Caution

"I need you both to be prepared for everything, all right? Even though we have a plan in mind, we may have to improvise once we get there because we can't account for anything. Anything can always happen, so be ready."

Taking the role of leader, Liu Kai gave warnings and precautions to his comrades. They need to be easy to obey orders, and if appropriate, adjustments need to be made on the run.

Expecting to feel uneasy because Liu Kai has no history of becoming a leader, they felt a sense of ease, but they didn't know why. Maybe it was because they didn't have to do it independently or because Liu Kai was excellent at leading them as he taught them breathing methods. Whatever it was, Chow and Sergio nodded to embrace his orders.

Knowing all of their backgrounds, Liu Kai has been watching either Jin or Sergio for the last two weeks to understand them better and analyze their conditions.

'Chow, I'm sure the last thing he'd like to do is witness his friends die and be left all alone. He was likely traumatized by what happened, and he developed a sort of autophobia that made him feel that he might be left alone. Those kinds of people need someone they can depend on and support them.'

'I can sense that if anyone is at risk, Chow would do something about it, even though it means risking his own life. He put himself in unnecessary danger the time when we fought the Giant Wasp and was a tremendous support. It was all conjecture before, but now I'm sure after what happened during that fight. "Liu Kai thought as it reminded him of that day.

As they headed toward their objective, Liu Kai simulated in his head. With the power that 'Berserk' would give him now, he really felt that he could fight with those controlled humans, the larvae and the giant wasp, all by himself.

'Sergio, on the other hand, is stupidly arrogant, but his mind is really straightforward. He's not sure how things work or what the meaning of everything is, but he knows a thing or two about what he really believes in, and he uses his intuition in almost everything, including when and who to trust.

They might forget the plan once everything starts since based on their personality, it may affect their actions. That's why Liu Kai was thinking of countermeasures for them not to be swayed by their emotions.

However, Liu Kai's greatest concern is himself. He pondered the full potential and effects of 'Berserk' when it's activated.

'What if his health drops below 10%? Or even worse, what would happen if it drops to 1%? Will I still be able to control that kind of power or will it have control over me?' Fear whiffed through Liu Kai's mind as he thought of himself being in a frenzied state, not knowing friend from foe. Charging head-on into battles decimating everything in his path… but he suddenly remembered something.

"I have Alter!" he voiced his thoughts unknowingly.

While still running at incredible speeds, the two beside him glanced over to ask what he said because they couldn't hear him due to the air swooshing past them.

"What did you say!?"

"It's nothing!" He shouted as he signaled them to keep moving forward.

'I never recall being in a crazed state when I'm in berserk, but I do get more excited while on battles when it's activated, and I somehow feel joy and satisfaction from the gore. Especially when I was torturing and playing around with that giant wasp, like a psychopath, so does that mean it's not a side effect or a debuff since the Alter skill didn't activate?'

'In the past two weeks of training where Berserk is activated, I've always felt that kind of rush in my head, and I've never been able to suppress it. I haven't given it much thought since I was still fully aware of my surroundings, and I could still think straight. Maybe I'm just overthinking things, but it's still scary to think about.'

This was the first time Liu Kai took a lot of things into consideration. Unlike before, where he just charged and confidently knew that he would win because of his skills, now that they are talking about multiple S-Rated Monsters, the chances of survival are slim.

He doesn't know if he can win against one S-Rated Bug even with all of his skills and the fact that the battlefield is on the water gave them more of a disadvantage.

No second chances, that's what he learned from the experience of the two knights with him. He doesn't want to repeat the same mistake. Their life depended on this mission.

Just like what happened to Sergio Von Croy, they can't go back as failures or the Monarchy will cast them aside. Liu Kai doesn't want to see that happen.

They could have just trained and investigated a little more, but they were also pressed for time. After two months, the Monarchy will assign new knights to handle the job, whether they return or not. They're really unreasonable people.

"Let's camp here for the night," Sergio said as all three of them came to a stop and set up camp on flat surfaces for the night.

After setting up camp, Liu Kai asked Sergio. "Sergio, how long will it take for us to get there if we move at our usual pace?"

Sergio Von Croy traveled for five days to reach the end of Fang Shi. He needed to move carefully to avoid dangers and since he was alone it was more difficult.

"I'd say about… two more days maybe? If we move fast enough." He replied.

"Okay. Let's get some rest then. We move at first light." Liu Kai said as he glanced over at Chow to see if he agreed. They both nodded in acknowledgment.

On their first day, they traveled faster than what they were expecting. They didn't encounter any S-Rated Monsters and because of their breathing techniques, they didn't need to stop and rest that much only to replenish and eat.

They packed up and left as soon as the sun came up. Their second day was different, Giant Water Striders were seen in numerous locations and it limited their movement since there were only a few buildings that could act as footholds.

"This is where we need to be extra cautious." Liu Kai said while they were moving on top of some random abandoned buildings.

Jin Chow and Sergio Von Croy nodded and sharpened their senses even more. Their 'Perception' was working almost every second unlike when they first landed in Fang Shi. It's helping them avoid unnecessary danger.

There were giant water lilies that were floating in the water but they abstained from using them since it might alert the giant water striders lurking around.