Ch 62:- Let's Dance

All the first-year students could be seen eagerly waiting in the canteen, passing the time with their friends from their respective classes. The atmosphere was filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness. At the end of the long table stood their homeroom teachers, ready to lead their groups of fifty students on the expedition.

Fay and Leo, two generals, took charge of the overall expedition, leading the way slightly ahead of the main group. Their presence added an air of authority and confidence.

One by one, the classes were called into the portal room. Finally, it was Del's turn to lead his class. The students in his group started gathering their belongings and getting ready to go through the portal. Del stood at the front, his figure illuminated by the glowing orange portal.

However, something seemed different about Del this time. Instead of the standard uniform worn by teachers, he was dressed in what appeared to be beast gear clothing. But upon closer inspection, it became evident that his attire resembled that of a mage. He wore robes adorned with subtle accessories on his wrists and legs, and a shield was mounted on his back instead of a weapon.

Before addressing the students, Del took a moment to survey the entire group. He could feel sweat trickling down his forehead as he contemplated the significance of this expedition. "I can't believe the school is actually doing this," he thought to himself. "Why do we, as homeroom teachers, have to accompany them? These kids have no idea what might await them on the other side. If they knew, they would be just as nervous as I am." Del's mind was consumed with anxious thoughts.

"May all the groups present please raise your orange scanning devices!" Del's voice resounded loudly within the hall, commanding everyone's attention.

As requested, the representatives from each group, including Rayne who stood alone, showcased their devices. Rayne's role for this outing was simple: to assist the homeroom teacher, Del, in any way possible. His performance would be evaluated based on his contribution alongside Del.

"Now, I will explain and demonstrate how the scanner works. Pay close attention as I will only explain it once," Del proclaimed, raising the scanner for everyone to see. "The scanner is fairly straightforward to use. Simply point it at an object, select the desired area or item on the screen, and confirm. The scanner will take care of the rest. Easy enough, right? So, remember not to mess it up," Del emphasized, his voice tinged with a hint of annoyance.

A student raised their hand, seeking clarification, but Del chose to ignore them and continued with his explanation.

"The scanner can be used to scan nearly anything - buildings, creatures, plants, water, and so on. It will do its best to break down the received information and display it on the screen. However, this isn't the main objective of our expedition," Del paused, sighing heavily before continuing, his frustration apparent.

"What you students need to do is search for things on this planet that have never been scanned before, including creatures. Each newly scanned object will earn your team points. If another team or the object has been previously scanned, you will not receive any points."

"Now, for the most important and crucial aspect. These scanners have a considerable range. Before engaging in combat, they will scan any creatures within your field of vision. The most useful feature of these scanners is that even if you have never encountered a particular creature before, it will provide information about its level," Del explained.

After concluding the explanation about the scanners, Del proceeded to outline how the expedition would unfold among the classes. Each class, accompanied by their homeroom teacher, would be assigned a specific area. Upon reaching their designated space, the class would remain there for a period, thoroughly scanning the surroundings. If they were to encounter a creature of intermediate or higher level, they were advised to retreat and immediately inform the teacher.

The homeroom teacher would then notify the generals, who would swiftly come to their aid.

With Del's lecture completed, the groups began their final preparations. Before joining Del, Rayne approached Quinn and wished him good luck, whispering to Cia to take care of them discreetly. Afterward, Rayne positioned himself next to Del, observing as the groups proceeded through the portal one by one.

Meanwhile, Rayne checked the contents of his duffle bag, ensuring that everything on the checklist was present. Overall, his role would be that of an assistant to Del. As the last group entered the portal, Del and Rayne made their way forward. After a discussion, they mutually agreed that Rayne would hold his shield during the teleportation, as holding hands would be awkward for them. With their understanding in place, they stepped into the portal together.

When they appeared on the other side, Rayne was stunned by the abundance of greenery. It was a vast jungle that stretched before his eyes. However, it wasn't just the sight that amazed him, but the sensation he felt upon stepping through the portal. The air was incredibly refreshing, pure, and teeming with life. As he took a deep breath, he could sense the immense vitality contained within the forest. It wouldn't be surprising if some of the plants mutated into valuable alchemical ingredients or even beasts.

"Stop daydreaming and follow me," Del's voice snapped Rayne out of his stupor. He quickly shook off his daze and obediently joined Del, who was standing in front of his class alongside the other homeroom teachers, with all the students arranged in rows according to their classes.

They were standing in an open area of the jungle that seemed to have been altered by human intervention. The trees had been uprooted, and the ground was flattened, mostly covered in mud. Looking ahead, they could see several paths branching out from the circular open area, leading deeper into the jungle.

"Alright, everyone, each class will now explore a different path," Fay announced. "Listen to your homeroom teachers carefully. The scanners will only activate when your teachers instruct you to use them. So, don't try to rush ahead. Follow the designated path, and your teachers will notify you when you enter an unexplored area. Remember to stay alert and keep your scanners by your side."

Fay's voice boomed, serving as a final warning to the students about the potential encounters with beasts of unknown levels. The students saluted the two sergeants before setting off on their respective paths.

Del took the lead down one of the paths. The pathway was wide and well-flattened, clearly showing signs of human construction. It seemed that large vehicles would occasionally pass through this route.

As the students walked along the path, they didn't remain tightly packed in a single file. They had the freedom to spread out and appreciate the surrounding scenery. To Rayne's delight, he spotted at least 20 alchemical ingredients along the way.

Continuing their journey, Rayne's attention was caught by a particular ingredient that struck a familiar chord. In the nightmare realm, there was a king who suffered from erectile dysfunction—an issue Rayne had come across during his previous life as a doctor, even though it wasn't his field of expertise. The topic intrigued him, so he studied about it. The king, desperate for a quick solution, kidnapped Rayne and Mina while they were sleeping, seeking a remedy for his impotence. Rayne on hearing this provided a prescription for a long-term cure with no side effects, but the impatient king demanded an instant fix. Reluctantly, Rayne gave him a pill similar to Viagra, but with an added effect of increased sexual excitement. Rayne had warned the king that it wasn't a permanent solution and had also given him the recipe. Eventually, Rayne and Mina escaped the kingdom.

Later, while Rayne was at a local bar in a small town, he heard the news of the king's demise during intercourse with five women at a brothel. Rayne wasn't surprised, as the side effects of the pill were similar to Viagra, meaning it was unsuitable for a 70-year-old man with underlying health issues.

Reminiscing about the memory made Rayne grimace. Just as he saw Quinn observing him, their eyes met briefly before Quinn quickly averted his gaze and continued walking. Rayne shook his head to clear his thoughts and focused on following Del. The pathway the students had been traversing was now transitioning into a terrain covered with thick, heavy leaves and short green plants.

The students had to slow their pace, as every step required caution to avoid tripping on hidden roots beneath the leaves. Occasionally, a student would get caught in place, causing some commotion among their teammates.

"A beast!" one student cried out. "A beast has wrapped around my leg!" The nearby teammates swiftly stepped back, drawing their weapons in readiness.

After a while, the panicked student managed to calm down, realizing it was merely a tree root ensnaring their leg. Feeling embarrassed, the student chuckled nervously as he said "Sorry, false alarm, it was just a tree route."

One of the students in the group playfully slapped the student on the back of his head, and they continued moving forward.

Del eventually declared, "This should be a good spot," as he placed his large shield on the ground.

The current area was more open, with fewer trees and vines obstructing their view, allowing them to see in multiple directions.

"Students, do not venture more than two hundred meters from this spot. Beyond that range, your scanners will no longer function and will emit a ping sound," Del instructed. "For each newly discovered plant, you will earn 5 points, and for each newly discovered beast, you will earn 20 points. However, remember that this is not a hunting trial, so there's no need to kill the beasts."

He continued, "You may, however, choose to engage with intermediate-level or lower beasts if you wish, but any kills will not be awarded points. Nevertheless, you can keep the crystals obtained for future use."

"Alright, your scanners are now activated!" Del announced.

Simultaneously, the scanners made a distinctive ding sound, and the students eagerly dispersed in different directions, each group venturing off to explore. However, Quinn's group seemed to stay put, not joining the rush.

Rayne from the duffle bag ( imagine Dan Mori with his gigantic green rucksack) took out two circular thing before placing them on ground and then click on the button unfolding into chairs after that he sat down along with Del both finally relaxed after a couple of minutes he asked "Hey want to drink coffee," but Del refused few minutes later he once again asked " Hey want some water," he once again said no. Del then stood up before picking up his shield and then turned towards him and said "You could do whatever you want habit remember just don't cause any trouble," before he walked away patrolling the perimeter looking after the students.

"Sigh I can now finally relax but can't need to gather some of those high value resources," Rayne thought with an evil smile and he within an instant disappeared from his spot. He then appeared at several different spots carefully picking up herbs as well as other ingredients it looked like he was teleporting which he was after that he went on walking around the area collecting different herbs as well as taking in the scenery at that moment he came across a boulder but it really wasn't a boulder but a snail he moved around it inspecting it before moving away but then he once again came back and and sat on top of the mouldy boulder before taking out a flute from the inventory it was an artifact that required soul force to use it he always wanted to play it but couldn't due to the lack of soul force but now that he had it so he wanted to play it and this atmosphere seemed perfect because it's description said that it's true power could only be unveiled in nature so he started playing it with utmost determination.

Rayne, sitting atop the mossy boulder, continued playing the flute, lost in the enchanting melody. The music echoed through the forest, reaching the ears of both humans and beasts alike. As the harmonious notes filled the air, a sense of tranquility and relaxation washed over the surroundings.

Unbeknownst to Rayne, the mesmerizing tune had an unexpected effect on the beasts nearby. Their aggressive movements ceased, and they began swaying in rhythm with the music, their eyes glazed over in a trance. Even the students and teachers who heard the melodious sound found themselves entranced, their minds temporarily escaping the perils of the expedition.

"Who is playing such a melodious sound?" one of the female students wondered aloud, her voice filled with curiosity and awe.

Rayne, absorbed in his own world of music, continued to play, unaware of the effect his flute had on those around him. He was simply enjoying the moment relishing the beauty of the nature.

Soon, the beasts that had been attacking them left and started following the entrancing sound. Even the beasts that had been awakened by Quinn's careless stunt had fallen into a trance and fallen asleep. Intrigued, General Fay began following the beasts she had recently fought, and the teacher joined her. The rest of the class followed suit. Leo instructed the team he was assisting to wait while he investigated the situation.

Del's team didn't encounter many problems with the beasts in their vicinity, but the music still affected the students. After a while, Fay reached the spot where the beasts had stopped. She was stunned by the scene before her—Rayne sat there with his eyes closed, playing his flute, and all the beasts were gathered around him, sitting or asleep. When Leo arrived, he witnessed a similar sight, but his vision was different. He could see several green glowing lights surrounding Rayne, embracing him as he played the flute. Eventually, the music stopped, and the beasts snapped out of their trance. The awake ones retreated from the area without attacking any humans, which left the group even more astonished.

"Wow, he gives off the vibe of Lord Krishna, just like how he was depicted in the animation," a girl said dreamily as she looked at Rayne. He truly seemed enchanting. However, as soon as the song ended and Rayne opened his eyes, his eyes widened with surprise. His mind raced for an answer, but he couldn't find one. So, he came up with a brilliant idea. With about 100,000 soul force remaining in his armor, he performed an illusion magic to make it appear to others that it was a beast that had assumed the form of Rayne.

At that moment, one of the students pointed out something they had noticed, which was followed by the teacher's observation. This made all of them widen their eyes in surprise. They saw Rayne's body break into small particles of yellow glowing light. Upon closer inspection, they realized the particles were fireflies. The fireflies flew up and formed some kind of monkey-like beast before leaping from one tree to another.

"Uhhh... was that a beast?" one student asked, doubting what she had seen.

"I think so. It might even be a high-tier beast if it was able to deceive and control all these other beasts," Fay said seriously. She then turned to Leo and asked, "What do you think? What tier do you believe it was?"

"I don't know, maybe a Demi-god tier beast. But who knows?" Leo replied, secretly smirking as he knew exactly what or who it was it was Rayne. Rayne's trick might fool normal humans, but someone with ocular abilities like Leo would easily see through it. However, Leo decided to keep it a secret, not wanting to reveal the truth to others without his consent.

At that moment, they heard another sound resembling a gunshot. Both Fay and Leo received a distress signal from Del's team. Fay looked at Leo, then back at the group that had followed her.

Leo said, "I'll go check it out. You take them to safety."

Fay nodded in agreement, and they both went in different directions.

As Leo sprinted through the dense forest, he came to a halt in front of a tree and looked up. He called out, "What happened, boy?"

Rayne, perched on a branch overlooking the forest, glanced down at Leo and replied, "They're not where they're supposed to be, and I sense a very large life signature. I think you can see it too."

Leo was initially stunned, wondering how Rayne knew. Then he recalled his own circumstances, how he had acquired such ability. Without wasting any more time, they both dashed toward the source. When they arrived at the scene, they witnessed several orangutan-like creatures and a lifeless body with a mangled head. A boy with a broken leg was backed up against a tree, desperately fending off the attackers. Numerous other students were severely injured, while some had tragically lost their lives.

Without hesitation, Rayne sprang into action. He swiftly kicked one of the orangutans that was about to strike a fatal blow to one of the students, sending it flying aside. He moved towards it before tearing away the crystal, giving it an instantaneous death and ending its suffering.

"These are intermediate-tier beasts!" both Rayne and Leo exclaimed in unison as Leo killed one of the orangutans, leaving 20 more to deal with. Rayne looked at Leo and said, "You go and check if there are more of them chasing the group. I will handle the rest."

"Are you sure, boy?" Leo asked concerned evident in his voice.

Confidence radiated from Rayne as he replied, "Absolutely. I've got it under control. They're waiting for you, Now. Go!"

With a nod, Leo quickly sprinted towards where he sensed a more formidable presence, leaving Rayne to face the remaining foes.

"Now let's have a dance, shall we?" Rayne declared out loud, his voice brimming with determination and confidence.

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