While they were eating, Rena suddenly spoke.
"Aether, I want you to come camping with me. In the forest, together with our classmates."
When Aether heard this, he immediately agreed. He had read on the Arkade website that there was far more mana in forests.
"Of course, I'll come. So when are we leaving?"
When Rena heard Aether agree, she became happy.
"This Saturday. We're leaving tomorrow."
The next day, Saturday at 9 a.m., Aether was still sleeping soundly. This was because he had stayed up late the night before, reading additional information on the Arkade website.
However, he woke up when he heard someone trying to wake him.
"Son, wake up! What time is it already? Rena is waiting for you. She said you're going somewhere."
Because of his mother's voice, Aether was forced to wake up. When he remembered that they were going camping, he immediately got ready. In just a few minutes, he had finished dressing, packed his necessities into his bag, and quickly left his room.
As soon as he stepped outside, he heard someone speak.
"You must have slept really well, Aether. You even forgot we were going somewhere."
Aether turned to his left and saw Rena, fully dressed and wearing a dress while eating an apple.
A few hours later, several of Aether and Rena's classmates arrived. That was when Aether noticed Mika, so he immediately approached her.
Mika was also his childhood friend, but they rarely talked because of the difference in their social status. Moreover, Aether knew very well that Rena disliked Mika.
But now, Aether couldn't understand why Rena allowed Mika to come along.
Still, he didn't think too deeply about it.
"Hi, Mika. I'm glad you came," Aether said as he placed a hand on Mika's shoulder.
Mika looked at him, slightly surprised, but she was also happy to see him.
While they were talking, Rena secretly watched the two of them, her eyes filled with hidden anger.
After a few minutes, everyone was finally complete, and they boarded the van owned by Rena's family. As they entered, the classmates were amazed by how spacious it was. It felt like a mini house, extremely advanced and filled with automated systems. The van even drove itself, controlled by an AI.
Aether saw Rena looking at the map, checking their camping destination. He noticed that she selected a random forest location—one without a name on Google Maps.
Once she tapped it, the vehicle automatically began moving, following the route.
Because of this, Aether approached her.
"Rena, where exactly are we going? The forest you chose seems random. We might get lost."
Rena was startled but quickly made an excuse.
"Ah, Aether… my parents recommended it. The place isn't well known yet, but my dad's company researched the area. They said it's safe and beautiful."
After hearing this, Aether didn't suspect anything and returned to his seat to talk with Mika.
Seeing this, Rena became even more irritated. She suppressed her jealousy and forced a bitter smile.
Several hours later, they finally arrived at the forest. The van stopped on a rough, uneven road.
Rena stood up.
"We'll stop here. Get your things. We'll walk from this point."
Erek, one of their classmates, spoke.
"Seriously, Rena? We're going into the forest?"
"Yes, Erek," Rena replied. "Are you scared? This is better—it's a real adventure. But if you want to stay behind, you can stay in the van."
No one agreed to stay. Everyone wanted the experience.
However, Mika felt uneasy. She noticed the three men accompanying Rena—and they were carrying pistols.
Rena had said they were only guards for safety, but Mika couldn't shake off her bad feeling.
"Mika, are you okay?" someone asked.
She turned and saw Aether.
"Ah… yes, Aether. I'm fine," she replied with a small smile.
They walked together into the forest.
As they walked, Aether noticed that it was already afternoon and getting dark. He didn't mind, because mana filled the surroundings.
He was delighted. Mana was everywhere, flowing through the trees. According to Arkade, mana thrived in nature, though its true origin was still unknown.
Rena watched Aether and noticed how happy he looked. Then she glanced at his hand and saw him holding Mika's.
"So that's why you're happy, Aether," she thought bitterly. "Don't worry. That will disappear. You will become mine."
After hours of walking, they finally found a flat area. Most of the group was exhausted, except for Aether, Rena, and her three guards.
Rena was shocked that Aether didn't seem tired at all, but she ignored it. Night had fallen, and they needed to set up camp.
Erek and Vey placed solar lights around the area. Kade, Sera, and Rin prepared food using rechargeable electronic cookers.
Mika looked around uneasily. Almost everyone there came from wealthy families, and she had only entered the school through a scholarship.
"Mika, why are you spacing out? Come eat," Sera said kindly.
Mika smiled quietly. Even though she came from a poor background, her classmates treated her as an equal.
Wealth was only a system created by society. As beings in this world, everyone was equal. They all breathed the same air, saw the same sky, and felt emotions as humans.
Because everyone was exhausted, the food was almost completely finished. Meanwhile, Aether, who could recover thanks to mana, simply laughed.
"Thank goodness for the mana in my body," Aether muttered, smiling as he looked at the trees overflowing with mana.
A few hours later, the campfire slowly died out.
"Guys, let's sleep now," Rena said. "We'll explore again tomorrow."
Fog began to spread, and the cold crept in.
"Haha, yeah. Better get inside the tents," Vey said.
Rena ordered her guards to turn off the solar lights, then approached Aether.
"Aether, let's go to the tent together."
Aether had no choice but to follow.
Inside the spacious tent, Aether opened his phone, planning to read more information on Arkade. However, Rena quickly took his phone away.
"Go to sleep, Aether. It's already very late."
Aether was irritated. He planned to wait until Rena fell asleep so he could sneak out and absorb mana.
But he had no choice.
He lay down on the soft bedding and closed his eyes, pretending to fall asleep.