Oliver was jolted awake the next day by the sound of explosions. He could vaguely hear the mana beast's roars and the explosions.
'The mana beast horde began their attack.' Oliver thought and jumped out of his bed.
He could have applied for a leave of absence to rest if he wanted. But, he had better things to do than resting.
This was a critical point in his life. He had to use all the available resources. And the carcasses of the mana beasts that would be piling up near the city wall was one such resource.
Due to their large body sizes, mana beasts had a lot of blood. Oliver needs blood to grow stronger. And what better place to find blood than a battlefield?
He merrily hummed a song and walked to the bathroom.
A good night of sleep had rejuvenated him, allowing him to enjoy life for once.
After a short while, he exited the bathroom wearing a bath towel while humming the same song.
Along the way to his wardrobe, he noticed his face on the mirror hung nearby.
"Handsome guy." He said nonchalantly, twisting and turning his jaw.
Actually, just by looking at his face, he was far from being called handsome.
However, his toned body and well-defined muscles, added to his unruly aura, made him look more handsome than he actually was.
It was a trick of the eye or mind, similar to how mirages were seen in the middle of deserts, his appearance depended more on his aura as a person. The experience and the confidence he gained through his past life played a major role in it.
"I should grow my hair longer. This short military cut doesn't suit me." Oliver said and went back to find his uniform.
Inside the camp, all personnel were required to wear their uniforms. He was not exempt from the rule.
Quickly putting on his uniform, he hung his trusty alloy knife around his waist and went out of his room.
Curious glances were directed at him the moment he left his room.
Currently, he was living in the student hostel. There were hundreds of students living in the same building. However, they usually avoid him because of the 'pulling out the spine' he had done previously.
However, this time. There was a group of students waiting for him outside.
"Are you Oliver? Oliver Thorne?" One of them walked up to him and asked.
"No," Oliver replied without batting an eyelid. "Okay, bye." He said and locked his door before walking away.
The student was too stunned to speak. He actually knew Oliver. In fact, most of the students in the military academy knew him.
After the stunt he pulled, how could they not know him?
"Hey, wait a minute. All students are summoned to attend the assembly today." The student quickly said.
"Oh!" Oliver paused.
Technically, he was still a student. So, he needs to participate in it.
"What is it about?"
"I heard we will be given special tasks because of the beast horde."
"What kind of task?"
"I don't know. Clean up?" The student tilted his head.
They were students attending the military academy for mandatory service. They would certainly not help fight against a beast horde. The task they will be given would be most likely something menial.
"Hm. Okay. Will the headmaster be there?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Hm."
If the headmaster was there, it would make his life easier. He wanted to meet him and ask what happened to the others, the people that he had rescued, including Achara.
Meanwhile, he could also request permission to participate in dealing with mana beast carcasses. After all, he already had the experience of working in a mana beast processing plant.
"I understand," Oliver said and walked towards the school ground.
If his memory serves him right, the school ground in front of the main building was used to hold assemblies.
Like Moses parting the sea, the students around him split up into two and moved away when he walked by.
"Huh!" Oliver chuckled, seeing their reaction.
—-
"Today, the assembly is being held because of an unexpected situation. As you know, due to the awakening of the S-rank mana beast, the Mountain King, a beast horde has formed and is currently attacking the city." The headmaster spoke to the students lined up before him.
Oliver was among the students, waiting patiently and listening to what the headmaster had to say.
"Fortunately, we received timely assistance from Hero Union, Hunter Association and SMB. There is nothing for you to worry about." He reassured the children.
Although all the students were eighteen years old, there were kids in front of the headmaster. So, he treated them like ones.
"I called you here to say that this is a great opportunity for you to observe and learn how professionals work. Most of you, once graduating from here, would join the military or the three organizations I just mentioned. So, I would like to allow you to observe the battle first hand."
*Murmurs*
The students quickly looked at each other and murmured. Some were excited, while a few others were scared; most of them were waiting for the headmaster to continue speaking.
"But…" The headmaster began to speak again, and the students quickly calmed down as the field once again descended into silence.
"But there is a catch," Oliver muttered.
"But there is a risk of injury or even death. I need you to fully understand the risk before you make a decision. If you must, you can consult your parents regarding the issue. For today, you will be allowed to use the military communication network to call home." The headmaster added.
'Call home!' Suddenly, Oliver felt his heartbeat increase.
The usually calm and collected expression of his broke as he thought about his family.
During the mandatory service of six months, they were not allowed to call home at all. That was why Oliver didn't even bother thinking about it.
However, an opportunity arose due to unexpected circumstances. He was thrilled and, at the same time, confused.
What should he say?
For them, he was away for three months.
For him, it was decades.
'What! How?' Oliver didn't know what to do.
For the next three months, he might not get this opportunity again.
'This was the time before we discovered the method to resynchronize quantum coupled metals(QCM). So, direct communication to Earth was difficult. The military network the headmaster spoke of was a predecessor to the QCM-based communication system. It was fast but had limited bandwidth. It won't be open to the public at all. I can't miss the chance.'
'I should at least make sure that they are okay. What if my actions caused some ripple effect that affected them?'
'I need to call them.'
Oliver decided.