Looking around Xander could tell they were in center of what looked like an Outpost, there were some houses all around them and four towers in four different places. The houses and roads were surrounded by well trimmed grasses and flowers from here and there, they were cut and arranged in a specific manner.
It was one of the beautiful place they had ever imagine, though the main thing that had catched their attention was a large forest all around the outpost, this has cause them to imagine what will happen if the horde of the high stage beast attacked them.
"Welcome everyone." The heavy sound from their sides has snaped them out of their daze and thoughts. They were stunned to the point were they failed to notice a man who was standing right beside them "My name is Sergeant Jax. Follow me!"
He announced before he turn around and move toward the only storey building in the area, it was a one storey with what look like guards here and there, they were moving from place to place which lead the students to jump into conclusion that they were patrolling the area.
The students followed Sergeant Jax closely from behind, on there way they could see what seem like guards greeting him in a formal way, others will give him a salute while others just give some strange signs which they didn't understand them.
Reaching the building Sergeant Jax pushed the door open and walk inside the building. It looks more like an office rather than a normal building as how anyone can imagine when see it from outside.
When getting in they found themselves inside a large room there were staircase at the both sides of the room leading upward, there was also a large table at the center of the room with some papers on it but strangely there were no any chair around it. He told them to seat on the benchs which were put around the wall to wait for the other squads to arrive.
'It seems we are not the only squad sent here.' Xander thought, in truth he wasn't the only one thinking this since it was the thought that run in all of the students heads.
After a while three squads could be seen sitting inside the storey building. Among the new incoming squads there were two familiar people that Xander knows well, they were Ayden and Marco who seems to be in one squad. Eventually one of the guards came and take them upward the staircase.
They went on to climb a staircase, on the upper floor there was a corridor with doors on each sides. They walked until the very end of the corridor. A guard opened the door and let them in, they found Sergeant Jax sitting on a chair.
"For those who don't know me, I am Sergeant Jax." He introduced again.
Sergeant Jax went on explaining the short history of the dark forest and the genesis of their Dark Outpost. It was a pleasing tale to hear how they have come out of their wars and fights, which gives them this peaceful feeling despite of a frightening forest around them. It turn out the man in front of them is a leader of this Dark Outpost. He also told them the safest hunting areas and were they can find the low stage beasts.
At first they thought it was a toughest and fatal job since they will be inside the forest roaming around looking into a low stage beast, since they can encounter deadliest beast while all on their own, but it turns out they were wrong.
According to Sergeant Jax, beasts were of pride creatures since the higher stage beasts won't allow the lower stage to live among them hence leads to division of zones.
"There are danger zones and safe zones. The safe zones are areas with no beast, our warriors use them for refreshment. The danger zones are where we find beasts, they are divided into low, medium and higher zone." Sergeant Jax explained. " By your case you will be assigned into one of the low danger zone."
"I heard there are three squads here. I need to know the squad leaders." Sergeant Jax said.
Three students moved forward and introduce themselves one after another.
"My name is Ethan Avalon, a leader of squad 11."
"My name is Ayden Hodr, a leader of squad 27."
"My name is Kian Cyrus, a leader of squad 30."
After an introduction, Sergeant Jax picked up a telephone. After his little conversation he returned the telephone, suddenly a person appeared from a thin air and gave out a salute to Sergeant Jax.
"He is our messanger. He is named Jason." Sergeant Jax introduce him. "He will take you to were you will live during your stay here."
"Remember tomorrow you will start your hunting."
Jason took them outside and lead them into the houses, each squad was assigned their own house which they will share with their teammates. When Jason assigned the last Squad into their house he disappeared without a word.
Inside squad 11 house, they sat around the meeting table. They discussed for some time until Ethan slamed his hand on the table, it made a loud bang which startled everyone including Xander.
"What the hell are you doing you dumb ass?" Ethan shouted in frustration looking at Xander. "We are discussing but you always seems not to care."
"Who said?" Xander asked in a low serious tone.
"You are useless." Ethan complained. "What do you think you are?"
"And what do you think I am?" Xander shouted back.
"Will you two stop it." Aston said. "You are making everything complicated. And besides Xander you should make up your mind. We can't make it if we fight each other."
"Our meeting has end hear." Ethan announced, he stand up and left them heading to his room.
"Bro this isn't good, try to cooperate." Aston said before he also left.
Xander calmly stand up and left, he didn't go to his room as others, he went outside the house leaving Claire and Raya alone. When outside, he was roaming around the Outpost when he saw some people training at a distance.
'Is that a training area?' Xander wondered.
When he reached a training area he went to sat on a bench, observing them from a distance. They were sparring using their arcana while others use weapons. But he mainly watched the ones used weapons.
A time passed while watching them until...
"Hey boy. Come here." A man called.
_____
Two men were sparring, one was using a long sword while the other used a rapier. They have been fighting for a long time but at the end a long sword user came up as a winner.
"Hey who is the boy?" A long sword user asked.
"I think he is a student. They have came today for hunting." The other answered.
"Let's see what they got." A long sword user said before he shouted to call him.
Xander looked right and left but he found no one near him. "Are you calling me?"
The other men laughed at him while joking Xander for his seriousness he had.
A man called him nodded. Standing up Xander walked to a man in a training area.
"I see, so you are a dual saber user. Pick two sticks and come for a challenge." A man said.