Chương 120: (B2) Chapter 47 - Preparation (3)

"It's a bad idea."

"It's really not. You just need to look at it from my perspective."

"Your perspective is stupid, Ethan," Leah said matter-of-factly. He rolled his eyes. They had been going over the plan to bring Mark with them on the journey ahead. Leah, for her part, thought it was infinitely stupid to allow the man to come along and separate him from his young family. Ethan had actually agreed. He knew the risks and had originally tried to talk him out of it. But Mark seemed adamant that he needed to come along.

With his family as safe as they could be—within Nexus—he had requested to join Ethan on his mission into the wilds. He had an almost desperate drive to grow stronger so he could protect said family. Ethan had slowly come around to the idea. It was a risk, but the Trials were full of them. Nowhere was going to be one hundred percent safe, and if Mark thought it was wise to come in order to grow and protect what was his, then Ethan saw no reason to deny the man. Mainly because he wanted the same thing.

If Mark was willing to push himself and grow stronger, it benefited both Ethan and the future Sage. It also helped that Ethan had come to think of Mark as a project. The man had taken an extremely similar route to Ethan's original run. So Ethan knew exactly how to make the man stronger and could guide him each step of the way. If it all worked out, he could have a stalwart protector. Someone capable of looking after the others when he was indisposed. That was something irreplaceable.

Something Ethan desperately needed.

"It's hardly even up to us," he said.

"Let Mark and Sarah sort it out. I'll respect the decision from either of them." Ethan lied. If the man stayed behind, he might understand, but he wouldn't really respect it. It was the safe option. And while it made sense in the short run, it wouldn't in the long run. Not when some threat was bearing down on the boys and Mark was too weak to protect them. Of course, if that ever happened, Ethan assumed he would be there anyway.

They were far too important for him not to hover around them as they got older, but still. That wasn't the point.

"You know they would listen if you said no," she answered with a sigh.

"There's more than enough people coming. You don't need him as well." She wasn't wrong. It had been five days since he had organized transport. And since then, Seb and his granddaughter had joined the team, as well as Alex. Ethan had initially been surprised. Not by Alex. He had a feeling something funny was going on there. But by Bonnie. The girl had only just returned to civilization, and yet she was heading out again. Seb had told him that it was the only option.

She was an adventurer at heart, and thus, despite her short return to a proper city, she would still rather go and explore. Ethan was more than happy to accept that. He had seen her skills with traps and knew she would be a benefit to the journey. It also helped that he wasn't paying any of them. And thank the stars for that, because he was broke as a joke. Leah had bailed him out, just as any big sister should. But that left the problem of his funds running dry. Luckily, the Gliders were providing provisions.

Still, he packed his own, but it allowed him to not be as thorough.

"Leah. He needs this. You know just as well as me that those boys are going to need all the protection they can get. Mark has the chance to provide that. I'm not going to deny him that opportunity," Ethan said, a hint of seriousness bleeding into his voice. He stood up from the couch and put his plate on the bench.

"I'm heading out. I've got a bit more to take care of before we leave. Just make sure you and your team are ready. I'll sort the rest," he stated, making his way to the door.

"Yes, boss," she said with all the sarcasm she could muster. With that done, Ethan made his way through the suburbs at a slow, sedate walk. As he rounded the bend, the large park opened up before him. It was currently occupied. A small family was sitting around, their child running through the grass with a laugh that carried on the wind and made Ethan frown. Not for the first time, his stomach pooled with hatred. These Trials were nothing short of evil. To corrupt such innocence.

How someone or something could do such a thing was beyond him. But as he watched the little girl run to her family, all he could think about was how slim the likelihood of them surviving was. Sure, the Trials offered an easier path to clearing each level for families. The requirements to climb each level were easier, more family-friendly. But they still had to make it to that stage. Still had to travel through monster-infested lands.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The only upside was the fact they didn't have to do it all the way to level ten and could instead create a life on level five without climbing any further. The fact that plenty of humanity had done that didn't sit right with Ethan. Sure, he could let it slide for the young and the sick. But when humanity was facing eradication, every able body should respond to the threat.

Not rely on the climbers to clear the Trials for them. Ethan looked away from the family, forcing himself to stop getting sidetracked. He knew what he was signing up for when he re-entered the Trials. He knew the burden he had to carry. And he was well aware that he was willing to carry it. That was the one undeniable truth. He made his way to the park bench where a young woman was sitting. She was watching him with a gaze as though she could pierce all his secrets if she looked hard enough.

Finally, as though she got what she wanted, she looked away, taking a bite of the sandwich she was holding. When he drew closer, she spoke up.

"What made you want to meet up? I thought this was a weekly affair."

"Good to see you too," he said, taking a seat beside her. She gave him a fake smile and took another bite of her sandwich. It looked quite good, actually. The bread looked fluffy, and he could see lettuce sticking out from the edges, along with a thin slice of meat. For all that the Trials were horrible, at least they allowed chefs, bakers, and other noncombatants plenty of opportunities to develop their skills far beyond anything they could have achieved on Earth.

"You want a bite or something?" Bella asked, wiping her mouth.

"No. Just eaten, thanks."

"Good. I wasn't going to give you one." Ethan narrowed his eyes.

"On second thought…" he said, reaching over to snatch it. She pulled it away from him, shoving her spare hand into his face so he couldn't get any closer.

"Don't you dare," she stated. He laughed and leaned back on the bench.

"So anyway, I thought we should meet up because I'm going to be going away for a while. Just wanted to let you know you'll only be able to reach me through the Farscribe book for the next couple of months." Bella frowned slightly and lowered her hand.

"That's cutting it close. I've only got a couple of months before I'd have to sign on for life." Ethan nodded.

"I understand that. But you've said you haven't found anything, right?" When she nodded, he continued.

"Perhaps I'm wrong and they aren't hiding anything. If that's the case and I don't return in time, just leave the guild. They can't exactly stop you."

"I don't care about that," she said with a snort.

"I know they had something to do with Milne going missing. I can feel it."

"And you might be right. I've already told you I'd help you no matter what," he stated.

"But it would help if I knew how. For instance, you haven't even told me what she looks like. What if I had run into her and never even knew it?" Bella looked at him for a moment before averting her gaze and looking at the half-eaten sandwich. Then, after a moment of silence, she began to tell him about Milne and how she and the others had all entered the Trials and found each other before getting ambushed by undead and having a curse placed on them during the fight. They had gotten away. Not Milne, though.

She had been captured, and they had never seen her since. Ethan knew that meant she was likely dead. Even if Bella and the others wouldn't admit it to themselves.

"I wasn't really lying when I told you my sister was captured," Bella continued.

"She is my sister in all but blood." Ethan was quiet for a moment. In all honesty, her story was on the tamer end. Most people had lost their entire families. Half the population wouldn't make it through the first level. And probably not even a quarter would reach the fifth. By all accounts, she was lucky she had found so many people she knew. He couldn't exactly say the same. Instead, he replied, "Perhaps she made it out. What did you say her ability was again?" She deflated a little.

"I don't even know its name. She could shift through solid objects, though."

"That's perfect. She definitely could have escaped. It'll all work out." Bella looked at him with slightly hopeful eyes. They caught the afternoon sun and glittered slightly from the light, highlighting the deep brown in a way that made them fit right in with the surrounding park. He looked away.

"So, as I was saying…" Ethan began before continuing to tell her what to expect in the coming months and what his plans were. Bella also relayed what little information she had gathered. But it wasn't much. They had only just met a while ago, and she hadn't had any further developments. Which was slightly annoying. The one positive was that she seemed to be in the right place. She had weaseled her way into a high-ranking group full of up-and-comers.

So hopefully, it was only a matter of time until she found something damning. Once they were finished, Ethan stood up to leave, promising he would return and that when he did, he would be ready to help her however she needed. As he left the park, he took one last look at the family. The daughter was chasing a butterfly. She was laughing as she ran, her steps short and uneven. She looked like she would fall over at any moment.

But instead, she kept moving, slamming her hands around the butterfly and likely squishing it. Ethan's eyes widened slightly before he continued on his journey.