Unclassified; Zero and Still Standing

Chapter 68: Divided Paths.

Yesu peered into the map.

At first it was difficult to put it all to memory. Everything looked separate. Divided.

Lines.

Symbols.

Routes.

Then she recalled what Soraya had said.

’Study it like your life depends on it.’

Because it did.

Yesu’s eyes narrowed. She focused harder.

Slowly, the markings began to connect.

Routes linked together.

Landmarks aligned.

The location of their base settled into place.

Piece by piece, everything merged into a single image.

One complete picture.

Yesu closed her eyes. She visualized it.

The paths. The terrain. The route to the base.

And when she opened her eyes again, she knew it would stick.

Everyone had been watching her.

Yesu handed the map back to Soraya.

"All done."

She said it with such ease that several students blinked.

"This is nuts." Reggie complained. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

Nobody responded.

They simply stared at her.

Soraya took the map and addressed the squad.

"The hunting party will focus on collecting Scales."

Her gaze swept across the students.

"We need mostly Physicals for quick findings. And Elementals for protection."

The assignments were made quickly.

Within minutes, the squad had been divided into two groups of ten.

One group would search for relics.

The other would locate and secure the base.

Soraya took one last look at the map. Then she handed it to Isaiah who was already holding the box that held the Attendance device.

"You’ll lead the base finding party." She said.

Isaiah nodded.

Soraya glanced at both groups.

For the first time since entering the forest, she hesitated.

Only briefly.

"Be careful, everyone."

No one laughed. No one complained.

The reality of what they were doing had finally settled in.

With that, the two groups turned and headed in different directions.

Soon the trees swallowed them apart.

***

The search party sought desperately for Scales.

Through branches.

Shrubs.

Hollows beneath roots.

Everywhere.

Several Physical Class students moved through the canopy above, leaping from tree to tree with ease.

Others used their heightened senses, listening for disturbances or scanning distant landmarks.

Soraya stood atop a staircase formed from her Elemental constructs, surveying the forest from above.

"So let me get this straight," Reggie complained. "We’re supposed to find hand-sized pieces of metal hidden in an entire forest?"

Nobody answered.

"We could be here for weeks."

"You’ve been complaining for twenty minutes straight." Carrots said.

"Because it’s a valid complaint."

Yesu ignored them.

Her arm was buried deep inside a thick shrub.

She felt through roots and damp soil.

Nothing.

Farida squatted beside her and pushed her own hand into the foliage.

"So..." She began.

Yesu looked at her.

"How were you familiar with the markings on the map?"

Yesu continued searching.

"I’ve used something similar before."

"Really?" Farida was surprised. "Did you have Trials in Zero schools?"

"No. We only had written exams."

Farida stared. "No practical tests?"

Yesu shook her head.

"Nope. Just books and more books. Although we had gym, which no one took seriously. It was mostly for fitness and passing time."

She paused.

"Nobody enjoyed it."

Farida was silent. Then she sighed.

"If only Echelon was like that."

The words came out quietly.

Wishfully.

The two girls moved to the next shrub.

Yesu didn’t think too much about it.

"Students back home would’ve given anything to attend Echelon." She said.

Farida gave a small laugh.

"I think they’re insane."

Yesu pushed her hand deeper into the foliage.

Something brushed against her fingers.

Something cold. Smooth. Slippery.

Something—

A scream shattered the forest.

Farida fell backwards.

Students spun around instantly.

A snake was wrapped tightly around one of her arms.

Farida froze.

All colour had drained from her face.

Nobody moved.

Yesu rushed forward. Then halted.

The snake was wrapped too tight around the arm.

Its head was raised.

Ready.

One wrong movement and it might strike.

"Don’t move." Yesu said.

Farida immediately went still.

Yesu scanned the area.

A stick lay a few metres away.

She sprinted over, grabbed it and returned.

The rest of the squad was already gathering.

Slowly, carefully, Yesu wedged the stick between Farida’s arm and the snake’s coils.

The snake tightened.

Then Yesu yanked upward.

The creature flew through the air.

It crashed against a tree.

Pieces scattered across the ground.

Everyone stared.

The snake lay twisted and broken.

Like actually broken.

Wires protruded from its shattered body.

Silence.

"It was robotic?" someone whispered.

Soraya had already descended from above.

The entire squad stared at the wreckage.

Then Carrots folded her arms.

"That’s petty."

Several students looked at her.

"Planting robotic snakes in a huge forest."

Finch stroked his chin. freeweɓnovel.cѳm

"That reminds me, I saw one earlier."

Everyone turned.

"What?"

"It was in a tree." He said lightly.

"Why didn’t you say anything?" Reggie shouted.

Finch shrugged.

"It was in a tree."

Nobody seemed satisfied with that answer.

Soraya looked between the broken snake and the forest.

"There are probably more of them."

Farida finally laughed. It sounded shaky.

"At least now we know they’re fake." She said, although her arms still trembled.

As the others spoke, something caught Yesu’s eye.

A faint glint beside the shrub.

She crouched and dug into the soil.

Her hands pulled something free.

A Scale.

Her eyes narrowed. She dug again.

There was another.

And another.

Yesu stood abruptly and raised all three.

"Ta-da."

For a second nobody reacted. Then the squad erupted in joy.

"Three!"

"They were buried there?"

Soraya immediately pointed at the area.

"Dig around it." She then pointed at the shrub. "And cut it down."

Students rushed forward.

The forest suddenly became much more interesting.

Soraya turned to Finch.

"Do you still remember the tree where you saw that snake?"

Finch scratched his head, thinking. And pointed.

"That way."

For once, he proved useful.

***

The squad had found ten Scales altogether in the area surrounding the shrub.

Next, they went to the tree where Finch had seen the snake.

And sure enough, they found five more Scales within the surrounding roots and bark.

Yesu patted Finch on the back.

"Well done. I always knew you weren’t completely hopeless."

Finch let out a laugh of disbelief.

"You guys always underestimate me," he said proudly. "But as a humble squad member, I will accept your gratitude."

The squad’s spirits were visibly lifted.

The tense mood they had started the day with had eased.

Now there was confidence in the air.

They had expected to run into squad 11-B.

But so far, they hadn’t.

And they now had fifteen Scales.

Maybe they could actually do it. Maybe they did stand a chance.

But just then—

A loud bang cracked through the forest.

Smoke rose into the sky not far from where they stood.

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

A few students panicked. Others stiffened.

Soraya tensed in preparation.

"Seems like our luck for the day ends here."