Chapter 425: Danger Lurking
While this group of students are discussing things about Michael and other subjects.
A few minutes earlier.
Michael and his group on the other hand are also on one side of the forest, as they walk around the designated safe area of the forest while chatting among themselves.
"This place creeps the sh*t out of me" Brandon said, wrapping his arms around Michael's, looking terrified as he uneasily looked around.
"Goddammit, for the third time, get your filthy hands off me!" Michael angrily slapped Brandon's arms away as he glared at Brandon who looked at him like a dog who was wronged by his owner.
"B-boss" Brandon said, feeling wronged as he held the spot that Michael had slapped.
Lightly pinching his glabella, Michael said with one eye closed, "You're a man, what are you getting scared of when there's a lot of people around you?"
"I already told you thaaaa! Ow! Ow! Stop pulling my ear!"
"Shut up, you're such a sissy! You're delaying us!"
Brandon was about to start complaining to Michael when Mary, who had grown impatient listening to them, immediately walked to her cousin and started pulling his ear with a gusto mixed with annoyance!
"Stop embarrassing me, it's just darkness! If you're scared then hold onto me!" Mary said, even though she sounded angry as she berated her cousin, it couldn't hide the fact that she clearly cares for him.
Michael was walking behind the group and watched as Brandon clung to Mary like a chick clinging to their mother hen, 'This kid was so ferocious when we first met, I really didn't expect that he would be this scared of the dark. It makes you wonder what situation he would be in if there's power outages that would occur'
'Well, it's understandable, it's human nature to be scared of the dark that's filled with the unknown'
*****
At the entrance of Snow Village.
A group of haggard looking players had arrived at the towering entrance of the village where they can see people walking to and fro.
"Is this the rumored village? I thought it would look run down because the news about it was just made known a couple of days ago" The warrior said with a voice full of relief and surprise, and at the same time, he thought they were already fast as he was even more surprised to see that there's already a lot of players that had arrived at the village before them.
"It's not that surprising. After all, this village is a territory ruled by the infamous Revenant Guild, and also allied with the Flame Rose Guild that had been making waves lately. So there would be waves of players who will make their way here filled with curiosity and an adventurous spirit" The woman, wearing a wizard attire replied to what her friend had said while walking past the village gate and was greeted by the bustling scene before them.
[You have entered the domain of the Ice and Fire Sculpture]
[Your cold resistance have been temporarily raised to 50% until you leave its domain]
"Wow, did you guys feel the change when we walked past the gate? It actually feels warmer inside than outside the village. This must be the rumored cold resistance buff in this place, and its f*cked up. Just imagine if we have 50% Cold Resistance, then we wouldn't be afraid of those Wizards that specialize in Ice Magic" The archer in the group said when he saw the system prompt before his eyes.
"Yeah, at the same time, this place reminds me of those small villages in backwater places in the country" the priestess in the party replied while taking off her coat and putting it inside her [Inventory].
As they walked through the street of the village, they saw a lot of players that had already set up roadside stalls as they advertised their products towards the passing players.
"I have ten vials of Ice Troll Blood! I'm selling it for 200 Gold each!"
"I have fruits and vegetables here! Only 5 Gold a piece! Come get them!"
"Rare Grade Thorn Whip! Suitable for Hunters! For only 5000 Gold!"
This group of newly arrived players was amazed by the bustling sight as they weren't expecting for such a small village to have such a bustling scene, as other villages that they have been to before weren't as lively as the scene around them.
And before long, the group had already arrived at the very familiar village elder.
"Hello young adventurers, how may I help you today?"
*****
Back in the real world.
"That was so anticlimactic, I didn't expect that Sara would be almost scared to death by Chad and his goons"
"But it was still kinda scary though, what if she died?"
The students slowly arrived in groups while discussing what happened with one of their fellow students.
"F-finally we're out! I love bright places!" Brandon yelled as he ran towards the camp with a bright expression on his face, it was that very expression when you're seeing your long distance partner for the first time!
On the other hand, Michael was feeling a little tense as he had been feeling a weird and tense atmosphere in the air a minute ago, as it's that same feeling when something bad is about to take place.
It became even more obvious looking at those tense expressions on the faces of the instructors standing in one corner as they and Professor Santos whispered amongst themselves.
"Is that intel true? What about reinforcements from the company?" The leader of the instructors asked Mr. Santos in a whisper-like voice, as he and along with his men were astonished at the sudden news.
Mr. Santos looked at him with a stern look on his face and said, "There will be no back-up, consider this as a trial for you and your men"
"They've gone mad, these are children from reputable families. What if we fail?"
Mr. Santos just shrugged his shoulders, "Then all the more reason not to fail"
Not so surprisingly, Chad was also able to feel the weird atmosphere hanging in the air when he and his group arrived at the campgrounds, and it immediately made him to start looking around as he saw that their professor and the instructors are whispering amongst themselves before disappearing inside the building unnoticed by the others, and following that, Michael had also disappeared like a ghost, nowhere to be found even when he frantically looked around at the places he could have overlooked.
'The professor and the instructors are acting weird, and Michael's suddenly gone, and this familiar feeling hanging over our heads…it was similar back then. Is something bad about to happen? What do I do?'
Fraught with worries and suddenly remembering that traumatic night, Chad shivered as his legs wobbled to the side as he quickly placed his hand on the nearby tree trunk to prevent himself from falling.
One nautical mile away from the island where Michael and the rest of the students are camped at.
There is a group of men, armed, and riding on one small boat as it silently approaches the island.
"ETA in nine minutes"