After that experience, three days passed. The students had their own supplies to help the injured. Mares especially paid attention to what were basically nanorobots that entered someone's body and used their Astral Energy as a source of energy that allows it to heal them.
He didn't need one of those, he had to admit, they were ridiculously practical. Though, he also learned from Lhian that they were not exactly cheap. The fact that the students seemed to have lots of them, however, showed the foundation of their academy. The only real downside to that technology was that it was rather fragile, so it could only be used while one was immobilized.
"Have you ever tried to improve upon it?"
The silver-eyed asked Callon, who he learned was the gadget maker of the delinquent group. He was infamous throughout the academy for his gadgets that caused all types of trouble.
"Is not so easy. If a student could improve that type of technology, it would already have been improved upon before."
Callon explained, with a sigh of obvious frustration. He seemed unsatisfied with his ability.
"He is right. Though, I would say, if you didn't focus so much on simply making toys to annoy people, you could probably get there eventually."
Lhian remarked, rather smugly. If three days ago she had said so, the whole group would team up to go against her.
"Oh, please, you both know you have nothing to complain about, Lhian. We have fun, and are still stronger than most of those deadbeats." Winna replied, with a much friendlier tone than she had towards the silver blue-haired a few days ago. Because, after three days of Lhian and the quintet circulating around Mares, they had formed a weird type of friendship.
"And still your grades are the worst of everyone in our year."
Lhian said, with a raised eyebrow, giving off a smug and questioning expression.
"We focus on what matters."
Luo said, shrugging.
"We are the strongest group of our year, after all." Clest also said with a relaxed manner.
Knowing she couldn't refute what they were saying, Lhian had to resort to simply pouting in discontentment. Mares could not deny it was quite a cute scene and one that made him lightly chuckle.
He thought no one would hear that, but Lhian moved her face in his direction with scary speed.
"I heard it right? Was sir actually laughing?" In the last three days, since she knew Mares' real name, every time she called him sir, she added a sarcastic tone. It was a small playful thing between the two, especially with her almost rubbing on the delinquent's group face that she could do so with Mares.
"No, I am sure you heard it wrong." And the silver-eyed clearly didn't mind. He had come to like interacting with Lhian in the last few days.
"Hey, hey. Lhian is investing in the boss again."
Winna acted as if she was whispering into Luo's ears, but her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.
Mares did not react, though Esen was grinning in his mind space. Lhian on the other hand was blushing.
And while having that whole conversation, they were also looking over the others fighting. It was necessary to say that the students that were chosen to have this opportunity truly were talented, as after only three days they had gotten much better.
They hesitated much less, their coordination flowed smoother and they were more level-headed during the battle.
They were battling another Orea. After the second day, they stopped worrying about other beasts going straight for them after a battle. That only happened in the first few battles because they had interrupted an ecosystem that had been stable for a long time. But now that they had done it a few times, the beasts no longer bothered to hunt them.
The group coordination was better and they had more courage. They were still using the barrier techniques, but instead of staying still, they switched between moving forward, giving the beast less space to move and more opportunities to be attacked, and moving backward when the other students fighting at close range needed more space.
The ones that were shooting from afar had also improved. They were taking their time to aim and tried to shoot only the parts that would give the most damage, like the joints, eyes, ears, or mouth.
And, while it might seem that Lhian and the delinquent group were relaxed, not for one moment their eyes lost focus on the battle. They seemed casual but were ready to jump in at any moment. Winna even had a wind attack ready just in case.
Mares watched everything with crossed arms. To say he was surprised would be an understatement. Three days ago, he would never have thought those students that were trembling with a sudden attack were now screaming with excitement during a battle.
'Talent is something frightening, isn't it?'
Esen commented, but she was much less impressed than Mares. For her, while interesting, their improvement was just a small thing, something inside expectations.
'It is.' The silver-eyed agreed. How could he not, being the liven proof of that statement.
The battle against the beast was reaching its climax. One student managed to hold the monster down, and the shooters used the opportunity to carefully aim at all the fragile parts all the while two others used their reinforced strength to lift a huge boulder that was used as the final touch, smashing the beast's head.
The cracking sound of the skull breaking was heard by everyone at the same time as the body went limp. The dark and dense blood spread below the boulder touching the feet of some students. Small parts of the smashed beast's head had been thrown during the few milliseconds that it took for its head to be smashed, and were around the boulder, just below the students.
Their expressions showed how unpleased by the scene they were, though it was more akin to someone that had got their shoe dirt by something unpleasant than by disgust of seeing that scene. It was real proof of how they had changed in short three days.
"Congratulations everyone, you all did amazing." Lhian's attitude towards them had also gotten better. "Now, we should get going, our next stop is probably a few hours from here still."
They didn't dare to take longer than necessary, rapidly taking the edible parts of the beast. After reorganizing themselves into formation the group was soon marching back to their route.
Mares, Lhian, and the quintet were in the middle of the formation. The five had become something of surrogated leaders as the other students started respecting them for their strength.
The silver-eyed had a sudden feeling as they were walking. He turned his head around, looking back at where they were minutes ago. Meters away from there, probably somewhere around a hundred, he saw a small void beast that had an appearance similar to a slim monkey. The creature was attentively looking at them, but as soon as it crossed eyes with Mares it felt a chill running down its body and run away, turning into a bulk by how fast it was.
Mares frowned at that.
'Did you recognize it Es?'
The white-haired nodded.
'It is just a rank one void beast, it probably got attracted by the sound but was too scared to get involved.'
'Hmm… yeah, it makes sense.'
Even if he was saying that they both knew the long-haired had suspicions about what he just saw.
'Don't worry Mars, even if trouble comes it will be nothing for you.'
Esen thought that chances of a random beast, one that was very weak above that, being a sign of trouble were so low that were almost non-existent. But, above those chances, she believed much more in Mares' senses, and even more in his strength. She had no worries regarding whatever could happen if something did happen.
'Heh, thanks.'
She never failed to ease his worries.
Still, he told Lhian what he saw, even if he had no idea or thought that there was no real danger.
"I see… it might just be one that was attracted by the noise of our battle." He found it rather funny how she and Esen had arrived at the same first conclusion. "Either way, thanks for the warning, Mars. I will be paying special attention to our surroundings."
She said the last part making sure only he could hear her. The long-haired had a small smile on his lips, it was just a shame that Lhian could not see it.
'Hmm, I like her more and more.'
Esen said with an approving nod. The fact that she had taken Mares' advice so seriously for something so trivial, and her overall attitude towards him, put the blue silver-haired on Esen's good side.
"Hey, are you guys seeing that, Lhian is advancing towards boss again."
Venissino said to his group, faking an attempt of whispering. His answer was a small crystal thrown on his forehead.
[…]
The night had fallen and the group stopped moving. After walking for a few hours, they arrived at the marked area on their map, a small open area in the forest, near a river. The sound of the liquid that Mares knew was not water flowing through the river, helped the students to ease their nerves as they finally could get some rest.
"Will we need to pass to the other side of the river?"
Mares suddenly asked Lhian, who was surprised by the question. Even the delinquent group got surprised by it.
"No. Why, is there something there?"
Lhian replied as she looked at the other side of the river, in the same direction Mares was looking at, trying to see if there was anything in particular that was looking at, but it was too dark for her to notice anything.
"I just have a bad feeling about that place."
It was the truth. Even with his vision, there was nothing special about the other side. His instincts told another story. Unfortunately, instincts alone could not give him information.
'Any ideas Es?'
Since she knew everything he sensed, he wondered if his beloved could notice something.
'There is a strong void beast there. And… I don't know, something seems weird.'
'If you think something is weird, I am glad we are not going there.'
"No need to worry about it boss. I am sure whatever it is, you could beat it."
Luo said in high spirits. It was interesting how in a few days they had grown a strong confidence in Mares' strength.
"I am not invincible."
He also had gotten used to being called boss.
"But you are still pretty strong. With you here I am sure everything will be fine, so it doesn't matter what is on the other side."
Luo still kept saying, convinced of the strength of the one he decided to call boss.
Mares sighed. Knowing he could not change Luo's mind, or of the delinquent group in general, he didn't go further in the subject.
His silver eyes turned to the other side of the river. He could only see rocks and trees, but he knew, deeper in that forest, there was something. His senses told him that things were in a moment of calmness, but it was the calm before the storm. At least of that, Mares was certain.