Final Preparations

Gu Meng Yao was unsure what to do at this point, although she had been told by her mother to watch her brother, she found out that this was not exactly the easiest thing to do. She agreed with her mother that her brother was different, that he was not acting as he normally did. And when That incident happened last night she knew one thing… that was not her brother.

The kind and caring brother she had known and loved was gone, Gu Erin had trouble just sitting through a horror movie. To think that he was capable to create horrors himself was an impossibility. She still remembered her brother's blood-soaked visage, it was wrong. Her faith that her kind and caring brother would be there for her no matter what was on the verge of shattering.

Why? Why was he like this, what had changed? Was it that phone call, she knew he was acting weird, but even now as she watched him move around the camp talking to various people she was even more unsure. He was normally a little timid when it came to new people, around women even more so. She had made it one of her missions in life just to get him on a single date.

Yet she had watched as he willingly took Chan Ai on a walk, she did not know if it was romantic, but when she asked Chan Ai about it later, she answered her questions with a slight blush. Not completely unexpected, but Gu Erin's actions were. Accepting her feelings? He had been avoiding her since they were children, always telling her that Chan Ai had felt… off. She had agreed with him and left that potential relationship alone.

However, what scared her the most, was the woman now standing in front of her, perhaps Gu Erin's age or slightly older. This woman had introduced herself as Lucy on the first day within this new world. She had long crimson red hair, brought up into a ponytail. Although she looked noticeably rough it was a common trend with the camp's current conditions.

She'd initially labeled her a hooligan due to her tattoos and scars, but she had at first liked her due to her familiarity wither and her idea of a prank. After that incident however, she kept her distance unless they had the common topic of Gu Erin. Gu Meng Yao thought she could get answers from her about what happened to her brother, but what she learned about Lucy terrified her.

She was certifiably crazy and openly admitted to being a killer, thus leading to her current awkwardness in the conversation that was currently happening, well it was more of a confrontation than anything else.

"Tch, stop acting like your innocent, if your anything like that bastard you're hiding it well." Lucy clicked her tongue, her voice filled with annoyance.

Gu Meng Yao wasn't sure how to respond, she had been trying to tell Lucy that she was nothing like her brother, but up until recently they both shared the same kind hearted mentality and familial bond. Lucy had come to her seeking more information about Gu Erin, however, she had been getting annoyed recently, because she refused to believe that he was that… normal.

"I'm telling you, he was always caring and even did community work, volunteered at the animal shelter, and couldn't even look a pretty girl in the eye." Gu Meng Yao tried to defend her image of Gu Erin in her heart, but even now her voice was wavering.

Something Lucy picked up on, she wrapped her arm around Gu Meng Yao, like they were besties, something Shi Yaner and Ling Min didn't appreciate. They were all hovering around Gu Erin now. Gu Meng Yao because she was told to, but Shi Yaner and Ling Min had been unconsciously magnetized to join her after her brother's transformation.

They did not know what he was doing, but he was engraving multiple stone tablets while arranging them on the ground. It looked like an ancient ritual of some sort, but everyone could feel the strange energy called qi fluctuate with each passing moment.

With her arm still around her neck Lucy suddenly grew serious, "fine say I believe you, how does your brother, turn into," Lucy gestured at her brother, whom had turned into a model overnight. "That!'

"It has something to do with cultivation, I think…" Ling Min answered, her tone steady and almost unfeeling. She had become far more distant as of late, even the air around her felt cold. It only made her charm as an ice beauty far more alluring.

However, her eyes weren't on Gu Erin, but on what he was doing.

Lucy snorted, "that's not what I mean," Lucy said, trying to gesture, while her arm was still around Gu Meng Yao, much to her displeasure. "I mean, how does that bastard know so much. Hell, how did he know this was happening."

At that everyone turned silent, that very thought was on most if not everyone's mind, yet everyone decided to ignore it and not discuss it. It was the elephant in the room that everyone noticed, but dared not address because Gu Erin hadn't.

Finally, Shi Yaner broke her silence, although she was an athlete and naturally competitive, she was one of the few people Gu Erin had labeled who had potential outside their innate talents. She had managed to join Ling Min on the path of cultivation, but something only her friends knew about her was that she was a book worm as well, and not the good kind. Although she had been made fun of for loving those cringy romance novels, she still read them eagerly.

"Do you think… I mean, haven't you guys ever read those novels where the main character is reincarnated, or travels back in time?" She asked.

Everyone visibly paused, until everyone unanimously dismissed it, however, all of their gazes on Gu Erin changed somewhat.

Lucy finally broke the silence, letting go of Gu Meng Yao, "ha, well little girls I'll leave you to your stalking, personally, I'm goanna talk to that bastard and figure out what he's up to." With that statement Lucy left the group, but much to Gu Meng Yao's and Shi Yaner's surprise Ling Min followed behind her. Leaving Shi Yaner and Gu Meng Yao alone at their observation spot.

***

Gu Erin finally wiped away his sweat, although his stamina would have been considered superhuman on Earth, here he was nothing. His concentration was barely enough to draw this basic barrier formation. This was the most common and well-known formation in his last life. One wouldn't even dare camp out in the wilderness without knowing this formation. It could keep the basic pests away and out of your area.

Gu Erin took the last formation and placed it down in its spot, with all the formation plates in place, with a single beast core acting as both a power supply and focus for utilizing ambient qi, Gu Erin made his way to the center of the formation prepared to activate it while giving it the remainder of the camp's beast cores.

Gu Erin could practically feel the divine souls breathing down his neck the entire time, as if they were nosy parents judging his work. It had been incredibly annoying.

However, just as he was about to activate it he noticed a pair of women approaching him, he looked up for a visual and noticed it was Lucy and Ling Min, the two standouts that he was surprised the most about when he had first checked everyone's talents. Lucy in particular he kept an eye on, out of fear that an errant breeze might cause her death.

Gu Erin had heard of dogs having better fate values than her, granted he might die if he told her that. Deciding they were worth his time Gu Erin face them, turning away from his finished work.

Just as he opened his mouth Lucy spoke, cutting him off, this trait of hers annoyed him, and would no doubt get her killed one day. However, with the sect formation it should give her enough backing that it shouldn't be an instant death.

"Bastard Gu, are you a time traveler or something?" She asked directly, with the same crazed smile she always had. If normal people saw that smile they would instantly be on guard, but Gu Erin had grown used to it.

However instead of answering her directly he grabbed his jade token and threw it out of his mind with the force of a meteorite.

With a jolt Lucy received a message directly in her mind. 'Little bitch, stop talking! Yes I am, now play it off as a joke or I'll kill you without a second thought!' however before she could react another message was sent. 'If you speak a word of this, commit suicide, it will be an easier death than I'll ever give you.'

The second message paired with Gu Erin's slight smile rang so many bells in Lucy's thick skull, that even she got the message without her being in a more sensitive drunken state. However, the one thing that rang the loudest was what he called her. The words 'Little bitch' kept echoing over and over.

Lucy blushed, which made her angry, however, she still managed to play it off, but her attitude had taken a noticeable shift. "h-ha, just joking, I mean your just really evasive… you know?'

Her attempted dodge made Gu Erin internally face palm, this crazy woman was just too direct with no filter what so ever. In a way it made it easy to talk to her, but in other ways he wouldn't dare to. Not until their position was secure.

Ling Min off to the side, looked at Lucy like she had grown a second and third head. However, noticing the awkward silence decided to ask her question instead, now that Lucy had suddenly turned a little too meek, to the point of making her uncomfortable.

"What are you doing, it looks like a ritual of some sort. " A thought appeared in Ling Min's mind, and she asked hesitantly. "Its not the type that needs sacrifices, right?"

Gu Erin immediately snorted, although some formations required sacrifices, those were mostly used by the devil sects and evil cultivators. Gu Erin brought out the remaining beast cores and placed them within the center of the formation.

A breeze so strong it buffeted the trees and shifted the flames of the campfires swept over the camp. However, it was not truly caused by the wind, it was cause by the qi rushing towards them, the formation started to glow slightly much to everyone's shock and awe. A beam of light shot up and stopped twenty or so meters above the camp, it then started to envelope it with a dome of transparent qi.

Someone touched it and walked out of the camp, making ripples on the wall of qi, like ripples on a calm water's surface. They entered back in, and left again, amazement written all over their face.

Gu Erin smiled, this simple formation guarded only against beasts, humans could enter and leave freely. A dozen rank two beasts could attack this formation and only break through it after an hours of devoted effort. For rank one beasts which will primarily make up the beast tide they would need an entire day.

With this, everything was ready for the First Event.