Chaos Cycle: The Eye of Genesis

"Now that you filled your stomach," Ileana asked. "Care to share if you have something in your mind?"

Elior acted as if he had heard nothing and emptied the bottle of water. Seeing the others were waiting for him to say something, he complied with them. "Let's get to know each other first," he said. "In a team effort, we need synchronisation between all the members, so knowing each other should be the first step.

"I'll go first. I am Elior. Like you all, a freshman in the path of becoming a Guardian."

He peeked at Ileana, asking for her to continue. While he stood up, the other needed food as well.

"I'm Ileana, you all should know, I am majoring in Magic," she said and sighed. "I'm still hesitant about the fighting and killing, but I'll do my best from now on."

Lara joined in. "I don't have experience in this like the others, but I want to go further in the path," she said with fluster. "I will do everything to make the earth a better place."

"I'm Shin," the boy with the funky hair joined. And that was it. Not that he did not want to go further, but that was all he found about himself. He had no goal that could be considered as an ambition of his life. After thinking he added, "I like to cook and eat."

Hasan joined. "I'm not like all of you who lived in the safety of the haven throughout your life. It was only after I was chosen as a guardian candidate that my life got better, and I would like to stay that way with all my effort."

"I did not know that," Shin said, recalling the six rings were not a broad place after all. It did not even hold 3% of the population. "So, where are you from?"

"India," Hasan sighed. "When I got this chance, my family was given a chance to move too. But you know, we were quite sentimental about our birthplace, so only I moved to the Safe Haven. I wish to become a guardian and protect the place I was born."

"Quite a noble cause," Shin added and turned silent.

Elior nodded and waited for the last two of the group to finish. Leroy was about twenty metres away from them, but with his sense, he could hear it, but the handsome boy did not join.

"You know my name," Peter said. "My father is a Guardian, and I was taught to be one from the beginning. I thought it would be easy with all the teachings I had, but when the real thing arrived, I was worked up so much that I accidentally attacked one of our comrades. I apologise again for that."

"Don't worry about it," Shin said, accepting the apology again. "Just make sure it does not happen again."

Now everyone looked towards Leroy, who stood in the chilly wind like a statue of stone. He noticed their gaze and gave them a look, asking if he really must do it or not.

"I'm Leroy," he said and thought about what to say next. "Earth is not my birthplace, but I'll do everything to defend it."

"What, you are not from earth?" Shin could not help but ask. "I heard the dean is your grandfather."

"Adopted." Leroy sighed. "I—"

He had to cut short his phrase as he felt an undulation again, and with that came bellowing howls.

"Again?" Ileana stood up and prepared her mindset again. Good thing, she had taken a breather.

"Are those coming from wolves?" Peter asked, and came closer to everyone else.

"It's not wolves," Hasan said and crouched. He put his ears against the ground and said, "They were a couple of kilometres away and approaching us."

"If not a wolf, then what?" Shin asked and brandished his sword.

"Hyena, perhaps," Elior said. "It will be harder than the moles. Moles are not predators, but the ones that are approaching us are. Stay calm and within the group."

They went to the formation again. Elior and Leroy took one side on their own. Shin and Lara stayed with the two casters while Hasan climbed in a tree, taking high ground to have a full view for his archery.

"If you need help, do not shy out in asking," Elior said, and picked up his spear. "It will solve the problem of jumbling up your attacks and don't hesitate."

The howl rose, and the wind turned a lot colder. The surging water rushed in its course, and finally, the hyena appeared before them. The pack held about a dozen of them. Not as large as wolves, but they were quite the same in savagery. It rushed towards the seven of them in glee that they had found a meal.

None of them had gone through the first order, but they all had the capacities for it. Savage predators usually were the fastest to evolve. All they had to do was eat. It did not matter if it was chaos fiends or humans. And they were far stronger than moles as well. In the same level, a hyena would be a couple of times or more, harder to deal with.

Elior could have killed all of them easily within a minute, but he did not. He even left a few to reach the others in the middle. He had already reached the first order. These few animals would give him barely any karma to reach the next level, and most importantly, the others need to advance.

Shin was doing fine and was able to handle one on his own. Though he would not be able to finish it in one or two swings, he should have no problem finishing it. Not that he considered it, Shin was working quite hard these days, after he promised to help him get a chick—thinking that, his stomach swirled. He had no idea how to achieve that.

On the side, Ileana ablaze one of the hyenas while Lara helped her finish it. Even though Ileana had affinities towards the five-universal element, only in fire attribute her skill had improved. Considering she was getting help from Senior Aanya, he did not need to help her improve.

His eyes moved to Lara, who showed her excellent form in swordsmanship. She needed more experience and more adaptability to mana. Even though she and Shin both were introduced at the same time with mana, Shin developed faster in it, than her, though he lacked experience in form and skill.

Hasan was doing fine. No hyena came to him in the tree. He helped the ones in the middle if they were having any problems. He had helped them to kill three till now. And lastly, Peter, who was the worst of all, though he did not make any mistake this time.

And as for Leroy, he had nothing to say. He easily held onto his side with no sign of fatigue or pressure. He did not appear to be using full of his capability though.

After watching all of them, Elior learned all they need was time and experience.

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