Chapter 10  : Chapter 2.3 - Beginning

When it came to such things, the first thing one needed to do was to leave the Academy, but at the same time, one also needed to be prepared.

'Nothing in this world is free.' I thought to myself while preparing myself for the night.

Since today was Friday, I was free to do whatever I wanted.

Grabbing the dagger I had used in the academy and preparing my bag, I left my room. The sun had already set, as the roads of the academy were empty.

Now, to speak about where the academy has located, we need to look at the history of this world.

As most of you know, the setting of Hunter Theme was a pretty popular novel theme. Suddenly gates appeared all around the world, mana and otherworldly invaded our world, etc.

The game followed the same setting.

Five hundred years ago, on the day of Nexus Convergence, the barriers blocking the dimensions from merging were lifted, resulting in the spatial connections forming between different dimensions.

It was on that day the fate of the planet of Elysiuma changed. Mana was introduced to the world, and following that, Elves, Orcs, Demi-humans, and Humans from other worlds invaded our world.

At first, humanity was weak, as our world had not contained any type of mana at all. Thus they were easily pushed back by the strong invaders. The humans from other worlds were not friendly either, as they had their own religion and race.

However, what is the best thing we humans are at?

It is adaptation and evolving.

As the days passed, in times of crisis, humanity advanced at a rapid pace. The technology was developed, the mana entered our genes, and most importantly, we got control of the part of our planet back.

Well, that was until demons started invading our world in the last hundred years. With the appearance of the demons, all the races of the world had a common enemy.

A race that destroyed the worlds of other races was now after the world of Elysium. That was the basic setting of the game.

And the term Hunter meant one simple thing. It symbolizes the awakened people that would stand their guard against monsters, demons, and other races. In the beginning, they were called adventurers or heroes, but as time went on, rather than becoming people that saved others, they became people that looked for their own profit.

Therefore, the name hunter was found more eligible by the hunter association.

In any case, on the first day of mana's appearance, Nexus Convergence, humanity fell into crisis. Thus, they had formed a once simple alliance.

An alliance founded by the legendary Hero, Valerion, thus getting the name of Valerion Federation, with Arcadia City being the capital of the Federation and the capital of the strongest state.

And the Arcadia Hunter Academy was the academy that belonged to such a city. In the midst of the human federation, Arcadia Hunter Academy was one of the most prestigious Hunter academies in the human alliance.

It occupied quite a huge amount of land in the midst of the city, which would be enough to call a whole district.

It contained training facilities, artificial dungeons, infinite dungeons for resources, research institutes, and many others. Therefore, it took me quite a long time to reach the academy gates. Because it was evening, not many people would leave the academy, and since everyone here was basically superhuman, the academy encouraged them to run.

Though that wasn't the case for me, since my body was pretty weak and my stamina was low, I didn't have any strength to spare for running.

As I reached the gates of the Arcadia Hunter Academy, the gatekeeper, a stern-looking man with a badge bearing the academy's emblem, approached me. "Identity." And asked.

"Here." After showing him my identity, I waited for his response.

Scanning it, the gatekeeper nodded his head. "As you know, you must ensure your return to the academy within a reasonable timeframe. Stay vigilant and be cautious of the dangers that may lie outside." With the same stern face, he spoke.

"Yes."

Just like that, I left the academy grounds, heading towards the train station that would take me to the place where I needed to be.

Since the academy was in the midst of the city, the train station was pretty close to the entrance. Thus it didn't take me too long to get there.

Of course, there are teleportation gates in this world, but considering my balance, that was not pretty economical for now since I had only 1000 Valer at my disposal. And the train service was free for all of the students in the academy.

Valer is the currency of the human union, and I hope I don't need to tell where the name came from.

Reaching the train station, I showed the officer that was waiting at his desk my school identity.

"Ho… You are the students of Arcadia Academy, huh? You may proceed, young hunter. Safe travels." With a respectful bow, he made way for me as I walked towards the train station that would take me to my destination, Griphis City. You could see the respect shown to the students of the Academy since that meant they were hunters and superhumans in other people's eyes.

Sitting on the train, most of the seats were empty, both because it was pretty late at night and my destination was not a famous place.

Griphis City was one of the cities that didn't have much to offer. It was not a borderline city. Thus it was not filled with military forces; it was not a metropolis or academic city filled with people.

It was just a normal city. So, the seats were mostly empty, which I am rather grateful for since I don't like being in crowded places.

"The train will start moving in five seconds." As the sound of a beautiful bot robotic voice entered my ears, I started recounting the things I needed to do while waiting….

*****

As the train arrived at Griphis City, I stepped off onto the platform.

Griphis City, though not a prominent city, had its own unique charm. It had a modest skyline, with buildings of varying heights lining the streets. The cityscape was adorned with small parks, quaint cafes, and local shops.

The atmosphere felt calm and peaceful, with a hint of simplicity. People moved about their daily lives, going about their business with a sense of contentment.

It was a place where time seemed to move at a relaxed pace, offering a respite from the hustle and bustle of larger cities. Even though it was pretty late at night, the city was still buzzing with life.

But none of that mattered to me as I made my way toward my route.

The Vitalium Essence was located in the midst of the forest belonging to Griphis City.

Since it was an easter egg, it wasn't something that required combat to grab. However, acquiring it would be very hard for any type of person in this world.

Unlike many coveted treasures, it did not require combat or physical prowess to obtain. Instead, its difficulty lay in a series of intricate illusions that guarded its location. The Vitalium Essence is the essence of a very special evolved tree that had a special characteristic. It can release substances into the air, which would make people see illusions when they get closer to the tree, resulting in them not being able to reach the tree at all, no matter how strong or fast they are.

However, of course, as a person who knew this beforehand, I was actually prepared for this case. First, grabbing a simple potion to enhance the senses of my body, I gulped it in one go.

/FLINCH/

Making me flinch from the moment I gulped the potion since the wind blowing made me feel cold.

However, that was a necessary process since the next thing I was going to do was pretty dangerous.

Taking a deep breath, I bound a blindfold tightly around my eyes. By eliminating my reliance on sight, I aimed to nullify the effects of the illusions that would deceive me.

'With this, we can start now.' I thought to myself, feeling the fabric touching my eyes. It was slightly uncomfortable, thanks to my enhanced senses, but I ignored it and went on.

/HOWL/ / HOWL/

With the blindfold tightly secured around my eyes, I relied on my heightened senses to navigate the treacherous forest.

Every step sent vibrations through the ground, providing valuable feedback on the terrain beneath me.

I could feel the texture of the soil beneath my boots, discerning between soft earth and the occasional protrusion of a tree root. It was a delicate dance as I adjusted my stride to maintain balance and stability.

As I ventured deeper into the forest, the air carried an array of scents that painted a vivid picture of my surroundings.

The aroma of damp earth mingled with the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers while the crisp scent of pine needles whispered of the nearby coniferous trees. These olfactory cues served as markers, helping me chart a course through the labyrinth of illusions.

/RUSTLE/ /RUSTLE/ /WHISTLE/

In the absence of sight, my hearing sharpened to detect even the slightest sound.

The gentle rustling of leaves overhead guided me through the dense foliage, providing hints of the wind's direction. I listened intently, attuned to any irregularities in the natural rhythm, alert for potential dangers or disturbances. 'I am pretty close.' I thought.

My knowledge from the game proved invaluable during this sensory ordeal. I recalled snippets of information gathered from fellow players and hidden in the depths of my memory; in a way, even on Earth, I was someone that liked to pay attention to the little details.

However, my memory of hearing was still lacking behind my optical memory. Thus, I still had a hard time getting there.

As I persevered through the illusions, my steps guided by instinct and knowledge, a faint smell entered my nose. An incredibly disgusting smell it was.

'Just as the description.' I thought. In the game, whenever you came closer to the tree, your character would respond, saying how foul this stench was.

And then, as if emerging from a dream, I stood before a tree.

Its branches stretched toward the heavens, adorned with delicate leaves that glowed with an ethereal luminescence. The air around the tree seemed to hum with an ancient power, filling me with a sense of awe and reverence.

It was the tree that housed the Vitalium Essence since I was finally able to see the shimmering aura inside the tree.

With a steady hand, I reached out, feeling the rough texture of the bark beneath my fingertips as the essence flew through my body, filling it with energy…..