Chapter 283 Even the best plan
Back at his school, Mount Aiden, Nero was very well known, and though popular wouldn't be the word he'd use to describe himself, he was influential among the students and even the teachers. This was because he had proven himself highly competent in every relevant field, and yet was friendly and approachable, always having an inviting and welcoming smile on his face.
His grades were not notch, combat training was his best class, was extremely driven and always did more than was necessary. In a school environment, especially one where everyone was driven since they knew they'd get military service sooner or later, such behaviour made him popular.
Drawing from that experience, Nero figured that the best way to overcome the distance created by his reputation was to do the same. He remained friendly and approachable, while at the same time proving himself highly competent in what was relevant. As guards and defenders, it was his combat prowess and situational awareness that was most relevant, so by destroying an entire almost nearly unaided, he more than proved himself.
It worked wonders. Considering that all the Neophytes were close in age and experience, it was easy to get along with one another after that initial hurdle was overcome. While they all ate breakfast together, the topic of conversation once again returned to Perilith, though this time instead of discussing the many dangers it contained, Nero talked about how amazing it felt going there, as if they had entered a fantasy book.
He talked about the lands as if they were a treasured land, waiting to be conquered by them. He also put a great deal of emphasis on the fact that since everything was brought down to the same level as them, they had nothing to fear as long as they remembered their training. After all, they were trained from birth to be warriors. They feared no enemy in the same realm.
Just like that, over the course of a single meal, everyone's perception of Perilith changed from a land of terror and death, to a personalised training field. Where else would they find such an abundance of enemies and treasures, side by side, as if they were in a video game? The fact that no enemy was stronger than them in level meant that as long as they were smart, they could get through this easily while gaining a tremendous amount of experience.
Over the course of a single mea morale was raised, and no one besides Noman seemed to notice that Nero had done it purposefully. As someone who focused on leading and commanding, since his own combat abilities were not yet up to par, he was even more impressed by Nero. Not only was he a formidable fighter, he was an excellent leader and tactician as well.
What Noman didn't know was that alongside raising everyone's morale, he was also purposefully demonstrating his ability to Noman, to get the kid to admire him even more. Step by step Nero would build his trust, and then complete his mission.
After breakfast, they all went together to gear up, as soon it would be time to escort the researchers back into Perilith.
For the first two hours of daylight they actually did not enter, as the Arcanists team was inside. Once they exited, they quickly passed a few words to their handler, who came and revealed their objective for the day to Vanessa and the rest.
Then, once again, they entered through the wooden tavern into Perilith. The early morning sun shone the clear sky with resplendent glory, the pink and light blue sky promising bright and positive tidings.
Of course, none of them actually believed in such forecasts. The moment Nero entered Perilith he was back to being completely on guard, straining his senses to the utmost lest anything catch him off guard.
Now that he had returned here, and was not distracted by a fight for his life or a drained Spirit, Nero began to realise that his increased senses were much greater than he expected. He could feel the flow of aether in the air, as if it was wind, but he could also feel cursed energy much more clearly.
Unlike in the Primeveil, which had been cleansed by the expedition forces, the surroundings in Perilith had countless spots where cursed energy had gathered in thick clumps, draining all the aether and vibrancy from the world around them.
It was peculiar to sense cursed energy like this, and it was also very misleading. If he relied solely on his senses he would come to believe that cursed energy had gathered in various zones and that if he navigated carefully, he could avoid it. That was far from the truth.
In fact, what he was sensing was just the aura from a few particularly strong cursed beings, or perhaps cursed items that were constantly leaking cursed energy. This level of sensitivity was not actually unheard of, which is why Nero was not fooled by it.
"Today we're going to be heading directly south," Vanessa spoke up, attracting everyone's attention. "The Arcanist team has already scouted the area and created a relatively safe path for us to traverse, though they could only go so far. Our target is a certain outcrop of a red, unidentified stone that we suspect is of high mineral value. It might also prove to be an important crafting ingredient, not to mention it might give us some hints towards the location of one of our primary targets.
"The Arcanist team reported signs of multiple wildlife, including but not limited to ferrets, squirrels, and snakes. They did not spot any obvious signs of cursed plants, but it cannot be ruled out. Depending on how quickly we reach our destination and complete sample extraction, we will have more objectives to fulfil."
Nero turned to look at their target, which was visible from a distance, even above the tall grass that blocked most of their view.
"Wait here for a moment," he said, then jumped and grabbed the ledge of the tavern wall and climbed above. The safety of the tavern had already been established, and though he was cautious, that did not mean he would waste a good vantage point.
After climbing onto its roof, he pulled out a card to help him view their path to the destination.
Name: Etheium Monocular
Image: A purple, floating pentagram with a circle in the middle, perfectly touching all sides, revealing a far off object as if it was close
Type: Illusion
Star rank: 0
Ability: [Display a zoomed in image of whatever the spell is pointed towards]
Flavour text: "Far off shores and distant horizons, I can see from the comfort of my home" - ???
He used the card, summoning a purple pentagram in front of him, with a circle inside of it, just as shown in the card. Within the circle, a zoomed in image of tall grass appeared, but as Nero moved the pentagram, the image changed.
The spell would allow Nero to clearly see far off things, which was pretty useful considering that the path the Arcanists had carved out for them didn't go all the way to the target. A few others climbed up on the tavern and observed the path alongside him, which seemed straightforward except for one ominous stretch of plain dirt where no plants grew, and no animals wandered.
"There's no way we can reach the outcrop without at least a few fights," Nero said as he pointed to a pack of wild dogs who briefly exited the tall grass to attack another animal before quickly returning to the relative refuge of the grass. "The trick will be to pick for ourselves which enemies we should fight, and which ones we should avoid."
"It would be best to avoid any kind of pack," Noman stated as they scouted the way a little longer. Once they were satisfied, they returned to the ground and got in formation before heading out.
Nero, Clarissa and Dave took the lead this time, while behind the group surrounded the researchers, with Bael following up at the end. Dave could sense dangers even if they were obscured by the grass, while Clarissa could spot the weakness in any enemy she faced. Nero was just a plain badass.
With the three of them leading, they had the best chance of reaching their destination unharmed.
But even the best plans could fall apart with a single unexpected incident. The group followed the dirt path cleared out by the Arcanists, avoiding the tall grass. Near the tavern, there weren't even any animals of curses so they were relatively safe.
But around 500 metres (0.3 miles) from the tavern, Nero felt a subtle vibration in the ground. He raised his spear as he looked around for any sign of trouble, just as he got ready to give a warning to the team. But, for once, even Nero was not fast enough.
Someone behind him screamed as a thin, long insect burst from the ground and hooked its pincers into the foot of the nearest soldier, and then retreated back into the ground. It happened so fast no one was able to see the insect properly let alone react to it.
By the time they reacted, the person who had been attacked had his entire leg pulled into the ground.