Extra's Ascent

Camelia slid down the tree with ease.

As she neared the ground, she jumped off and landed smoothly on her feet.

"How was it?... Did you find anything?" he asked in a rush as soon as she touched down.

Camelia took a moment to steady herself, carefully deactivating the mana circulation flowing through her veins.

She took her time, adjusting herself before answering his hurried questions.

"I got nothing," she replied, her voice tinged with disappointment.

"Damn it! How could they leave us with no clue?" he grumbled, voicing the frustration that others had been echoing.

Camelia paused for a moment before continuing. "I didn't find any clues, but I did spot someone else up there, someone who had the same idea to climb the trees. I saw him while I was up there."

"He's probably just as frustrated as we are when he realizes that those damned seniors left us nothing to follow."

"That depends," she said, a hint of optimism in her voice. "I asked him to come over here and join us. Thought it'd be better if we had more people working together."

His eyebrows rose in tentative interest. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

While having more people might help, Ian was wary.

The value of additional help depended entirely on the individuals involved.

What if this person she invited turned out to be violent or had malicious intentions?

Iqn had seen enough types of people to know that it was entirely possible for someone like that to exist in this scenario.

"I know what you're worried about," Camelia said, sensing his hesitation. "But you don't need to worry. He's someone you know. Aldrich Aldaman."

"Aldrich Aldaman?" Ian repeated, trying to place the name. "The one who showed up late on the first day and got kicked out of Professor Mariana's class, along with Dante Pendragon?"

"Yeah, that one."

"Aldrich~~ Alda~~." A new voice interrupted their conversation, slurred and tipsy as if spoken from a foggy state.

The voice came from a figure lying on the ground, his back resting against a nearby tree.

"I know him. He's my friend~~," the voice repeated, incomprehensible and half-hearted.

"What the hell is he saying?" Ian muttered, casting a frustrated look at the drunken figure. "I don't know why you would bother rescuing him. All he'll do is drag us down."

Ian had every right to be irritated.

Camelia had gone through the trouble of saving the drunk, useless guy when there were plenty of others who could've been much more helpful.

He couldn't understand why she'd waste resources on someone like him.

"You don't get to tell me who I can or can't save," Camelia shot back, her cheeks flushed as her gaze turned to the wasted figure on the ground. "And he is not a burden to me, he is a friend. One that I cherish."

'Seriously?! You've got feelings for someone like that?!' Ian thought to himself, his frustration growing.

Another thing Ian hated was people who couldn't separate personal feelings from what was necessary for survival.

This was no place for romance.

They were stranded in a forest with dangers lurking around every corner.

What they needed the most was any help they could get.

Even if it meant leaving behind someone emotionally attached in favour of someone who could actually contribute, Ian wouldn't hesitate to choose the latter.

He was pragmatic like that, refusing to let emotions cloud his judgment when survival was at stake.

"How far away did you say Aldrich was?" He asked, trying to change the subject before his annoyance overtook him.

"A bit. He should be here in about twenty minutes, maybe less, depending on how quickly he decides to move," Camelia said as she lowered herself to sit on the bare ground, leaning her back against the tree bark.

They didn't know how long it would take Aldrich to arrive, so it made sense to rest while waiting.

Ian, too, sat down, his back against the tree.

"Aldrich Aldaman…" He mused, his thoughts drifting as he sat.

Ian did not know much about Aldrich other than the fact that he had caused a scene on his first day and had displayed some rebellious traits.

But if he were to judge Aldrich by the reputation of the Aldaman family, he would regard Aldrich as an asset, not a liability.

Ian recalled the other Aldamans he knew, the first being Dwayne Aldaman, the youngest LORD candidate in history.

Achieving that title wasn't something just anyone could do.

As it was already established, the title LORD candidate referred to the second-strongest individual within the mystic society, and Dwayne had earned the distinction of being the youngest of that category.

If at such a young age he had that much potential to stand out, what say how he would turn out given the time to bloom?!

Then there was Saldrich Aldaman, another member of the family who had earned the S-Class rank for her formidable abilities.

She was said to be as powerful as any other individual to reach the S-Class.

Aldrich had made it into the S-Class like his sister did. Although it remains to be seen what level of potential led him to that level of power.

"If he's anything like them, Aldrich might be worth taking seriously," Ian thought, hoping that the rumours were true.

He wants to believe so. To imagine another burden joining them in a position where extra manpower was required, Ian wouldn't want to reason in that manner.

Just as Ian was beginning to settle into his thoughts, a rustling noise in the surrounding foliage snapped him back to attention.

He quickly got to his feet, as did Camelia, immediately falling into a defensive stance.

"I thought you said he would be here in twenty minutes?" Ian grumbled, a look of disbelief crossing his face.

There was no way to know for sure, but if Ian had to guess, no more than five minutes had passed since Camelia made that statement.