Chapter 601: Try Not to Kill Each Other

Seris showed more interest this time.

"The Land of First Dawn?"

"Yeah, it’s a special land where three people from our academy are going to be sent."

"You and who else?"

"Rindo, whom you also met in the Special Area, and another person you don’t know."

The third person was naturally Roderick, but the girl knew nothing about that boy.

Seris looked toward the mountain peak.

"When are you leaving?"

"Probably soon, I need to return first, check my equipment, and make the final arrangements."

Then it was his turn to ask a question.

"What about you? Are you going straight to that Hidden Area?"

She nodded.

"I’m going to the Pendragon base, but before that, I want to look around this area, if possible, I want to find the fallen city of Frost."

"Then let me know if you find anything interesting at the base."

"Okay."

Lian smiled.

"Especially if you find any treasures that would be suitable for me."

Seris looked at him for a moment.

"Come and take them yourself."

"That’s not a bad idea."

He laughed and didn’t reject her offer, perhaps visiting that base in the future wasn’t such a bad idea.

They stood in silence for a short while, not the kind of heavy and uncomfortable silence, but the normal silence between two people who had traveled together for a long time and now had separate plans.

Lian finally spoke.

"Then, goodbye for now."

Seris nodded.

"See you."

"Yeah. Take care of yourself."

"You too."

The girl looked at him for another moment, then turned toward her own route back.

Lian also activated the option to return to Earth, blue light formed around his body, and a few seconds later, he disappeared from the mountains.

Seris continued on her own path without stopping.

Sooner or later, they would see each other again, but for now, both of them had more important things to do.

When Lian opened his eyes again, instead of the cold mountain wind, a gentle breeze touched his face.

He was also back in the city of Verendal, and since he had nothing else to do in this city, he went straight to the city’s transportation center and, after paying the fee, entered a portal with the capital of his country as its destination.

It didn’t take long for him to find himself in the capital’s transportation center, and as before, he took a taxi and returned to the academy.

The academy’s familiar tall buildings stood before him.

The grounds were unusually quiet, and only a few students could be seen in the distance, while the sounds of training came from only a small number of buildings.

Most students and Awakened were currently in the Ruined Realm to hunt, increase their levels, and complete missions.

The academy was still active, but a large number of its students were spending most of their time in the other world and only returned for necessary training, rest, or administrative matters.

Lian put his hands into his pockets and walked toward the central building, along the way, several students recognized him.

As he passed by, one of them fixed his gaze on the back of Lian’s right hand, while another whispered something to his companion.

He didn’t even need to listen to guess what they were talking about.

The news from Verendal had also reached the academy, the Ancestral Dragon Mark, the support of Rhaenar Pendragon, and the unexpected invitation from Kairos to join the Primal Firmament.

Of course, these reports were only part of the truth, if the full truth became public, God knew what the reactions would be like.

When he reached the central notice board, his eyes stopped on one of the announcements.

Selected Students to Be Sent to the Land of First Dawn

Under the title, the names of three students were listed.

Lian.

Rindo.

Roderick.

Only three people from the academy had been selected for this stage.

The journey would begin at Base #3, and after arriving there, the group would have to travel by land for about a week to reach the main destination.

Lian looked at the names for a few seconds, then gave a faint smile.

Finally, it’s time.

But before anything else, there was someone he should visit, so he moved away from the board and headed toward the Student Council building.

The hallway of the Student Council building was almost empty.

In the past, several students would usually wait in front of the council office, some had come to submit their requests, while others wanted to talk about problems with their classes or training schedules.

But now, only two people could be seen at the end of the hallway.

Lian walked straight toward the council president’s office and knocked on the door a few times.

"Come in."

A familiar voice came from behind the door.

He entered.

Rindo was sitting behind a large desk, with several files in front of him, and he was reviewing a report that was probably related to the upcoming expedition.

When the door opened, he raised his head, and for a moment, his gaze settled on the young Vorhelm.

Then he closed the file.

"So, you finally showed up."

"I missed seeing you."

Lian smiled.

Rindo looked at him for a few seconds.

"Then you could have come back sooner."

Lian laughed and sat on the chair across from the desk without waiting for an invitation.

"Are you always this strict?"

"Only when someone who should be preparing for an important expedition is nowhere to be found until the last moment."

As Rindo spoke, he took a closer look at him.

Lian noticed that his friend was paying more attention to his physical condition than to his clothes or Ancestral Dragon Mark.

After a few seconds, the Student Council President asked,

"You’re not seriously injured, are you?"

"No, I’m fine for now."

Rindo briefly glanced at his right hand.

"Considering the news I heard from Verendal, that answer isn’t very reassuring."

"Don’t worry, if there were something wrong with me, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here right now."

Rindo remained silent for a moment, then spoke.

"That was exactly the kind of answer I expected to hear from you."

Lian laughed, but behind this short conversation, both of them were aware of something that didn’t need to be said directly.

They had already experienced situations where their survival was uncertain until the very last moment.

When two people face death together, they no longer need to constantly use warm words to prove their friendship.

Rindo was still the same organized and strict person as before.

But Lian knew that if he ever truly needed help, Rindo would be one of the people he could count on.

"So, how are the preparations for the expedition going?" the young Vorhelm asked, glancing at the files on the desk.

The Student Council President picked up one of them.

"Almost everything is ready. The transfer to Base #3 has been arranged, and after that, we’ll have to travel by land with the main group."

"One week, right?"

"About that, though it depends on the condition of the route."

Rindo opened the file.

"For now, the plan is to travel without any unnecessary stops. But if the security situation changes, the route or departure time might change as well."

Lian nodded.

"Then we still have time."

"Time to prepare, yes, not to waste."

His smile changed slightly.

"Right, I’d prefer not to struggle to stay alive as much this time." ℯℯ𝑙.

Rindo gave a small nod.

"Same here."

Then he looked at the files.

"Only three people from our academy are being sent, me, you, and Roderick. So I expect all three of us to cooperate, at least when it comes to matters related to the journey."

"Has Roderick still not returned?"

"According to the latest report I received, no, but he’s expected to return soon."

"Then at least one of the three of us hasn’t finished his journey yet."

Rindo looked at him.

"I hope you two won’t start your old problems again when he returns."

The young Vorhelm shrugged.

"I don’t have a problem with him."

He looked at him for a few seconds, then placed the file on the desk.

"Lian, I know enough about what happened between you two."

"Then you know that most of the problems weren’t started by me."

"I know, but I want you to show some restraint during this trip, at least until he does something stupid, turn a blind eye to his actions, I’d prefer it if our journey didn’t turn into a personal fight before we even reached our destination."

Lian rested his hand on the armrest of the chair.

"As long as Roderick doesn’t go looking for trouble, I won’t bother him either."

Rindo didn’t continue the subject, apparently, that answer was enough for him for now.

As the young Vorhelm looked around the office, he noticed several different files on the other side of the desk.

They had the Student Council’s seal on them, but unlike the expedition files, their titles were about transferring the council’s responsibilities.

He looked at Rindo.

"I guess you’ve already started handling your graduation matters, right?"

Rindo nodded.

"Yes, I’m finishing the rest of my work, and then I’ll have to hand over the position of Student Council President, I need to do that before our expedition, at least."

"What are your plans after that?"

"I want to join the Federation."

"The Federation?" Lian raised an eyebrow.

"I’ll probably start in one of its operational or management departments, they haven’t made a final decision about my initial position yet."

The young Vorhelm looked at him for a few seconds, this choice suited Rindo’s personality perfectly.