. It is said that the majority of the demon creature at the eastern side of the Yellow Bone mountain area mostly E and F rank demon creatures and fierce beast. If one was lucky they might encounter a B or C rank demon creature and fierce beast in the inner most part which sometimes comes out to hunt weaker prey. While A rank beasts can only be counted in one hand. you wouldn't dare go as much as 200 metres near it, that would also depends if you were alive to say so yourself.
"Hey dude, we'll be out for two weeks, why do you have so little things? aren't you afraid you'd starve to death?" Jeremy nudged Ben and asked.
"It's not enough? This is all I can carry." Ben showed Jeremy his bag that contained a few clothes, jerky and even books.
Jeremy's eyes almost popped out when his eyes landed on the books. "Books?!?!" Jeremy couldn't help but shout.
Everyone heard the conversation between the two yet paid no care to it. However, things changed when they heard Ben brought book along, they couldn't help but laughed.
"Aren't there going to be resources along the way?" Ben was completely clueless about such things and blurted out.
Giving out a soft sigh Jeremy explained. "Ben, this isn't some hiking or sightseeing, you see every single person here, they are all fighting for those resources, including me. So what makes you think you'll have enough to get you going for the whole day? Although we aren't fighting against each other, the rules are whoever contributes the most will have, let's say, an extra jerky on their plate and where do you think those extra Jerkys come from?" looking at Ben with a wide smile showing how proud he is about having so much info. "It is reduced from those who did almost nothing. Anyway we don't receive the first batch until the sixth day, that's why you should have brought more food."
Ben looked surprised but not worried so he went ahead and asked. "Can't we go hunting?" This time even those who refused to laugh earlier couldn't hold it any longer and bursted out loud.
"Why is he even here? Hahaha"
"He's gonna die within the first two days. Hahaha"
"Oh dear, really hilarious."
Almost everyone were crying out of laughter all except Mia and the few training instructor who were leading them.
"And what's wrong hunting?" Mia for the first time which shut those laughing.
"Mia, we're going to stay in the forest to kill demon creatures and fierce beast as fighters, warriors, as elemental swordsmen and not some meat hunters. C'mon guys we need to be in the woods before we set off, the Black Bear Hunter squad and the training instructors will be there with the others." saying that they all continued onward.
Up front in an open square a group of men were already waiting for them. When all the students gathered here they were instructed to stand nearly in their groups in rows and column. It looked like a battle formation with the students as soldiers ready for war. About thirty minutes have passed yet the hunters arranged to be their guide hadn't arrived. The students started getting restless and tired from standing for so long. From the left side of the forest bushes began to rustle as many shadowy figures bigger than a normal sized human could be seen. This could only mean one thing, fierce beasts. A few students were already on the verge of fainting but hanged on to at least see what will eat their remains.
A lot of the students had started shaking uncontrollably while holding their swords ready to fight whatever comes out of the bushes. At least they'll try their best. In Ben's group even Flash couldn't hide his fear, he did manage not to shake like the others though. Mia on the other hand was calm on the surface yet her eyes kept veering left and right in anxiety, Ben knew her heart beat has accelerated by a lot because of fear. Jeremy however was about to pee in his pants.
Ben wasn't afraid of what was hiding in the bushes. Since he has Lucy with him it immediately performed a scan of their surrounding and was able to tell what those figures were. They are just humans with animal fur making them look like huge creatures.
"Come out brothers! No need to make them shut their pants." A loud voice boomed almost hurting the ears of those closest to the bushes. Eight to nine men came out from behind the bushes.
The Williams mansion head training instructor walked with big strides as he approached the man that looks like the groups leader. "Captain Marko, glad you could join us today. I know you must be extremely busy so I decided to come myself to... "
"If you knew I was busy, why then did you invite me here? To watch some bunch of spoilt brats okay with their swords..." Captain Marko flared up in anger as he spoke to the training instructor.
"We've discussed about this already..." Head training instructor tried to calm the situation down but was still cut off.
"Discuss my ass. so that's what you meant? Well let me burst your bubbles kids," Captain Marko said facing the students. "Your elders had, how do I say this, bribed us to protect you little brats. Scared that you may get killed, great if the unknown, blah blah blah." Hearing the harsh words of the captain a collective gasp came from the students.
"They are still sending you to the outer walls for your so called elemental swordsmanship training, but here's the bad news kids, we quit." He turned back to face head instructor, " Just a piece of advice, if you're students can't survive or make any use of their skills you better stop killing all those old folks, instructor Han."
This time training instructor Han was angered too, to the extent his beard was shaking. He had never been so insulted from anyone throughout his training career, not even from Lord Williams much less hunters.
"Captain Marko, you have insulted me and my students at our faces and my training is nothing you could compare with. I do accept they do not have the experience like you old hags, but they have more potential than any of you will ever have." Instructor Han was incredibly vexed as he poured his anger on the Hunter who turned their back in their previous arrangement.
"Oh, so you mean you say they are capable huh?" In the next instance his expression flipped like a book. Turning to the students with bright eyes "I am made to understand that you are all the most outstanding young prodigies of the Lord's mansion, and I'd like to believe you possess the required strength to pass the Practical Examination this time. Thus, the Practicals this time will be extremely easy," Captain Marko said harmlessly. The youths gasp in amazement hearing this wonderful new development "I just received a quest, and the difficulty is of the lowest level. There's about 60 elemental swordsmen and women in total from the school right? How about this, if any of the teams, or individual amongst you 60 people are able to complete this quest, then you will pass the entire Practical exam,"
Before Captain Marko could finish his sentence, an uproar occurred within the crowd. The ones most excited were naturally the sixty something students. They had heard their senior mention the matters regarding Practicals. All they needed to do is to waste time in the forest and not provoke the instructors or the beasts found, and they'll basically pass. If you performed well, you could get a B, and an A wouldn't be much of a problem. However, they'd never heard of something like clearing a quest?
Quest? Aren't these the special missions undertaken by the full-grown hunter squads that are looking for the high reward! Ben thought for a while.
"Okay listen up, listen up." He continued pacifying the excited youths. " This is the quest. There are three servant class Spirit Colossal Rat found in this mountain, if any of you can get me the eyes of a spirit colossal rat then I'll gift him or her with a seventh base skill sword from blacksmith master Blaq. What do you say?" Captain Marko knew that these demon creatures was easy to deal with however they are known to be very tricky and cunning. To him it would be a miracle if any of these students are brave enough to stand up to an F rank Blood Deer I'd they see one.
"Boss, why not give us the quest? I bet we can do this faster than these kids."
"These kids will all surely die boss. just give us the job boss"
What is the meaning is this? Hadn't they already bribed the Hunters? Why then this sudden change. The teachers were at a loss for words, this is going to be the first time something like this will ever happen. And furthermore, there's also a reward for completing the quest.
The nine Hunters begged to be given the quest to complete. Being swordsmen and one of them being a swordswoman, having a seventh base skill sword will allow them to strengthen their offence and defence both. The risk really isn't that big, but since non of the students have seen a fierce beast much less a demon creature before, to them this mission is almost impossible. Unless a miracle was to happen. The students were given the mission whether they liked it or not. It was a programme that can not be cancelled no matter what. The students weren't given any map or any other info. Since they were taught everything they should be able to use that knowledge to defend themselves in the wild, so captain Marko thought.
After reassuring the students that they would find out the reason for their change of plans, instructor Han and other training instructors were further not allow to follow the students into the forest to join them in the quest. Instructor Han was was so red from anger they were starting to wonder if it was healthy for the old man. He had considered fighting off the Hunters to join the students, if he did the other instructors will be at a disadvantageous position because of their number.
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