255 Chapter 255: Strength against Strength (2/2)
But damn. If they could kick us out of this artificial realm once we lost all our blood tokens, why couldn't they cast a precautionary spell to teleport us out of the place when we were in danger? These kids all died needlessly, for a mere training camp. It just wasn't worth it.
And this was just the first day. I shuddered to imagine what the attrition rate would be like by the end of the Spiritual Road training camp. In any event, it was best not to think about it and focus on surviving the present.
”Let's go, guys.”
I dismissed Black Tortoise and Aquila, but kept Canis Major to follow me in case of any emergency. I didn't want to receive any nasty surprises, not when I was still vulnerable and extremely exhausted. Canis Major followed me loyally, sniffing the air for any sign of peculiarities or enemies. From our linked spiritual connection, I could tell that he found none so far.
Good.
Hastening my pace, I set off to find my friends.
*
”We should be safe here.”
Harrison panted as he caught up with the rest. Theodore and Lily had found a cave where they and the students they had just rescued could seek shelter in and rest to recover from their wounds. The guy who got swatted and the girl who got burned were currently having their injuries treated by their comrades, who were wrapping bandages around the affected parts.
”Too bad we don't have Pearl with us,” Harrison grumbled in frustration as he gently set Craig down against the cave wall. Craig muttered something, but he seemed to be delirious from semi-consciousness. The attack from the Inferno Kong had taken a lot out of him.
”Where's Richard?” Lily asked when she noticed my absence. Harrison grimaced visibly and lowered his head.
”Rearguard action. He volunteered to stay behind to delay the Inferno Kong long enough for the rest of us to escape.” He grinned. ”Even boasted that he would kill the Inferno Kong, though I told him not to force himself and withdraw as soon as possible if he could.”
”That sounds like Richard, all right,” Theodore agreed with a smile. ”If there's anyone who can defeat a rank B monster by himself, it would be him.”
”He did destroy three rank B monsters by himself before,” Lily added. She frowned. ”But you don't think he's going to nuke the forest, is he?”
”I don't know.” Harrison scratched his head and turned back toward the entrance of the cave. ”But he should be catching up really soon. I believe in him.”
An hour passed and there was no sign of me. My friends began to get worried. Trading glances, they ventured out of the cave.
”You don't think Richard has…?”
”No way,” Harrison cut Lily off before she could voice out her fears. ”He won't die that easily.”
”Then where is he?”
”We might want to backtrack and check out his condition. Knowing him, he might still be fighting the Inferno Kong.”
Theodore's suggestion had merit, so they left Craig with their new allies and hurried toward the clearing where they last saw me. Upon reaching there, they found the smoking puddle that was the Inferno Kong and a devastated clearing, but no sign of me anywhere.
”He evidently survived. No signs of any other battles after that. Where did he go?”
”That way, apparently, but his tracks kind of vanished into the forest. Wait…” Harrison knelt down and studied the grass. ”Why did he take a turn this way?”
”…oh.”
”What is it?” Harrison turned to look at Theodore, who had an unpleasant expression.
”I just remembered that Richard has a terrible sense of direction and gets lost easily even with a map. He can't read maps. Well, I mean, once he has been to a place before, his fairly good memory allows him to navigate through familiar routes without any problems, but in a completely new place where he has never been before…he has no sense of direction.”
”He got lost?!” Lily exclaimed, her hands flying to her mouth. ”Harrison, you didn't leave any signs for him to follow?”
”Well, I was busily carrying Craig, and I assumed that Richard could follow my tracks…”
”That's the thing. Richard doesn't know how to read tracks. He sucks at pathfinding.” Theodore probably didn't recall the time when I relied on Troy to track down the enemy, but it was something similar to that. He probably learned of that when I trained with him back in the camp under Instructor Feng Hai and the military.
”Damn it!” Harrison clutched at his head. ”I didn't know that! I shouldn't have left him behind then!”
”What do we do now!?” Lily moaned.
”I wouldn't worry,” Theodore told the both of them. ”It's Richard we're talking about here. If there's anyone who can survive the Spiritual Road on his own, it will be him.”
”Yeah.” Harrison calmed down and straightened himself. ”All we can do now is survive on our own, and I'm sure we'll meet Richard again. Definitely.”