After feeling certain about his arsenal, Noah checked up on his buddies.

Only to be befuddled by their current state. Ava and Shaun were fumbling around with the leather equipment in their hands.

The two looked to be having quite a lot of trouble getting in their armor.

By some unknown method, His thoughts somehow seemed to reach them. For in the very next moment, their pleading eyes turned to him. Noah shook his head at the sight. Though, realizing he had no other choice, he stepped closer to help the two.

Noah focused on Ava first. Since she was clearly going to be part of the frontline together with him, he needed to be extra careful with her.

Making slow circles around her, he began giving instructions and only intervened where she couldn't do it on her own. He made sure they themselves were doing the bulk of work just so those two wouldn't depend on him for this in the future.

Tightening the straps around her torso and waist, he released the breath he had been holding onto for some time. Looking over, he saw Shaun had been following along all this time.

Phew...

Saved him the effort of repeating it for him.

Now, He just had to point out the few mistakes he noticed, and they would be done.

...

Crossing his arms, Noah nodded with satisfaction as his gaze swept over the two of them.

Although with some difficulty, they had finally managed to put on their armor.

Noah mentally patted himself on the back for this one. That was a job well done, even by his standards.

They appeared fully ready to face any challenges coming their way; their eyes sharp and focused. It's amusing how the addition of just a few inches of leather protection affects people's psyche.

While he was busy in his thoughts, both had started appraising their weaponry, including a short recurve bow in Shaun's hand and a long sword in Ava's.

He still couldn't find any dagger or anything of that sort on them, which felt very odd to him.

"Why aren't you two picking up a dagger?"

He wasn't one to shy away from presenting his thoughts, especially when it concerned their safety.

"What do you mean?" "For what reason?" The two looked perplexed by his question.

"To use, of course." Noah's eyes rolled up upon hearing their responses. Especially the one from Ava; the ignorance behind that statement.

He gave a long sigh of resignation.

"What's with the sigh, HUH?" Ava recognized that sigh. And safe to say she wasn't a fan. Especially considering what comes after.

"This should do, shouldn't it?" Whereas Shaun was genuinely curious regarding what was the problem with their current choice.

Noah began explaining the reasoning behind his advice.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm not going in there to hunt down the big baddies. Still, I know to take something extra when trying to venture into someplace that dangerous."

His posture switched to one of a lecturer as he stood straight with his feet shoulder wide and flat on the ground. One hand went to his waist and the other pointed straight at them as he began his tirade.

"I see nothing other than that bow. What are you going to do with that toothpick when something big takes fancy on you? Try to bash its head with that. You should know better, no? A dagger is pretty much essential when venturing out in the wilderness. I thought this much should be basic knowledge to you. He didn't ram any of this in your mind?"

"Go easy on me, will you? Just because I live with him, it doesn't mean I would magically know all this. You know he isn't there at home most of the time." Shaun put up his hands in front as he tried putting up excuses, but he knew the reality of the situation.

"Is that so? It didn't feel that way to me when I came over. I distinctly remember getting bombarded with loads of tidbits and trivia during the brief time I was there alone with him. Man, that was exhausting to deal with, now that I think about it."

"Sorry about that, he can be a bit of a pain."

Ava deliberately and loudly cleared her throat in order to stop their repartee.

"Who're you two talking about? Let me in on it, will ya?"

The two glanced at each other before Noah instantly stepped back.

"Go ahead, I would let you have the honor." He was more than happy to give him the spotlight on this one.

Shaun shook his head left and right. This guy...

"Sure, sure. Well...you see, he...my guardian is a bit of a peculiar identity. How do I say this?" He was scratching his chin, unsure how to proceed further.

"You may have seen him on social media. In fact, I would say he's quite a celebrity on the internet. Have you heard of..."

"Drake Falcon?"

...

"Ahhh-choo"

At the same instant, Galaxies apart from their current location, on a distant planet, and in the middle of a dense jungle, a burly human sneezed. He looked to be in his early 30s. The man donned in hunter garbs was taking a rest at the moment. A bloodied spear was lying just beside where he was sitting.

The man reached out with his blood-drenched hand and wiped his nose. Though he stopped halfway, realizing the mess he made on his face.

"For Cern's sake, is Shaun talking crap about me right now?"

He felt an urgent need to do something about all the blood.

Tilting his head up slightly, he began taking in all the surrounding smells. Through his recently gained beast-like sense of smell, he sniffed out a source of water near him.

He was about to make a run straight in that direction. However, he quickly paused in his tracks upon remembering the hunt. Swiveling his head around, his sight focused on the corpse of a saber-toothed tiger the size of a bison lying at a foot's distance from him.

"Can't forget about you, can we?"

Bending down, he placed his grip around the carcass. With a single solid pull, he lifted it with ease and put it on his shoulder. Then, using his foot as a hook, he launched his spear upwards and caught it with his free hand.

Now, with a monster carcass in tow, he headed towards the water source to clean himself up after the successful hunt.

...

"Who??" Ava answered back, the name not ringing any bells in her mind.

"You don't know him?" "What?" Her response baffled the two.

"Not really, I just vaguely remember his name coming up a lot in news for his "stunts". I don't really spend much time on social media. Much less follow that sort of content." She shrugged.

"Well, there's nothing much else to know. He's known for surviving like a cockroach in the harshest places on Earth. Still...no socials. Really? Not even a little?" This was news to Noah. Been almost two years since they first met and he was still learning something new about her every day.

"I mean..." she said, "I have a few accounts which I use from time to time just to keep up with the world. But other than that, I don't think so."

"Whoa, we found a dinosaur here today, folks." Noah's brain couldn't comprehend how someone in this day and age could be so out of touch. Someone forgot to add the one to the 20th century. In fact, the 22nd century itself was around the corner, just shy of knocking on their doorsteps.

"Wait a minute. " His eyes widened as he continued, "this means all those times you joined in on the trendy stuff with the "popular" folks. You were just masquerading as someone else, weren't you?"

"You might not know this, but there's something known as socialization that you need to do when living in a society." Ava's eyes deflected momentarily before she retorted back.

"We're deviating from the topic." Shaun tried to steer the conversation back.

"There's not much else to be said, really. She's been exposed."

"Listen here...Noah." Ava was inwardly seething for a moment before she hurriedly calmed herself down. "You seem to keep forgetting about yourself. Is a single shield and dagger enough to handle the big baddies you mentioned? Now, I would gladly handle it all with Shaun here, but babysitting you will be too much, even for us. Right, Shaun?" She made sure to pat Shaun on the shoulder multiple times just to drive the point to Noah.

Shaun facepalmed out of habit. These two just can't settle down for a second.

"That's because I haven't yet found something fitting in my grip. I have giant hands, see?" He showed his large palms out to the two just so they can't rebut his claim.

"If that is true, you better hurry. I don't think there is much left to choose." Using his thumb, Shaun pointed at the equipment crates, now running out of weapons.

Noah adopted a thinking pose as he contemplated his present choices before something came to the forefront of his mind.

He smacked himself on the head. How could he forget about that?

Doing a sudden turnaround, he dashed out of the field.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Shaun reached out a bit too late to catch him while Ava remained stunned by his sudden flight.

"Just remembered something. You two can go on first. I will catch up." Noah waved to them without looking back.

His destination: Anvil Artisans

...

The morning goers surrounded the central town plaza like a giant wave, waiting to engulf the commercial district. As soon as the market opens up, the wave will begin flowing and branch itself in all directions.

A significant part of the traffic usually diverts from the road he was currently taking.

Storming through the streets, he dashed towards the Forge.

As he approached the property, his eyes lit up. The setting felt magical, as always.

Smoke bellowed from a large flue. The comforting smell of burning oak filled the air and warmed his spirit. As he approached the aged storefront, he felt caught in time. There was nothing to suggest that he haven't warped back to the 17th century.

Other than the fact that there were fantastical carriage beasts, Demi-humans, and whatnot roaming around.

A narrow dirt road led to the salvage line in the back, and the fabled Anvil sign sat above the entrance. The backdrop was something out of a postcard as vibrant, large trees encircled the store's back.

The clanks of steel became louder as he got closer.

The Blacksmiths were already working. Their discipline was clearly on point. He couldn't help but feel invigorated.

After spending almost a week here, it felt nice to be here. To come back every day with renewed vigor to learn something fresh and exciting.

Old metal light shades hung from the wall, inside which resided crystal lamps similar to those at the Inn. Their light was soft and appealing to the eyes.

On the other hand, the morning was getting brighter by the minute.

Gul was a strong and hulking beast of a man and thus easily spotted from distance. He found him swinging his hammer with brute force. That much force was unnecessary unless...

Noah was able to judge from a single glance that the forge was not completely heated up.

Did the firewood got soaked by yesterday's showers?

As he entered further, he could see the soft glow of the flames play on his face helmet as he prodded the timber with a large steel rod. The radiant heat became stronger as he got closer.

"She is taking a while to fire up. Looks like I need to replace the wood." He mumbled, though his loud voice left little missing from his ears.

Embers flew up from the flames; as they traveled upward with the heat and extinguished like shooting stars.

Gul looked unfazed to see him here so early in the morning.

"Give me a minute, Noah!" he said in a jolly voice upon sensing his presence. Then, without elaborating anything, he stood up and headed in the direction of the storage room.

Noah stood still, confused by Gul's actions. He hadn't yet spoken a single word to him.

Shrugging, he focused his thoughts and begin searching around.

The store walls were decorated with tools of war that would go back decades, if not more. Every wall was decked with enchanting weapons, each looking more magical than the ones before it.

Though that was not what he had come here for. Giving a brief look at the workbench, he didn't see it lying there.

Where is it? It should be somewhere around here.

He began rummaging through the crates, still not finding his prized toy.

By now, the sun had taken over from the light of the fire and the lamps. The moisture and dust in the air glowed in the sunlight like a pathway into the Forge.

Soon, his ears picked up Gul's clomping steps approaching him from behind. Noah dusted his hands off and stood up from his crouched position.

Turning himself around, he came face-to-face with the giant. His heavy leather apron and face mask made him look menacing.

If only one hadn't spent their last week toiling under his tutelage. Then, this display of intimidation was nothing short of annoying.

Gul pulled up the helmet cover and made his smirking face visible to him.

A chill went down Noah's spine as his mind jumped around in a frenzy, trying to figure out the reason behind that smile. Before he could though, Gul threw him the thing he was holding onto behind his back.

Instinctively, Noah caught onto it.

Whoa...His arm buckled under the unexpected weight. What the hell.is..this...

"No way"' His mouth went agape as his sight rested upon it.

There lay in his hands a familiar-looking sword nested comfortably in its new scabbard.

Pulling it out, the blade looked polished and ready to use.

"Steel Fang" was now engraved upon its spine in the Eqin script.

"I thought you would prefer to use it," Gul remarked from behind. "instead of just letting it catch dust."

"You knew I would need it?"

"C'mon mate, I won't be much of a mentor if I didn't know that much."

Gul could see that Noah's new possession had completely fascinated him.

He would have proudly let him keep looking if he wasn't already late to the venue. Clearing his throat, he pointed at the grandfather clock to let him know.

Seeing Noah panic and pack up in a flurry before running out made a chuckle escape from him.

...

The rendezvous location was somewhere ahead of the training fields; on the outskirts of town.

By now the sky was bright, the risen sun had warmed up the trainee's faces as they stood in lines awaiting their turns.

Palisade walls blocked their vision into the Creep. Only the soldiers perched up on trees and watchtowers could possibly see through what resided in those woods if they wished to.

The knights were handling the team distributions along with the stationed Rangers.

"...Survival. It ties in with resilience and adaptation..." Commander Sanders stood in the front giving them the motivational talk they needed just before jumping into a deadly forest.

"Why is he taking so long?" Knight Rylee asked Shaun and Ava in a subdued tone, trying his best to not disturb the speech. Yet his tapping toes and folded arms told them enough about his mood.

"He should be here any moment." Shaun was giving his all to buy as much time as he can.

Ava was on the lookout for his arrival, not just to keep check but more so because she didn't wish to be on the receiving end of Knight Rylee's frigid stare.

As she swept her gaze across the entire proceedings, she could spot "her" in the corner near the watchtower. There stood a person covered head to toe in a dark cloak. It was the little bit of red spilling out of her hood that gave away her identity to Ava. Their mentor stood beside "her" looking bored out of her mind, even more than usual. Well, she couldn't blame her. The speech felt like it started ages ago, even to her who was used to this kind of stuff.

Though, her presence near her confirmed she was indeed looking at "her".

Looking to wish "her" good luck, her eyes bore into their figures to get "her" attention somehow. Although with no success. Yeah, go figure.

When she was about to give up, there was a slight movement coming from her mentor's side.

She could see her mentor scratch those pointed ears looking like she wanted to just be done and over with her annoying stare. Thereafter, she nudged "her" with her elbow before pointing lazily in her direction.

They immediately made eye contact and Ava waved at "her" to which she responded back, albeit a bit hesitant.

Just when she was thinking about approaching "her", a sudden voice made Ava's thoughts halt in place.

"What did I miss?" Noah's whispering into Ava's ear made her almost jump in fear.

"Don't scare me like that. Where were you?" She hissed.

With overdramatic hand motions, Noah guided her eyes to the 'Steel Fang' strapped to his back. However, this didn't seem to excite her much. Instead, she turned back to look at whatever she was looking at before.

"What ya staring at?" He asked grumpily. The reason being his hopes of showing off his baby were dashed abruptly.

"I was just saying hello to...my..." She had glanced back only to be astonished to see her 'friend' absent from her previous position. "...friend."

It was as if she vanished in the instant her eyes left her. Don't tell me...not again.

"friend?" He could see no one that would fit that description where she was looking over, besides a tall woman in a ranger outfit. Y'know the usual one with the lethal bow, arrows, and daggers on display.

His gaze seem to have caught her attention instantly as the lady stared back at him.

It couldn't be her, right?

She looked to be a Dökkálfar, as seen from her pointy ears and pale ash skin. Not to mention the silvery-white hair loose around her shoulders.

Look at him, using big boy words. One thing he was curious about was the race names. Were they the same on Earth?

So, would Zelus be a Ljósálfar? Who knows? His memory wasn't that good. Y'know...to remember the entire Norse mythology.

"Whatever. Leaving that aside, why is that guy staring at me like he is ready to beat me to a pulp?" Noah stealthily pointed to Knight Rylee beside them.

"Who knows" she couldn't be bothered in the slightest to help him after that. Noah turned to Shaun who ignored him the same.

Looks like he pissed off every single one of them. 'Sigh'

The time crawled past as the speech continued at a snail's pace. It was another half an hour or so before it finally came to a close.

Wasting no more time, Knight Sanders began the roll call, weirdly starting with them.

"Rylee Blackstein"

"Follow behind me" He ordered firmly and so they marched onward with him.

Knight Sanders glanced over at their group and gave everyone a proper look before nodding to Rylee.

"I will hand over their responsibility to you. Make sure they are safe."

"Understood, Commander." He saluted in the official knight etiquette; placing his enclosed fist over his chest. Then led the group straight into the Creep.

...

"Urnih Yunniac" Knight Sanders called onto the next roll.

The dark elf Urnih followed up on the summons as she called over the young girl hiding behind the watchtower.

"Let's go"

"Hmm" the girl affirmed meekly.

As they were moving along, she probed her out a bit.

"You know that boy?" Her earlier actions couldn't help but pique her curiosity.

"Not really" the girl replied indignantly, much to her surprise.

"Oh, what's this?" Urnih tried digging in deeper. "looks like you two got some history."

"Urni, please." She bit her lip in vexation.

"Fine, fine, I will leave you be." That was unusual for her. She had yet to see someone evoke that much of a reaction out of her before, maybe besides her other student.

"Just a reminder though, be careful around him."

"What do you mean?" It was the girl's turn to be surprised this time. Her mentor seldom gave her advice, especially a cautionary one.

"It's nothing much but..." She peered at Noah's group in the distance, this time with her Elven magic eyes. The world changed before her eyes as monochrome tones took over the scenery. The town and people were visible in different shades of white and gray. With the exception being the forest canopy which started oozing dark miasma.

Any common person seeing the miasma would feel a sort of instinctual repulsion and fear. After all, the miasma was comprised of dead spirits and residues.

Strangely, the same miasma could be seen around that group, centered around Noah specifically.

Soon after, she saw an illusory haunting figure emerge from black miasma, enveloping Noah completely. The alien evil spirit continuously attempted to consume him. Yet the boy behaved as if it was just wind brushing past him.

"I got a bad feeling about this"