After five minutes under the tree, Jai Veer stood up as he saw Anvi coming back.
The dappled sunlight filtered through the tree's leaves, casting a soft, golden glow across her face as her Jiva Shakti pulsed faintly in tune with the forest's quiet hum.
"Let's go, Jai," Anvi said, her voice carrying a quiet urgency as she pointed toward the misty path leading to the announcement area, then started moving. Jai Veer followed her, his steps steady on the damp earth.
"Hey, did you bring what I asked for?" Jai Veer asked, walking side by side with her, his tone laced with hope and curiosity.
"Yeah! Yeah! I did bring it, here," Anvi replied, handing him a bag that rustled softly, its contents shifting with a sweet aroma teasing the air.
"But do you really want only fruits?" She added, her brow arching skeptically as she glanced his way.
"Anvi, this is no normal fruit; you are mistaken," Jai Veer said, peering inside before pulling out a crimson strawberry that glistened like a jewel in the forest light, then began eating.
"Oh! Really! What is so special about these fruits?" Anvi asked, her voice dripping with playful doubt, expecting little from the simple fruit.
"You will know what is so special about these fruits when you eat—" Jai Veer finished, swiftly popping a strawberry into Anvi's mouth as she opened it to speak, the motion a blur of red against the green canopy.
Anvi froze, her eyes widening as a wave of sweetness crashed over her, rooting her to the spot in surprise at both Jai's gesture and the fruit's taste.
"What! A delicious and sweet taste of this strawberry!" she blurted, the words tumbling out in involuntary delight.
"Absolutely right! Now keep moving, otherwise we will be late for the announcement area," Jai Veer said with a grin, stepping back and nodding toward the path ahead.
"Ah! Right! Keep moving," Anvi replied, shaking off her daze and quickening her pace to walk beside him through the thickening mist.
"By the way, how did you know that Strawberry is so delicious and not normal?!" Anvi asked casually, curiosity sparking in her eyes.
"By looking at these strawberries, they are very fresh, reddish, and most importantly, their smell is so special," Jai Veer explained, holding one up as its rich scent wafted like a cultivator's essence.
"Hmm... Looks like you are a fruit lover," Anvi said with a smirk, teasing him gently.
"Yes, except for a few fruits," Jai Veer answered, his gaze drawn by a faint rustle from the bushes, due to mere wind but nothing more than that.
And within a few minutes, they reached the announcement area, a clearing buzzing with students where the air thickened with anticipation and the faint hum of Jiva Shakti.
There are a total of 16 teachers, including Vicky Rae. In a few minutes, every student is at the announcement area, the clearing filling with a sea of cultivators.
"So, I hope you are all ready for the hunting journey, but before that, you all have 15 minutes to form a group of 4 students, make a group, and come to me for registration of that group," Vicky Rae said, his voice booming as his scarred hand gestured to a weathered table where a notebook lay open, the 60 bands in pairs of 4 with the same numbers from 1 to 15 glinting like tiny jewels. He sat on a chair, his tone firm, leaving no room for delay.
"So, we are forming a group together, right?" Jai Veer asked Anvi, his voice carrying a hopeful edge as he sought her assurance.
"Of course! You saved me in the forest, and you are strong also; there's no reason to not form a group with you," Anvi replied warmly, a nod to their bond forged in battle.
"Alright! But we need two more students to form a group of 4; you are an old student in this academy, maybe you know some good students?" Jai Veer asked, tilting his head and trusting her experience.
"Yes, I know, and I am trying to search for them, but they are not looking, and I am only one month old in this academy as compared to you," Anvi answered, scanning the crowd with a voice tinged with mild frustration.
"Where could she be?" Anvi mumbled to herself, then suddenly a voice cut through the chatter, sharp as a blade's edge.
"Anvi"
Both Jai Veer and Anvi turned back, their heads snapping around, eyes narrowing through the throng of students.
"Oh! Diya, finally I found you," Anvi said, relief softening her words as she exhaled.
"Actually, I was also looking for you to form a group, and now here I am with my brother," Diya said, her gesture confident as she pointed to her brother, a steady presence at her side.
"Oh, hello, Ravi," Anvi greeted, her tone polite with a nod.
"Hello, Anvi," Ravi replied calmly, matching her tone.
Anvi nodded and introduced Jai: "So, let me introduce him to you guys; he is Jai Veer. I guess you know him if you watched yesterday's matches of arena three," her voice beaming with pride.
"Hello, as she said, I am Jai Veer, and it looks like we all 4 will be in a group, so please take care of me," he added, his voice humble with a smile breaking through.
"Hello Jai, I am Diya, and he is my brother Ravi; nice to meet you." Diya greeted her warmly, her brother nodding in agreement.
"Okay then, let's go for registration," Anvi suggested, taking charge with a firm yet inviting tone.
"Yeah, let's go," both Jai Veer and Diya said together, their voices overlapping in eager unison. They looked at each other and chuckled. And all four moved towards the registration table and registered their names as a group, their footsteps crunching on the forest floor in a unified rhythm.
They got group bands of number 8 in a small circle, tying them on their wrists where they glowed faintly with Jiva Shakti, snug like a cultivator's mark.
After a few minutes, "So, all 15 teams have been registered for the three-month hunting journey; now move into the forest, everyone, and remember to stay strong and with your group, and anyone who leaves the forest before the hunting journey ends will be disqualified; now move." Vicky Rae stood up and said, his command ringing out with a stern promise of challenge as the forest loomed ahead, its shadows swallowing the groups one by one.
All groups started moving inside the forest and slowly vanished from the sight of teachers who were still outside, the trees closing in with branches weaving a natural curtain.
"Now teachers, move to follow and watch secretly according to your given group list, and I will watch out here and in the forest also from time to time," Vicky Rae instructed, his voice lowering with a tactical edge.
All 15 teachers moved into the forest to secretly watch over their respective groups, their figures blending into the undergrowth like silent guardians.
A three-month hunting journey begins, the forest pulsing with anticipation, a living three-month arena for the cultivators growth and experience.
Day 1,
A kilometer deep in the forest somewhere, Jai Veer and his group stopped, the air growing thick with mist as they halted amidst towering trees that whispered with Jiva Shakti.
"Hmm... seems like we are the only group here, and other groups scattered with distance, right, Ravi?" Jai Veer said, his voice thoughtful as he glanced at Ravi.
"Yes, all groups stopped very early and scattered in the forest; also, we did not come straight here, but we took some turns while leaving small marks on some trees," Ravi replied steadily, his observation earning nods from the others.
"So, this place looks pretty decent; then let's settle here and then explore the surrounding areas," Anvi suggested, her voice carrying a practical edge as her eyes scanned the site.
"Sounds good," Diya agreed quickly, sealing their choice as the group decided to settle there for their three-month journey.
Anvi took out 2 tents from her invisible storage ring, which is made up of Jiva Shakti, and every cultivator creates their own invisible storage ring at any stage. The whole capacity of the ring varies from the stage of the cultivator, the ring shimmering with a faint Jiva Shakti glow as it releases the tents like ethereal shapes.
Diya and Ravi also took out their tents and started setting up, their movements swift as the tents rose like miniature fortresses amidst the trees.
"Take it and set up," Anvi said, her offer casual but firm as she handed him the tent.
"Ah! Thanks! Nice that you took one for me also," Jai replied, his gratitude genuine as he began setting up.
In a few minutes, their tents were all set up, the campsite taking shape as a small haven glowing softly under the forest canopy.
"So, let's go now and explore a little more of this forest," Anvi said, her voice eager as she brushed dust from her hands with a determined swipe.
"Yes, but which side should we go to first? Left? Right? Or straight?" Diya asked, her question playful as she tilted her head.
"Hmm... let's go left side first, and after exploring some distance, we will start moving toward the right from that place; this way, we will cover all three sides," Ravi suggested, his plan measured as he mapped the unseen paths with his gaze.
"Sounds good; let's do it this way, and if we have time, then we will also explore a little distance of straight path after coming from the right side," Jai Veer agreed, his tone firm with a hopeful twist.
And then they start moving toward the left side, leaving their tents behind, their silhouettes fading into the forest's embrace as the tents stood sentinel in the growing dusk.
A low, rhythmic thud pulsed from the far right, too low to be noticed by the group, hinting at something unseen.