Chapter 209: Chapter 189 : Life Race (Part 1)

Running, running and more running. In the hectic downpour, Ralf and his fellow students jogged across the Academy grounds. They had been doing so for hours already as part of a mandatory tour.

Gerard and a few Assistants led the hundred-plus group of students around, briefly pausing at key locations and explaining their practical and historical significance via telepathy before moving on, rinse and repeat.

Most students couldn’t appreciate these explanations, half out of disinterest and the other half simply because they were too busy huffing and puffing to take in anything besides air. The tour was no different to a marathon, not just in the amount of running done, but also in the basic setup.

While the students could Psi to shield themselves from the rain, they couldn’t use it to move, having to use their physical limbs. They couldn’t use stamina potions or eat anything, and the only breaks they had were during the brief explanations and occasional train rides, which took them to their next track.

Currently, aboard a train, Ralf glanced out the window as complaints from sweat-soaked classmates echoed in his background. It had been three hours already and even now, Gerard’s voice was sounding through the telepathic link explaining the origins of the passing buildings.

Eyeing them, Ralf’s attention wasn’t on the explanation but rather on the true purpose behind this ‘tour’. Like many others, he had caught on to the fact that there was something more to it.

‘Something physically intensive, no doubt. The running has just been to exhaust us, mentally and physically. So, what's next? Probably more running, just in a different environment. Something harsher or maybe even an obstacle course, that could be fun,' he mused before turning to his companions.

As a whole, they were faring quite well.

Lane and Ralf had barely broken a sweat from all the running. Violet broke a few sweats but ultimately breezed through the exercise thanks to her enhanced body and military training background.

The twins, while unenhanced, had fitness going for them. They mainly kept fit for appearance’s sake but on this occasion, those muscles came in handy.

Yuki, just like in the Basic Armarments class, was among the worst-performing students. While she was slim and came off as fit from appearances alone, there was hardly any muscle on her.

The ice Mimic was overreliant on her powers and potions, and pretty much never exercised, something that was thoroughly exposed on this rainy day. Having next to no stamina and being forced to keep pace with a group that mostly consisted of physically enhanced humans, she quickly exhausted herself.

Luckily for her, she had capable and caring friends. To spare her the embarrassment of slowing down the whole group, Ralf offered to carry her on his back. Yuki took his offer after some hesitation, her exhaustion being very persuasive.

At first bashful, the ice Mimic quickly became comfortable at his backside, so comfortable that she ceased running altogether. Ralf hadn't planned to carry her the whole way, just until she found her breath, still, he carried on; the arrangement was to his liking.

‘Hm?' Ralf was broken out of his pleasant thoughts. 'Oh, here it is, something interesting's afoot.’

The rest of the students quickly reached the same conclusion as Ralf as they picked up the numerous Psi signatures waiting at the upcoming platform.

Gerard showed a knowing smile before explaining. [Yes, as many of you must've guessed by now, the tour was nothing but an opening act, an opening act for your second-ever Event. Life Race is its name and it's a brand new Event. Everyone prepare yourself, this one won’t be as easy as Paintball Royal.]

Gerard didn’t say much more than that about the Event, stating that things would be explained later on.

The train reached the platform and from there, the hundred-plus students were divided into twenty groups of five, except one holding six. The exceptional six were as one could guess, Ralf and the others. In these assigned groups, they were transported to the Dreadfall Forest in the same manner as last time, in a vanta-coated cube.

When the darkness cleared, a slightly lighter darkness revealed itself. The section of the Dreadfall Forest they had been dropped into had especially dense forestry, tall trees and massive foliage overhead, all serving to worsen the already poor visibility. When combined with the blanket of thick dark clouds above and the continuous downpour, the darkness was comparable to night-time.

The group didn’t think much of it though; with each one equipped with a Psi Scan, poor visibility was a non-issue, just like the pouring rain. But these non-issues quickly became issues as Jesse, the nearby Assistant dropped some cold water on the teenagers.

"All Psi use is forbidden from this point on," the female Assistant informed.

“Huh, really, now way,” Skye complained.

“Yes way, young man," Jesse insisted. "Now, everyone, dismiss your Psi at once, all of it,” she reiterated all while glowing blue herself.

The group looked reluctant but did as they were told. Once the barriers fell away, an immediate shiver visited them all. The sudden switch from warm to cold momentarily paralysed the group. The pelting rain and frigid wind struck hard, chilling their breath and bones alike.

Ralf and Charlotte immediately resorted to their individual cheats, the former shutting down his sense of heat and flooding his mind with a ‘warm’ sensation while the latter used Serenity on herself. The pair weathered the storm perfectly. Yuki and Lane fared slightly worse, relying on their experience to carry them through the affair.

Violet and Skye had neither ‘cheats’ nor experience to rely on, and fared the worse, shaking like leaves amidst a blizzard. Ralf and Charlotte were quick to seize the opportunity, Ralf wrapping up Skye while Charlotte engulfed Violet in a tight embrace. Lane and Yuki followed the pair's example and joined the fray until all were huddled up.

Jesse watched the six with envious eyes. It wasn’t just the students that had noted the group's closeness; the staff had been paying close attention to the group's dynamics and activities.

While the Academy outwardly focused on training formidable fighters, its main aim actually lay in the task of having students, especially those from significant backgrounds, get closer to each other.

The various Events had two purposes: to train students and to forge relationships through shared experiences. Just like soldiers bonding through drills or wartime, Events were meant to forge and deepen bonds between students. The Hunter Academies saw many strong relationships form between students, both platonic and romantic.

Ralf’s group, given their high-status members, was placed under a microscope and assigned high priority. The Academy saw great benefit in furthering the group's bonds, with their current arrangement being just one of the many methods the Academy used to fuel the budding flame that was their relationship.

“So, when’s the fun going to start?” Ralf asked, glancing at Jesse.

“Not soon…is all I can tell you,” she answered.

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“Not soon, what does that mean? A-Are you guys still setting up or something?” Skye asked, vibrating in place.

“No, I assure you, everything is already set up. What you’re experiencing now, is part of the test. After some time, be that ten minutes, twenty or thirty minutes, mister Brown will explain what the Event entails. Till then, you'll just have to endure the rain and cold.”

“Just wait huh,” Ralf repeated in a mutter, his eyes moving over his surroundings. While the others complained and shivered, his mind slowly realised something. ‘Oh, this is that spot,’ he thought, his eyes lighting up in recognition.

He looked to Jesse again and asked, “Hey, so we must wait here, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“What counts as here though? Our exact positions? Or can we roam about while we’re waiting?”

“Hmm, I’m not too sure. I’ll ask.” Pausing her speech, she posed the question via the telepathic network she was connected to. “I got word that you guys can roam about in the meantime, but you’re not to head in that direction,” she said pointing north. “Anywhere else is fine, just be within a…hundred metres of here. That fine for you guys?”

Ralf smiled. “Yep, perfect actually.”

“Hm, Ralf, what’s up?” Charlotte asked, not understanding his chipperness.

“What, you don’t recognise where we are, guess you couldn’t, given how dark it is. Anyways, we've lucked out.” Ralf broke out of the hug and moved to Yuki before turning and lowering himself. The ice Mimic needed no further instruction and simply hopped aboard.

Ralf's lips curled up, pleased by her compliance. “Skye, you get on Lane’s back, and Violet, you should be able to track us in the darkness without issue, so hold Charlotte's hand and guide her along. Let’s go, follow me.”

At his instructions, the group moved as one. Jesse, both interested and confused, followed along. It was only after walking fifty metres did she figure out where they were heading to.

Seventy metres from their initial spot, Ralf and the others arrived at their destination.

“Ah, a cave!....the one Illuya used that time,” Skye said, recognizing the fact first.

“Yep, that exact one,” Ralf confirmed as he eyed the artificial cave carved from a giant boulder.

The opening was wide and led to a five-metre-long curved tunnel that opened up to a large hollowed-out half dome. It was mostly clean, save for a few leaves, branches and dirt. The darkness was also a minus, but with the rain and wind at their backs, the group filed into the space with eager steps.

Ralf placed Yuki down carefully in the corner, getting a "thanks" for his efforts, and then helped the others find a place. With his Echo Scan, he navigated the space no different than a bat.

“You’re the best, brother, without you, I’d freeze to death out there. Consider my life yours from now on,” Skye’s disembodied voice rang out, before echoing repeatedly.

“No need to state the obvious brother…and I’m not done yet. Lane, you can see out there right, let’s go, I want you to collect branches and twigs, the dryer the better.”

“For a fire?”

“Of course, what kind of Fawkes am I if I can’t start one on demand," the Transmigrator said, slamming his fist against his chest for emphasis. "Okay, let’s head out. The rest of you, rinse out your clothes in the meantime."

Saying this, Ralf shuffled out of the cave, Lane following closely behind. Making their exit, the pair went their separate ways to complete their respective tasks. With superhuman bodies, they accomplished them in the span of minutes, with Ralf taking a bit longer to return. After drying his clothes at the entrance, he headed to the half-dome and began constructing a primitive fireplace.

Making a circle with stones, he then snapped the twigs and branches into tiny segments before making a pile in the ring of stones. Not happy with what he was working with, he went a step further. Removing his coat, he took off his white cotton T-shirt and cut it into strips using Lane's knife, which had seemingly poofed into existence.

As expected of a former assassin, the group couldn't help but think.

Ralf dressed the damp wood in equally damp cotton before retrieving a simple lighter from one of his coat pockets. He flicked the lighter's switch and lo and behold, a small flame was given life. The group's eyes lit up at the sight, both literally and metaphorically.

Never had they been so appreciative or in awe of the sacred element as they were during these trying moments. They watched on in entrancement as the Transmigrator lit up a lone piece of fabric. It caught alight and then so too did the pile it fell atop.

“Viola, fire,” said as he gestured to the flickering flames before him. "Now come my moths, approach."

The group took to his words at once, their cold bodies rushing to the warmth before them. They gathered around the fire in a circle, acting as insulators to keep the heat from escaping. Soaking up the warmth, the group's pale complexions slowly grew colourful while their bodies traded violent oscillations for more peaceful ones.

Icy winds blew in from the entranceway but the group was largely unfazed by it, mostly due to Charlotte and Ralf, who faced their backs against the tunnel. Jesse also played a part in tanking the cold winds, at first, unintentionally and then intentionally.

Watching the six glowing youths all huddled up, a sweet smile bloomed on the young Assistant's face.

'So, warm.'

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