Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

Chapter 51: Adrian's Interference. The Planning

"Swish!"

"Heek!"

Students suddenly heard a loud screech of a monster and immediately turned over.

As the students turned to the source of the commotion, their hearts raced with fear and adrenaline. Their eyes widened in shock as they witnessed a massive boar collapse to the ground, its body motionless as it lay sprawled on the forest floor.

"Argh!"

The girl nearest to the creature let out a piercing scream of terror, her instincts kicking in as she scrambled away from the fallen boar. Her heart pounded in her chest as she backed away, her eyes wide with fear as she watched the beast closely, fearing that it might still pose a threat.

Meanwhile, the other students stood frozen in shock, their minds racing as they processed the sudden appearance of the wild boar. Panic surged through their veins as they realized the danger they were in, the reality of their situation sinking in as they came face to face with the dangers of the forest.

In the midst of the chaos, Adrian jumped near the wild boar and slowly approached. Others, confused and baffled watched as he passed by the girl, finally stopping right in front of the boar.

He brandished his sword and checked if it really was dead. After making sure, he pulled out the dagger which was embedded in the boar's side, and examined it carefully, a frown of concentration marring his features as he inspected the blade for any signs of damage or wear.

Meanwhile, the rest of the students watched on in a mixture of awe and trepidation, their eyes glued to Adrian as he expertly handled the situation. Despite the initial shock of the wild boar's sudden appearance, they found themselves feeling reassured by Adrian's calm and composed demeanor, his actions instilling a sense of confidence in their ability to overcome the challenges of the forest.

But his next actions made them regret thinking good of him.

"Are you guys really Awakeners?" Adrian spoke as he turned to face them. "Getting scared, panicking, forgetting your surroundings, letting your guard down? I think you are just a group of immature brats who have yet to grow up. Heck, I know a few kids who are far more composed and brave than you lot."

His words cut through the tension like a knife, his tone dripping with disdain as he berated his fellow students for their perceived weaknesses. The air grew heavy with discomfort as his harsh words hung in the air, leaving the other students feeling ashamed and embarrassed by their own reactions.

Some students shifted uncomfortably, their faces flushing with embarrassment as they realized the truth in Adrian's words. Others bristled with indignation, their pride wounded by his blunt criticism. But regardless of their individual reactions, one thing was clear: Adrian's words had struck a nerve, forcing them to confront their own shortcomings and insecurities.

As the silence stretched on, Adrian's gaze swept over the assembled students, his expression unreadable as he took in their reactions.

'This should be enough, right?' Adrian thought as he slowly walked away from the group and climbed to his previous spot. The view from there was really good.

Meanwhile, Aurelius was the first one to break the silence.

"Classmate Adrian is right." He said. "We are in an unknown forest filled with danger. So, instead of panicking, we should remain calm and alert at all times. We need to keep our wits about us and stay focused on the task at hand: navigating through the forest and reaching the designated endpoint.

Panicking and letting our guard down will only make us more vulnerable to the dangers that lurk within these woods."

Then he looked in Adrian's direction and said with a smile. "Thank you Adrian for your warning and advice."

"Tch, you really are a bunch of weaklings." A sarcastic remark was heard from the other direction. It was Emeric who spoke this time. "Why don't we just start already, I don't want to spend the night in this shitty forest."

"..." Others looked at him with different kinds of emotions. Although they hated his attitude, they agreed on his last words - they didn't want to spend the night here. Not at all.

"Alright, let's make a plan for how to beat this challenge," Aurelius said. "We can't just wander around either. We don't even know which direction should we go to reach the endpoint. So, does anyone have ideas?"

As Aurelius called for ideas on how to approach the challenge ahead, the rest of the students began to chime in with their suggestions and thoughts. Some proposed sticking together in groups, while others suggested splitting up to cover more ground.

Ideas ranged from using their abilities to navigate through the forest to setting up traps to ward off potential threats if they were to really spend the night here.

Amidst the brainstorming session, Aurelia raised her hand, indicating that she had an idea to contribute. With a determined expression on her face, she spoke up, her voice steady and confident despite the lingering unease in the air.

"I suggest we split into four groups, one for each direction, and also designate a leader for each group," she began, her eyes sweeping over her peers as she outlined her plan. "Having a designated leader will help us stay organized and focused, ensuring that everyone knows their role and responsibilities.

Additionally, the leader can make quick decisions in case of emergencies, helping us navigate through the forest more efficiently."

Her suggestion was met with nods of agreement from the other students, who recognized the wisdom in her words. With Aurelia's plan in place, the group began to divide themselves into smaller teams, each led by a designated leader chosen based on their strengths and abilities.

But then another problem arose. They needed to split into four groups now. And chose leaders.

Though they quickly solved it, Emeric said he would have his own group and he wouldn't need weaklings or Aurelius nor Aurelia in his group.

They could only agree, with Lyra naturally joining Emeric's group.

Aurelius made one group, Aurelia one, and Ren another.

And as for Adrian.

"There is no need, I prefer being alone. And just to remind you guys, there is no actual endpoint, as long as you can get out of the forest, it's done."