Chapter 239: Working Together
"Eric? Ellia?"
Auric was startled. He didn’t expect that Eric and Ellia would go to the airport. Their destination was obvious.
"So, you intend to go to the training camp as well." Ellia nodded in understanding.
"Yeah." Auric nodded. "You too?"
"Do you know what the ruins are like?"
"I don’t know much. The only thing I know is that it’s in the Alps."
Ellia sighed. "I should have expected this. Well, I will explain it to you."
"How about we board the plane first?" Auric asked while taking out his card.
"I guess we should do that." Ellia glanced at Eric. "You should go with us. It will be good for you to listen as well."
"I know the ruins better than he does." Eric pointed at Auric.
"I’m planning to discuss the camp as well."
"Oh, okay." Eric finally agreed. He definitely didn’t know what the training camp was all about.
Auric then led them to the plane, using the card that Floyd had given him.
Once they settled down, Ellia started her explanation. "First of all, the ruins are not what you think of. The ruins are big, but that’s not why they’re special. The military has conducted training camps here once every two years. However, do you know the exact reason?"
"I believe it’s not something like helping the students." Auric frowned. If it were for the students, there were other better ways.
"Yes. The reason is to thin out the number of beasts. The ruins themselves span a radius of over ten kilometers."
"That big?" Auric raised his eyebrows.
"That’s not the only thing special about the ruins. As you know, ruins are uncommon, but they’re not exactly that rare. You can probably find several ruins within a 10-kilometer radius of the city."
"Ah. Do you mean that the ruins are close to other ruins?"
"Indeed." Ellia nodded. "In addition, the Alps are not exactly that easy to conquer. So, a lot of beasts will have a hard time staying there. Now, think about this, with such a big place, do you think the number of beasts will be low?"
"No. With such a wide area, it can attract beasts from more places."
Eric added, "In addition, because the Alps are not an easy place to live in, this area is much more prone to create an outbreak. Once the number of beasts reaches a certain threshold, they will have a hard time living there and eventually leave, creating a beast wave."
"So that’s why they want to thin out their numbers periodically." Auric nodded in understanding.
"Yes. In addition, this place is huge. They need a large number of people to clear them out. At the same time, this place is not exactly that dangerous. There are rank 3 beasts or even rank 4 beasts, but most beasts are only rank 1 and rank 2." Ellia raised one finger.
"That’s why they use students instead."
"Thinking about it, it’s understandable. This place is not that dangerous. The beasts are numerous. Besides, there is a chance for artifacts to appear. It’s a perfect hunting ground for the students. In addition, to make the students loyal to the country, they even give rewards. They’re essentially killing a few birds with one stone."
"Fair enough." Auric nodded. "Besides, this will be a place for the students to stand out. If they have the chance, they will probably recruit them, right?"
"Indeed. That’s why the military is so adamant in managing this region."
"But what about the other ruins you mentioned?" Auric asked.
"One of those ruins is my target. There are unique-element ruins not far from it, so I intend to go there. Besides, the hunt usually allows participants to visit those ruins. The problem is whether they can leave or not."
"Can they?" Auric narrowed his eyes. In the end, the ruins had a barrier. If they left the ruins and passed the barrier recklessly, they would damage their bodies.
"The barriers of the ruins are not particularly strong due to their size. That’s why people can just exit with their bodies. They will be injured, but the effect won’t be too severe. Besides, they can just treat themselves." Eric explained, showing that he knew more about the ruins than Auric.
"So, how do you enter the other ruins? Do they know how to do it?"
"Yeah. The military uses the points the students have accumulated to open the portals for them. If they don’t want to pay, the students need to open it themselves."
Auric nodded in understanding. "That’s rather interesting. Most students won’t bring an evolution master, right?"
"Most evolution masters aren’t like you. They aren’t that good at fighting." Eric rolled his eyes. "That’s why they’d rather bring fighters to get more points and pay the entry fee."
"Hmmm..." Auric thought for a moment. "So, the reason you intend to come here is to kill some beasts, Eric?"
"What else do you think I’m going to do?" Eric let out a long sigh.
Ellia interjected. "And that’s why I intend to discuss it with you. Normally, this hunt would be quite dangerous. That’s why people are teaming up. In fact, even the military is suggesting that you form a team of five or six.
"This will reduce the casualties. Besides, you will have the chance to kill more beasts and get even more points.
"If you want to go solo, you can, but it’s not really optimal. As you know, you have a limited amount of energy.
"That’s why I’m thinking about creating a group. Originally, I intended to find a group once I reached that place, but I ended up meeting Eric on the way here and you as well.
"I’m thinking about making a group. Do you want to join?" Ellia asked Auric and Eric.
While Eric was thinking about the offer, Auric asked, "Do you not bring Arina? How about Milinda?"
"No. Arina is taking care of the company in my stead for the time being. After all, I have to leave for a long time, so I have no choice but to leave it to her. As for Milinda, I don’t know."
Auric had told Milinda about his trip, but Milinda showed no interest. She answered him with, "I have another schedule."
He didn’t know what kind of schedule it was, but it looked like there were only three of them.
Auric nodded in understanding. "So, there are only three of us here."
"There are other students from our campus, but I don’t know them that much. It’s better to find other people over there that look competent," explained Ellia.
"Let me guess, Kallarnos University is also going to send out a team."
"Obviously. However, they don’t make it formal. For those who want to go there, the teachers will give the approval immediately. However, they don’t arrange anything else, such as the groups. Still, most of the time, the team with the highest points usually has students from Kallarnos University. Then again, their students are above average."
Auric thought for a moment. "Well, I don’t particularly care about the students from there. I’m not exactly that competitive either. I guess I will just do my best and see where it takes me."
"So, team up?"
Auric nodded. "Sure. I don’t mind."
"How about you, Eric?" Ellia asked.
"I don’t mind teaming up, but what are we going to do with the other two or three members?"
"We will just find people over there. If they’re good, then that’s fine. Besides, I am pretty sure that there are going to be a few famous students over there." Ellia nodded.
"Fine," Eric agreed with the arrangement.
Auric wondered who their partners would be. He didn’t mind if there were unknown people. In the end, there was no telling who they would meet in the future, so forming a group with a bunch of strangers wasn’t exactly rare.
However, he also needed to remain vigilant. After all, there could be a betrayal that would ruin everything.
"By the way, do you know the specific information about the military base and other things?" Auric asked. In the end, he was so focused on evolving his elements that he didn’t have time for anything else.
Ellia chuckled. "I anticipated this. You don’t have to worry about the military base. There’s nothing special there. It’s more of a checkpoint as well as an outpost. They check the area and make sure that the number of beasts doesn’t reach a certain threshold."
"Hmm? That’s all?"
"Yeah. Their role this time is to host the event. In other words, they will support you to a certain extent."
"How about the points? How do we check them?"
"It’s actually pretty simple. You need to wear a camera, so this recording will be proof. It’s checked by both AI and humans and will help you tally the points."
"Is that even credible?"
"Pretty much. Even if you kill something behind you, as long as you turn around, the kill will be recorded. Just make sure that each corpse is visible to the camera."
Auric crossed his arms.
"What if we’re in danger? Do we have to fend off everything?"
"Yes, everything can happen. Whether you are killed by the beasts or die of freezing, you are on your own."
"Supplies?"
"You need to bring your own supplies and prepare yourself. People often choose to eat the beasts they hunt." Ellia raised one finger. "Anyway, you don’t have to worry about the food supply. I will take care of your food."
Auric smiled and waved his hand, asking Ellia to come closer.
Ellia wondered what Auric wanted to say, but she was suddenly dumbfounded.
She looked at Auric in shock before nodding with a serious expression.
Auric’s message was pretty simple.
"My Space Storage has combined with the time element, so it’s now Space-Time Storage. In this storage, the food won’t spoil. Do you want to buy some vegetables and fruits and store them there? Just make sure no one sees it when we bring it out."
Vegetables and fruits could last for a few days in her storage, so she would have to go around finding more or resort to military-grade food.
However, it would be different if Auric could provide fresh ingredients. If they could ensure fresh ingredients, they could maintain their health and morale. Besides, she was confident that she could cook all of them well.
"Now I’m starting to get jealous." Ellia sighed.
"Hehe." Auric chuckled.
"I guess those are all we need to worry about?"
"Not really. There is a chance that other people will try to kill you, so you need to watch out not only for the beasts but also for other people. It’s annoying, but we’re talking about humans, so there’s no choice."
Auric scratched the back of his head. "Many people might want to come after my life. You sure you two want to team up with me?"
"You don’t have to ask me. My answer will always be the same. I will remain your ally." Ellia harrumphed.
"You think too highly of yourself. They might want to target me instead." Eric shrugged.
"By the way, have you asked Tommi whether he’s coming?"
"Apparently, he’s focusing on his evolution. He’s pretty close, so he intends to use this opportunity to evolve instead." Eric shrugged.
"Wait. Now that I think about it..." Auric narrowed his eyes, checking Eric’s level. "Ah! You have evolved?"
"Took you long enough. It’s been three days since I evolved." Eric snorted.
"No wonder Tommi is fired up." Auric looked away. With Tommi’s character, he definitely didn’t want to be left behind. His element was too powerful, so searching for beasts that could help him increase his power was hard.
Because his element had a low rating, it didn’t take Eric long to evolve.
"Still, shouldn’t you have come to my store? I have even prepared to give you a discount." Auric looked disappointed.
"No. I’m done accepting freebies from you. Do you think I don’t know you sent Vera to convince me to get the freebie?" Eric snorted. "I’m not going to leech on someone too much. I know shame."
Auric chuckled before turning to Ellia. "So, you also want to evolve?"
"Yeah. I intend to go to the ruins with a unique element. Now that I can take my focus off my company for a bit, it’s time for me to become stronger."
Ellia had seen how powerless she was during that kidnapping incident.
Auric smiled. He understood her motivation.
"Well, I guess we will have to work hard there." Auric couldn’t help but wonder who would be their teammates.
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