Rebecaa and Ben waved at each other. Ben walked up to her. He could see that she was observing the lake, and guessed she wanted to enter it.
Ben: Hello.
Rebecca: Hello.
Ben: We meet again.
Rebecca: Yes, we do.
Ben: I assume, you want to enter the lake.
Rebecca looked at Ben for a few seconds. Normally people would try to strike conversations with her, due to her social status. She thought Ben did not know who she was.
Rebecca answered, " Yes that is my intention. But I am not so proficient in underwater fights. So I was actually looking for someone to go with me."
Ben smiled and tried to crack a joke. " And you want me, a man to jump into lake with a lady. I don't want any trouble with swords."
Rebecca also had a slightly amused smile. She said, " You are really different. Others straight away strike up conversations, but you are trying to end it."
Ben: Well, the reason is simple. This is one opportunity for me to find some resources. I am also not that proficient at underwater combat and I only want to take reasonable risk. I have been looking for other opportunities and hence don't have time.
Rebecca, while understanding the logic in it, raised an eye. She was not used to the way in which he was talking. But for some strange reason, she was not offended by it and was impressed by his straightforwardness.
Rebecca: Before you reject the offer, just hear me out. I have some equipment that will help two people to explore underwater. That will provide us with some experience. Because this lake has been surveyed several times and the most powerful creature is barely a lord class.
Ben: There is a lord class creature in the lake?
Rebecca: Yes, there is.
Ben: Isn't that a problem. Honestly, I don't have any martial techniques in my arsenal. Not to say techniques fit for underwater combat. And I don't want to have anything to do with he lord class creature on land let alone underwater.
Rebecaa: Well that creature does not make a move easily. That is why I said it is beginner lord class. It is not an animus still and hence is conserving its energy.
Ben: What equipment do you have?
Rebecca: I have an advanced breathing device and a camouflaging device specifically for under water. Its expensive, but it will help me ad you get valuable experience underwater.
Ben: Are we going to explore the full depth of the lake?
Rebecca: No, if we do that it will alert the lord class creature and it will consider us as threats. I also have a sensing device that can sense energy signatures. It has a range of 2 kms. It think that increases the odds. What do you say?
Ben: Why don't you team up with someone from your entourage?
Rebecca: You are pretty suspicious aren't you. They are too powerful. I want experience teaming up with someone of my power level. Now, can you consider my offer.
Ben pondered for a couple of minutes. He was someone who was paranoid by nature. He did not have that much of a positive opinion about noble scions. But Ben found it difficult to reject the offer of the first girl who made an impression on him. Also, it gives him experience.
Ben: Very well, I agree with you. At least the experience cannot be replaced.
Ben and Rebecaa did not wait long. Though Ben was tired from the previous encounter, the hormones of a teenage boy could not be underestimated. He was not going to back down in front of this girl.
They soon entered the water with appropriate clothes and equipment. The lake was relatively shallow for 1 KM and did not have anything of value. As they moved forward, the depth increased and so did the diversity and the power level of the floor and fauna. Even at this shadow depth, really close to the surface, they could see Knight level creature. Sensing this they became careful and Rebecca activated the stealth device. Soon they begin to move forward and things were going well. They even capture the group of creatures alive and sedated them. These creatures where used for the training of martial techniques that were used for building up various resistances. They also collected many healing plants. Some of them were quite potent used at Lord class. Soon, they faced the pressure from the lord class creature. They could feel that if they went further down, they would intrude its territory and it would attack. So they came back.
Soon they split the bounty accordingly. Both Ben and Rebecca were really bad at striking conversations. And soon they were silent. Ben felt as though there was something clasping his heart. He wanted to see her gain, but knew the chances were extremely low.
Ben calmed himself and told Rebecca: " Hey I know you were holding back. And I also know that if you had a more powerful partner, you could have explored more. But I have not mastered any techniques and hence do not have the power. But I actually do want to compensate you for this during another time."
Rebecca raised an eye brow. If another person said this, she would have considered it a cringe proposal. But coming from Ben, for some reason, she found it quite sincere. She said, smiling, sending butterflies flying through Ben's stomach and heart: " Well, we can always meet up during the military tests at the end of the school years. But may be there will be an opportunity for us to meet even before that."
Both of them shared contact information. Then they went their separate ways.