"Oh boy…are we really going to do this?"
Beside me, Dong Fang Yue Chu fidgeted anxiously as he glanced outside the bus window. We were just about to leave the highway and enter wilderness. Only a single road served as a sole reminder that human civilization existed at all.
"Training in Sen Lin Forest? Does Instructor Feng Hai want us dead or something?!"
"If he wanted us dead, he has many other ways to kill us. He wouldn't bother to send us all the way to Sen Lin Forest."
"I can't believe you're still so calm!" Dong Fang Yue Chu exclaimed, banging his fist against the cushioned armrest. "We are going to train in Sen Lin Forest, you know?! Sen Lin Forest!"
"I heard you the first time. Actually, we already heard that from Instructor Feng Hai." I sighed and sank back in my seat. Fortunately, the other students aboard the bus were chattering pretty nosily. For example, Alicia and Miranda were chatting at the front, discussing something regarding Black Roses. I was slightly disappointed to see that Troy was still absent.
On the other hand, I wasn't sure how to face Alicia after our duel. We hadn't met much after the uh, kiss she gave me. It wasn't as if I was deliberately avoiding her. We just didn't have many chances to meet after that.
Still, it was uncomfortable being the center of attention, with all the other students in the academy giving me curious or envious gazes. Alicia's fan club, in particular, was more obnoxious than ever, trying to harass or challenge me. Challenges, I was happy with, but getting yelled or cursed at in the corridor was not exactly a pleasant experience.
Alicia had only given me one glance. I waved at her somewhat timidly, and she returned the greeting with a smile before turning back to discuss with Miranda. After that, we never made any eye contact again.
Even I wasn't sure what exactly our relationship was right now. Were we officially going out? Was she just playing around with me? Nah, Alicia wasn't that type of person. But it felt unbelievable that someone as godly as her would deign to socialize with me, never mind be in a romantic relationship with the likes of me.
"What should we do? Run away?"
Dong Fang Yue Chu's wheedling brought me brought me back to the present, and I glared at him, annoyed.
"Why the hell should we run away? It's just a training camp. Man up, will you?"
"But it's Sen Lin Forest!" Dong Fang Yue Chu cried. "Why aren't you afraid?"
"Why should I be afraid?" I snorted derisively. "Just because there are monsters in Sen Lin Forest? Because Sen Lin Forest is a hotspot for Emergence events? Because the hunter squads who go there to exterminate monsters has the highest death tolls? Don't worry. Instructor Feng Hai doesn't strike me as the reckless and irresponsible sort. He'll definitely keep us safe. He might crush us hard during training, but I guarantee you he'll bring us all back alive."
"That's right!" Adam growled from somewhere behind us. "Quit your whining, Dong Fang Yue Chu! The only reason you're here is because you took the spot meant for Vice-president Lin Zhan Long! If you really don't want to be here, then get lost! Return the slot to Zhan Long!"
"I have half a mind to…"
"Dude…" I glared at Dong Fang Yue Chu in disgust. "Why did you even enroll in Jing Tian Magic Academy to become a mage for in the first place? Isn't it to become a combat mage and exterminate monsters? Why are you getting cold feet now?"
"Uh…no? I just heard that combat mages get paid a lot, so I…" Dong Fang Yue Chu scratched his head sheepishly. I gaped at him. Adam snorted with laughter, but from the awkward silence emanating from other students around us, it seemed that Dong Fang Yue Chu wasn't alone in his sentiment.
Seriously? You guys planned to join the mage corps just for the money? Without considering the risks and threats to your lives when you work as a combat mage?
"Pathetic…" Adam shook his head. "The only Ultimate Outcast worthy of respect is Richard. The rest of you are just spineless cowards."
Dong Fang Yue Chu chuckled, not at all offended. "That's true. But you know what they say. Cowards tend to live longer than heroes."
I buried my face in my palm, exasperated. "If you really worry about your life, then why even bother becoming a combat mage at all?"
"Um…you never know when an Emergence event might happen. Sometimes it happens inside a city, you know? Better to be prepared when that happens. Then I can protect myself with magic."
Wow, that was indeed practical. However…
"If that's the case, then you should appreciate this training camp even more. It's the only time you get to earn experience fighting monsters under a safe, controlled environment."
"Richard is correct."
To my surprise, it was Harrison Reed who spoke up. He smiled at me faintly and nodded.
"Speaking of which, Richard, your performance last week was impressive. You really took the academy by storm. Congratulations, and welcome to this training camp."
"Thank you, President Harrison," I replied politely, but inwardly I was caught off guard. I was aware of Harrison's reputation as a gentleman, but I never expected him to directly congratulate me.
"Ha ha ha!" a girlish giggle came from the back of the bus. All of us turned around and caught sight of a gorgeous girl with long, blue hair and wide hips.
I immediately recognized her as Pearl Pang, the president of Super Power Society, the third great society in Jing Tian Magic Academy. She was one of the uh…superpowers in our school, also ranking among the top ten. From what I remembered, she was more of a healer than a combatant, though. Since healing magic was prized highly among mages, Pearl was a very valuable asset not just in her society but the whole academy.
"My goodness. President Harrison is such a magnanimous person. You do realize that Ultimate Outcasts qualified for this training camp by defeating your Holy Saints, right? If it had been me, there's no way I would be able to say such fake words."
"I don't mean to be fake," Harrison replied with a smile. There were sparks between the two, and I couldn't help but glance from one president to the other. Maybe they had some history between them. Harrison expressed no hostility, however, and remained good-natured. "The objective of this training camp is to select the most skilled and strongest candidates from our school to be our representatives. Since Ultimate Outcast was able to defeat Vice-president Lin Zhan Long and his team, they have proven that they are stronger than him. Richard even defeated Alicia, who's ranked among the top ten. Dong Fang Yue Chu also defeated Lily Liam, who's also ranked among the top ten. Don't you think this is a good thing that the two of them are given a chance to be among our representatives? They will encourage competition amongst themselves, at the very least."
"That may be true," Pearl conceded, but then she snickered. "But out of all of them, only Lin Zhan Long lost his slot and was forced to drop out of the training camp. As you can see, both Alicia and Lily are still here even though they lost."
Lily gave her a sharp glare from opposite the aisle, and Pearl sent her an apologetic gaze and shrug.
"I'm sure Vice-president Lin Zhan Long resents having his slot taken and given away," Harrison admitted, his smile widening. "But I personally agree with Instructor Feng Hai's decision to oust him from the training camp. Vice-president Lin Zhan Long has become complacent and slacked off on his training over the past two years. He may be overly ambitious, but over the last two years, he has become more concerned with playing with politics than actually improving his magic. I hope this defeat will help him tone down his arrogance and encourage him to be more diligent. I actually am grateful to Ultimate Outcast for bringing him back down to earth and reminding him the consequences of letting his guard down and underestimating his opponents."
I wasn't sure if Harrison Reed was putting on a show and delivering a well-crafted speech that was the complete opposite of his honest feelings, but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. If Harrison really meant what he said, then it spoke volumes about his impressive and open-minded character. This sort of person would surely go far in life and become a great leader in his own right. Then again, he already was a highly competent leader in Holy Saints. That was how he rose to the position of president in the first place.
Unlike me, however, Pearl sneered dismissively.
"Hypocrite. Only an idiot will believe you mean what you say."
Wow…she sure wasn't holding back. Even I was feeling annoyed on Harrison's behalf. However, the victim himself didn't look offended. He merely shrugged with a helpless smile.
"There's nothing I can do if you don't believe me."
"Hah! I'm glad you bothered to go through with the effort!"
I continued to sweep my gaze from Harrison to Pearl. The way she was heckling him seemed to indicate that she held some sort of deep grudge against him.
Catching sight of my confused expression, Dong Fang Yue Chu raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't you know?" he asked. I stared at him, bemused.
"Know what?"
"Harrison and Pearl were a couple in the past. They used to go out with each other…until she dumped him. I'm not sure why, but they broke up on amicable terms." He chuckled. "Don't worry. Pearl doesn't mean anything by it. She just enjoys teasing Harrison. It's just banter. That's why he's not angry at all. He also enjoys her ribbing."
That was just…stupid, but an "outcast" like me had no right to judge the relationships between other people. So I just nodded and kept quiet. Then I turned my attention back to the view outside. Currently the bus was cruising along a remote highway that was surrounded by forest. Trees stood on either side of us, and I caught glimpses of monsters darting between the shadows.
Ravagers. Two-tailed Thunder Wolves. Storm Scorpions.
We were really venturing out into the unknown. For some reason, the monsters ignored the bus. While Dong Fang Yue Chu quailed at the sight of monsters (now I understood why he never participated in any missions along with me), I wasn't worried. The bus was armored, with enchantments and arcane runes inscribed into its hull. The monsters would find it difficult to pierce through the mystical defenses that shrouded it.
More likely they would get blasted apart by the turret that was rotating on top of the bus before they got within a hundred meters. Instinctively, they understood that the infantry fighting vehicle was dangerous, and so kept their distance.
"Eyes sharp, people! We'll be there soon!"
Seated at the front, across from Alicia and Miranda, Feng Hai turned back to shout a warning to the rest of us.
I glanced toward the front and my jaw dropped when I caught sight of the location of our training camp.
A huge facility surrounded by a high wire fence that pulsed with deadly electricity. At right in the middle of the enormous camp was a single sentry tower. At night, the beacon would flash on and bath the entire premises in powerful light, but right now, during the daytime, there was no need to waste electricity.
The bus rolled up to the huge, heavily armored gates. Two mage-soldiers in military uniforms stepped forward to speak with the driver. Feng Hai leaned forward to exchange a few words with them, and both soldiers stepped back, holstering their Divine Devices. They gestured to a third, unseen soldier, and the gates began to roll open.
I felt a chill when the bus drove past the gates. For some reason, I felt as if we were driving straight into the maw of a ravenous beast.
As if to drive home the point, the gates clanked shut behind us, an ominous sound that reminded us that we were trapped in this camp for the next two weeks.