*Beep. Beep. Beep.*

Keros shut off his alarm. It was 3:30 in the morning. He had gone to sleep early last night so he could wake up a bit before the team. They would be leaving at 4:30, and he needed time to do his daily meditation. Training would be substituted with the work he would be doing.

Progress was steady, and his control continued to improve. He still only brought in one energy stream, and he planned to continue this way until he had the skill to pull one in on every attempt. The years of training had instilled in him the importance of a good foundation.

Having a solid foundation would ensure that one's strength wouldn't crumble at the slightest shake.

after he finished he began to get ready. He donned his survival clothing.

The shirt he wore was a dark green color, with the sleeves coming down just short of his elbows. His pants were black and well-fitting, with many pockets and pouches. He slid his feet into matte black combat boots that covered a third of his calf.

He checked himself in the full-sized mirror on the wall. The shirt he wore was tight but stretchy and would allow him to flex as much as he needed without it tearing. His shirt was tucked into his pants, and the colors fit well. The boots were tucked under the legs of his pants which ended slightly lower than his ankle.

He liked this look.

Next, he put on his rig. It was a vest-like piece of equipment that had many pockets and slots for various items. Its purpose was to have essentials in a place that could be accessed quickly. He didn't have many things to fill it with, but it would be nice to have the extra storage regardless.

Finally, he put on a belt pouch that rested below his left kidney and strapped his knife to his right thigh. His short spear was slotted into the sheath that he had attached to his rig, and it rested vertically by his right shoulderblade.

He looked to the almost full bag that had been brought to him last night. He wouldn't put it on until they were leaving out. It was too big and bulky for him to comfortably wear right now.

By the time he had finished and toted the bag down to the lounge, it was 4:20. A few of his teammates were already in the lounge fully prepared. He wasn't the quickest, but he was still ready before a few others.

Time ticked by and everyone made it to the lounge, even the clerical team, just before 4:30. Right on cue, Captain Lionell and second in command Zimmer came into the lounge.

They observed to make sure everyone was ready, and Zimmer specifically checked Keros' gear to make sure everything was good to go.

"Let's head out." Captain Lionell said

The combat team followed behind, and the clerical team waved them off.

The Dusk Hunters didn't have any vehicles, so they had to walk to the gates. Luckily this district had a gate in it, which was the primary reason for the mercenaries to reside in this district. The shorter trip was more convenient.

The team conversed amongst each other while they traveled through the stronghold. Once they left the security of the walls they wouldn't have as much freedom to chat, so they wanted to use every opportunity they could right now.

The trip wasn't too long, as they walked fast, and soon they arrived at the gate.

This was the first time Keros had been this close to the walls.

The wall was very tall, likely thirty or forty meters high, and an odd hazy light blue color could be seen emanating from the top of the wall. There were large structures at the top that likely contained defensive weapons. The entire wall was a dark grey color and had different colored panels. It almost looked like metal.

The gate was about fifteen meters high, and eight meters wide. It had a lighter color than the walls, and it wasn't paneled. It had a long crease down the center and looked like giant metal double doors. Many buildings lined the road that led to the gate, and guards surrounded them. Five guards blocked the path to the gate, and upon the wall, guards could be seen peering down at them.

"Halt." one of the guards shouted out.

It was the middle guard in front of the gate.

"Lionell. Going out on a mission?" The guard asked as he approached.

"That's right. We will be out for quite a while this time." Captain Lionell said cordially

"Alright. Well, you know the drill." The guard responded before holding out his hand.

One by one, the team produced badges and handed them over. All except Keros, who didn't have a badge to provide.

"Who's this kid?" The guard asked

"Our new porter. He doesn't have a badge yet since he is just a probationer. He'll fully join the Dusk Hunters after three months if he is a good fit." Captain Lionell responded.

The guard grunted before nodding. He left and disappeared into one of the buildings, before returning shortly with a round token.

"Keep this on you. You'll need to present it to the guards when you return. You'll get a new one every time you leave the stronghold." The guard said with a stern tone while shoving the token at Keros.

Of course, Keros accepted it and stuck it in one of his pockets.

"Alright, You're good to go Lionell. Return safely!" The guard said with a smile before reaching out to shake hands

"Will do, George." Captain Lionell responded while shaking the guard's hand.

The guard, George, made a gesture. The gates began to part at the crease, and each side slid to the left and right respectively. A gap just large enough for the team to move through was created. Keros was ushered into the center of the team before they left the walls of the stronghold.

Before Keros was a large field. On the edge of that field, was a huge expanse of forest. The trees were absolutely massive, and though Keros couldn't judge their height from this distance, they are likely quite a bit taller than the walls. The canopy of the forest created a very dark shade. It looked like a thick strip of eternal darkness sat upon the world.

Keros didn't have much time to take the sight in, as the team began to pick up speed quickly. Captain Lionell set the pace, and it was currently at Keros' maximum. Keros wondered how fast they would move if not for him.

Even at Keros' max speed, it took almost twenty minutes to reach the tree line.

When they made it into the forest, Captain Lionell slowed the pace drastically down to a jog.

Keros wasn't sure if this was because he had been eager to get out of the field, or if the terrain change caused them to slow.

The land beneath the canopy was thick with various plant life. Roots, vines, bushes, leaves, plants, and broken branches covered the ground.

It wasn't long before Keros began to feel some regret. He wished he had run the obstacle course more like Booker had asked him to. It would have helped him navigate the rough terrain here. At this point, he would still be able to keep up, but it was more draining on him than he expected.

-

The team had weaved around the obstacles in this forest, which was more akin to a mix of forest and jungle, and eventually, their pace slowed even more.

"Keep your guards up, we are about to enter the danger zone." Zimmer whispered to the team.

He had told Keros about this 'Zone' earlier. It was like a line drawn in the dirt. The area passed that line became more dangerous, with more beasts and hostile plant life. Part of the reason that the stronghold had been built in the location it had, was because it was in a relatively safe area. The further you traveled from the stronghold, the higher the danger became.

Soon Keros was able to see the first beast of his life. It was a Buck. The deer itself was big, but not ridiculously so. Its antlers looked almost comically big, with many sharp points. Its fur was a dark shade of brown, with a white underbelly. It gnawed on what looked like the thick stem of a flower.

A few of the team members quietly separated from the group and set up a circle around the deer. They began to close in. The tall stout man shot out with his shield hefted in front of his shoulder, he was going for a ram.

The deer became alert, and its head swiveled towards the brute. With incredible agility, it bounded sideways before turning its body and darting away from the man. It didn't get far before two silhouettes dashed out from nearby cover and pincered it. Two blades pierced the deer from both sides.

All three fell to the ground and ruckus began to ring out as the deer cried out in pain and fear. The sound of rustling could be heard from the struggle. The large man came vaulting over and brought an axe down at the deer's throat. The sounds stopped after the sound of flesh being rended and bone breaking.

The rest of the team came over, and Keros was called to the front to observe.

Zimmer knelt and began field dressing the deer. He started by cutting around its rear end and dragging his knife up its belly creating a large opening. He cut the diaphragm, separated the spine, and severed the windpipe before removing the entrails. He tossed all of that to the side and quickly began to cut out chunks of meat.

He was quick and efficient. The meat was put into special bags that would be sealed tightly. He managed to prevent a lot of blood from getting on him or the bags. By the time he was finished, four bags had been filled. There was a lot of meat still left on the deer, but it would be inconvenient to carry, and they didn't have the time to get as much as they like anyway.

Zimmer stood up and began to clean his hands with a wet wipe, which was one of the only places covered in blood. He worked as quickly as he could. The team quickly departed the moment he was finished.

Zimmer joined Keros in the center of the team and began to explain at a whisper.

"We needed to get some provisions. The deer was a good choice because most deer aren't very strong, but have a lot of good meat. That allows us to deal with it quickly and get enough food. When dressing the animals, you need to be quick, and make sure you're not getting much blood on you. Other animals and strong beasts will be attracted to the scent of the blood. Soon that area will be filled with hungry monsters looking for an easy meal. If you get too much blood on yourself then you will attract danger to the group as we travel." Zimmer explained as they walked

"You'll be expected to do most of the field dressing, except when it comes to expensive organs and materials that we are extracting. So, I hope you paid attention." Zimmer said before returning to the front of the team with Captain Lionell.

-

The team traveled for many hours, and even a bit into the night, before finally stopping to set up camp.

The camp wasn't anything special. Everyone pulled out some sort of blanket or sheet to lay on, and a few utensils were brought out, as well as an appliance. It was a relatively small circular machine. It was a hot plate. It was powered using energy cells, similar to many appliances used in the stronghold.

Lighting a fire in this forest would be bad for several reasons. First, creating light would not only give away their position, but it would also make it difficult for them to observe anything outside of the light's influence. Second, they were in an overgrown forest. Unless someone wants to risk starting a forest fire, no one would light a fire in this type of environment.

A large bowl with a lid was placed onto the hot plate, and water was added. Shortly after, some of the meat that they had cut from the deer earlier, was added to the bowl before the lid was tightly sealed.

After, oddly enough, everyone began to eat some of the rations they brought. Keros wondered why they would begin to cook food, and then eat their rations. He wouldn't ask though, he could figure the reason out on his own later.

Keros just imitated his teammates and began to consume one of the rations he brought ravenously. He was exhausted, and very hungry, because of the time spent traveling. Even though he didn't have to do any of the fighting, he was carrying a heavy load.

Though there was still quite a bit of time left, it wasn't smart for them to travel at night. The light that broke through the thick canopy illuminated the forest quite well, but when night fell it became pitch black. Cultivating and using energy to nourish their bodies improved their eyesight, but it was still difficult to see in such darkness. Many beasts didn't have this problem. Finding a safe area and bunkering down for the night was the best option.

Some of the team took this time to meditate, while the others kept watch. After some time the shift changed so that everyone could meditate in the downtime they had.

Keros noted that fact. While he was used to meditating in the mornings, it seems he would have to meditate at night when in the wild.

He tried to meditate even though he had meditated this morning. Normally meditating could only produce effects for a limited time, though no one knew the exact reason. If you tried to force the meditation it could do damage to your vitality that would take a long time to recover from. That's not to say that one couldn't meditate for longer though, they just had to be careful and stop when they reached their limits.

As expected, he wasn't successful in pulling in any energy streams. He did however increase his skill in the technique, even more so than normal. The heightened attention and care that he put into his meditation allowed him to feel the intricacies of the technique and flow of power. Though this came with a price that he should have expected. When he left meditation he felt incredibly sluggish.

He felt a great deal of mental exhaustion, and coupled with the physical exhaustion he felt, he was miserable.

Captain Lionell noticed that Keros was acting odd, and after observing him for a bit, began to cackle.

"You won't make that mistake again, will you buddy?" He said

Keros shook his head slowly. His surroundings seemed to be warping.

"Good. You need to have peak mental awareness in the wild... You don't need to keep watch tonight, but tomorrow you'll have a shift so take care not to exert yourself too much in meditation." Captain Lionell said

The Captain assigned watch duty and shifts, and the team divided. The majority of them slept, while two kept watch.

-

The next day the team set out when the sunlight began to penetrate the canopy. Their pace remained slow and cautious, and their grouping was tight. Growls of beasts and the rustling of the vegetation could be heard echoing through the forest.

The ambient sounds made it difficult for Keros to differentiate between sounds that were normal and those that signaled danger. Luckily he was surrounded by those that were far more experienced.

Suddenly, the team came to a halt. The Captain stood at alert for a moment before quickly ducking down, followed by the team doing the same.

Keros knew danger was close, but he hadn't sensed any trace of it. However, he began to feel a very light vibration transmit to his feet. The ground... was shaking?

Soon, the vibrations intensified and intermittent thuds were heard. As the sound and vibrations became stronger, a new sound was added. It sounded like light bursts of heavy wind. It too began to increase in volume.

Cracking was heard, and in the distance, Keros saw the first terror of this trip.

A huge ape was moving through the forest floor at a casual stride. It had to be around fifteen meters tall. The teeth were incredibly sharp, and the sizes of them were proportionate to its body. The power exuded from it was suffocating.

The noise of rushing wind came from its' breath being exhaled from its' nose.

Nothing could convey power at a glance as size did. It conveyed the pure strength that must accompany such a large frame. All the more terrifying when it was a gorilla that was so huge. Gorillas were known for their incredible strength, so how strong would this monster be?!

Keros struggled to take a breath when he watched the gorilla move.

It had seen prey and took action at a remarkable speed. it was like a rushing bullet when it shot out. The thick branches in its way were all snapped like twigs, and it made it to its target before it could react.

Such agility, in such a large body. It didn't make any sense for something so huge to move so quickly. It was as if wind resistance didn't exist for the creature, and just the power needed to move under the gravity of New genesis was astonishing.

Keros watched as the gorilla observed the boar between its fingers. The gorilla tilted its head back and raised the boar above. Opening its' mouth, it squeezed and let the boars blood drip into its mouth for a moment before dropping the boar in and swallowing whole.

After some time, the gorilla disappeared into the distance. However, the team remained still for a long time.

They didn't move again until it had been a few minutes since they felt vibrations.

Keros was still breathing oddly, and he took a look around to see how to team had reacted. It was obvious that all of them had some apprehension of being so close to that monster. Shelbs was staring at Keros with a look as if to say 'See, Dangerous..'.

They set off and had to walk across the path the gorilla had taken. Keros was shaken a bit when he saw the size and depth of the tracks left behind.

They continued even more cautiously than before. The day was mostly uneventful other than that scene with the gorilla. They found some valuable herbs and plants and killed a few minor beasts that blocked their path. Anything that they felt they couldn't deal with, they avoided.

They set up camp once again, and more food was cooked but again, they ate rations. They spoke about the gorilla a bit too.

"What did you think about it Keros?" Shelbs asked lightly with a grin

Keros' face scrunched up while he thought of a response

"It was intimidating. I don't understand how such a large creature could exist, or better yet, how we manage to survive if things like it exist." Keros said with a pensive look

"Those aren't the worse one's bud." Captain Lionell interjected

"It's the smaller ones with similar power as the ape. There aren't noticeable warning signs when those approach, yet they are just as dangerous. They might not have the raw strength of the ape, but they are just as capable of slaughtering us as the ape is." Captain Lionell said with a sigh.

"Is there anyone that can fight those things?!" Keros asked.

"Maybe, but I've never met such a person. I know of people far stronger than myself, and they claim there are people much stronger than them. Though I've never seen the power of those at the top, I can say for sure that it's incredible. As much as I hate to admit it, all of us in the Dusk Hunters are weak right now." Captain Lionell said with a bit of indignation.

Keros was stunned and a bit confused. It was rare for someone to call themselves weak, especially the prideful. Besides, weren't these people strong?

"The Dusk Hunters are weak?" Keros asked

"Yes. We are strong enough to survive a bit out here, and we could probably call ourselves average. However, there are stronger groups and individuals just in Enceladus. We, along with the majority, can be considered at the lower levels of cultivation and power. You see, while we as a race have had hundreds of years to learn how to cultivate, it has been a slow process. Not all of the information that could help is spread for everyone to learn. Some important information dies with the cultivators, and some are kept a secret out of greed and paranoia. Most of us start cultivation with the little bits of information we are taught, and when we reach the end of our teachings we have to stumble in the dark and learn for ourselves." Captain Lionell said as he at the rations.

"Do you mean that there is no set path right now?" Keros asked, still confused.

"Sort of. Some things are considered common knowledge. Like how you should draw in energy, how to generate Qi, and all of the basics. However, the critical secrets to increasing the purity of your Qi, increasing the amount of Qi you can store at each stage, increasing your bodily strength above standard normals, and increasing the speed of ones' cultivation. Things like that remain a secret, and who can blame those people? Would you spread your personally developed techniques?" Captain Lionell explained, Leaving something for Keros to ruminate on.

Keros thought about it. He likely wouldn't spread his techniques. At least not to everyone. The things that he learned and created would give him strength at the cost of his time and effort. Why give away all of that work for free to people that could eventually become his enemies? Not to mention that it would expose any weaknesses to certain techniques. Perhaps if humans were more united it wouldn't be an issue to spread your secrets in order to help humans as a whole increase in power.

Keros continued to think about it when he was put on night watch duty. He would be on guard duty with Shelbs first, and after some hours they would swap out for two others and meditate before sleeping.