In the middle of the desert stood a young woman.
“So, do you have to go back soon, boss?”
Aurora heard that voice and narrowed her eyes from the heat, but did her best to look off into the distance.
The relentless sun combined with the devastating desert caused her vision to blur slightly and her body to be affected by the heat, even when her combat suit had a temperature regulating effect.
“Yeah, I just came to help a little,” Aurora replied, looking at the many drones beside her.
“That’s a pity. There are too many tasks to perform,” replied one of the drones circling around Aurora.
“It’s not like you have that much work. You always stay in the building cooped up, Liam,” Aurora commented in a subdued tone, punched one of the spherical drones, and muttered. “Don’t tell Alice I came. She’ll be upset if she finds me out.”
She had left Atlantis City and was now in Africa.
Specifically, in Zerzura City, a city created a few years ago and now became one of the most important cities in the already devastated African continent, which had been affected by an expansion of forests, warlords, and monsters.
This was the place where her group had its headquarters, but at the moment, it was more than a hundred kilometers away from the city.
Their mission...
“Report?” Aurora asked, looking off into the distance.
“The sandworms will arrive in fifteen minutes,” reported Liam through the drones.
Aurora nodded.
Sandworms were some of the most common creatures in the desert and also the most annoying in these regions.
That was because every so often they migrated to other regions, that wouldn’t be bad, since the Sahara desert where they lived was huge, but when their journey exceeded its limit, it was the problem.
Zerzura was located where before the ‘Great Cataclysm’ the ‘Republic of Chad’ would be.
Although the natural expansion of the magical forest that ended up occupying much of the African continent, warlords and former players who came here with ideals of grandeur destroyed and ruined much of Africa, civilization still existed.
Around Zerzura City were dozens of villages and towns; it was to these places that the sandworms were headed.
These worms could travel not only on sand but on any type of terrain, even when rocks got in their way.
Redirecting the worms’ travel or wiping them out was Aurora’s job right now.
“Prepare the drones,” Aurora ordered, this time selecting the second option.
All around her, the drones moved at high speed.
There were two dozen medium-sized spherical drones, and these drones positioned themselves across the desert, hiding their bodies in the sand.
“Get ready, the targets are closing fast,” Liam reported in a simple tone.
Aurora took a binocular from her space ring and looked off into the distance.
She could see some spherical drones flying rapidly towards her, but nothing else was in sight.
That was the signal.
The sandworms were traveling below ground, and the problem was that their travel was silent, only coming out when they wished to attack their prey.
One of the larger drones projected an aerial view of the area and revealed the sandworms traveling underground.
The drones were equipped with high-tech equipment that allowed it to capture the sandworms.
This equipment detected the magical energy in the sandworms, being revealed as if they were viewed with thermal vision.
They were four or five meters, all were C-Rank creatures and some B-Rank... That’s what the drones analyzed.
“On my mark,” Aurora said as her combat suit and electrified gloves were fitted.
A jacket, boots, and long pants all in black.
Created from magical materials, she made it into a heavy-duty combat suit, even though it looked like regular clothing.
Adding the enchantments and the effects engraved by the craftsmen, it was a very useful combat suit.
She had prepared herself in case the situation didn’t go as planned.
Looking at the drone informing her, Aurora was thankful it was only ten sandworms and slowly waited for the right moment.
The drones chasing the sandworms approached at high speed, and when they were fifty meters away, she commanded. “Now.”
At her command, the drones began to shake and release ripples that vibrated the earth.
*BOOM*
Sandworms didn’t travel deep and were very sensitive to the movement of the earth.
To them, the vibrations were their food begging to be swallowed, so Aurora was not frightened when she saw the ten worms rise up and swallow the drones.
The worms, while not as large, their mouths opened wide enough to swallow the spherical drones in one bite.
“Starting process of elimination,” Liam communicated in a mock mechanical tone.
The worms began to writhe, and the next moment they were cut from the inside, spreading the worm flesh across the sand.
A peculiar smell spread around, and Aurora just frowned at the grotesque sight.
She was used to it, but that didn’t mean she didn’t find it disgusting to watch the worms being cut in half by spherical drones releasing small spinning lasers to cut their prey.
Wounding them from the inside was one of the easiest ways to kill most creatures.
That was because some creatures only had a high external defense, and their organs were weak.
“Are there any left?” Aurora asked and looked at the drone’s projection, but seeing that none were found alive, she sighed in relief.
This group of worms would be heading to a village a few dozen kilometers to the south, and since it was difficult for the worms to change their route, if left, they could have devastated the village before Zerzura’s mercenaries or adventurers arrived.
“It’s all clear, boss. Your help wasn’t needed this time,” Liam said from one of the drones filled with the flesh and blood of the sandworms.
Aurora just nodded without giving it too much thought.
There were times when some stronger worm came with the group and other times when the worms didn’t eat the drones.
The drones could hurt the worm from the inside, but to attack it from the outside required drones with stronger weapons.
“I’ve already booked you a ticket at the Cosmos Portals,” Liam reported, and after the drones shook like wet dogs, he asked. “Shall I prepare the mini portal?”
“Yes, do it,” Aurora replied, watching as the drones took care of the remains of the worms.
Four large drones gathered and created an arc the size of Aurora.
Then they vibrated, and the inside was covered in a bluish color, just like the Cosmos Portals.
The Cosmos Portals and these small portals that sped up her journey to Zerzura were the reason Aurora escaped from the Academy and came to help.
By reducing the hours of travel, she could dedicate herself to finishing her work quickly and returning at the same speed.
“Good luck with your exams.” Liam stated with an amused tone.
Aurora ignored him.
She found the training boring due to how repetitive it was getting, but exploring the dungeon as a group seemed exciting, and now it was about to begin.
******
“Sorry I’m late,” Aurora said to her group when she arrived.
She had gone to the mansion to bathe and get that smell off, but no matter how long she lingered in the bathroom, the faint smell of maggot guts still lingered on her.
“No problem. We just got back from training,” Clémentine replied, waving her hand dismissively, and then, out of politeness, she asked. “Did you solve your problem?”
“Yes, it’s all solved,” Aurora replied, ignoring the look on Alice’s face and how she was smelling like a puppy.
She had left the group training making up an excuse and had run off to another continent just to do her job... Aurora knew Alice might get angry.
Maybe not so much because she had gone alone, but because someone else could do that job and she was not so necessary.
Aurora knew that she understood that Liam could have taken care of the ten sandworms losing some drones in the process... But Aurora liked to work.
“Today Professor Miller will announce where we’re going... I’m excited.” Murmured Nicole with a smile that let her excitement and nervousness show.
The group nodded in shared excitement.
They had trained hard to improve their individual and group skills.
Thanks to Leslie and her training basement, they learned how to deal with different situations and problems.
They were confident in their group skills and were optimistic that the group could pass.
With excited expressions, the group headed to the training room, where the classes were always held.
Aurora trailed behind, thinking that she should have used a stronger perfume to hide the smell of those worms, when Alice approached.
*Sniff* *Sniff* *Sniff*
Alice started sniffing like a dog that found a treasure and looked at Aurora slowly as her face got closer.
“Hmm...” Aurora fidgeted and muttered. “We’re at the academy.”
Her slightly embarrassed, low tone caused Alice to raise her eyebrows and distance herself enough before the others noticed the closeness of their faces.
“I understand that you like to work. But why are you taking on a worm mission? They’re disgusting and their smell permeates your skin,” commented Alice, shaking her head and putting away her chips; she pulled a scent from her space ring.
Aurora ended up being scented as if she were a little girl.
Her lips twitched, but she only gave a small smile as she felt the fragrant scent of flowers that made her seem as if she was in a majestic garden.
That perfume was created with magical ingredients, so the scent was quite pleasant and natural, being strong enough to hide the other scents.
“Thank you,” Aurora said with a smile.
She didn’t wear this kind of perfume and had forgotten to go into her friend’s room to wear hers, which made her have to come this way.
Aurora would have preferred to stay in the bathroom for some time and enjoy it to get this smell off.
Alice just nodded with no intention of scolding her, and they both followed the group that had gone completely ahead.
They entered the training room, and Professor Miller entered a moment later.
After giving a casual greeting, he looked at the students, who were excited.
“Today I will brief you on the dungeons your group will be entering,” Professor Miller stated, and noticing the excitement of the students, he cautioned. “I have heard that many of you want a real situation like what happened to the history students. Let me be clear. Although you will be protected by teachers and other individuals, you will be in a dungeon of great danger.”
What happened on the history trip became well known throughout the academy, the main reason being that some history students recorded what happened with their holographic watches.
Letting see the performances of students like Erica or Andrés, but what was more striking was that one of the students was able to get the recordings of the dining hall, and they posted it on the academy’s social network.
Alice excelled in facing so many enemies, which led to it going viral, increasing her recognition as a future great heroine.
Now all the students were looking forward to demonstrating their skills, and the practice phase was their best chance.
So it was only natural that they were extremely excited.
“Teachers are not omnipotent. Even if Director Vincent comes to intervene, he cannot avoid situations of immediate danger,” Professor Miller reminded in an extremely serious tone.
No matter how many barriers, artifacts, or other defense objects they had, it was possible for a complicated situation to occur and put them in danger.
There were creatures with enough combat strength to break through barriers and seriously injure an ordinary student... Even if they were of the same rank.
Instances where a group of adventurers were wiped out by a mage’s mistake or by the ferocity of dozens of beasts with average strength was something that had happened.
“I don’t want you to take this as a game. This is a real phase. You will take damage, you will get hurt, and in cases you act recklessly, you may die before the teachers get to you,” Professor Miller stated, looking at the students solemnly.
It was a phase about practice; although the students would be monitored, they would be left alone.
Aurora knew that Professor Miller’s words were true, but the problem was that he said it overly exaggeratedly.
The students’ excitement subsided sufficiently in the face of the reality the professor was telling her.
Dangerous situations could occur, but with enough caution, they could be avoided, just like any situation in life... That was what Aurora thought.
Seeing that the students were more attentive, Professor Miller nodded with a smile.
Excitement could lead to recklessness, and for students to take this as a game or a test in which they were always protected could lead to them letting their guard down and finding themselves in a dangerous situation.
“We will set the designated times and locations throughout the week. When the group stages are finished, the next stage will begin with random members,” reported Professor Miller, sending the information to the holographic clocks of all the students.
“I know you have exams before the mid-year break. That is why once this phase is completed, you will be left free to study while you will be informed about the groups, guilds or heroes available for actual practice,” Professor Miller commented, and after answering a few simple questions, he left the students alone.
As soon as Professor Miller left, all the students looked at their holographic watches to see the date.
“Dungeon Rank B ‘The Spider’s Lair’...” Clémentine read aloud, and the whole group looked at each other with a strange expression that wasn’t pleasant at all.
“Can’t we change it?” Nicole asked, rubbing her arm with an awkward expression.
It looked as if spiders were crawling across her skin... That woke up in her just reading the name of the dungeon.
“No, I think they’ll leave us. Besides, we’re the first ones to start.” Alice replied, breaking the group’s hope.
“This is going to be hard,” Leslie muttered with a complex expression.
Their first confrontation was against spiders... The truth was, no one was interested.
In the middle of the desert stood a young woman.
“So, do you have to go back soon, boss?”
Aurora heard that voice and narrowed her eyes from the heat, but did her best to look off into the distance.
The relentless sun combined with the devastating desert caused her vision to blur slightly and her body to be affected by the heat, even when her combat suit had a temperature regulating effect.
“Yeah, I just came to help a little,” Aurora replied, looking at the many drones beside her.
“That’s a pity. There are too many tasks to perform,” replied one of the drones circling around Aurora.
“It’s not like you have that much work. You always stay in the building cooped up, Liam,” Aurora commented in a subdued tone, punched one of the spherical drones, and muttered. “Don’t tell Alice I came. She’ll be upset if she finds me out.”
She had left Atlantis City and was now in Africa.
Specifically, in Zerzura City, a city created a few years ago and now became one of the most important cities in the already devastated African continent, which had been affected by an expansion of forests, warlords, and monsters.
This was the place where her group had its headquarters, but at the moment, it was more than a hundred kilometers away from the city.
Their mission...
“Report?” Aurora asked, looking off into the distance.
“The sandworms will arrive in fifteen minutes,” reported Liam through the drones.
Aurora nodded.
Sandworms were some of the most common creatures in the desert and also the most annoying in these regions.
That was because every so often they migrated to other regions, that wouldn’t be bad, since the Sahara desert where they lived was huge, but when their journey exceeded its limit, it was the problem.
Zerzura was located where before the ‘Great Cataclysm’ the ‘Republic of Chad’ would be.
Although the natural expansion of the magical forest that ended up occupying much of the African continent, warlords and former players who came here with ideals of grandeur destroyed and ruined much of Africa, civilization still existed.
Around Zerzura City were dozens of villages and towns; it was to these places that the sandworms were headed.
These worms could travel not only on sand but on any type of terrain, even when rocks got in their way.
Redirecting the worms’ travel or wiping them out was Aurora’s job right now.
“Prepare the drones,” Aurora ordered, this time selecting the second option.
All around her, the drones moved at high speed.
There were two dozen medium-sized spherical drones, and these drones positioned themselves across the desert, hiding their bodies in the sand.
“Get ready, the targets are closing fast,” Liam reported in a simple tone.
Aurora took a binocular from her space ring and looked off into the distance.
She could see some spherical drones flying rapidly towards her, but nothing else was in sight.
That was the signal.
The sandworms were traveling below ground, and the problem was that their travel was silent, only coming out when they wished to attack their prey.
One of the larger drones projected an aerial view of the area and revealed the sandworms traveling underground.
The drones were equipped with high-tech equipment that allowed it to capture the sandworms.
This equipment detected the magical energy in the sandworms, being revealed as if they were viewed with thermal vision.
They were four or five meters, all were C-Rank creatures and some B-Rank... That’s what the drones analyzed.
“On my mark,” Aurora said as her combat suit and electrified gloves were fitted.
A jacket, boots, and long pants all in black.
Created from magical materials, she made it into a heavy-duty combat suit, even though it looked like regular clothing.
Adding the enchantments and the effects engraved by the craftsmen, it was a very useful combat suit.
She had prepared herself in case the situation didn’t go as planned.
Looking at the drone informing her, Aurora was thankful it was only ten sandworms and slowly waited for the right moment.
The drones chasing the sandworms approached at high speed, and when they were fifty meters away, she commanded. “Now.”
At her command, the drones began to shake and release ripples that vibrated the earth.
*BOOM*
Sandworms didn’t travel deep and were very sensitive to the movement of the earth.
To them, the vibrations were their food begging to be swallowed, so Aurora was not frightened when she saw the ten worms rise up and swallow the drones.
The worms, while not as large, their mouths opened wide enough to swallow the spherical drones in one bite.
“Starting process of elimination,” Liam communicated in a mock mechanical tone.
The worms began to writhe, and the next moment they were cut from the inside, spreading the worm flesh across the sand.
A peculiar smell spread around, and Aurora just frowned at the grotesque sight.
She was used to it, but that didn’t mean she didn’t find it disgusting to watch the worms being cut in half by spherical drones releasing small spinning lasers to cut their prey.
Wounding them from the inside was one of the easiest ways to kill most creatures.
That was because some creatures only had a high external defense, and their organs were weak.
“Are there any left?” Aurora asked and looked at the drone’s projection, but seeing that none were found alive, she sighed in relief.
This group of worms would be heading to a village a few dozen kilometers to the south, and since it was difficult for the worms to change their route, if left, they could have devastated the village before Zerzura’s mercenaries or adventurers arrived.
“It’s all clear, boss. Your help wasn’t needed this time,” Liam said from one of the drones filled with the flesh and blood of the sandworms.
Aurora just nodded without giving it too much thought.
There were times when some stronger worm came with the group and other times when the worms didn’t eat the drones.
The drones could hurt the worm from the inside, but to attack it from the outside required drones with stronger weapons.
“I’ve already booked you a ticket at the Cosmos Portals,” Liam reported, and after the drones shook like wet dogs, he asked. “Shall I prepare the mini portal?”
“Yes, do it,” Aurora replied, watching as the drones took care of the remains of the worms.
Four large drones gathered and created an arc the size of Aurora.
Then they vibrated, and the inside was covered in a bluish color, just like the Cosmos Portals.
The Cosmos Portals and these small portals that sped up her journey to Zerzura were the reason Aurora escaped from the Academy and came to help.
By reducing the hours of travel, she could dedicate herself to finishing her work quickly and returning at the same speed.
“Good luck with your exams.” Liam stated with an amused tone.
Aurora ignored him.
She found the training boring due to how repetitive it was getting, but exploring the dungeon as a group seemed exciting, and now it was about to begin.
******
“Sorry I’m late,” Aurora said to her group when she arrived.
She had gone to the mansion to bathe and get that smell off, but no matter how long she lingered in the bathroom, the faint smell of maggot guts still lingered on her.
“No problem. We just got back from training,” Clémentine replied, waving her hand dismissively, and then, out of politeness, she asked. “Did you solve your problem?”
“Yes, it’s all solved,” Aurora replied, ignoring the look on Alice’s face and how she was smelling like a puppy.
She had left the group training making up an excuse and had run off to another continent just to do her job... Aurora knew Alice might get angry.
Maybe not so much because she had gone alone, but because someone else could do that job and she was not so necessary.
Aurora knew that she understood that Liam could have taken care of the ten sandworms losing some drones in the process... But Aurora liked to work.
“Today Professor Miller will announce where we’re going... I’m excited.” Murmured Nicole with a smile that let her excitement and nervousness show.
The group nodded in shared excitement.
They had trained hard to improve their individual and group skills.
Thanks to Leslie and her training basement, they learned how to deal with different situations and problems.
They were confident in their group skills and were optimistic that the group could pass.
With excited expressions, the group headed to the training room, where the classes were always held.
Aurora trailed behind, thinking that she should have used a stronger perfume to hide the smell of those worms, when Alice approached.
*Sniff* *Sniff* *Sniff*
Alice started sniffing like a dog that found a treasure and looked at Aurora slowly as her face got closer.
“Hmm...” Aurora fidgeted and muttered. “We’re at the academy.”
Her slightly embarrassed, low tone caused Alice to raise her eyebrows and distance herself enough before the others noticed the closeness of their faces.
“I understand that you like to work. But why are you taking on a worm mission? They’re disgusting and their smell permeates your skin,” commented Alice, shaking her head and putting away her chips; she pulled a scent from her space ring.
Aurora ended up being scented as if she were a little girl.
Her lips twitched, but she only gave a small smile as she felt the fragrant scent of flowers that made her seem as if she was in a majestic garden.
That perfume was created with magical ingredients, so the scent was quite pleasant and natural, being strong enough to hide the other scents.
“Thank you,” Aurora said with a smile.
She didn’t wear this kind of perfume and had forgotten to go into her friend’s room to wear hers, which made her have to come this way.
Aurora would have preferred to stay in the bathroom for some time and enjoy it to get this smell off.
Alice just nodded with no intention of scolding her, and they both followed the group that had gone completely ahead.
They entered the training room, and Professor Miller entered a moment later.
After giving a casual greeting, he looked at the students, who were excited.
“Today I will brief you on the dungeons your group will be entering,” Professor Miller stated, and noticing the excitement of the students, he cautioned. “I have heard that many of you want a real situation like what happened to the history students. Let me be clear. Although you will be protected by teachers and other individuals, you will be in a dungeon of great danger.”
What happened on the history trip became well known throughout the academy, the main reason being that some history students recorded what happened with their holographic watches.
Letting see the performances of students like Erica or Andrés, but what was more striking was that one of the students was able to get the recordings of the dining hall, and they posted it on the academy’s social network.
Alice excelled in facing so many enemies, which led to it going viral, increasing her recognition as a future great heroine.
Now all the students were looking forward to demonstrating their skills, and the practice phase was their best chance.
So it was only natural that they were extremely excited.
“Teachers are not omnipotent. Even if Director Vincent comes to intervene, he cannot avoid situations of immediate danger,” Professor Miller reminded in an extremely serious tone.
No matter how many barriers, artifacts, or other defense objects they had, it was possible for a complicated situation to occur and put them in danger.
There were creatures with enough combat strength to break through barriers and seriously injure an ordinary student... Even if they were of the same rank.
Instances where a group of adventurers were wiped out by a mage’s mistake or by the ferocity of dozens of beasts with average strength was something that had happened.
“I don’t want you to take this as a game. This is a real phase. You will take damage, you will get hurt, and in cases you act recklessly, you may die before the teachers get to you,” Professor Miller stated, looking at the students solemnly.
It was a phase about practice; although the students would be monitored, they would be left alone.
Aurora knew that Professor Miller’s words were true, but the problem was that he said it overly exaggeratedly.
The students’ excitement subsided sufficiently in the face of the reality the professor was telling her.
Dangerous situations could occur, but with enough caution, they could be avoided, just like any situation in life... That was what Aurora thought.
Seeing that the students were more attentive, Professor Miller nodded with a smile.
Excitement could lead to recklessness, and for students to take this as a game or a test in which they were always protected could lead to them letting their guard down and finding themselves in a dangerous situation.
“We will set the designated times and locations throughout the week. When the group stages are finished, the next stage will begin with random members,” reported Professor Miller, sending the information to the holographic clocks of all the students.
“I know you have exams before the mid-year break. That is why once this phase is completed, you will be left free to study while you will be informed about the groups, guilds or heroes available for actual practice,” Professor Miller commented, and after answering a few simple questions, he left the students alone.
As soon as Professor Miller left, all the students looked at their holographic watches to see the date.
“Dungeon Rank B ‘The Spider’s Lair’...” Clémentine read aloud, and the whole group looked at each other with a strange expression that wasn’t pleasant at all.
“Can’t we change it?” Nicole asked, rubbing her arm with an awkward expression.
It looked as if spiders were crawling across her skin... That woke up in her just reading the name of the dungeon.
“No, I think they’ll leave us. Besides, we’re the first ones to start.” Alice replied, breaking the group’s hope.
“This is going to be hard,” Leslie muttered with a complex expression.
Their first confrontation was against spiders... The truth was, no one was interested.
