Draven toppled to the left but gritted his teeth and spun to the right, dodging another spider poised to attack. In the same motion, he drove his blade into both eyes of the first spider that had struck him.
The spider recoiled, shrieking in agony.
Draven left his sword embedded in its skull as more spiders closed in. He maneuvered through their midst, even resorting to punching some to create openings.
Breaking free from the encirclement, his sword materialized back in his grasp. He cut down the few spiders in his path and caught up with Vera.
She was battling on all fronts, her movements a blur as she fended off the relentless horde. Draven quickly jumped in to assist her.
"That thing is trying to cut us off ahead!" he yelled urgently. "Follow me closely and cover my rear and sides!"
Without waiting for a response, Draven threw himself into the horde. His mind fired on all cylinders, calculating every possible path through the chaos of deadly monsters.
The sound of his heartbeat drowned out the shrieks. Adrenaline surged through his veins, and he exhaled slowly, his gaze locked on the sea of spiders ahead.
"Don't get left behind," he whispered before springing into action.
Draven whipped his blade at the monsters blocking their path, bending and twisting his body like a dancer weaving through a deadly maze. He maneuvered past spear-like legs and narrow gaps, taking the shortest—and most dangerous—route.
Vera followed directly behind him, her sword a whirlwind of death to the monsters but a staunch guardian to Draven. Not even a drop of blood from the rear reached him as she protected his back.
With Draven leading, their speed doubled. They stopped cutting through the horde and began weaving through it.
It didn't take long to reach the edge of the forest. Just as Draven was about to dash ahead, Vera snatched him from behind. The rushing wind hit his face as she carried him like a log, sprinting forward like an arrow released from a bow.
'She's at it again,' Draven thought, giving up on complaining and simply 'enjoying' the ride while scanning their surroundings.
Fortunately, there were no monsters in the vicinity, allowing them an unimpeded escape from the forest. Draven kept his eyes on the path behind them, but the terrifying vine never reappeared.
'Maybe it gave up…' he thought absently.
Vera didn't stop until they burst out of the trees into an expansive, empty plain. In the distance stood a massive building—the Haven.
She ran for another five minutes before finally coming to a halt, dropping Draven to the ground as she sat, panting heavily.
Draven was also breathing hard, though his exhaustion came from the strain of battle rather than running. Carrying him had clearly taken a toll on Vera, but she still looked far less tired than he felt. They were both covered in blood.
Looking down at his arm, Draven saw that the armor on his right side had completely shattered.
After a short rest, Vera spoke up. "We should get to the Haven before resting. A lot could still go wrong."
Draven nodded and slowly stood, ignoring the aches in his body. Surprisingly, Vera didn't look too worse for wear.
The two walked toward the Haven in silence for a while before Vera broke it.
"I sometimes forget you were one of the top students in the Basic Academy when it came to combat," she said.
Draven chuckled. The Basic Academy was a mandatory program for teenagers seven months from turning fifteen, designed to prepare them for awakening.
"But I remember you were the first to fail to awaken. How did you end up awakening?" she asked, curiosity evident in her tone.
Draven glanced at her but had already prepared an answer for such questions.
"I thought I failed too, until I got home and saw the panel. And here we are," he replied casually.
"Really?" Vera furrowed her brow, skeptical.
"What else do you think happened?"
"So, why did you stop attending classes like a normal student? It's like the school became a free eatery for you."
"I had important things to do."
"More important than school that trains you to survive?" she arched an eyebrow.
Draven stayed silent, and the conversation lapsed into awkwardness. They reached the Haven about an hour later.
From the outside, the Haven was surrounded by tall silver fences made, standing like stalwart protectors. Teenagers and young adults strolled in and out, dressed in various types of armor—some soft and flexible, others heavy and imposing. Most left in groups, and Draven noticed only a few injured individuals returning.
Despite being covered in blood, they didn't draw any strange looks.
'Looks like this is normal here,' Draven thought.
"So, what now?" Draven asked Vera.
"This is why you should've come to classes," she said, throwing him a derisive glance.
Draven rubbed his nose at her remark. 'First Brenna, now her?'
"We go to the Council Association Store to get keys for rooms. Come on," she said, leading the way.
Draven followed her into the Haven, a massive silver dome that resembled a half-cut sphere. Inside, three large compounds were arranged in a triangular formation around a small black building.
A few people were entering and leaving the black building, which stood in the center of the dome. The area was dimly lit by strange crystals embedded in the ceiling.
One of the compounds had a bold sign: Council Association Store.
The duo walked inside, where several people stood behind desks. Vera led him to a young girl.
"We need two rooms," Vera said.
The girl looked at them before explaining, "You're required to pay monster crystals every thirty days. You can choose one of the following: either ten First Order Transient rank crystals, three Second Order Transient crystals, or one Third Order Transient crystal. Your payment period starts thirty days from now. The number on the key corresponds to your room."
She extended her hand as if for a handshake. Vera shook it first, then gestured for Draven to do the same.
Draven skeptically took her hand and received a notification:
[+1 Gear received.]
'Don't tell me the key is a gear…'
He quickly checked:
–––
[Gear: Key 123]
[Rank: Transient]
[Order: First Order]
[Type: Utility]
[Description: Opens and locks room 123.]
–––
'Seriously?' His eyes widened.
Both of them left the dome and quickly found their rooms, which were next to each other. The buildings were made of the same silver material as the fence, but the interior walls were painted black, giving the room a dim, somber atmosphere.
'At least it's not silver again,' Draven thought, exhaling as he stepped inside.
He came back out to find Vera waiting.
"See you around," she said, turning to leave.
She suddenly stopped and added, "You should prepare for the hunting crusade. Any of our classmates who arrived early are planning to join, and only the strong are allowed to participate."
"What's a hunting crusade?" Draven asked, unsure.
"Do your research!" she snapped before walking away.
"How do I get out of here?" Draven called after her.
"The black building in the dome," she replied without looking back.
'Why is she annoyed?' Draven mused.
Draven shook his head and headed toward the dome. Inside the black building, a massive mirror stood in the center, with people stepping in and out of it.
Draven quickly stepped through the mirror, emerging on the other side. Just as he did, he bumped into a masked figure.
"Draven?" the person asked. Before he could respond, a hand shot forward, clasping his throat and lifting him off the ground.