CHAPTER 37: STICKDYER

The bus cruised steadily toward the forest, covering the 70-kilometre distance in less than two hours. Athar, seated beside the window, enjoyed the passing scenery a little too much. Though Ryler occasionally tried to spark conversation, Athar remained largely unresponsive, content to keep to himself. He was engrossed in the view outside- firstly the tall, large and elite buildings of the inner portion of the city, then the slightly impoverished outer part of the city which gave way to crop planted plain land and finally shrubs and grasslands just before the forest.

Eventually, the buses came to a halt, about two kilometres away from the forest’s edge.

The students disembarked, gathering in small groups. Ahead of them, the towering expanse of the forest loomed into view. The outer perimeter was relatively sparse, with thinly scattered trees and open clearings. But as the eye ventured deeper, the foliage thickened, becoming darker and denser- a wilderness where light would struggle to pass through.

The bus compartments were then opened, revealing piles of supplies.

"For every student, there is a magical tent," announced Sankul, stepping forward. "Pick one and handle it carefully. This tent will be your home for the next five days. If you damage your tent, you will have to sleep under open sky."

Each tent was packed in a small enchanted bag, compact and lightweight. To activate it, one simply had to infuse it with a bit of mana.

Apart from the magical tent, there were few dozens of axes and shovels in each compartment which were to come into handy during the camp. Few of the students took hold of these tools too.

Soon, every student had claimed their magical tent. With their gear ready, the six batches began their march toward the forest.

The massive group of nearly 300 students, divided into six sub groups, had just walked a few meters into the outer zone of the forest when a sudden movement caught their attention.

From behind one of the nearby trees, a beast emerged.

It was spider like in shape, with a strange mix of blue and black colouring. The creature stood around three feet long and slightly taller in height. Its body was divided into two parts. The first was its head and the second was its main torso. It had six thin and sharp legs emerging from its torso which it used to crawl, moving with a jerky motion.

The moment it appeared, before any of the student could react, one of the teachers, who was leading the first batch, stepped forward with swift authority.

The teacher was carrying an iron rod in his hand, and with a sharp motion, he pinned the beast to the ground. It flailed helplessly beneath the weight of the rod, its six legs waving violently in the air.

Although he had never taught the sixth batch, this teacher was well known across the academy. Athar recognized him immediately.

Bodur- a combat specialist like Sankul.

"To all those attending their first camp," Bodur’s commanding voice rang out, "pay attention."

"This beast here, the one I have pinned," he said, applying more pressure to the rod until the creature let out a high pitched, whimpering sound, "is called a Stickdyer."

"You might know or have guessed its name is a combination of sticky and spider. And this beast is the reason this place is called The Sticky Forest."

"What makes it worthy of the name?" he continued. "The Stickdyer secretes a white, viscous fluid from its mouth. It is extremely sticky—so much so that if you are hit by it and you are not physically strong to tear that fluid apart, escaping can be nearly impossible."

"They use that fluid to target your limbs and once struck by it, you may find yourself to a tree or to the ground or you may find your movement severely restricted."

He let that sink in before continuing.

"Stickdyers are one of the dominant species of this forest. In terms of sheer numbers, they outclass most other beasts here. Especially in the outer regions, every second or third beast you encounter will likely be one of them."

"And pay attention to this, while they are generally classified as Silver Grade beasts, finding Gold Grade Stickdyers is not rare if you head deeper. And those gold grade beasts are above B rank in cultivation."

"So, whether it is now or in the future, whenever you enter this forest, you must know how to deal with one."

He continued further. "It is not hard to kill them. A clean sword slash will do the trick. Or a strong enough smash."

With a grunt, Bodur pressed his rod harder. The Stickdyer’s head burst with a grotesque squelch, blood and brain matter splattering onto the ground like a popped balloon.

"What you must avoid," he finished, "is getting hit by its sticky fluid. It can pin you down—or worse, restrict your movement in the middle of a fight. Be careful around them."

With the warning demonstration complete, the students began to move forward once again.

All except one.

Athar stopped beside the dead Stickdyer. Without hesitation, he crouched, split open its chest with his sword, and retrieved the faintly glowing F rank beast core. His movements were swift and precise.

Around him, a few students sneered with disdain. To the rich or elite, such an action was a shameful thing to do. A low grade core was hardly worth the trouble. But Athar ignored them.

"Intelligent," came Bodur’s calm voice, cutting through the silence. "Resource collection... that is what you are here for."

Those simple words made several of the mocking students fall silent.

As they continued deeper into the forest, the trees grew denser. A few more Stickdyers appeared, but the teachers eliminated them with practiced ease. This time, more students, mostly those from humble backgrounds, rushed forward to collect the beast cores. The initial shame was gone, replaced by practicality. Athar, however, did not manage to get another core.

They had walked nearly a kilometre when the group halted.

Ahead of them, the forest changed abruptly. It was thickening to such a degree it almost looked like a curtain dividing two different worlds.

"From this point on, the number of beasts increases sharply," Sankul said, stepping forward.

"We will make our camp here," he said. "And we need to build a perimeter around ourselves."

Under the guidance of the teachers, the students began chopping down trees and using the trunks and branches to construct a makeshift barrier around a large clearing. The work was tiresome but orderly, with each student contributing to the task.

Athar could not quite understand the purpose of the barrier. These temporary fences would not be enough to keep out even the weakest F Rank beast. If anything, the teachers or students would still have to stand guard to ensure safety.

But he did not question it.

He remembered Sankul’s words all too clearly. Arguing or doubting the instructors, especially during the camp, was not an option.

By the time the perimeter was finally constructed and all the tents had been erected, the light had already begun to fade. Within a couple of hours, darkness would settle over the forest, and with it, the camp would move into its next phase.

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