They got into the backseat of the autonomous car and closed the doors behind them. There were screens on the back of the seats and Fey immediately started punching in the destination. As soon as she finished the car made a few beeps and started moving.
Dax looked out the window at the passing scenery.
"So have you ever fought a monster before?" Fey asked, breaking the silence.
"No." Dax answered quickly. "Why would I ever do anything like that?"
"I have." Fey replied. "I was with my dad. It was one of the few times my mother let me go alone with him. A small little monster came out at us, and dad just calmly handed me a sword, well a dagger, but it was a sword to me. He watched as I fought the little beast, I was scared, but I was so happy. I think that was one of the defining moments in my childhood. When I decided I wanted nothing to do with my mother's world and instead wanted to follow in my father's footsteps."
"Can't say my dad ever took me on any dangerous expeditions." Dax replied. "I think the most dangerous thing he has to contend with at his job is a paper cut."
"Those can be painful." Fey said.
The two of them laughed a bit.
Dax noticed the massive walls that surrounded the city were fast approaching. In this age, the cities had surrounded themselves with two-hundred-foot-tall walls, infused with internal force fields and inertia dampeners. Dax has personally never been to the wall, as he had lived his entire life safely inside the city center.
"We are leaving the city?" Dax asked.
"Where else are we going to find monsters?" Fey questioned. "My dad and the defense force do such a good job; I doubt you would find a single slime anywhere inside the city."
"I guess I have never seen one." Dax said in agreement. "Are you sure it is safe to leave the city like this though?"
"Sure!" Fey said. "We are just barely leaving, so help would just be a phone call away."
"Alright." Dax said. "Let's just be extra careful."
"Right." Fey said with a little laugh. "Extra careful as we run carelessly into a monster den."
"Just what kind of school sends students to fight monsters." Dax asked.
"The same kind that is regarded as the best in the country." Fey replied. "Don't worry so much Daxy. I will protect you."
"Somehow that doesn't put me at anymore ease." Dax said with a sigh.
The car exited the gate through a small opening. It passed through a forcefield that only allowed authorized vehicles to pass. After clearing the gate, the car took a left turn onto a dirt road and parked shortly after at the edge of a forest.
"Looks like we are here!" Fey said. "This is the forest of monsters. I know it's a scary name, but this close to the city walls it is mostly just slimes."
"Mostly." Dax said. "Comforting."
"Might be a bear beast or something." Fey admitted. "But if we see one, we will just run back to the car. So how much do you know about monsters?"
"Not much." Dax said. "Our teacher didn't exactly teach us anything."
"Understandable." Fey replied. "You are in F Class after all. "Listen, monsters are given different categorizations by the defense force. The slimes we are hunting today are class F, just like you. They are the lowest rank of monster. Given the F classification because even an F class citizen should be able to beat one at level one."
"So, we should be fine." Dax said.
"That's what I have been saying!" Fey said. "Next is the E class monster, it can be considered a non-threat starting at level three. D class is level five and C class is level 7. B class requires a minimum level of ten, which is the highest. A class monsters take a team of level tens working in perfect harmony, and well S class monsters, well an S class monster they call in the army."
"Sounds like that escalates quickly." Dax said.
"Right, the only F class monster is a slime, so if you see anything else, run." Fey said.
"Wait, that story." Dax interrupted. "You said you killed a non-slime monster, before you even got your nanites."
"So, I did." Fey smiled. "It was just an E class though, nothing to brag about."
"So, before you were even injected with nanites, and while you were still a small child… you were as strong as a level three…?" Dax asked.
"Well, it has more to do with training." Fey said. "My dad wanted to make sure his little girl could defend herself, or so he kept telling me. The level requirement is more of just overpowering the monster. You can also kill them with tools and skill. That knife he gave me was so sharp that it cut at the molecular level. I only had to connect with the beast's vital point."
"Your father gave you a knife that sharp as a child?" Dax asked, his mind was racing with so many questions.
"Enough about my story!" Fey said. "Time for you to make your own! Speaking of weapons." She exited the car and walked to the trunk. Dax followed her. Inside the trunk were multiple daggers, swords, and maces. "I didn't know what you would want so I grabbed a few."
"I see." Dax said. "Well, can't go wrong with a sword." Dax reached in and picked up one of the swords Fey had brought. It was lightweight and perfectly balanced, so much so that it felt like an extension of himself. "Nice sword!"
"Careful with it." Fey said. "It is one of those molecule cutting weapons."
"Good to know." Dax replied, while holding the sword away from his body now, afraid the slightest touch might remove one of his extremities.
"Well let's go a slime hunting!" Dax said, as he started walking towards the forest.
Fey picked up two daggers and closed the trunk. She then followed him into the forest.