Primordial Awakening: My Bloodline Evolves Infinitely

Chapter 43: Team Building

Leonard nodded in agreement. Indeed, they were pressed for time, and from every angle he looked at it, waiting for a rescue that might never arrive could spell their doom.

If they wanted to survive, they had to take matters into their own hands.

"Then how long do you think we have?" Winston asked, throwing a glance at his corruption.

"Professor Albert said the entrance examination would last a week... Maybe that’s our limit? Individually it may differ, but any longer and we would be overwhelmed by the corruption." Harley suggested.

"So we have our time limit set..." William said, striking his two gauntlets together. "The faster we get rid of them, the better!"

"Don’t be hasty. The orc camp may contain champions, shamans, or even a chieftain if their numbers allow." Samantha warned, lightly tapping him on the head with her staff. "First, let’s go back to the campsite and see if the others have found any more awakeners."

After making sure that no orcs were secretly spying on them, they headed back to regroup with the rest. William and Samantha led the way.

Leonard began mapping out the area they were traversing, memorizing the route.

After making sure that the two in front weren’t paying him any attention, he gradually slowed his pace until he was walking shoulder to shoulder with Harley.

"Do you know anything about them?" He asked quietly, just loud enough for her to hear.

Although the two had made a good first impression, it never hurt to be extra careful. It would be a disaster if William and Samantha turned out to be master manipulators.

This was possibly the only opportunity he would get to hear Harley’s unbiased opinion as a resident of the Upper Sector.

Her expression remained natural, her steps unbothered. Though a faint light briefly gleamed in her eyes.

"Not everybody in the Upper Sector knows each other. I have only heard of the most exceptional, and they aren’t among them, so they shouldn’t be strong enough to overpower us in the event of a confrontation... Judging by their confidence, they might have Epic Bloodlines like me." Harley replied in a low voice.

Leonard heaved a sigh of relief.

Although he was the bearer of a Primordial Bloodline, he didn’t possess the knowledge that those raised in the Upper Sector had. He would rather avoid encountering any awakeners with Legendary Bloodlines or higher if possible.

Those that held the most potential were often hard to get along with, and in the case a fight broke out against them, there wasn’t a guarantee that he would win.

The treatment he had received from his family had taught him to be skeptical of those in power. There were only a few exceptions, such as Miranda and Arabella.

Blissfully unaware of the topic of their discussion, Winston discreetly approached his two teammates from behind and whispered.

"Pst! What are you talking about?"

Harley and Leonard stared at him.

"We were wondering what to do from now on." She replied.

Winston arched an eyebrow, the gears in his head turning.

"Talking about the future, just the two of you? Wait... Don’t tell me! Now that we’re trapped in the Void, those feelings of yours must be bubbling over! With no way of knowing if we’re going to live to see another day, you’re confessing your true feelings to each other!" He declared, looking thoroughly proud of himself.

Even a country bumpkin like him knew about stories where two lovers had their engagement broken off against their will, yet still chose to persevere for each other. He was absolutely certain he was witnessing the event he had seen in so many dramas unfold right before his own eyes!

Baffled by his friend’s misunderstanding, Leonard shook his head. However, before he could clarify, Winston beat him to the punch.

"Don’t worry, bro. I’ve got your back. You’ve got this!" He reassured him with a thumbs-up.

Harley blinked slowly, then raised her chin, her finger anxiously curling around a strand of her hair.

"Hmph! Don’t even think about it!"

Starting to realize that he had gotten the wrong idea, Winston’s face gradually turned red.

"I see... hahaha..." He laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head before bowing toward Leonard in apology.

"W—Well, that’s my mistake. Now that I think about it, it makes no sense for you two to get together. After all, back in the dungeon, you and Arabella seemed to hit things off."

Harley paused mid-stride, her finger froze amidst her hair.

"Huh?" She murmured. A nervous feeling built up in her chest that instantly put her on high alert. Harley couldn’t fathom why the idea of Leonard getting close to other girls unsettled her. But she didn’t like it one bit.

Her eyes locked onto him.

"Arabella? Who is she—"

"What are you mumbling about?" William interrupted with a smile, slowing down to match their pace. "Are you scared? There’s no need. You can count on us. We are all in this together!"

Leonard smiled back. William’s and Samantha’s friendly demeanor hadn’t given off any ill intent until now. He could trust them, at least until they escaped the Void.

Interestingly, he noticed that Harley’s steps had become unsteady, her face lowered as she avoided meeting his gaze.

’Did something happen? I don’t sense any monsters around us, so it can’t be that... Perhaps something I or the others said upset her? Regardless, at least William interrupted her from asking about Arabella. There was no chance I would reveal that she is an elf.’ He thought.

Soon after, the trees around them cleared, and the awakeners’ makeshift camp came into view.

The place looked hastily put together. Several tents had been erected, providing shelter, while the awakeners were in the process of raising protective walls.

Though they were far from completing their tasks, the only usable materials for construction were the dark trees, which the awakeners had extreme difficulty cutting down.

Many had chosen swords and similar weapons to master, which led to them awkwardly hacking away at the tree trunks, their forms terrible and their efforts barely visible.

"Our idea was to use barricades to prevent orcs and other monsters from sneaking up on us. But the way things are going, the corruption will get us long before we can create a reasonable wall." William remarked dejectedly.

Leonard remained silent as he observed the camp. In total, the camp consisted of twenty members, including his party.

Fortunately, he didn’t notice Martin anywhere. Otherwise, things could have gotten ugly.

The awakeners quickly noticed their arrival. Some glanced over with hope, only for it to be diminished.

Although additional members joining the camp was good news, they had collectively hoped to team up with Elizabeth Starlight, which would have given them the best chances of survival.

"Just twenty? Considering that hundreds took the entrance exam, I hoped we would have more..." Winston wasn’t optimistic about their prospects of challenging the orc tribe with such numbers.

"It hasn’t been that long since the Void Believers interfered. Give it some time." Harley commented, her mood still down.

Samantha nodded in agreement. "Indeed, and we’re already having a hard time organizing a proper base with just us. Adding more members may lead to complications..."

She looked briefly at the axe strapped over Leonard’s back.

"You are the only one I’ve seen with an axe. Could you help us cut down some trees?" Samantha requested.

Leonard wasn’t surprised. He walked over to a group that was busy hacking at a tree with their swords.

"Why is this so hard?! Our lessons never included cutting wood!" One of them bellowed.

"May I take a turn?" Leonard stepped forward.

The awakener was ready to refuse the help until he noticed the axe.

"Sure, be my guest!" He stepped aside.

One swing was all it took for the tree to fall.

While those watching opened their mouths in disbelief, Leonard rested Titanic Oath over his shoulder, satisfied.

"That’s one down."