When Eddie and Yehken arrived at Black Stone Plaza, they were met by a man in black armor, his face marked with terrifying scars, giving him a demonic appearance.
At first, Yehken was skeptical that an instructor would actually kill students, but the man's menacing presence made him question his doubts.
Eddie noticed the man's eagle eyes, piercing and intense, reminiscent of two powerful individuals he had encountered: the famous Elder Haye Yew and the 'Bone Dry' Wind Frenzy.
The murderous aura of this man suggested he too had survived countless battles and emerged from bloodied battlefields.
The students of the death class quickly assembled.
Eddie was surprised to see that among them were not only young men and women but also five small children, each not older than ten, but standing disciplined like seasoned warriors.
"You five, form a group and stand at the back," the intimidating instructor commanded with his husky, magnetic voice. As Eddie and his group lined up, the instructor surveyed them coldly and announced, "Our soldiers have been ambushed in the Dragon Gut Path. Over three hundred are poisoned and need a specific herb from the Demon Abyss to be treated. Those who wish to leave may do so within ten seconds. The brave, follow me!"
Hessian, internally wishing to back out, hesitated as he saw the determination in the faces of the children and Eddie's silence. Yehken and the Li brothers were stirred by a sense of duty and shame, having not contributed much during their previous venture into the Demon Abyss.
Eddie was more surprised than anything.
Regular colleges, including Capital Academy, usually sent students to less dangerous locations for experience, but Ivy League College was heading straight to the Demon Abyss – a place even Eddie knew was a deathtrap filled with demonic forces and perilous creatures.
As the instructor's voice echoed with the announcement, Hessian, though frightened, stayed put, swayed by the bravery of his peers and the sense of brotherhood with Eddie.
"We die together, we're brothers after all!" Hessian declared shamelessly.
Eddie marveled at Ivy League College's decision to send over thirty of its brightest students, including Emperor Alexander's daughter, into the Demon Abyss to gather herbs for a few hundred poisoned soldiers.
Among these young talents was little Princess Bebe, whom Eddie recognized as having played with Yue Frost during the holidays.
At only six or seven years old, she was already facing trials in the perilous Demon Abyss.
Eddie internally questioned the harshness of such education, thinking it more akin to a death sentence than learning.
A middle-aged physician arrived to explain about the 'Black-Ear Withered Heart Orchid,' a highly poisonous herb with a striking resemblance to the benign 'Mouse-Spot Soaring Grass.' The physician described the subtle differences between the two and warned about the lethal nature of the former.
Eddie was sweating at the complexity of the task, considering the dire consequences of mistakenly harvesting the wrong plant.
Before he could ponder further, the enormous teleportation array opened, giving them just one minute to step in. Failure to complete the task within two hours would result in the death of all poisoned soldiers.
"Each person take a teleportation scroll. If you encounter an insurmountable demonic force, you are permitted to use the scroll to return to the college. Let's go!" commanded the eagle-eyed man, leading the group into action.
All students let their battle beasts smell the liquid in the two bottles. Eddie, not entirely trusting the physician's instruction, also took a whiff, finding no discernable scent. Internally cursing the physician as incompetent, Eddie worried about the difficulty of distinguishing the two herbs, which appeared identical.
Upon arriving in the Demon Abyss, the scene was as blood-red as before, but this time they landed in a moist, eerie valley filled with crawling demonic insects. The creatures hesitated to attack due to the presence of the students' numerous battle beasts, yet the temptation of human flesh was evident.
"The medical unit believes the 'Black-Ear Withered Heart Orchid' can be found deep within this Valley of Insects. Those with beast mounts, ride them; others must run behind. Time is crucial, as each orchid can save a soldier's life. Speed is of the essence!" The eagle-eyed man, mounting his Bronze Level 5 Ironclad Beast, led the charge into the valley.
Eddie and Yehken hurried to follow, but Eddie grew increasingly puzzled. The eagle-eyed man was not only slaying demonic insects but also harvesting every herb he encountered, regardless of type. Eddie wondered why the man needed so many herbs if it was just a student task.
Yehken, speaking in a low voice, shared his suspicion that the number of poisoned soldiers might exceed three hundred.
This revelation made Eddie realize that if an army was ambushed and poisoned, the number of casualties would certainly be higher than claimed.
The eagle-eyed man's story about the human army's victory after the ambush suggested a much larger force was involved, indicating that the number of poisoned soldiers was far greater than three hundred.
Eddie speculated that they might not be the only group sent to the Demon Abyss for herbs, and there could be other teams on the same mission. The possibility of a demonic ambush at the orchid's location dawned on him, raising concerns about their safety.
As Eddie cautiously surveyed his surroundings, he realized the importance of basic knowledge. If he could differentiate the orchids himself, the mission wouldn't require risking so many lives.
Regretting his lack of knowledge in botany, Eddie resolved to study medicine alongside his martial skills after returning from the Abyss.
He understood that enhancing his medical knowledge would empower him to create superior elixirs, benefiting both himself and his battle beasts. Knowledge in beasts, mechanics, and runes would also become his secondary subjects of study.
"If I knew the weaknesses of all battle beasts, facing powerful enemy creatures would be a breeze! And if I mastered mechanical knowledge, I could not only craft puppet beasts but also inherit the treasures left in the Puppet Palace by the genius. As for runes, they seem trivial, but they're the key to unlocking the Ruins Temple," Eddie mused.
Just then, a group of children riding flying beasts approached Eddie and his companions. "You don't know how to gather herbs, right, big brother? How about you be our bodyguards, and we complete the mission together? But you'll have to follow our commands!" they proposed.
"Did you find something amazing?" Eddie asked, his mind working faster than ever. He realized these kids weren't ordinary; they must have discovered something valuable.
These children were not to be underestimated, and Eddie wondered what remarkable discovery they had made.