The next day, Lennox, Kira, and Theo woke up feeling completely refreshed. Despite the rejuvenation, Lennox sensed a subtle shift in his body but chose to ignore it for the time being. Theo stretched his body in a somewhat comical manner with his face crocked.
"Ahhh... That was a good sleep after a tireless fight." Theo remarked, the weariness of the previous day momentarily replaced by a sense of renewal.
As Kira let out an adorable yawn, Lennox, now fully awake, strolled around to survey the aftermath outside. The remnants of destroyed bramble thorns and the scattered earth and foliage served as a tangible reminder that the events of the previous day were not a dream. Strangely, Lennox found himself relishing the intense battle and harboring a newfound desire for more challenges.
Meanwhile, Kira, still in a daze, looked forward with a contemplative expression. 'haven't slept like that in a long time.' she thought, the memory of solitude echoing in her mind. Months and years of sleeping alone had become her norm, making this shared experience with companions a rare and appreciated occurrence.
Lennox noticed multiple brown and green items next to the destroyed Bramblethorn bodies. "What's this?" he said curiously, picking up and examining the tough and sturdy item.
"That's a Woodland Hide," Kira explained. "It's the tough hide inside of a Bramblethorn, and you can use it to craft sturdy leather items like armor, boots, or gloves."
Eyes gleaming with excitement, Lennox asked, "Could the academy make use of these? We could really use some armor." realizing that while they came prepared with weapons, they lacked armor.
Kira nodded, "Certainly possible. It's not common, though, with only a 20% chance... so consider us lucky to have snagged a few.
Meanwhile, Theo, not paying much heed to the conversation, began unpacking his backpack, revealing an array of food and snacks. "Let's eat," he declared with a grin.
"Agreed, we need to replenish our energy," Kira affirmed, strolling over to Theo. "Twinkle, we'll gather whatever materials we can from the Bramblethorns as we leave."
"Alright," Lennox acknowledged, adding, "After that fight, who's to say there aren't thousands more Bramblethorns waiting out there."
After a satisfying breakfast, Lennox and Theo engaged in a bit of exercise, brainstorming ideas for their next move. Kira found it strange that the bramble thorns seemed to be converging in a specific direction. Given their mindless nature and lack of directives, she speculated that something might be drawing them toward that particular path.
As they continued their exploration, they encountered a peculiar situation there were no more bramble thorns in sight. It seemed implausible, considering the expected influx of these creatures through the Nexus breach. Along the way, Theo discovered a small hole in a building's wall, deep and burned as if by a projectile. Surrounding the hole were destroyed bramble thorns, indicating a mysterious force at play.
As the day progressed, the trio continued their search for survivors. As night fell, the atmosphere turned eerily silent. Moving cautiously through an alleyway, Lennox, Kira, and Theo debated whether to stay off the streets to avoid detection or to actively seek out more bramble thorns.
After walking for the entire day, the trio found themselves surrounded by shadows. Lennox suggested staying off the streets to avoid detection, but Theo's curiosity to find more bramble thorns prevailed. As they delved deeper into the darkness, they discovered multiple bullet-sized holes on the streets, prompting Theo to suggest investigating further. However, Kira hesitated, concerned about the intentions of the person wielding such a weapon is it good or bad.
Suddenly, a faint shimmer in the darkness caught Lennox's attention. He signaled Kira and Theo to halt, sensing the presence of Echantrums energy. With none of them possessing Echantrums, they grew wary. As they locked eyes, a silent agreement passed between them to be ready for anything.
In that instant, out of nowhere, Theo felt a chill down his spine as something cold made contact with the back of is neck. "Freeze, everyone! No sudden moves," a voice echoed, blending both a playful yet deadly serious tone. that echoed for all to hear, causing a tense silence to envelop everyone.
As Kira and Lennox were on the verge of turning toward Theo and the direction of the commotion, a group of figures emerged from the darkness. Clad in advanced tactical gear that seamlessly blended with the shadows, their eyes glowed with intense determination. One of them held a dark metal shield with a circle in the center, emanating Geo earth Echantrums. Another wielded a metal bow with tubes connecting to Aqua shard Echantrums, and the third brandished a glowing white light sword with Voltacite Prism Echantrums embedded in the handle. The unexpected arrival of these mysterious figures left Kira and Lennox on high alert, unsure of their' intentions.
Lennox, hands raised cautiously, took a step forward. His voice, steady but tinged with concern, rang out, "Woah! We're not here to cause trouble." In his mind, he chose to step up first, uncertain whether Kira or Theo might panic and inadvertently trigger a deadly response from the mysterious voice. Despite his outward composure, a twinge of fear crept into his thoughts.
Behind Theo, a metal gun muzzle pressed against his neck, causing his heart to race. However, Theo remained composed, showing no signs of panic or fear. The tension in the air heightened as everyone awaited the next move in this unexpected encounter.
"Are you spying on us?" The man with the shield demanded.
"We're from Nexus Academy. We've been taking down Bramblethorns and picked up an elemental energy signal, so we decided to investigate," Kira explained, speaking up this time. In her mind, she urged Lennox and Theo not to say anything amiss.
The tall young man with the energy rifle still trained on Theo's neck, slowly walking past him. His gaze, steely and skeptical, scanned everyone. "Nexus Academy, huh? You could be anyone. How do we know you're not pretending to be them to attack survivors... or us?"
Kira remained silent, not having any means to prove their identity as Nadia never provided them with identification.
Lennox, alert and composed, asserted, "We fight against these Bramblethorns, not with them. We're on a mission to destroy them."
"I don't trust them... I say we eliminate them," declared the man with the light sword, advancing and pointing his weapon directly at Lennox.
"No!" Kira shouted in worry, "No one needs to die. If you let us go, we'll be on our way," she pleaded, her heart racing at the thought of losing someone she had finally grown close to.
"How about... No," the man with the sword declared suddenly, moving with the speed of a cheetah as he lunged toward Lennox.
"Alex... wait!" the girl with the bow intervened, her voice cutting through the tense atmosphere.
But Alex had already arrived in front of Lennox, slashing down his sword with swift precision. Lennox utilized his AetherBlades to block the sword blade, managing to parry it, but the force pushed him back. Simultaneously, he retaliated by directing the his punch downward at Alex's knee and simultaneously swinging his other fist toward his head. Alex barely managed to move his head out of the way, and sidestep narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Ho... You managed to block that... Interesting. I want those gloves for myself," Alex remarked, his eyes gleaming with greed as he stared at Lennox's gloves.
As Kira and the others moved to help Lennox, they were blocked by a man with a shield. "Ah ah," he warned, preventing their interference.
"Come on, man, we don't have to fight," Lennox pleaded, attempting to reason. However, instead of heeding his words, Alex launched another attack. Lennox responded by sending a fireball towards him, but with a swift swing of his sword, Alex effortlessly sliced the fireball in the center, dispersing it.
Closing the distance, Alex attacked once more. Lennox, quick on his feet, kicked Alex's leg, disrupting his balance, and pushed away his sword with a swift movement of his hand. As the sword veered off to the side, Lennox seized the opportunity to punch Alex in the nose. The force of the blow made Alex halt instantly, but his sword returned, dangerously close to Lennox's face.
Theo on the side opened is mouth and poke out his tongue as he was about to bite down, the voice of the man with the rifle commanded, "Stop! That's enough."
Theo halted, and the tension in the air lingered. Meanwhile, Alex's light sword, poised to strike Lennox, stopped just short of its intended mark of lennox neck. Alex, with tears in his eyes, blood streaming down his nose, wore a twisted smile as he contemplated taking Lennox's life. Simultaneously, Lennox, undeterred, mirrored the smile, his palm ablaze with a fireball aimed at Alex's stomach. Feeling the escalating heat, Alex instinctively stepped back, averting the impending clash.
A moment of heavy silence lingered in the night air. Gradually, the man with the rifle, who appeared to be the leader, nodded. A sudden glimmer of trust flickered in his eyes. "We've been battling these creatures for weeks. If you're truly here to help, welcome to the fight. But remember, trust is earned, not given freely."
Lennox, Kira, and Theo were taken aback by the sudden change in the leader's demeanor. They nodded in acknowledgment in worry they decided to attack them again, though curiosity lingered about what had triggered Alex's aggressive reaction.
"Sorry about Alex, he's an idiot. Always acts before he speaks," the leader apologized.
"Eve, my nose hurts!" Alex rushed over to Eve like a distressed child. "Is it broken?"
"Shut up and let me see." Eve, the girl with the bow, examined Alex's bloody nose.
After confirming that Alex's nose was fine, Eve turned towards Lennox and the others. "Again sorry about Alex...I'm sure you're tired. We can take you to our base," she said softly.
"Oh, I should mention, we are the Sentinels of Terra," the man with the rifle added.
Lennox, drawing on his knowledge about the Sentinels of Terra, understood that they were a unique and steadfast army dedicated to defending Earth from various threats. Although lacking Nexus energy and bloodline abilities, their determination, exceptional training, and resourcefulness made them a formidable force. However, Theo and Kira, not being from Earth, were unaware of this information.
The forest fell into an eerie silence, the unspoken tension palpable as the two groups faced each other. The Sentinels, their eyes concealed behind the visors of their tactical gear, regarded Lennox and the others with wary skepticism. The encounter hung in the balance, the next moves uncertain as both parties assessed the situation.
"If you came to Terra to protect it, why didn't you come to us?" Jake, the guy with the shield, questioned.
"We didn't know Earth had its own protectors until recently," Kira responded. "And even if we did, how would we find you?"
"Ah, sorry, that was a stupid question," Jake apologized, his embarrassment evident.
Kira, her voice both soft and resolute, added, "As we said, we have no reason to harm Terra. In fact, we may be strangers, but our intentions are pure." Lennox didn't reveal to Kira and Theo that he is from Terra before joining the academy.
Lennox, sensing the need for understanding, continued, "Let's establish a line of communication. We can share what we know, strategize together, and put an end to the Bramblethorn before it escalates further. United, we stand a chance. Divided, we risk losing everything on Terra, and it seems like you don't want that."
The forest absorbed the weight of their words, the gravity of the situation hanging in the air. For a moment, the standoff persisted, each side assessing the sincerity in the other's eyes. Slowly, John, the rifle man and leader, nodded a gesture of reluctant acceptance.
"Alright," John said, his tone cautious but open. "Let's hear what you have to say. But one false move, and we won't hesitate to label you as a threat and neutralize you. Understood?"
After an hour of walking in silence through the forest, the two groups arrived at the Serenity Outpost - Wilderness Retreat. Nestled in the heart of the untamed woods, this tranquil haven served both as a refuge and a training ground for skilled soldiers who embraced nature's harmony.
The architecture of the outpost drew inspiration from the surrounding nature, with buildings crafted from a combination of wood, stone, and living vegetation. Many structures featured living roofs adorned with vibrant, flowering plants and creeping vines, not only providing a spectacle of color but also contributing to the outpost's sustainable lifestyle.
Luminous crystals of various colors were embedded within the structures, casting a gentle and enchanting glow during the night. Beyond their decorative function, these crystals served as a natural source of illumination, guiding the way through the outpost's paths. The Serenity Outpost stood as a testament to the coexistence of technology and nature, a sanctuary where soldiers found solace and honed their skills amid the embrace of the wilderness.