The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting golden rays across the untamed wilderness.
They hadn't stopped once since leaving the outer boundaries of the city, pressing deeper into the Wilderness. Despite the occasional monster encounter, none had posed a real threat—at least not to Alex.
Now, with evening fast approaching and the sky awash in hues of orange and violet, the duo finally came to a halt atop a grassy clearing. It was quiet, serene—the perfect place to camp.
Alex stood first and stretched with a small yawn. "Alright, this should do."
He walked a few paces into the clearing and pulled something from his storage ring—a round metal disk about the size of his palm, with a small, gleaming gem embedded in the center.
He placed it on the ground.
Click! A soft hum followed, and then—fwump!—with a sudden burst of mana, the disk unfolded like a blooming flower, rapidly expanding and reshaping into a sleek, dome-shaped tent. It shimmered briefly under the fading sunlight, then settled with a faint metallic sheen.
Sherry blinked, stunned.
Alex, clearly pleased with the result, gave a small nod of approval.
He stepped inside first, then motioned for her to follow. Sherry trailed behind, her fingers brushing the fabric of the entrance as she stepped through.
The moment they entered, his breath caught.
"…No way."
The interior was massive—far larger than the exterior had suggested. Two spacious rooms branched off on either side, and a modern bathroom sat tucked neatly in the back, complete with a working toilet and a glass-walled shower. To his right was a compact but fully equipped kitchen, outfitted with arrays for clean water, heating, cooking, and waste disposal.
'It's like a mini house.' Alex thought, marveling. It was his first time using it.
Without hesitation, he began pulling furniture from his inventory like it was the most normal thing in the world. A four-seater dining table appeared first, followed by a pair of chairs, a soft rug, and two simple beds.
"You carry all that with you?" Sherry asked, half-amused, half-incredulous.
"Well," Alex shrugged, setting down a lamp, "we'll be camping in it for more than a month, so it needs to feel good, right?"
She blinked again. "Hmm."
Sherry stood still, clearly bewildered. She'd used similar tents before—her family owned an older, smaller model—but this… this was on an entirely different level.
And the fact that he casually pulled out furniture like he was setting up a summer retreat?
She gave him a sidelong glance. "Do you always camp like this?"
"It's my first time camping, and I figured we might as well be comfortable."
Alex had already read the small instruction manual booklet that came with the tent. It was surprisingly well-written—concise, clear, and filled with annotated diagrams that made everything from setup to functions a breeze.
Standing at the center of the tent, Alex raised his hand and performed a short sequence of motions.
A soft ripple spread through the tent's outer layer as camouflage mode activated, blending it seamlessly into the surrounding wilderness and concealing them from sight. A second gesture brought up the security arrays—motion sensors tuned to detect sudden or high-level mana fluctuations. If anything large or hostile approached, they'd know immediately.
"Good enough." he murmured, satisfied. With the camp secured, he turned toward Sherry. "Want the shower first?"
She looked up from where she'd begun unpacking her small satchel. "You go ahead. You did all the hunting—and the driving."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Sure?"
Sherry gave a small nod. "I'm just tired from the ride, nothing a little rest won't fix."
Without pushing further, Alex made his way to the bathroom. He undressed and stepped beneath the magically heated stream of water. Though he hadn't broken much of a sweat, the warmth was relaxing, the kind that seeped into his muscles and melted the tension away.
By the time he emerged—freshened up and towel-drying his hair—the scent of warm food reached his nose. What he saw made him pause mid-step.
The dining table was already set, two steaming plates laid out neatly with a pair of filled water glasses. Though it was just SMPs—standard field rations—Sherry had carefully plated them, arranging each portion to look... appealing.
"You made field rations look like they're freshly made, not pulled from a package." Alex commented as he took a seat across from her.
Sherry offered a small smile. "I… used to do this with my mom. Whenever we camped out searching for ruins or relics, she'd always dress up the food—said it helped lift morale."
Alex glanced down at the dish. Grilled beast meat, dried fruit slices, and rehydrated vegetables—arranged with a sort of rustic elegance. It looked surprisingly appetizing.
"She believed that eating well, even in the field, kept the team motivated," Sherry added softly. "I didn't understand it back then, but… it really does make a difference."
As they began their simple yet comforting meal, Aurora's voice chimed in beside him—playful and amused.
Alex kept a straight face, expertly ignoring her antics. Across from him, Sherry was lost in thought, slowly chewing as her gaze drifted, her mind lingering in memories of time shared with her parents.
After dinner, as Sherry went to freshen up, Alex leaned back in his chair and tapped the screen of his watch.
Points: 657
Alex's eyes narrowed slightly.
'Huh… Not bad!'—or so he thought, until he tapped again and checked the rankings.
Team Rank: 714
Out of roughly five thousand students, split into around 1500 to 2000 teams, they were sitting just inside the top 40%. That was respectable. But Alex had expected more.
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, eyes locked on the glowing display as his mind began processing.
"I thought we were doing well." he said quietly. "Well… it is the first day, but I didn't think the competition would be this tough."
"Yeah," Aurora admitted. "While you were hunting D-rank monsters, other teams are already taking down C-ranks. Maybe even B-rank."
He wasn't annoyed. Not exactly. 'I could do better. I will.' The thought came quietly, not with frustration, but cold resolve.
"I underestimated them." he said at last.
Not long after, Sherry stepped out, steam gently trailing behind her. Her damp hair clung to her shoulders, and she wore a soft, casual set of sleepwear. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the hot water, and her whole posture seemed more relaxed than earlier.
Her eyes scanned the interior of the tent until they landed on Alex, who was crouched near one of the bedrooms, adjusting the sheets on a mattress he'd just laid out.
"You're going to sleep already?" she asked softly, towel-drying her hair as she walked closer.
Alex glanced over his shoulder. "Yup. We've got a long day tomorrow."
Sherry lingered for a moment, then shifted her gaze warily toward the tent's entrance. The quiet hum of the wilderness outside, so calm yet unpredictable, seemed to press in on her.
"Shouldn't we set a night watch schedule?" she asked. "We're still in the middle of the Wilderness… and it's already dark."
Alex didn't even pause in his movements. "No need."
Sherry blinked. "But—what if something attacks while we're asleep?"
"This tent is reinforced with magic and highly durable. The camouflage blends us into the terrain, and motion detection is active. If anything gets too close, we'll know."
Still, Sherry didn't look convinced. Her brows furrowed slightly. "Even then… monsters tend to get more active at night. I know we're protected, but I'd feel better if someone stayed up. I can do it—really. You did all the work today. I'm used to this kind of thing anyway."
Alex's expression hardened.
"You're not staying up all night."
"But—"
"No."
His tone was firm—unyielding, but not harsh. Alex let out a quiet sigh and looked Sherry in the eye.
He spoke gently, but there was no room for argument in his tone. "You don't need to trouble yourself with this. A good night's sleep is essential."
His tone was calm—grounded in conviction. He clearly believed every word.
"Exhaustion dulls the mind," he continued. "Even if we're strong, if we're tired when danger comes, we're as good as dead."
Sherry stood there silently for a moment, absorbing his words. Then she gave a slow nod. "...Alright."
Without another word, she stepped into the second room, heading toward the other bed.
It wasn't that Alex was being careless or overconfident. No—he had an invisible spirit watching over them. Aurora.
"Didn't think you'd be such a sleep health enthusiast." she muttered under her breath, floating nearby.
Alex didn't respond. His breathing was already settling into the slow, steady rhythm of sleep.
Aurora's expression softened. A faint smile touched her lips as she rose silently into the air, her form beginning to shimmer and fade. With quiet grace, she phased through the walls of the tent, becoming a spectral sentinel in the surrounding dark.
Though she couldn't stray too far—her soul was bound to Alex's—the radius she could patrol was more than enough. A little less than a hundred meters in every direction, her senses finely attuned to mana signatures and subtle movement.
It was enough to catch anything dangerous before it got too close.
She didn't complain. She didn't need to sleep. And more than that—she didn't seem to mind keeping watch over him, not in the slightest.
Not when he looked so peaceful in his sleep.