Chapter 76: Lockdown

Marshlands, Campsite

Morning quickly came, but Thomas had barely found any rest.

Yesterday, right after his talk with Julian inside the tent, Instructor Cross had come looking for their group. The veteran instructor wanted them to recall the events that led to them disappearing into an uncharted land despite his stern warning.

The group had lied obviously. They claimed that they were chasing a swamp reptile when they wandered too close to the uncharted land, and that is where Julian was dragged under by the roots of the mana beast. The instructor then asked them why they had not alerted them through the rings, or if they had forgotten that function entirely. They all said they were panicking. After a few more rounds of questioning, the instructor left them alone, and the group decided to call it a night.

All of them were exhausted, and one thought was in Thomas’s mind. Would they continue the excursion despite knowing that there is now an active, ancient, and powerful threat that has strange and elusive abilities? Plus, when he thought back to those black roots approaching the boundary of the marshlands and the uncharted land, he shivered.

’That was not a good plan after all,’ he thought to himself.

The weight of that confrontation still hung heavy in the air. The vast forest outside the campsite felt vastly different now, no longer just a standard testing ground but a massive perimeter concealing a threat they could not hope to match in a straight fight. Thomas lay on his bed for hours just staring at the canvas roof, his mind working through the tactical variables.

But now there was another mystery on hand. Who had created that thing, and why did they deem such a powerful mana beast a failure? And also, the system had mentioned something about a sacred tree. He knew he had to ask Julian and get his opinion about Subject 4314. He also realized that there was a sort of reliance he was starting to have towards Julian. Julian was no longer cold like before, where the very notion of Lesser-bloods used to disgust him to the core. Now the High-blood was becoming someone they can count on, but not yet a friend.

Although he still held a small grudge for the beatdown Julian had given him before, he knew that it was only a matter of time until he was the young man’s equal and eventually surpassed him. But for now, he just had to focus on surviving another day.

They woke up and met with Lina, who seemed to be excited. She told them that she found a small, clear pond where they could bathe. She and Mina had asked the instructor, and he was the one who pointed them to the hidden pond behind the buildings near the dome’s wall.

The prospect of washing off the caked muck and sulfur stench was enough to make everyone move quickly. The camp grounds were relatively quiet during these early hours, with most groups still recovering from the intense physical attrition of the previous days. The stone buildings near the perimeter wall cast long shadows over the grass as the small group made their way toward the hidden location.

Thomas, Ryan, and Julian immediately ran to the place and they washed up. Once there, Thomas noticed that Ryan’s body consisted of many scars, but he kept it to himself. He also noticed that despite Julian’s elegant posture, the young man’s body was like it was carved out of marble. It proved to Thomas that Julian was more than just an arrogant High-blood. It meant that the young man was a hard worker. The same could be said for Ryan, whose muscles were well toned and defined. As for him, his body had certainly improved from the weak, average build he possessed to a now athletic frame.

The water in the pond was incredibly crisp, reflecting the blue light of the overarching protective dome above. As they rinsed their gear and scrubbed the thick dark grease from their skin, the contrast between the three boys became fully visible. Julian’s skin carried no visible blemishes, yet the dense muscle fibers beneath showed the extreme physical conditioning mandatory for a warrior.

Ryan then said to Julian, "Damn, your lordship, are you human or what?"

Julian scoffed and said, "This is just proof of my superior blood."

Thomas rolled eyes and shook his head. He knew the argument was classic High-blood posturing, but he also knew the sheer level of training required to achieve that kind of physical density.

After bathing, all the Year 1 classes were called for a quick assembly where Instructor Sterling was telling them that no one is to leave the campsite until further notice. The students were disappointed, but no one voiced it, and they all returned to their assigned grounds. The general atmosphere under the dome turned noticeably tense as different groups began realizing that an unprecedented lockdown had been enforced by the faculty. Whispers began circulating among the different classes, with everyone trying to guess what kind of entity had forced the instructors to pull back their lines.

Thomas’s group quietly walked back toward their cluster of canvas tents to check on the girls. Mina and Lina were sitting on the wooden benches, their color fully returned but their postures still showing signs of lingering fatigue. Thomas and Ryan sat down on a nearby logs, looking out toward the shimmering edge of the shield perimeter where the grey fog was actively pressing against the glass-like energy barrier. Julian went inside his tent and returned with a foldable wooden chair.

But then two familiar faces approached their tents. It was a tall, handsome, silver-eyed youth named Kaen of Class 1-C. He had fought against Julian in the tournament and had lost badly. Next to him was a dark-skinned young girl with long, heavy dreadlocks who looked incredibly regal yet very attractive. Her violet eyes gleamed with a sharp, piercing intelligence that seemed completely detached from the typical arrogance of the other High-bloods.

Defying the strict dress codes of the academy, she wasn’t wearing her full uniform, opting instead to drape her new academy jacket loosely over her shoulders while wearing a pair of casual, ripped jeans. It was Sabrina of House Somerset, the one other Grade S talent that had forfeited her match against Thomas.

The two walked with an easy confidence that immediately drew the attention of the surrounding Class 1-A students. Kaen kept his hands tucked inside his jacket pockets, his silver eyes fixed directly on Julian’s position, while Sabrina looked around the small perimeter with a relaxed smile on her face. Her loose jacket shifted slightly as she stopped right before their gathering circle, completely ignoring the strict rules that usually governed how High-bloods were supposed to interact with the Lessers.

"Yo, wassup," Sabrina raised a hand as her eyes met Thomas.