Yulan Calendar, July 5, 9996.
Summer vacation began for both the fourth- and fifth-year students. Akes stood at the academy gates, looking at the people around him. Yale and Reynolds were going with him, George was preparing to return to the Yulan Empire, and Linley planned to travel alone.
"You're really not coming with us?" Akes asked Linley.
Linley shook his head. "I'll look around on my own."
Akes nodded.
"Alright, see you when classes start."
"See you then."
They said their goodbyes, and Linley turned and headed in the opposite direction. Bebe poked his head out over Linley's shoulder and waved a little paw at Akes.
Akes waved back.
"Let's go." He turned to Yale and Reynolds. "Ready?"
"Ready!" Reynolds jumped up excitedly. "Magical Beast Mountain Range, here I come!"
Yale shot him a look. "You're at the peak of the third rank. Don't hold us back in there."
"What's wrong with being at the peak of the third rank? Didn't the Third Brother go in when he was only fourth rank?"
"Can you compare yourself to the Third Brother?"
"You—"
Akes raised a hand to stop them. "Quit arguing. Let's go."
The three of them shouldered their packs and set off toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
By dusk on the first day, they had reached the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Akes found a secluded cave to use as their camp. It was small, just big enough for the three of them, and vines obscured the entrance, making it hard to spot.
"We'll rest here tonight," he said. "Tomorrow, we'll head farther in."
Reynolds looked around. "Who found this cave?"
"I spotted it on the way here." Akes put down his pack. "Did you bring food?"
"We did." Yale took provisions and dried meat out of his backpack. "Enough for three days."
Akes nodded. "We'll hunt for more on the way tomorrow and replenish our supplies if we can."
The three of them ate a little, then took turns keeping watch.
The night was quiet, with only the occasional roar of a magical beast in the distance. It was Reynolds's first night outdoors, and he was a little nervous. While on watch, he kept staring outside.
"Relax," Akes said. "The magical beasts on the outskirts won't come near the firelight."
"What if one does?"
"I'm here."
Reynolds looked at him and felt reassured.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, the three of them continued farther in.
Most of the magical beasts on the outskirts were second or third rank. Every so often, one foolish enough to approach was casually dealt with by Akes.
"Third Brother, you make it look so easy," Reynolds said enviously. "When will I be able to do that?"
"Keep cultivating. It won't take long."
Yale walked beside them, warily watching their surroundings. Though he wasn't as strong as Akes, he was highly alert. After all, he had grown up in the Dawson Chamber of Commerce and had been trained in that from an early age.
After walking for most of the day, Akes stopped.
"There's something up ahead."
The other two stopped at once and listened.
A low growl came from the distance. It sounded like a wolf pack. The noise grew closer and more frequent.
"Wind Gale Magic Wolves," Akes said with a frown. "And there are quite a few."
Wind Gale Magic Wolves were fourth-rank magical beasts with wind affinities. They were fast and vicious. A single one wasn't hard to handle, but when they appeared in packs, even sixth-rank magical beasts gave them a wide berth.
"What do we do?" Yale asked.
"Back off first," Akes replied without hesitation. "We'll go around them."
As the three of them turned to leave, growls came from behind them, too.
Another pack of Wind Gale Magic Wolves was closing in from behind.
"We're surrounded," Akes said gravely.
Reynolds went pale. "How many?"
Akes glanced around. "A dozen or so in front, and another dozen behind. Around thirty."
"Thirty..." Yale gritted his teeth. "Third Brother, can we fight them?"
Akes quickly assessed the situation. Thirty Wind Gale Magic Wolves, with Yale and Reynolds in tow—neither of them had even reached fourth rank. A direct fight would be too dangerous.
"We can't," he said. "I'll hold them off. You two get out of here."
"No!" Yale immediately protested. "How can you hold them off alone?"
"I have a way." Akes raised his right hand, and milky-white flames rose from his palm. "Head east. There's an open area over there, so they won't be able to surround you as easily. I'll hold them off, then come find you."
"Third Brother—"
"Stop arguing," Akes cut him off. "If you don't go now, it'll be too late."
The pack's growls drew closer, and the leading wolves had come into view. Their green eyes fixed on the three of them, saliva dripping from their mouths.
Yale gritted his teeth and grabbed Reynolds. "Go!"
The two of them turned and ran.
Akes stood his ground, watching the pack draw closer. He waited until the other two had run several dozen meters before making his move.
He drove the Fallen Heart Flame to its full strength.
Milky-white flames surged out of him, forming a barrier of fire around his body. The wall of fire stood three meters high and half a meter thick, blocking the pack.
Wind Gale Magic Wolves were fast, but they had an instinctive fear of fire. The lead wolf stopped, hesitating to advance.
But the rest of the pack kept coming, circling around both sides in an attempt to break through the wall of fire.
Akes raised both hands. Two streams of fire shot from his palms and struck the wolves on either side. The flames exploded, sending several Wind Gale Magic Wolves tumbling back with yelps.
More wolves sprang at him.
The barrier shuddered violently beneath their assault. Akes gritted his teeth and held on as the magical power within him rapidly drained away.
"Hold on," he told himself. "Just a little longer."
Thirty breaths.
Sixty breaths.
Ninety breaths.
The light of the barrier began to fade. Akes was nearly out of magical power, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Just then—
[ Ding—The host has been detected in a perilous situation. Emergency sign-in triggered.] [Sign in?]
Akes shouted in his mind: Sign in!
[Sign-in successful.] [Reward obtained: Protective Jade Pendant (from a cultivation world). It can automatically form a defensive barrier to block one lethal attack. Duration: thirty breaths.]
A green jade pendant appeared out of thin air in Akes's palm. With no time to examine it, he crushed it at once.
A gentle light surged from the fragments, forming a translucent barrier around him. It was even sturdier than the wall of fire, and the wolves' attacks couldn't shake it in the slightest.
Akes breathed a sigh of relief and turned to run.
Thirty breaths would be enough to put some distance between him and the pack.
Half an hour later, Akes found Yale and Reynolds in an open area.
The two of them had taken cover behind a large boulder. As soon as they saw him, they both stood up.
"Third Brother!" Reynolds rushed over. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Akes waved a hand. "The pack didn't catch up."
Yale looked him over. "Are you sure? You don't look so good."
"I used up a lot of magical power. I'll be fine after a rest." Akes found a rock to sit on. "What about you two?"
"We're fine," Yale said. "We ran fast enough."
Reynolds sat down beside him, patting his chest. "With the Third Brother around, we're sure hard to kill!"
Yale rolled his eyes. "You're the one who's hard to kill. You almost got us dragged down with you."
"How did I drag you down?"
"If we hadn't waited for you, the Third Brother would've been gone already."
"You—"
Akes raised a hand to stop them. "Enough, quit arguing. Let's rest first. We'll head farther in tomorrow."
The two exchanged a glance and fell silent.
When night fell, the three of them found a secluded place to camp. Akes sat cross-legged and began meditating to recover his magical power. Yale and Reynolds took turns keeping watch.
The next day, the three of them continued farther in.
After what had happened the day before, they were more cautious. Akes led the way, staying alert to every sound around them. Yale and Reynolds followed close behind, not daring to stray.
Over the next few days, they hunted some fourth- and fifth-rank magical beasts on the outskirts. Akes handled most of the attacks, while Yale and Reynolds supported him from the side. They couldn't do much, but both of them tried their hardest.
On the tenth day, Akes decided it was time to head back.
Their packs were full of Magic Cores: more than a dozen fourth-rank ones and five fifth-rank ones. Reynolds excitedly calculated how many gold coins they could exchange them for as they walked.
"A fourth-rank one is worth two hundred gold coins, and a fifth-rank one is worth five hundred. That makes—"
"Stop calculating. We'll work it out when we get back," Yale cut in.
"I'm just doing the math."
Three days later, the three of them returned to Fenlai City.
George had already returned to the academy, while Linley still hadn't come back. Akes sold the Magic Cores for a little over two thousand gold coins and split half the money with Yale and Reynolds.
"Why are you giving us any?" Yale protested. "You were the one who killed them."
"You helped, too," Akes said. "Take it."
They couldn't refuse, so they accepted the money.
That evening, the three of them had a good meal at Wald. Reynolds drank until his face was bright red, then slung an arm around Akes's neck. "Third Brother, take me along again next time!"
"Sure."
"It's a promise!"
"It's a promise."
Yale laughed beside them. "Get to fourth rank first."
"I'm almost there!"
Back in his dorm room, Akes lay on his bed and thought back over the past ten days.
The attack by thirty Wind Gale Magic Wolves, the Protective Jade Pendant that had saved his life, and the progress his two brothers had made. It had been dangerous, but they'd gained a lot.
[ Ding—The host's sign-in opportunity for this month has refreshed.] [Sign in?]
Akes silently said in his mind: Sign in.
[Sign-in successful.] [Reward obtained: Gate of Eternal Life · Rejuvenation Pill ×3—Rapidly heals injuries, both internal and external.]
Three pale-green pills appeared out of thin air. Akes glanced at them, then tucked them into his clothes.
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