52. Aren’t Getting Closer

…

"Where are we?" Mia asks.

Shin who was beside her turned to her with a look that said, 'how will I know?'

"Sorry."

The two of them stood in what seemed to be a farmland that stretched on for acres and acres. Though most of the crops were dead and dried up, one could tell this was a farmland that had been abandoned.

Shin and Mia weren't the only ones present. Several others of various ages were also around. They were perplexed by how they had arrived here all of a sudden.

"Are those three naked?" Mia mutters and Shin turned to the direction she was facing.

A man and two women, still confused, stood not too far away, with only their underwear on.

"Let's go somewhere else," Shin says and pulls her away. One hand holding on to her and the other holding on to his spear.

They walked until the trio were out of sight. Shin held Mia close as they made their way through the maze of perplexed people.

"There are so many others," Mia mutters loud enough for Shin to hear. "Though they are all at the foundation realm, most of their faces are unfamiliar."

"It means, the academy wasn't the only one affected. I believe a part of Eagle's city was affected."

"Excuse me," a voice said. The duo followed the voice to its owner, a boy who looked like he was around their age. "You are Shin, right? One of the top ten on the southern region ranking board?"

"You are from the academy?" Shin asks.

"Yes," he says and takes out a token.

"My guess is you want to pair up with us, right?"

"Yes please, if that's okay? In a situation like this, where we are thrown into an unknown place with strangers, we brothers and sisters of the academy should pair up."

"He has a point but…" Mia says.

"As long as you keep in mind that if things go south, my priority is preserving both our lives," Shin says.

"I understand."

"Then you are welcome to tag along with us."

"Sorry, I'm from the academy too. Is it alright I tag along?" a girl walked up to them and asked. In her hand was her academy token.

"You heard what I said, right?"

"Yes."

"Alright."

"Please let me tag along too, here's my token."

"Me too! Here's mine."

"Please accept me too."

"Can I tag along? This is my token."

Four others walked up to Shin with their token in hand. They earnestly wanted to join in. Before Shin could reply, a boy walked up to them. "Will you accept someone from the northern region?" he asked while stretching out his token to Shin.

"Oh, he is from the northern region."

"I heard those in the northern region are very strong."

"Really? That's good."

There were mumbling from those around. Shin looks at the boy nonchalantly, and said. "Whether you are from the southern region, northern region or even Eagle's city, if you choose to follow us, keep in mind that my priority is preserving both our lives."

He tilts his head to Mia, who was beside him. The northern region's boy twitched his eyes at Shin.

"Why would you pair up with those from eagle's city? Everyone I have come across is at the foundation realm, that means almost everyone from eagle's city is a low life slave or from a very low class family."

Without replying, Shin held Mia's hand and continued to walk away. As much as he thought good of the idea of moving with others, he didn't fancy it one bit. His reason for that was…

"I will no longer pair with you."

"Animals kill for food, Humans kill for wealth and both can kill to survive. I feel safer if no one follows me, but as I said, it's your choice."

At Shin's words, the boy who had first asked to join him and the girl who was second rushed after him. On the other hand the remaining four turned to the northern region's boy.

"Senior brother can I pair up with you?"

"Me too?"

"Me three?"

"Can I please?"

…

~Swoosh~

"Thank you."

Hiro looked at the girl, who was barely dressed in front of him. He had saved her while clearing his path forward. Just like many others who were now following him and Tanji. Young men, women, boys and girls and even a few elderlies, Hiro had saved some of them while charging forward like a meat grinder.

Without paying them any concern he continued onward and they quickly followed after him. Those who had weapons protected themselves from the few that attacked from the sides while rushing quickly after him. A few others who saw the momentum, rushed over and joined in.

"Is something wrong?" Tanji asks Hiro who had frowned and stopped moving. His gaze was fixed on their destination, the hill. Only after a while he turned to look at Tanji.

"The distance isn't reducing. With our current momentum and the time we've spent, we should have gotten close to the foot of the hill."

"You just confirmed my thoughts," Tanji said. "I finally know where we are, the Spatial maze," he thought.

~Swoosh~

"You noticed too?" Hiro asks after slicing down a beast.

Tanji nods and looks at the sky. "Right now the sun is at its peak, that means the way out of here should be to the east," he thought. "Where the hell is the east?"

"Hey, why did you stop? The beasts are gaining on us!" a man yells.

Tanji and Hiro turned to him. After a slight frown they turned back to each other.

"Did you notice this crowd before?" Hiro asked. "There are at least sixty people here."

"I did but didn't realize they've gotten so much."

"Young children, please proceed onward, I beg of you," an old man says. "We don't have time."

Hiro tilts his head at the old man and then turned around with a swing of his sword. With a swishing sound a beast fell to the ground.

"Please, we need to go."

"They are getting closer!"

"We should just go, he doesn't want to proceed."

Several people yelled out and Hiro frowned at them. He turned to the old man took in a deep breath and said.

"Don't get me wrong, I never asked any of you to follow us. You chose to follow, I didn't stop you, and you can choose to leave, I won't stop you."

"See, we should just go."

"Yeah, with out numbers we can take care of the small number of beasts ahead."

Some people yelled but no one was willing to make a move. Hiro's fist was something they were unable to do.

"You would allow so many people to die!?" the man from before asked.

"Oh mighty savior, why don't you save them?"

"You…"

"Does anyone know which direction is the east?" Tanji interrupts. "Or is anyone with a compass?"

"I have one," a man said. He dips his hand into his pocket and brought it out. "East is that way… that's the direction a herd of beasts are rushing from."

Tanji walks toward the end of the crowd and Hiro followed him. When they got to the end they finally noticed why the people were urging to continue.

There were a sparse number of beasts around them but these beasts only followed like a group of lions after a herd of buffaloes. Only attacking after determining the weak link.

However, these set of beasts were easy to deal with. What caused the people to fear was a large number of beasts charging towards them from afar. These beasts slaughtered every human in their path and chased after the ones fleeing. And Hiro's group was ahead of hundreds of people fleeing.

"Oi, you are kidding me," Hiro sighs. "We have to run from that?"

"Sorry to burst your bubble Hiro, the way out is in that direction, what that means is…"

"We have to run through that?" Hiro frowns at Tanji. "Well, I've done it before so I can do it again, but I don't think you can keep up."

"What do you mean?"

"Hmm, before I got wounded and turned into a mortal, I charged through a sea of beasts on a battlefield."

"Huh?" Tanji's eyes widened at Hiro's words. "You've been to the battlefield?"

"Yeah, I woke up on a battlefield, and killed a lot of beasts until one called an ancestor beasts appeared and attacked me. Luckily I survived only after excruciating treatments though. I was told I became a mortal and had to cultivate to get back my strength."

"Wait a minute, you were once at a higher realm? And had to re-cultivate?"

"Yes."

"What realm were you?"

"I don't know."

"I knew he was strong but I didn't know he re-cultivated. Just who or what are you really?" Tanji thought.

Those around them, heard what Hiro said and were dumbfounded. On one hand it explained why Hiro was proficient in killing beasts. Those on the battlefield fought almost everyday. Unlike people who hunt beasts in place like the beasts mountain or Azure mountain, they were more accustomed to fighting and killing beasts.

But on another hand Hiro sounded crazy. He met an ancestor beast and survived? That was crazy talk to the people who heard him. There was a famous saying in the Jewang empire which was, 'the ancestor realm was the realm of gods, no one faces a god and lives.'

"So can you keep up?" Hiro asks.

"Keeping up is not the issue."

"Hmm? It isn't?"

"I fear there may be a peak third level or a fourth level beasts leading them. If there is, then we have to face it."

"And you feel I can't take them on."

"I doubt that," Tanji says and thought. "Of all places, why here? Why the Spatial maze? I need to think of a way out. It would take about three hours for the way out to change position. First let's try to remember the basic rules."

"So what do we do?" Hiro asks.

"Give me a sec, I'm thinking about it," Tanji replies and closes his eyes.

"Are you all really going to wait?" a man asks. "I say we continue, we can handle the beasts around."

"I agree with you."

"Me too."

"Those who agree follow me," the man said and led the way.

Hiro watched as a huge number of people went with him. He yawns and turns to the old man who had spoken before. "Why didn't you go with them?"

"Is the young child driving me away?"

"No, I'm not," Hiro replies and sat down on the ground. "Hey Tanji, think fast."

Tanji remained still with his eyes closed and Hiro continued. "To be honest I like the idea or rushing at them and breaking free."

Hiro turns to the beasts that were running over. "Maybe I should cultivate? What do you think?" He yawns and squints his eyes. "Huh?" He closed his right eye, after a while he opens it and closed his left.

"Hey Tanji!" Hiro calls out.

"Hiro will you allow me think? I'm trying to remember something."

"Sorry, sorry… but they aren't getting closer!"

"What aren't?"

"The beasts, they are at least hundreds of meters away."