Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

Chapter 55: The Night Meeting [1]

Two and a half hours later.

Aurelius and his group started going back to the spot where they were separated from others. It took them half hour to arrive thanks to the signs they left behind.

However, when they arrived, they were met with a strange scene.

"H-Hey, am I seeing things?"

"N-no,"

"Someone already returned and finished building their makeshift camp."

"Sniff... Sniff... Mmm... What is this smell."

As Aurelius and his group approached the makeshift camp, they were surprised to find that Adrian and Ardel had already returned and were cooking on the campfire. The aroma of roasted meat and herbs filled the air, making their stomachs growl in anticipation.

Meanwhile, Adrian and Ardel continued their cooking, seemingly unaware of the others' arrival. Adrian glanced over his shoulder briefly, catching sight of Aurelius and his group, before turning back to the task at hand.

The others exchanged glances, uncertain of how to approach the situation. Adrian was giving off his usual cold and unapproachable aura, making it difficult for anyone to muster the courage to speak up.

However, Aurelius took a step forward, determined to break the ice.

"Adrian," he called out, his voice breaking through the tense atmosphere.

Adrian paused in his cooking, turning to face Aurelius with his usual impassive expression.

"What is it?" he replied curtly, his tone devoid of warmth.

"Did you guys find the exit?" Aurelius asked, getting straight to the point.

Adrian's gaze flickered briefly before he replied, "No."

He then inspected their group before adding. "I believe you didn't either."

"Y-Yes," Aurelius replied with an awkward smile.

Adrian nodded as he already expected in and continued with his work.

A tense silence settled over the group, the atmosphere was thick with unspoken questions and unaddressed tensions, and no one seemed quite sure how to proceed.

"Gurll..."

"Gurll..."

Suddenly, a few stomachs growled loudly, breaking the silence and drawing everyone's attention. A few students, their faces flushing with embarrassment, glanced around sheepishly, trying to hide their embarrassment.

Aurelius couldn't help but chuckle at the awkwardness of the situation. "Looks like we're all hungry," he remarked, trying to lighten the mood.

Adrian glanced over at the students, his expression unreadable, before turning his attention back to the cooking pot.

Aurelius took a step forward, addressing Adrian directly. "Um, Adrian, since you guys already have food prepared, do you mind if we share?"

Adrian paused, considering the request for a moment, before shaking his head. "No, you better cook for yourselves," he replied curtly. "And didn't you think about this when you were returning? I and Ardel hunted and gathered the ingredients, the firewood for ourselves. It's only fair that you do the same."

"Ah, I see," Aurelius replied, trying to hide his disappointment. "Well, thanks for letting us know. We will prepare our own then."

A few students wanted to criticize Adrian but hearing his words made them stop as his words were really correct. Moreover, they wouldn't dare to badmouth him right in front of his face.

"Classmates, let's divide tasks and start the preparation for the night." With that, Aurelius turned back to his group, signaling for them to start gathering firewood and preparing their own meal. Despite the setback, he was determined not to let it dampen their spirits.

As Aurelius's group set about their task, Adrian and Ardel continued cooking, completely ignoring the others.

After a while, Ren's group returned too. They were also surprised to find Adrian and Ardel already cooking at their makeshift camp.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" Ren asked, looking around at the scene before him.

"We're preparing for the night," Aurelius replied with a tired smile. "And it looks like Adrian and Ardel beat us to it."

Ren glanced at Adrian, who was focused on cooking, before turning his attention back to Aurelius. "Did you guys find the exit?"

Aurelius shook his head. "No, unfortunately not. How about you?"

Ren sighed, shaking his head as well. "Same here. We had no luck."

Aurelius nodded in understanding before turning to his group who were busy building their camp. "Well, we also hunted for the night, and it should be enough for you guys as well."

"Ah, don't worry about it. We already caught enough food and firewood for our group. Thanks for the offer though." Ren replied.

"Oh," Aurelius was stunned for a moment, then a smile replaced his surprise.

"It seems I am still lacking a lot compared to you guys." He admitted with a sigh. "But it makes me want to learn and improve myself even more."

"Good, I will be happy to help as well," Ren said with a friendly smile.

Then the two returned to their groups.

As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the forest floor, Emeric's group finally returned to the clearing. Their arrival was met with a mixture of relief and concern from the others, as they could see that some of them were injured and all of them looked exhausted.

"Emeric, what happened?" Ren asked, his brow furrowed with worry.

Emeric didn't answer, and his expression turned even darker as he surveyed the scene before him. Seeing the other groups already preparing for the night only seemed to darken his mood further.

"We... are fine," Emeric replied through gritted teeth, his frustration evident in his voice.

Ren quickly understood what happened since he already knew Emeric's personality. They probably encountered a large group of beasts and ended up tiring themselves and some even suffered injuries.

"Ok, it's good you managed to return safely," Ren spoke facing Lyra at the end. "Then, let the healer in my group help you. You should also wash up yourselves and then join us for the meal. You will help them, right Lyra?"

"A-ah, yes," Lyra replied hastily. "E-Emeric, let me help you to create a water bubble to wash."

"...Ok." Though Emeric was frustrated and feeling irritated, he still agreed. He wasn't completely stupid after all, moreover, Ren was his friend and he was feeling somewhat guilty for Lyra and his group's sake.

As Lyra helped Emeric and her other group members with the water bubble, the others continued with their tasks, preparing for the night ahead.

Once everyone had washed up and the camps were set, they gathered around the campfire to share their meals. Adrian and Ardel's group had already finished cooking and were enjoying their food, while the others just began to cook their own meals while secretly taking envious glances at Adrian's side.

Soon, the others also finished the dinner. Everyone then gathered around the large campfire, and started the night meeting.