Moon and his group continued walking, passing through the massive gates. Beyond the walls, the world transformed.
The orderly stone of the base gave way to a wilderness. Trees rose in the distance, and large rocks were seen every now and then.
The atmosphere was different in the wilderness. With danger lurking in the shadows, it was difficult not to be on guard, especially as a newbie.
Derek led from the front, his group interspersed with Moon's as they followed a path heading east.
As they walked, the older awakeners began sharing their own stories.
With a self-deprecating laugh, Derek began. "You know, a week ago we thought we'd conquer this place, had it all figured out in our heads. We'd awaken, come here, hunt some monsters, get rich and powerful. Simple, right?"
One of his companions, a stocky man with a battle axe strapped to his back, shook his head ruefully. "Then we actually left the base. The first beast we encountered was a level three Razorwolf. The thing moved so fast we barely saw it coming. Nearly took Marcus's arm off before we managed to bring it down by using all of our strength."
"Everything's faster, stronger, more aggressive than you expect," another member added, a thin man with twin daggers. "The training grounds give you basics, but out here? Out here, the beasts actually want to kill you. They hunt in packs sometimes. They are very familiar with their terrain and use it for their own advantage. It's not like fighting sheep in a pen."
Derek glanced back at Selene. "Not trying to scare you. Just want you to understand what you're walking into. Stay sharp, follow instructions, and you'll be fine."
John seemed engaged, asking questions about their tank's tactics and how to position properly. Elara walked alongside the archer woman, discussing sight lines and arrow conservation. Selene chatted with Derek, her natural friendliness drawing out more details about the eastern woodlands.
Moon stayed toward the back, silent.
He noticed the girl with the bow, the one who'd spoken earlier about needing a healer, glance back at him. A moment later, she slowed her pace, letting the others pull ahead until she matched his stride at the rear of the group.
She flashed Moon a soft smile before greeting him. "Hey, I'm Iris, by the way. Don't think we properly introduced ourselves."
"Moon."
"Moon…That's quite the unique name. I like it." She adjusted the bow on her shoulder.
"So what class did you awaken? I'm guessing an assassin based on the light armour and no visible weapon."
"Mage," Moon said shortly.
"Oh, nice. Ranged damage, good control potential." Iris smiled. "We could probably coordinate well. I usually open with arrows to draw aggro, then mages follow up while the target's focused on me or the tank. You ever think about tactics like that?"
"Not really."
The shortness of his answer didn't deter her. "What made you decide to come out so quickly? I mean, most people spend at least a day in the base, getting oriented."
"Seemed like the logical thing to do."
Iris laughed lightly. "Fair enough. Not much point sitting around when you could be getting stronger, right?"
She paused, then asked, "What are you hoping to accomplish here? Like, long term. Do you want to join a guild eventually? Go independent? Make a name for yourself by reaching the second sanctuary?"
"Haven't decided yet."
Moon kept his eyes on the path ahead, on the positioning of Derek's group, on the treeline that was growing closer with each step.
Iris studied him for a moment, her smile fading slightly. "You're not much of a talker, huh?"
"Not particularly."
"That's fine," she said, though her tone suggested she was reconsidering her approach. "Just thought it'd be good to get to know each other since we're hunting together. Communication helps when things get dangerous."
Moon finally looked at her directly. "I'll communicate when it matters."
Iris held his gaze for a second, then nodded slowly. "Alright. Fair enough."
She didn't speed up to rejoin the others, but she stopped asking questions, the conversation dying into silence.
Moon was fine with that.
He didn't need to make friends, nor did he need to share his story or his ambitions. Especially, with a member of a group he had just met moments earlier.
The treeline grew closer. Derek raised his hand, signalling for the group to slow down.
"The eastern woodland is just ahead. From here on, stay alert. Keep noise to a minimum. We're entering the hunting territory."
A few moments later, the group was officially within the eastern woodlands, one of the many areas that newer awakeners used to grow stronger.
Sounds of combat echoed through the surrounding forest. The clash of steel against hide, the crackle of elemental magic, shouted warnings and coordinated calls. It was a popular hunting spot, with multiple groups spread throughout the territory, each carving out its own patch of wilderness to farm.
Moon could hear them from afar but rarely saw them. The trees were thick enough to provide natural barriers between groups, offering the illusion of isolation.
Everyone here had the same goal: survive their encounters and grow stronger.
Kill before being killed.
This was the natural law of the First Sanctuary, the fundamental truth that governed existence in this world. Defeat others and grow stronger, or be defeated and lose everything.
The path Derek led them down was well-worn, packed dirt marked by countless footsteps. Branches overhead filtered the light from the two moons, casting everything in an otherworldly glow.
At the front of the group, one of the members of Derek's team, the scout, raised his hand.
Seeing the signal, Derek immediately made the group halt at once.
"Razorwolf pack ahead," he whispered, pointing through a gap in the trees. "Three of them. Level four. Standard formation: tanks up front, ranged in back. Iris and..." he glanced at Selene, "what was your name again?"
"Selene."
"Selene. You two focus fire on the one I mark. John, you're with Marcus on the front line. Split their attention. Everyone else, watch for strays and be ready to adapt."
Derek's eyes finally landed on Moon, as if only just remembering he was there. "You too, just be careful not to die."