Chapter 228: What Does It Feel Like 2

"Man, I could get used to this. Imagine how much easier it is to keep stuff around now? No wonder Drake has a metric ton worth of stuff he can take out," Landin chuckled, playing with putting things in and out of his inventory. His despondent expression from before replaced with a kind of curiosity and joy Charlotte hadn't seen before.

After the group had met back up with Sah Ul' at the gate. Drake had spent no time in summoning elementals to grab the school buses that they used before to get to the settlement a few weeks ago.

Atropos and Clotho hissed at the yellow tubes with wheels, and Quetz had fluttered behind Drake instantly when they showed up, her feathers puffing up slightly.

But now they were on the buses after some explaining. Everyone sitting in different seats spread out inside the bus.

"It is pretty convenient," Charlotte agreed, pulling out different items Drake had given to them.

She pulled a set of F-Grade potions, placed them away, and then did the same with her rations, water jug, and finally the handful of F-Grade Coins that shone with a weird brilliance.

But her mind kept going back to what Drake had talked about before they left.

He had told them that he would not be helping them while they were leveling from 1 to 10. Outside of special situations where a monster outside their realm of ability appeared. They were on their own.

Sah Ul' and Drake sat at the front, talking back and forth with each other as the Elementals barreled through the snow-covered forest in the direction of Drake's family.

I wish he would talk to us more like he used to… It seems like he's just ignoring us more and more, or being cold. Charlotte lamented, poking at the seat in front of her with her pointer finger.

"Worried?" Landin asked across from her.

"Huh? Oh, I guess I kind of am. I knew it was going to happen eventually," she answered making circles against the faux leather seat, "But now that it is? It feels pretty surreal. I mean we can make stuff appear and disappear at will," she said doing just that with a potion vial.

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing… I mean, it's only natural right? After all the stuff we've seen the magic and skills we're going to use are gonna be even crazier," Landin said quickly trying to cover up his eagerness.

"You're pretty into this stuff, huh? You said you were an old soul when we met but you give off a similar vibe of Drake you know?"

"What? No…" Landin said nervously scratching his cheek, "I like old stuff. Blues, Jazz, Classic Rock… Final Fantasy," he listed slipping in something Charlotte had never heard of.

"It's nice that you have something you like," she replied, "I was just kind of going through life, taking care of my brother while our parents went away on work all the time."

Landin looked at her curiously.

"What?" she asked.

"You've never really talked about it. Your family that is. You said it was the reason you wanted to get stronger."

Landin's eyes looked at her, scanning her expression. Charlotte could feel him burrowing into her for some reason like he wanted more than just the answer to his question.

"Y-yeah. Brodie is the only person I have left. Well, I guess I have all of you guys now and Janey. I love Janey, she's a peach," Charlotte grinned thinking of the girl back at the town.

"I've had friends. But… Is family really that important…?" he said trailing off, a sullen look on his face as his head turned downwards the top of it pressed against the seat in front of him.

Charlotte felt a pang of concern looking at him and his abrupt change in demeanor, but Drake stopped the bus suddenly before she could ask.

"Alright trouble makers, this is our stop!" Drake shouted to the bus.

"There is nothing here, Lord Drake," Atropos answered back, her head swiveling as if she was scanning the area even with her eyes closed.

Drake pointed back at her, "That is true, but this is also close to the town Sah Ul' and I had visited previously. The monsters in the area are well below level 10 and this is where you will all start," he explained, "Now off the bus into the cold. I am going to give you all a rundown of what is going to happen."

Without another word he walked off, followed by Sah Ul'.

The group of teens hesitated for only a moment. Atropos and Clotho the first ones off the bus, followed by Quetz, Kalik Tu', Lanin, and finally Charlotte.

The cold air hit her with a chill as she rubbed her arms a smokey white breath leaving her mouth.

"And…. you're all already dead," Drake said, pointing a finger at them from behind.

"Huh?" Charlotte yelped lurching forward as she was pushed from behind.

"First lesson. There is always going to be something that wants to kill you. Or someone," Drake said coldly, letting his aura out in a haze around the area.

The group shuddered back, but they knew he had held back significantly.

"This is the wild and you are all going to go through the same sort of desperate struggle we did in the tutorial. You must always be alert, day and night, 24/7," he explained.

"D-didn't you say you were going to help us?" Landin asked through chattering teeth.

"I did. And I am. I've been apprehensive about this but like I said… You are no longer children in my eyes," Drake said with icy vindication, "You three will be tested, brought to the end of a rope again and again. It's the only way for you to experience the reality of this world. If I just carried you through it, sure you would be strong with stats and levels but it would be empty. You would have no substance behind the stats and I'm sure you would lose to anyone of equal or slightly even lower stats."

Charlotte still shivered feeling the oppressive aura from so close and directed right at her, which had warped and shattered her image of Drake in an instant.

The nice, caring, doting man who had always made sure they were safe and comfortable, was replaced by a towering statue of both utter power and violence.

Just what did he go through in his tutorial to get like that? I'm not sure if I can do this… She stammered in her mind.

"While you are going through the initial levels you will only have yourself and the other three to rely on. Sah Ul' and I will not step in to save you. We will only be here in case something unexpected happens," Drake explained, "You have your weapons, armor, and a set of potions. Once you have all hit level 5 we will move on to the next area and start working on titles you haven't gotten so far. Atropos and Clotho will also stay with us since they've hit their first-class upgrade already. Now get to it, you have five days to reach level 10, and the clock starts now," Drake said pointing with his chin.

The sound of crunching snow alerted the group to something coming out behind a tree in the distance. What emerged was an oversized minx, its white coat and red eyes the same as it was before the world was integrated.

Charlotte's heart skipped a beat all the same. Seeing a monster this close immediately made her palms sweat and her head go foggy in fear. The full visage of the monster walked out from behind the tree its head finally turning to them.

Her body froze as the monster hissed at them baring its fangs. Charlotte immediately turned reaching for where Drake was, however, he was nowhere to be found. Drake, Sah Ul', Clotho, and Atropos were nowhere to be found. Only Landin, Quetz, and Kalik remained.

While Landin looked just as bad as she felt, Quetz looked even worse. Her feathers had gone a ghostly white, expressing just how frightened the avian was.

The only one to move was Kalik Tu'. With lightning-fast reflexes, he took one of the bearded axes from his side, throwing it forward at the monster.

The axe cut deftly through the air like a man on a mission as it hit the monster in its side, embedding the blade deeply as it shrieked in pain.

Kalik was quick to follow up, already having sprinted forward without hesitation after throwing the weapon, his other ax beginning to glow red as he shouted something.

Jumping into the air and holding the weapon with both hands he brought it down unrelentingly on the monster's head, a spout of red liquid bursting out of the wound.

But the monster wasn't just giving up. The blow was apparently not enough to kill the monster and it swiped its large claws at Kalik's chest.

Charlotte looked at the fight with batted breath as Kalik tumbled away in the snow, dodging the first swipe only to be slammed in the side by the tail of the monster, throwing him back and into the side of a tree.

She moved to shout something, but nothing came out of her mouth. Her body was shivering not from the cold but from fear of the monster, fear of getting hurt like Kalik just had.

Was this all the conviction she had? She had watched Drake slay monsters left and right like it was nothing, not even batting an eye as he killed them. She hadn't appreciated it before.

Drake's ability to one-sidedly put down any beast or opponent with sheer power had escaped her. It was never in perspective.

Her mouth had gone dry as she tried to swallow nervously. The minx walking sluggishly up to where Kalik had fallen, the monster's wound obviously affecting it.

Her body still refused to move as it fought against her. Her legs shook, vehemently rejecting the command to run forward.

Was this all she could do?

Charlotte's head swivled trying to find Drake and the others once more.

They weren't really going to just let us die right? She thought desperately. He's going to swoop in like always, he's going to save us right?

Her hopes were dashed right away. In her apprehension like the others, the minx had reached Kalik, who was barely able to get up in time.

The monster lunged forward, its mouth opening up wide enough to get around part of the tree trunk and Kalik's torso. But Kalik was quick enough to raise his remaining ax, the blade stopping one side of the monster's jaw from biting into him as he grunted in pain against it.

"T-they aren't coming…" Charlotte mumbled under her breath as the realization finally began to sink in, "W-we have to do something," she said in a soft voice, then shouted, "We have to do something! Landin use your heal!"

Charlotte began barking at the other two desperately. She knew Quetz couldn't understand her but she hoped her words would help the avian reach an understanding of the situation, "Quetz try to wound it more with your arrows from a distance!"

Finally, Charlotte tensed, her hands gripping her spear.

She was still scared. Scared beyond reason. But someone, someone she knew was about to die right in front of her. And she couldn't let it happen. What if it was her mom, her dad, what if it was Brodie? Would she just sit there and let fear grip her, force her into an immobile statue while something or someone took their life?

Charlotte had to act.

She roared as loud as her voice would allow, ripping from the grips of her fear as she rushed forward. With long hurried steps she scrambled toward the monster, her spear pulled back ready to thrust.

The minx's eyes snapped to her but it was too late. Her spear could reach it.

"Power through force! Heavy Blow!!"

Charlotte thrusted with all the strength she could muster as she felt the tip pierce the flesh of the minx. The feeling of it disgusted her as the serrated end dug deeper, the minx struggling against it, worming under the spearhead.

She cried out in primal fury, her mind going blank. Ripping the tip from the wound she pulled back, and thrusted again.

The minx howled in pain, its mouth releasing Kalik. But the monster flailed in agony, its claw arcing around as it caught Charlotte in the arm.

Pain.

That's all she could think of, feel, and imagine as her eyes finally focused, the red snow centering in her vision.

She screamed in pain clutching at her arm, but she quickly remembered they were in a fight and she desperately searched for her spear.

What she found was a green hand upturned in front of her, offering to help her up.

She looked up to see Kalik, painted in red blood a begrudging expression on his face that was only enhanced by the spatters of red and his tusks poking from his mouth.

He grunted something and pointed with his chin.

She followed it. And what she saw was the dead minx in a pool of red.

They had won.

[You have assisted in the subjugation of Mana Minx Level 3] [Experience earned]

[Congragulations! You are now Warrior Level 2] [14 Free Stats have been awarded]