BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

After a satisfying breakfast and an hour of training, the group waited an additional hour and then reached the main entrance. However, going there was more complicated than expected since all the students, from the lowest to the highest ranks, were going down to take the buses that would bring them to the barrier.

However, when Erik observed these people, he noticed that most of them were very calm. It was easy to understand why: most of these students were in their second or higher year, meaning they were already part of the military.

It was well known that this kind of outing was frequently done at the military school since it was not only a way to make the young men and women win their fear of the thaids. However, it was also a way to keep the thaid's population in check and decrease the soldier's burden.

The only ones outraged by this situation were the first-year students who didn't join the military yet, such as Erik and the others. In fact, the young man's friends all had frightened looks. Erik knew that fear was useless.

The problem with being afraid was that it made people quickly lose their focus in crucial situations, resulting in injuries or, worse, fatalities.

Erik and his friends contacted the other squad members during the hour they had to wait for the buses to be prepared.

Most of them agreed to participate in their joint hunting; however, Martha's and Floyd's group decided they wanted a shot at the competition and didn't want to join them.

However, the two friends decided to split from their groups and join the others. Floyd went to Gwen's group, while Martha went to Benedict's, who was the highest ranked among the people inside the group. They didn't meet any resistance; besides, having another person covering their backs was a considerable assurance.

"Ok, can I have your attention?!" a woman shouted.

"I'm Master Donovan, and I have the task of managing all the students. Soon you will receive a notification on your phone asking you to mark your presence during this outing. The same notification will appear before going away. This is to ensure that no student goes missing."

Immediately, the notification that the woman was talking about appeared, and Erik pressed the huge green button that appeared on his screen. Once Master Donovan checked every student's presence, she proceeded with her speech.

"Ok, guys, things are like these; the city's surroundings are safe. However, I suggest that the peasant-ranked students not go farther than five kilometers from the barrier. We can, more or less, allow the other ranks to move farther but don't go over the hundred kilometers mark, since the thaids you will find will be significantly stronger. Don't wander alone through the woods, and don't attack other students or harm them in any way. Failure to comply may result in expulsion from the Red Palace."

She proceeded to list all the safety measures they had to take, and after that, she allowed the students to board the buses.

"Let's go," Erik said. Basically, all the 32 students who decided to join the awakener and his friends went on the same bus, on which they decided how to move.

"Ok, guys, we will stay around a hundred meters from each other, meaning we will be spread across more than half a kilometer. If you see something dangerous, contact the other groups immediately. If you feel in danger, let others know, and we will rush to help you. Do not hesitate! We cannot afford any mistakes!"

Erik made sure everyone understood him; he needed to be sure they realized the seriousness of their situation. He had a lot of experience with thaids and knew that if they messed up, they could risk dying. He tried to make his words as easy to understand as possible so that nobody felt confused when they were in the middle of a fight. After some seconds, all the students nodded.

"Good, now, let's get out there and hunt those bastards," Erik said.

Mid-journey, the bus passed through New Alexandria's tall skyscrapers. As usual, many people walked along the streets, and the atmosphere seemed very lively. People talked loudly and laughed amongst themselves. Some of them were walking in pairs or trios, and some of the buildings' windows were open, allowing the sounds of laughter to reach the street.

They were currently flying over the eastern district, meaning that most buildings were civilian ones. However, after a short while, the buildings stopped appearing, and it was there that Erik saw the barrier and, in the middle of it, a massive fortification. The eastern entrance.

The place was heavily fortified, with metal buildings immediately behind the main entrance, which in itself was another building. It was like an airport or a train station. Everyone had to get past it to get out of the city. All around the massive metal building, a seemingly transparent thin wall stretched all around the city. It was not simple to see it, but some ripples sometimes allowed the students to notice it.

Many Red Palace members had already been outside the walls, so they were used to this view. However, people like Amber or Benedict didn't, and they marveled at its size.

As they flew, from a distance, the students noticed a broad river that flowed between two mountains, surrounded by lush vegetation.

It was a majestic sight that could only be described as coming out of a fantasy book.

They even spotted some gigantic flying thaids here and there and got goosebumps all over. "We are almost there," Master Donovan said. As soon as she said this, the buses started traveling downward toward what they called the door.

After five minutes, they were already down the bus. The various masters that went with them started showing the way to the students. They knew the procedure they had to follow, so they brought everyone to a section where they were going to be briefed by the militaries about what they could expect around the city.

They listed a enormous variety of thaid species they could find. Also, they warned the students that the thaid population suddenly spiked and told everyone to pay attention and not to engage vast groups of monsters.

When the briefing ended, they were brought into a giant hall with a massive door.

"Are you ready?" a soldier asked one of the masters, who nodded in confirmation.

"Good..." the soldier then turned to look at one of his comrades and shouted, "OPEN THE DOORS!"

The man pressed a button, and the huge hall door opened. A siren rang, signaling that the passage was now free; as soon as the teachers got permission, the students started to get out of the building.

The first ones to go out were the Emperor students, all clad in fancy attires and high-level weapons. They were also surrounded by an aura of superiority and looked at the others with disdain. Then came the King ones, who were in a similar situation, and all the others followed suit.

Finally was the turn of the peasant-ranked students, who went out of the building with frightened looks. However, the fear momentarily dissipated once they saw the forest and smelled the air.

It was something they could never do inside the city. Everything had a different aura compared to the city. The sound of birds chirping loudly, the smell of flowers and plants... Even the sky seemed different. It was truly magnificent.

"Let's go, guys; we need to find the best hunting spots before the others..." Erik said, and led his group off to the left side of the road, heading straight towards the forest.