A Chapter 18 Separation(3)

  17th Blue, 2043. 9:03AM

  The Dark Forest, Eastern side of Kisol continent.

  Luthor Dugavu(POV)

  The night had passed without event. Though, we had been forced to open some crates to cover ourselves with blankets because of the cold night air at some point. Even though the three from the Lutalo State had insisted on keeping watch the entire night, we, who had been seated around the bundle of crates had also decided to sleep in turns such that our lives weren't placed in their hands completely.

  As I washed my face with clean water from a bottle, I ruminated upon the idea of finding an enclosed space for our rest each night to ensure that we didn't take our chances in wide open spaces once again. The dark forest was a dangerous place for everyone, including the beasts, if there was a lack of shelter.

  "So, what's the plan?" asked David as I dug into the snacks discovered in one of the crates. The chill had been banished as the Sun crested over the ocean from the other side of the planet, bringing a warmth that was enjoyable upon my skin as my breakfast was being crunched in-between my jaws.

  As I devoured the potato chips, my eyes upon the rippling fiery red glow on the water surface, I contemplated about the plan within my mind, this time making certain to be meticulous. Drawing my gaze towards the campfire on the white sand, my mind unintentionally slipped to last night. Multiple pairs of eyes, myriad in color, had gazed out onto the flames from the forest. Though, some had also managed to gaze into our direction, having caught a whiff of the scent carried by the sea breeze, yet none had crossed onto the sand beach, as if apprehensive of the monsters lurking within the depths. It was curious how we weren't attacked from the water, yet the beasts had clearly been on edge.

  "Within these crates are things we might need for many plausible scenarios. But we can't carry everything..." I started, my voice loud enough to be heard by the others surrounding us. They had been going through their morning routines, but had paused to give me their full attention.

  "My suggestion is to choose weapons and items that will aid us in this forest. The pilots already confirmed that they hadn't spotted any other difference in terrain, meaning, the forest is quite extensive. Though, everything chosen should be easily manageable. We shouldn't make the backpacks so heavy as to impede our journey."

  "A great plan." Dan nodded.

  "What about the rest of the stuff? Is it just going to be left here?" asked Ril with a frown.

  "That's the idea. Taking everything with us will only be burdensome." I explained.

  Everyone nodded in agreement before we started rummaging through the crates. It was a good thing they had been labeled as last night would have been hectic if one of the crates hadn't had the 'Accommodations' sticker upon its dark green side. I first searched for the one labeled with 'clothing'. Our body hugging suits were not going to be enough for the jungle.

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  "Make sure to pick the boots, and the pants should be tucked into them. The Forest floor is dangerous, not to mention the things we might encounter! Gloves should also be given priority! " I advised even as I dressed myself, making sure to first remove the pants and vest, only leaving the dark, body-hugging suit on, before donning the camouflage outfit. Beasts weren't the only things that benefited from spiritual energy. Even tiny bugs and microscopic organisms had been granted that privilege. I could still vividly remember that time when, during a march through a certain area had caused some of the soldiers to develop crimson boils upon their skin. They had been filled with flame spiritual energy, which had been quite troublesome to solve.

  A few minutes later, I hoisted a backpack onto my back, held an assault semi-automatic in my hands, a pistol and knife strapped to my belt securely, such that even under intense movement, they wouldn't drop. Then, there was the locator, a device that had been constructed, attuned to the golden energy from the fallen object. The dark arrow on the tiny screen always pointed towards the origin. Even though we couldn't feel it, our equipment had still picked up on the fact that that energy was permeating the planet, no matter how thin it had become.

  The arrow was pointing inland, towards the dark jungle.

  "Is everyone ready?" asked Ravena, the dark semi-automatic clutched close to her chest, her face pensive, yet also determined. It was an expression I had seen countless times on the battlefield, one she hadn't worn in a long while. The semi-automatics had a magazine that could store ten bullets, replenishing one per minute, with two configurations. A light attribute bullet and a flame attribute one. It was just a matter of turning a dial and adjusting the frequency.

  "Okay then, it's time. We should travel in a line!" shouted out Dan, taking the lead, followed by Raiden. Two metallic sticks were clutched in his hands, his entire form radiating the pressure of a veteran soldier.

  "I am starting to second guess my decision of deciding to come on this expedition." Maxwell's voice was tinged with fear. When I gazed at him, his expression was pensive as he beheld the treeline.

  "It will be okay." I whispered a reassurance with a confidence I didn't feel even as my boots crunched in the white sand following Dan.

  "Don't worry, Luthor. I don't blame you. It was my decision. Besides, it wouldn't have sat well with me if one of the others had come, only to die on this mission." he whispered back, having picked up on my intention.

  "Shhh!" I whispered upon reaching just before the majestic trunks. Each was almost two meters in girth, and tall enough to block out a patch of the sky with its lush canopy. Green moss and vines clung upon their stems in a symbiotic and beautiful configuration that stole my breath. Taking a deep breath, I took a step onto one of the brown roots, entering the forest proper, with the others following behind, except for the few ahead.

  As we trudged deeper, the rays of the morning sun that had managed to penetrate into the dark, were starting to dwindle until they vanished altogether, leaving us with bioluminescence released from the various ground flora. My head swiveled in part vigilance, and part wonder as I took in the beauty that nature had unfolded before us.

  Motes of green floated before us, with every breath feeling as if life was being pumped into us. The motes were a result of concentrated wood type spiritual energy in the air. If I was not mistaken, the forest's existence alone was mutating the ambient spiritual energy!

  "Wow! Everything here has immense research value!" Maxwell whispered an exclamation even as his gaze particularly focused upon a plant that had dense green motes paying homage.

  As if sensing his desire, a scaled green snake popped it's head out from beneath a bush nearest to the spirit plant and released a threatening hiss in our direction. Before we could muster any reaction, it shot out, it's target, Maxwell, only for a white flash to momentarily appear before it's split parts made him roll away in alarm.

  My eyes naturally fell onto Dan, whose stance indicated that he had acted. Those thin metallic tubes he wielded had been my masterpiece. They could release concentrated bursts of light attuned spiritual energy particles in the form of lasers.

  We paused, opting to inspect our assailant. It had dark green scales, the perfect camouflage in this environment. Fumes were rising from the places where it's blood had splattered, causing me to raise my eyebrow towards Maxwell, whose expression had morphed into one of lingering fear.

  "We need to change formation!" whispered Snow. Clearly single file wasn't going to cut it. The snake had been weak. Something far more deadly would have killed Maxwell without any one of us having had a chance to react! There was also the fact that it had first intimidated us. If it had truly struck with surprise...

  "I propose a diamond formation. Though, that would mean that we wouldn't be able to fit into the small gaps between trees. Do you have any better ideas?" I asked.

  "No! But it should be super tight! Shields will also need to be deployed." nodded Ravena.