Sam is easily talked into walking a short distance away where they’ll find something worth much more, it’s still by the river but will be pushing the boundary. The two of them walk along the river with Sam doing all of the work.

The person he’s with seems to have no reaction to all the small creatures jumping out at them, Sam is getting tired from having to throw and retrieve his dagger so many times so quickly. Some of the daggers have even begun chipping in places, showing that it’s difficult work.

The person suddenly raises their hand as they come up to a wider part of the river, several large boulders block sight as the sound of the river echoes and bounces between them.

“We won’t be able to talk easily in there. You need to collect at least 2 rainbow snakes just be careful to not make too much noise.”

“Why’s that? Isn’t it already really noisy?”

“Just be careful, if you see some pink or purple thing floating in the air. Run away, run far away in the opposite direction. I’ll try to help.”

“That makes this sound kind of dangerous.”

“It’s fine, I’ll watch the situation and intervene like I have been doing all this time.”

Sam nods his head. He walks along the gravel around the first boulder. It’s a wet area that smells like death, things slither about in stagnant pools beneath his feet as he trudges through the area.

His footsteps sink into the wet ground as he walks through this section carefully avoiding the water. Several snakes hiss and snap at him, but none fit the criteria alongside all the other insects and critters.

‘Ah, there’s one…’

Sam throws his dagger. It slices through the air with a whistle before landing on a creature crawling along the ground.

He walks over to collect his weapon and kill; the dagger going straight through the head for an instant death.

Sam looks around for another snake after putting the first away, ‘Ah.’

He quickly throws his dagger, it misses.

*CH*

He throws another dagger which makes a sound after hitting a rock in the ground, the snake is scared away as it slithers away fast.

He looks around further. The snakes seem to have been scared away as they’re fleeing from his direction.

Sam spots a large rainbow snake. He takes a deep breath and focuses on the target quietly loading multiple daggers into his hand.

His hand flicks in an instant, the daggers fly through the air with a slight whistle.

*CHK*

One dagger hits the target, killing it while the other hits a rock.

Sam carefully makes his way to the kill avoiding all the puddles of water filled with critters, he collects his dagger and puts the kill away when he turns around to go back and stops for a moment looking at the sight before him.

‘What’s this pink thing that just appeared in the sky?’

Sam blinks when he remembers the words of that person, ‘immediately run if you see something purple or pink.’

He snaps out of it and immediately starts to run the opposite direction, it’s only a short distance around two boulders but that’s enough time for everything to change.

Thousands of tentacle-like things come out of the water, thousands and thousands of them chase after Sam.

He’s not able to get away from them when he notices from the corner of his eye something falls from above, he cannot stop running as the tentacles are just about to catch him.

“STOP!” a female voice yells.

Sam stops his footsteps to turn around when,

*BOOM*

He is thrown to the ground, his skin sudden burning as if there’s a layer of acid being run over the top of it. He grits his teeth and stand up, a faint orange glow coming from his skin as he stands up and looks at what’s happened.

A strange atmosphere effect is causing the light to bend as the blue-haired person is standing there… floating there.

They are floating above the ground but that’s not all, a strange creature is shimmering on their back that has many arms that extend hundreds of metres before them. Sam recognises it as, possibly, a type of octopus, but he has never seen one with so many arms.

The arms are in a blur as they fight back the tentacles that appeared from the water, each one of them pushed back before turning into a smouldering pile of ash moments later. The octopus tentacles are working quickly.

Sam is finding his body tiring quickly, the burning sensation doesn’t stop and his eyes are burning heavily. He puts the goggles on, hoping that they’d help when he spots something.

“H–

He tries to speak but finds that he’s unable to form words, Sam’s heart races as he touches the weapons pouch button.

The light sword flashes into his hand, Sam focuses on the goggles and immediately lets out a slash downwards.

A burst of blood appears where he slashed, the person with blue hair looks with interest back at him while Sam struggles to lift the sword from the ground panting as all of that just took what little energy he has.

Sections of his skin are becoming black as if they’re being burnt by something.

The tentacles are pushed back after moments, but Sam has nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

His skin blotchy yet he’s still standing holding his sword.

The blue-haired person looks at the surroundings, there’s a large smooth surface beside the river now with sections of the boulders missing. They seem to inspect their work before walking over to Sam.

“How was the feeling of using a monster?”

“What was that?” Sam struggles out, his chest heaving up and down rapidly.

“That’s what happens when you use your monster outside of a domain, basically before you’re stage 5, most people that aren’t stage 1 cannot handle moving inside that field so you did well.”

“You could have warned me” Sam holds back his anger but his emotions betray him.

The blue-haired person laughs, a high-pitched laugh not disguised, “I could have yes, but where’s the fun in that?”

Sam feels the hairs on the back of his neck tingle, his eyes look around but spot no one except the person standing before him.

“What move do you call that?”

“16 Octo-Punch, double version.”

“Interesting name.”

The blue-haired person places their hand out, Sam takes it helping him adjust his posture from being supporting by the sword, “It’s ok…” she waves her hand leaving a dust of powder in the air.

Sam notices an immediate change in this person’s behaviour as they start the walk back, he feels incredibly tired and unable to really continue on but still keeps an eye out for the small animals attacking them allowing the powder to heal his skin.

The short stroll takes them back to the original spot they all gathered, Sam can see that everyone is wearing an annoyed expression while looking at the two of them. Sam wants to speak but the blue-haired person does first.

“We—

“Why didn’t you report in? You didn’t have to summon your creature and risk the newbie,” Wellis immediately speaks out, “you’re not part of the ranker squadron here so do not act like you can do as you please.”

Sam raises an eyebrow at this mention off-hand mention, the blue-haired person stares at Wellis. Their eyes especially menacing as the two stand in silence, Wellis backs down after a few moments of this.

“Did anything else happen? I’m asking Nadia here” Wellis snaps at some of the other people that were getting noisy.

“Nothing to report.”

“Did you check the newbie's wounds?”

“I did not but he seems fine.”

The group turns to Sam, he’s scratching the back of his neck yet hisses in pain forgetting there’s an old wound there, “I’m fine” he says yet his words sound very insincere.

“How did your task go?”

“I retrieved what was asked. A few snakes and a bunch of kills,” Sam flashes part of the snake carcasses in his satchel. He shoves them back in before they need to be shoved back in.

“Good… Good job newbie,” Wellis smiles through grit teeth, “the instructor will be happy to hear that.”

Sam nods his head and fixes up his stuff to get ready to leave, his eyes always keep an eye on the blue-haired person who appears to be called Nadia. Their gaze is always on him for some strange reason, yet he doesn’t feel settled by this.

The group heads to the landing point where the craft is already waiting, they quickly load up as it’s not designed to stay around. Sam goes to board the craft when a hand reaches down at him, he looks up at the person and notices it’s not Wellis this time.

“Umm I can get up myself, it’s just a slight ramp.”

“You’re tired and might slip, don’t ruin my kind gesture.”

Sam notices everyone around is watching in silence, their eyes wide open as they stare at the two of them. He takes their hand feeling people's stares drill holes into him.

He is pulled forward and into her embrace, Sam sniffs their body and notices a perfume that seems familiar, he snaps out of it immediately and backs away.

“Uh sorry.”

“It’s my fault, you must be tired.”

The blue-haired Nadia walks away, Sam is left there confused at what’s happening as people come up and surround him. Not even the commander of the group is immune as he’s standing there.

“What?”

“How did you get Nadia to open up to you?”

“She’s been part of our squad for 3 months and she barely even acknowledges our existence.”

Sam struggles for words, “I didn’t do anything… we have barely spoken a few words to each other. I don’t know what’s going on.”

The crowd breaks away from Sam and discusses things in a huddle in a loud manner, it lasts several moments before the engines whirl to life. They suddenly stand up as if realising where they are.

“We’re leaving in a second, quick get to your spot.”

“Newbie, get to your spot quickly.”

The group of people rush about the craft, they push Sam into his spot just before the craft takes off. Sam is left wondering about everything that has been going on today, the day started off interesting yet now he’s going back exhausted and confused.

The craft lands without anyone speaking to Sam, the people set to work yet when Sam looks for Nadia to say a few words, he cannot find them. He looks around for Wellis but cannot find him either.

Sam doesn’t need to assist with the unloading so he’s left alone in the landing fields when he notices the crafts in the next few bays, they’re several times larger and looks much more lavish than all the other aircraft.

They’re made out of fancier, higher quality metal that is shiny. There are decorations that seem more at home on a castle or parade float than on an aircraft too.

Sam looks at them as he’s walking off the field when he hears a noise before him,

“Tonak. Did you get them items? Did you bring them back with you?”

Sam looks before him startled at their sudden appearance but holds his emotions, Instructor Kelle is there while Kelli is standing beside him, she is tending to some clipboard in her hands.

He reaches into his satchel and pulls out the smaller snake carcass, it has shrunk somewhat after being stabbed yet is still large as it rolls out.

The dead snake lays out, its scales shimmer in the setting sun of the late afternoon. A mystical effect happens as the light reflects from the snake with each colour reflecting the type of energy it represents.

Sam feels this effect for a few moments before the instructor collects it in an electrical shimmer.

“Do you have the other one?”

Sam nods his head and retrieve its, passing it to the instructor who taps it with a ring on his finger.

“Good work Tonak, I AM GLAD YOU BROUGHT ME THE TWO RAINBOW SNAKES I ASKED YOU TO. THEY WERE THE LAST TWO RAINBOW SNAKES THAT WILL EMERGE BEFORE THE NEW SEASON!” the instructor yells out ensuring his voice is spread all over the area.

“Good job, now head back. I have to deal with something.”

“Ok sir” Sam walks away from the two of them confused, that was entirely random yet he spots several people wearing different uniforms walking up to the instructor. He’s not able to catch their words as he’s too far away.

‘Haven’t I see that uniform somewhere?’ Sam thinks as he looks at the uniform that looks similar yet much more fancier than the instructor and other officers.

He doesn’t come to a conclusion even after thinking it over while walking back, his night ends with dinner and an uneventful dorm time to recover his energy yet that question about the uniform is always on the back of his mind.