CHAPTER 250: SAVANNAH OF CARNAGE

’Hmm...so they’re indeed of the unique-tier, huh?’

Hal had been inside the Aeloria Public Library for more than five hours now, his head slightly throbbing as he read one article after another.

On the positive side, he now had a fairly decent idea of what beasts and monsters he had to hunt, which locations he had to go to, and how he would craft an arcane artifact that would grant him Aethersight.

It would have to be in the form of combat goggles.

A bit clunky as the design in his mind was, his skills as an arcanist were still limited. He had to make do with what he had.

Unfortunately, there were still a few things he had to check, and so Hal continued clicking and reading away.

He was exhausted by the time he was done, but at least he had a clearer direction of what to do next.

His first stop would be the Savannah of Carnage.

While the area sounds extremely ominous and dangerous, the strongest monsters and beasts there are only of the A-rank, plus ambushes would be slightly more difficult in such a location.

The only thing they needed to worry about was packs and prides managing to encircle them.

With Loki around, such a feat wouldn’t be easy to manage for their enemies.

Another good thing about the plains is that there are warring groups of both monsters and beasts there, killing each other on a daily basis in hopes of their clans emerging victorious and thriving with every enemy slaughtered.

The battle had been ongoing for decades, and the Imperium wasn’t about to meddle, since the free cores and carcasses were extremely advantageous to them.

This location would be a treasure trove for Loki.

Perhaps with this trip, his wolf companion’s strength would increase by leaps and bounds, preparing the pup for the next, more difficult location.

But first, he had to prepare.

Hal returned to his suite and rested for the night.

The next morning, the first thing he did was to bother his neighbor.

He was about to knock on the door when, suddenly, it opened, revealing a white-haired, tan-skinned maiden.

"H-Hal, good morning." Liora greeted with a shy bow and a subtle redness on her face. "I was about to ask you when we would leave. I have already informed my instructors that I will be gone for at least two weeks."

’T-Talk about efficient...’ Hal mused, returning the greeting:

"Good morning, Liora. That actually saves us time. B-By the way, we’re going to the Savannah of Carnage. Are you sure you want to come with us?"

"Yes!"

Hal was slightly taken aback by the rather determined response, pondering: ’W-Why is she so enthusiastic about this? Maybe she also needs something from the area?’

"Well, if you’re sure, then finish up your preparations. We’ll leave in an hour."

Hal could carry far more supplies than most wizards could, so the inventory check lasted only fifteen minutes.

He utilized the remaining time to inform Deputy Headmaster Korvus where he was going.

The old man fell silent for a few moments before allowing him to leave with a strange piece of advice: "Don’t exhaust the resources".

This was weird, considering the old man should be one of those people who would pace back and forth when a talented youngster is heading out on a dangerous mission.

’Oh well, I guess they’re starting to understand how smart and capable I truly am...’

He then returned to his suite to pick his comrades up.

Hal couldn’t deny that even he was slightly excited to once again head into the wilds with Loki and Liora, the once-horrifying, now-somewhat-sweet and nostalgic memories of their time at the Luminous Runeforest flashing in his mind.

It would probably be difficult to match that experience.

After all, at that time, a lot of creatures could have easily killed them, and Hal couldn’t deny that luck had been a significant part of their survival.

The moment he opened the door of his suite, the huge pup was already waiting at the entrance—eyes comically crossed and tongue out, making him chuckle and shake his head in amusement as he knocked on Liora’s door.

Hal momentarily froze as the door opened.

There Liora was, looking at him with an adorably excited gaze, one similar to Loki’s but with normal eyes.

Hal’s heart skipped a beat.

"Ahem, let’s go then."

And so the trio left the five-star dormitories, heading towards the exit nearest to the direction they were going in.

Hal then retrieved his Manatech Motorcycle and the sidecar from the system inventory.

Only, Loki was far too huge now to be sharing a seat with Liora...

"Hmm..."

Hal pondered for a few moments, trying to think of a solution. But Liora had already thought of one.

"I-I can sit behind you!"

That was indeed a good solution, though one that worried Hal a bit.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"T-Then, hold on tight. You might fall."

A few engine revs later, the trio sped on the streets of Aeloria, heading towards the Savannah of Carnage.

Liora’s heart raced as she wrapped her arms around Hal’s waist, feeling his toned abdominal muscles.

The two couldn’t talk for a while, and Loki was busy admiring the scenery, too, so a rather awkward silence ensued for a few minutes.

The Savannah of Carnage was quite far south, though, so Hal and Liora were able to gradually adapt to the rather intimate position.

They were chatting casually and catching up with each other just an hour later.

The location they were headed to was at least two days away even on a manatech vehicle, so it would be quite the hassle to return.

Hal planned to stay around for a while and obtain enough resources for multiple crafting attempts.

He also wanted to max out Loki’s growth if possible.

With the ten B-ranked cores he just fed him last night, there was a chance that the pup would reach the limits of his species’ potential in this trip.

After two days of journeying, eating, and the occasional rest stops, the two arrived before a vast savannah, stretching farther than the eyes could see.