Volume 1: Path – [Mist Forest Arc]
Chapter 38: Mission
Caelus jolted awake, gasping for breath, his body drenched in cold sweat. His breathing was ragged as he stared at the wardrobe in front of him. Slowly, he calmed himself with deep, steady breaths.
'Calm down, calm down,' he told himself. Turning to his right, he saw Aiv waking up slowly, rubbing his eyes.
Caelus simply said, "Good morning," and Aiv returned the greeting.
The memory of his dream flashed back, and a sudden thought jolted him. He threw off the bedsheet and hurried to the bathroom as fast as he could.
"Careful!" Aiv called out, warning him he might slip.
Caelus ignored it and quickly locked the door. Facing the mirror, he noticed his eyes looked darker than before, and his skin was slightly paler. It wasn't obvious, but his mind picked it up instantly.
An awakener's mind is highly sensitive to changes in their own body. This sensitivity was why he could detect the subtle shifts in his eye and skin color.
The mind is one of the three crucial parts of life, and for an awakener, it's essential for using skills, thinking, and absorbing leym energy.
'I don't know why the mind becomes more sensitive, but from my analysis, when the core awakens, it unlocks a hidden function in the mind, making it a more powerful tool. That's why I could think so clearly yesterday.'
He studied his reflection one last time, sighed, washed his face, and rinsed his mouth before stepping out.
Aiv didn't question why he had rushed to the bathroom; it could have been for any personal reason, and he chose to respect his privacy.
Caelus waited outside until Aiv finished. Meanwhile, he took clothes from the wardrobe. The academy provided two types of uniforms: a normal academy outfit for use in school, which could also be worn in combat, and a full combat outfit for outside missions.
He had read these details in the Chronolink watch's manual. He also realized, upon checking the schedule, that classes alternated daily, one day full classes, the next free for missions or going outside.
'With this, I can gain more merits,' he thought with a quiet chuckle. In his mind, if Aiv saw him laughing like that, he'd think Caelus was acting weird.
After a while, Aiv came out, having brushed his teeth and taken a shower, since he had brought his towel while Caelus hadn't.
Caelus went in next and finished his own shower in a few minutes. He found himself deep in thought. 'Maybe it's just me, but every time I bathe, I can think more clearly and remember more things.'
Afterward, he dressed in the combat uniform, choosing it since most missions required going outside. The combat set was simple: a lightweight, high-neck black base-layer shirt with a snug fit for insulation, and black cargo pants with multiple utility pockets, reinforced knees, and tapered ankles with elastic cuffs.
From the manual, he knew the uniform wasn't ordinary. Runes had been woven into the fabric, allowing it to block up to three Rank 2 attacks. The rune magic was likely printed with the Aevum Church and academy's hourglass emblem. He could also wear casual clothing over it, something he preferred to hide his skin changes. Luckily, Aiv hadn't noticed anything since Caelus slept in full-sleeve and full-length pajamas.
Finally, he took a black tactical windbreaker with a high collar, zip front, adjustable hem drawstrings, and a utility pocket on the upper left chest with a flap cover. It had been provided free by the academy for students who wanted a jacket.
'At least the academy isn't stingy they actually give students something for free. Unlike schools around the world, especially private ones, always raising fees until students with less money can't even afford to study anywhere. A bunch of mongrels.'
As he thought this, Caelus stepped out of the bathroom. Aiv was already ready, wearing his combat uniform except for the shoes, which sat by the shoe rack near the door rather than inside the bathroom.
Aiv put on mid-cut black tactical boots with reinforced soles. Caelus wore the same type, as these shoes were provided by the academy and were required.
He had worn the same pair yesterday as well. Before they could leave, Aiv called out, "Caelus, don't you want to dry and comb your hair first?"
"Oh, shit, I forgot. Give me a minute."
Caelus went back to the bathroom, pulled a hair dryer from the shelf, and dried his hair. He glanced at himself in the mirror one last time as he began combing as fast as he could.
His once-normal red eyes were now a deeper shade of red. After a minute, he stepped out.
"Sorry for the wait. Let's go."
As Caelus said this, both of them left their dorm. It was early morning, 6:30 AM, and they needed to reach the mission hall quickly, as the queue would likely be huge, according to Aiv.
They didn't run toward the mission hall, not wanting to waste their energy, and instead walked at a steady pace since it was fairly close to their dorm.
Many students were already up; some headed in the same direction as Caelus and Aiv, while others made their way to breakfast first.
"Caelus, we'll go to breakfast after getting the mission," Aiv said, having heard Caelus's stomach growl.
"Sorry about that. I thought we should go directly to the mission spot."
"That's only required for certain missions, not all. Let's pick something that suits us for now."
"Okay."
As they chatted, they arrived at the mission hall, a towering six‑story structure. Its entire exterior was sheathed in seamless, reflective glass panels that acted like mirrors, turning the building into a massive prism of shifting light. The mirrored surface captured the morning sun, casting dazzling reflections onto the stone paths and surrounding trees, yet from the outside, no one could see in. Tall, symmetrical columns flanked the entrance, their polished black stone contrasting sharply with the bright glass. Above, an ornate crest of the academy and Aevum Church was emblazoned in silver, catching the eye from afar.
"Caelus, let's take a material‑searching mission, Level E difficulty. Okay?"
"I'm fine with that. Since I don't know much, you lead the way."
"Alright. I'm suggesting this for our own good. Even a Level E hunting mission would be tough for us right now. If we run into Rank 1 demons, it'll be a serious fight. I battled one when my master was teaching me swordsmanship; it took me an hour to kill it."
"Then we'll do the mission you suggested."
"Don't worry. Once you fully awaken and reach the recognition stage in your elemental comprehension, we'll be able to handle two demons at once. The one I fought was without elemental techniques; using elements makes it easier. But most Rank 1 demons live in packs, so taking them down is still hard. Remember that it's important."
"Okay, thanks for the information."
"No problem. I got you, bro." As Aiv said this, he extended his fist, and Caelus immediately understood, bumping his own fist against it.
After that, they both entered the building. Caelus, though having seen strange things before, was still briefly stunned cause the technology inside the academy was far more advanced than anything in the outside world.
He understood why. If such technology became public, it would cause major problems, with many countries trying to exploit it. To prevent that, the churches had monopolized it. That was the conclusion Caelus drew from observing human behavior.
Wide staircases led upstairs on both sides of the hall, and in the center was a long row of digital screens. Many students stood on a raised platform, connecting their Chronolinks to the tab-like screens as they browsed and selected missions.
Caelus joined a short line of about ten students.
It didn't take long for the ten people in front to finish cause most were in groups, so they chose the same mission together. The system allowed only two minutes for a person to pick; if no mission was chosen in that time, one would be assigned randomly. Failure to complete an assigned mission brought a heavy penalty, but success granted the listed reward.
"Aiv, you choose the mission. I'll have difficulty picking the right one, and you're also more intelligent than me anyway."
"Okay, it'll be over in a minute."
Aiv stepped onto the platform and connected his Chronolink to the tab screen. Instantly, his device linked with the mission display floating before him.
He tapped on the Exploring/Searching category, applied filters, and removed missions outside that genre. Several suitable missions appeared on the screen.
Stepping down, Aiv sent the mission details to Caelus.
Caelus's Chronolink screen lit up as he read the assignment.
Objective:
Primary: Collect 10 Dew Flowers from the Mist Forest.
Secondary: Gather 3 Vials of Pure Dew from crystal leaves before sunrise.
"Where is this Mist Forest? I've never even heard of it," Caelus asked curiously. He knew of many unique forests in the world, and he didn't know everything about this world, only some forests that are popular. For example, there was a forest that stayed below freezing year-round, yet had no ice and was filled with massive, sturdy trees.
"Ever heard of the continent that's completely off-limits to the world?"
"Yes. Everyone calls it the forbidden continent. No one knows what's there, and not even satellite signals can reach it."
"That's where we're going, there, and don't call it the forbidden continent all the time it is too big a name. It has a name, and it is called Blackshore. Despite the name, it's not a continent at all, but an endless archipelago. Satellites can't reach it because the entire place is shrouded in eternal darkness that nothing can dispel."
"In the Seven Apostles storybook, during the Second War against Demons, the continent was shattered into endless islands and covered in darkness. That's how it got the name Blackshore."
"Damn. I need to catch up to that chapter fast so I can understand the history better."
"It's okay, don't rush. Let's grab some tools before we head to the Mist Forest in Blackshore."
"Okay."
[End Of Chapter 38]