Nero had no doubt that after viewing him and the other teams work together, many others would copy them. But just having many people working together did not automatically make the situation better. In fact, considering that no one had any experience working in their own fireteam, working in a larger group could very easily result in mayhem.
It was why, instead of telling everyone that working together might cause them problems, Nero suggested that everyone practise their individual team formations and keep a small distance between the teams. This way, everyone could get some practice working on their own, but quickly receive help if they encountered trouble.
It was for that reason the five teams took up a large space as they moved from A-1 to B-5. The forest was not too dense with trees, though even so their canopy covered most of the sky, providing plenty of shade.
Nero took a moment to look out at everything in their path, taking in everything. This was the first time he was out in the wild, basically on his own, and though he could maintain a calm mind, he could not help but feel excited.
He had his internal aetheric pressure increased, which is why he could feel countless invisible forces and energies touching his skin. They were not trying to affect him, it was more like they were drifting in the wind and hitting his skin before moving on. They did not feel like curses, but he was not really in the mood to take risks.
The temperature felt lower in the forest, and more humid as well. There was a constant buzz in the air, a mix of the leaves rustling in the wind, the bugs in the air and the sounds of the army base receding into the distance.
The forest was also filled with colours. It was not that the city was dull and grey, but that each leaf seemed to have various shades of green and yellow. The bark of the trees was dark, but any scrapes or cuts made it light. The mulch on the ground ranged from yellow to brown to orange.
The insects crawling on the ground had interesting colours as well, though they seemed to blend into their surroundings. The flying bugs, however few and far they were, came in bright colours of red and pink and green.
The forest was a moving tapestry, one that could kill him at the slightest hint of carelessness. It demanded the utmost respect and seriousness from him, and he had to prove himself worthy to appreciate its beauty.
The forest was also in a hilly area, meaning that they all had to hike up or down various slopes, which made their journey even more difficult and slowed them down.
"At this rate, we're going to take too long. By the time we reach our objectives it'll be getting dark, and we're not equipped to deal with such an issue," Nero said as he used his thin, metallic spear as a walking stick.
"We need to pick up the pace. The scouts need to mark the best path forward."
Among the five teams, there were only three scouts, including Henry. Ordinarily, they would be sent forward to explore the terrain and check for any dangers or terrains they should avoid, but Nero was adamant that they should not go too far, or at least not leave their line of sight.
"We also need to find water, and something edible. If we're going to be travelling all day, we'll become exhausted and dehydrated just from trekking alone. If we have to-"
"Movement in the trees!" Henry suddenly shouted from the front and pulled back.
All the teams froze as they suddenly started to search for the targets. Nero clicked his tongue as he noticed a mistake they made, but said nothing.
He quickly spotted a richness of martens moving among the treetops while observing their group.
"They're just normal animals! Gather your aura but don't engage first," yelled a short recruit as he activated his ability, and summoned a strangely visible gust of wind and had it rotate around his body.
Nero also obliged, and summoned his blue flame around the tip of his spear, while many others simultaneously summoned their abilities. The aether in the air swirled around them, suddenly affected by the surge in abilities, and created an intimidating environment.
The martens paused, still at a distance, and all looked at the group. For a moment, nobody moved as an invisible confrontation took place. Then the martens started to move in a different direction, allowing the group to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Martens and other small forest animals are likely to avoid confrontation when facing large groups. As long as there are enough of us together, we can avoid fights with normal animals as long as they're not too aggressive."
Nero observed the short recruit. He was around 1.5 metres in height, but that did not prevent him from cutting an impressive sight. His confident expression and sharp eyes spoke of someone with experience, or at least plenty of knowledge.
"Nero," he introduced himself when the recruit met his eyes.
"Glade," he responded, with a simple nod.
Nero did not know him before this, but would remember him from now on. He also turned to look at Henry. Admittedly, the martens had been far from them, but it was not so easy to spot them moving above the tree branches, especially when they blended so well with the trees. He was also not incompetent.
They tried to pick up the pace afterwards, but time and time again they encountered groups of animals moving through the forest, and had to stop again and again, unable to traverse much time. It took them an entire hour just to cover 2 km (1.2 miles) and reach the border of B-5 and C-5.
At this point, one of the fireteams would split from them. Their progress so far had been less than ideal, not just because of how slow they were, but because they had been unable to find any water or sufficient food.
The forest was filled with mushrooms and fruits and small animals, but none of them could determine if the mushrooms were edible, and though they collected some fruits, they were not enough for everyone.
At least they had avoided all fights now.
But their journey would be even tougher from now on, as the terrain was even harsher. In fact, many of the recruits were already out of breath and covered in sweat despite the cold.
They took a short break, considering there was a very steep climb waiting for them just ahead. The scouts wanted to move forward for a bit and explore, but Nero was not in favour of it. The other groups, however, decided to send them forward, ignoring him.
"If they encounter trouble while they're alone, it'll be difficult to reach them," Nero commented to his own group, keeping his eyes on Henry who stood far away, not going forward with the other scouts.
"They're just hoping to find a way around this hill," Wendy said with a frown. Even she was surprised by their poor stamina.
Before Nero could respond, however, a scream cut through the hum of the forest, attracting everyone's attention. It was not the scouts, but one of the girls from another group.
Everyone suddenly jumped to their feet and locked onto the source of the scream. It was a snake, not even very long. It was barely even a metre in length. But no one had seen it coming, and it had blended completely in the ground.
For whatever reason, it did not abide by the rule of avoiding a larger group, and had bitten her before retreating. Some of the recruits rushed the snake, but that's when the situation suddenly deteriorated even more.
Dozens more snakes suddenly appeared, completely unseen before, and began to bite whoever passed near them.
"Taylor, defence!" Nero screamed quickly as he swung his spear through the surrounding mulch, revealing two snakes!
"Charles, attack the empty ground!"
Without waiting to see if they understood his quick commands, Nero slashed once more, cutting the head off a snake.
Wendy, with her short sword and dagger, cut the head off another snake that suddenly attacked from the side.
The ground trembled as Charles used his ability to launch explosives all around them, and that's when Nero realised the extent of the trouble they were in. Hundreds of snakes were forced out of their strange ability to stay hidden.
"Glade, what's going on?" Nero yelled as he covered the ground around their group in blue flames. He could not tell if Taylor had boosted their defence yet, but the flames should keep the snakes away.
"We might have decided to take a break near their burrows. We can only fight."
"Charles, keep an eye on Henry. Wendy, you're with me," Nero said as his expression firmed. He would need to be quick, or else everyone who was bit wouldn't get time to be treated.