Monster Integration

"Are you fine Leo?" I asked seeing him standing frozen like a wooden block, it had been a few seconds since I had beaten the monster and it had even fallen on the ground making a loud sound but that wasn't enough to make Leo wake from his daze.

I can understand what he is going through, such close contact with death had put him in a shock that froze his body and mind to save him from having a big trauma.

It is an instinctive reaction of the brain, I had also gone through this once when I training in the westblood.

Such an incident left quite a scar in one's mind which made some people leave this dangerous life altogether for a peaceful life as they couldnt get over the dreadful moments they faced.

I have come across many many people who have done that in the westblood, I hope Leo won't leave as very few people could come back after leaving once.

"Are fine Leo?" I asked loudly this time seeing no response coming from him.

"Yes yes, I am fine now. Thank you for saving my life by the way," said Leo with the very shaking voice, he still didnt seem coming out of that moment but who would?

"Man, that was quite an attack. I have come close to death many times but this time was closest," said Leo with a dry laugh.

Seeing him laughing after experiencing such a close shave with the death, I heaved a sigh of relief. He will be fine, maximum he will have to take some counseling if there is some mental scar.

Psychiatry is a booming business in a place like Grimm Battlefield, I think the only noncombat field that has a similar number of personal as prostitutes they will psychiatrists.

There are a huge number of them in this Outpost more than Westblood city. The westbound city may be the city of adventures that have many adventures but it couldnt compare to this outpost where more than 95% are powerhouses.

In the westblood, I had taken counseling for a month to deal with the stress of breaking the seal on Ashlyn and I have to say, it helped me good to cope with the stress I had.

"Let's clean the battlefield quick and leave!" Said Sophia and quickly started to clean the battlefield which is harvest the Mana crystal's from the monster and take the stuff they are having.

We finished the harvesting within ten minuits, of the four monsters that killed by use, half of harvested Mana Crystal's by taken by us three while other halfway taken by the Leo and Rachel.

They didnt want to take it at first, saying they didnt kill any Grimm monster but at our insistence they finally took it.

We stopped at the battlefield for half an hour to let Leo and  Rachel have some rest and let them heal their injuries before leaving for the outpost as there is only half an hour till the time of our original time of leaving.

On leaving, we cross the river again to leave from the Colonel stage area as if we were to leave from the Brigadier area then it would probably take us night and we might even lose a member of two.

On the way leaving through the Colonel stage territory, we come across the three teams of the Clonal stage monster and one team even had the twenty-two monster in the team.

That was the biggest team of monsters we have even fought, though monsters' numbers were high, it didnt took more than five minuits for five us to finish the monster's off.

Leo and Rachel were extra ferocious killing the monster's we have encountered in our way back, they both have received quite a loss fighting the Brigadier stage monsters.

So, on the way, they became hungry tiger's who would leap at any prey they have encountered ferociously.

My face was full of smiles when I had to get out of the prairie, Today I got the biggest haul ever, it is three times more than I have even got in the single day.

My harvest of today is whopping 5064 Mana Crystal, these many crystals are simply huge that I have decided that I will change my apartment to big one as soon as I returned from the aferian ruin.

I wanted to change now but that will waste too much time and it will also take time for my mind to adjust to a new place, so I had decided change right after I returned from the Aferian Ruin.

My current space is fine for a living but it is not good enough for my practice, the next apartment I would rent will have a big practice room where I would able to practice at my heart content.

I was busy daydreaming about my dream apartment when I was brought back to reality by Sophia's voice.

"Do we hunt Brigadier Territory or go back to the Colonel territory?" Sophia asked, her question may seem directed at all of us but it was directed at Leo and Rachel and they also understood it.

They both did not say anything for a few minuits, deeply thinking about the question that Sophia just asked.

"The Guild had a hard condition for those who want to enter the Aferian Ruin, only those who had cleared the 3 challenge of the guild would get permission to enter the Aferian Ruin," said Rachel softly as if speaking to herself.

"There are only fifteen days till the connection to the Aferian Ruin to be made and I dont think I will improve enough to 15 days if I kept training in the normal speed."

"Only training in a dangerous environment such as today will I be able to make enough progress to clear the 3rd challenge, only training in the dangerous environment such as today will help in the swift increse in strength." Rachel said as she looked at Leo.

Her meaning is clear that she wants to train in the Brigadier Territory, as for Leo from his face he looked like he didnt want to train in brigadier territory anymore but after hearing what Rachel said his expression started to change.

"Well, do save my life if I am in danger again." Said with a little awkward laugh after to that we all laugh a little.

So, it is decided that we will continue our training in the Brigadier territory.

Time passed and we reached the outpost and cross the gate and about to leave for a respected apartment when I stopped everyone.

"Come to my apartment my by ten," I said to everyone, it didn't take a moment for Sophia and Raina to understand the meaning of my words but Leo and Rachel were clearly confused with the sudden invitation.

"Why?" asked Rachel, "You will know when you come to my apartment," I said, to which Rachel didnt asked further questions.

"Here is my address," I said and forwarded my address to both of them.

After saying goodbye, I went toward my apartment with Raina and Sophia while Leo and Rachel went towards there.