I got up and brushed the message away.

Apparently, Q hadn't sold me out even to the end.

The sun had damaged my skin and I had some discoloration. I thought as I inspected myself on my way to meet up with my expedition team.

I could see ten people standing around in a circle up ahead. That meant just going by the odds only five of them would make it. Well four of them if you were to include me.

I didn't really see a reason to get too know them, but knowing their abilities would be very useful so I showed u for that part.

"This team will be named team seven. Everyones here so I expect you to list off your abilities and memorize the abilities of your teammates. This is the best possible way to survive in the mainlands forest."

She spoke with a lisp I thought too myself. Rarely did any expedition squads fully get wiped. Because anyone who made it too the outpost invested in ability ring for escape as soon as they got there. So most expedition team leaders almost always survived.

"You will call out to each other by numbers its quicker and more efficient in combat. Now all of you stand in a line."

An order huh, I didn't really care but I stood in line.

"Number one ability type support can give buffs."

I didn't know what buff types existed. Well, the books I read didn't go over ability types in great detail.

The only other interesting one was number seven

"I can sew up injuries and tie up enemies with my ability."

That was just an attack-type ability that she trained to do stitches, it was alright.

Our group consisted of two healers, one buffer, six warriors, and of course me.

I told them that I was a warrior who used a sword and my ability was too blind people. It was partly true except for the fact that I had no combat experience.

"We're going to set off on our expedition the ability outpost is not that far but you must remember that we are at the bottom of the food chain in the forest. And combat should be avoided at all costs."

She didn't have to tell me twice I thought as we crossed the bridge toward the mainland.

My first step onto the mainland made my heart feel funny. Apparently, this is where my journey truly began.

"There shouldn't be any powerful heartbeasts near the shore so we might be able to kill a few low tiers. We should still avoid combat at all costs just in case."

I heard the team grumble about her words it made sense the value of a nonaquatic heartbeast at any level was pretty high.

As we walked the jungle seemed alive, I knew that not all creatures here had evolved into heartbeasts. The book I had read said that all creatures besides humans had the ability to cultivate mana in there heart from birth.

And the scariest part was that size didn't necessarily indicate power.

I made sure to remember that part, best not to get killed by some random tree frog.

The forest passed by and nothing happened it almost seemed like I was on a cool pathway. That I should have been on all my life. Instead of a sandbar jam-packed full of people.

"We've crossed the halfway point, this is where groups normally get attacked. The man-eating heartbeast lives here that eat humans."

I could sense my group gets uneasy. Nobody explicitly explained that we would get eaten just killed.

That added a darker connotation too our trip for sure.

"There's something odd on the path ahead."

Like bone needle girls could talk about being odd.

A small bird was pulling out a worm from the ground on the path.

"We should wait for it to move."

I spoke to the entire group, the leader of our group also spoke.

"I agree it will only be a minute or two and I'm not willing to risk it."

My theory was right when the worm was eventually pulled free from the ground and it took a small crater with it. The swallow just flew away with the worm still hanging onto a giant portion of dirt into the sky. The whole thing looked utterly ridiculous.

But one thing was for sure they were both heartbeasts and probably powerful ones at that. Luckily for us, they weren't the man-eating kind

"Lucky" One of the warriors huffed underneath there breath.

Are group rounded a bend and in sight I could see a wooden wall on top of hill. That must be the basecamp.

"Were basically there, traps are set up on either side of the pathway so nothing can ambush us." Leader said

I heard the buffer chant and suddenly are walking speed up, she gave us all a movement buff. It must last until we can make it too the fort.

I was close to the back so I was first to hear it. It sounded like someone was slamming logs into the ground behind us on the trail.

"We need to run NOW!" I said