Chapter 322: Chapter 320
Chapter 320
"Haaa.... haaaa.... haaaa. That-that-let’s not do that again," Van uttered while panting like his life depended on it.
Trisha and Chloe were also panting, but the Ice Queen didn’t make it visible as she didn’t want to show weakness in front of anybody.
However, despite her efforts, she let out a loud breath of relief which transitioned into her almost gasping for air as she fell to her knees and began wheezing loudly.
Ray stood in his position, staring at the pile of bones that had been surrounding him before.
Then his gaze drifted down to his gauntlets, which had suffered so many cracks and were barely holding together anymore.
He knew it was just a matter of time—a matter of one more powerful strike and the gauntlets would be no more.
De-equipping the weapons, he turned toward his group. "Come on."
Chloe lifted a brow.
"Come on what? Don’t tell me we will still continue our travel."
Ray blinked, then shook his head.
"Let’s look for a cave and take the day off. We can continue our exploration tomorrow."
"Better. Guess you are becoming sensible," Chloe grinned with a taunting look.
But the Tribrid paid her and her words no heed as he walked ahead and helped Van to his feet.
After catching their breath, the group painfully and slowly began searching the area for any shelter they could hide in.
Currently, they just wanted to fall to the ground and sleep.
Their bodies deserved it as absolute exhaustion threatened to claim them.
It took them an hour and a half worth of walking before spotting a sole cave, and on approaching it, Kai frowned in realization.
"Guys. This is the spot I reached before turning back. We are halfway out of this region."
Contrary to what he expected, the group didn’t look as excited as they should be.
"Okay."
Then, they walked into the cave, which was helpfully spacious enough for them all to fit.
"Wa-Water please. I’m parched."
Reaching into his inventory, Ray pulled out five bottles and handed four to the others while holding onto the last one.
They all began drinking so greedily and quickly that a second later, Trisha and Van burst into a coughing fit that lasted several seconds before stopping.
Looking at the two for a moment, the others then slowed down their pace and sipped slowly.
After drinking to their fill, they handed the bottles back to the Tribrid, who stored everything into his inventory.
With a satisfied sigh, they all laid on their backs while heaving in and out quietly.
"Man... this world is crazy, to be honest," Van uttered as his eyes were becoming heavy. "I miss the Corps."
"Huh? Thought you hated training?" Ray chuckled at his friend’s words.
Turning his sleepy eyes in the Tribrid’s direction, he growled.
"Of course I hate training, dumbass. When I say I miss the Corps, in reality, I miss my workshop. I should have been cooped up in there making one or two world-grounding inventions. Instead, I’m stuck here with nothing to do. Tsk."
"Oh," Ray uttered as he thought for a second, then added with a smirk, "You can just think of this as a little vacation."
Van blinked and then shot upright into a sitting position.
"I don’t want no vacation! I want my workshop and my precious machinery and amazing tools."
"You mean your precious junk, right?" said Ray.
Van blinked as he processed Ray’s words for a moment before staring daggers at him.
"Take. That. Back. Now."
Ray tilted his head. "Or what?"
"...."
"That does it," Van said as he tried to lunge forward, only to be held back by his collar by Kai.
"Kai! Let me go! Let me at this fool!"
Kai didn’t reply as he casually cleaned his ear with his pinky finger while maintaining a tight grip on the tech genius’ collar.
"KAI!"
Ray just stuck out his tongue in a taunt.
Van was now flaring and throwing tantrums like a toddler.
Trisha looked at this scene with little to no emotion on her face. "Kids."
"Calm down, idiot," Kai finally reacted as he gave Van a good slap at the back of his head.
"When did you become as hotheaded and annoying as Ray?"
Van scoffed and settled back down with his hands folded across his chest, pouting angrily.
Ray blinked, then glared at the legacy heir.
"I’m annoying?"
Kai shrugged.
"Yup. I mean, I’m not the only one who thinks that though. Right guys?"
Ray scanned everybody’s faces, waiting for them to say anything.
"Guys. Am I annoying?"
"Yup."
"Definitely."
"A hundred percent annoying and stupid."
"...."
"Such a betrayal!" Ray screamed and almost broke down in fake tears, while Van stuck out his tongue in a taunt.
Ray just threw his head to the side and folded his arms across his chest.
Heaving a sigh, Chloe slowly sat upright and looked at Van with a raised brow.
"So, tell us; how did you and Ray even meet and become friends?"
"...."
Van smiled and then shifted in his sitting position, while Ray still kept his gaze to the side like a brooding kid.
"Well, our friendship was as shocking to us as it was to the people of Wall Rose. I was known as a nerdy kid while Ray was known as the hot-tempered kid who always made sure to get his way." Van chuckled, then continued.
"We were five, and since that age, I have always been a nerd. So because of that, I always got bullied by kids our age and sometimes I returned home with bruises and injuries."
Van rubbed his temples and then went on.
"So one time, I was sent on an errand by my grandfather and on the way, in a dimly lit corner, I encountered my usual bullies.
They were three in number and, as usual, they were picking on me, asking for me to do their assignments.
And like normal, I refused, telling them to do it themselves. My refusal earned me my daily dose of a beating."
Van’s eyes twinkled as he recalled the memory:
"But that day, something changed in the usual routine as a hot-tempered Ray, who was also sent on an errand by his mum, happened to pass by the corner too.
Being unable to stand bullying, and wanting to do ’what was right’ as that was what ’Vanguards’ do, he decided to step in. Man... that day was hilariously chaotic."
