«A starler has taken interest in you.»

«A starler is watching you.»

As the quadrate walked back to the group Alaric ignore the messages poping at the end of his vision.

He was used to them by now, though it did feel uncomfortable knowing that someone is always watching you.

The number of starlers watching me and having an interest in me keeps increasing the more I hunt. Do these useless things watch people who hunt? Alaric pondered as to why so many 'useless things' were watching him.

Since Alaric had killed the 'monster' that day he had been travelling through the forest searching and killing wolves, for extra rewards. He had come to know many things in these 43 hours like the wolves don't travel in a pack, they have low intelligence, the green safe zone heals you for the first time afterwards it becomes colourless.

"Thank goodness it's not shrinking."

Gautam said with relief breaking the silence of the group.

"Yes, I was so worried."

"Hu..."

Tanya voiced her agreement followed by a nod of Suraj and Alaric.

"We should hurry up the group must be worried sick by now."

Gautam said as the group increased their pace.

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Arriving beside the pond the group wasn't bombarded by question as they had expected, rather they were met with silence.

The people sitting beside the pond weren't seated together but rather in two separate groups. One was bigger than the other by around 10 people.

Both the groups were seated around the campfires. The thing to notice was that the big group consisted mostly of the people who died old, while the small group consisted mostly of young ones.

"Guys I have good news."

Gautam shouted. The people among the big group gave him side glances while the people of the small group got up, James and a few walked towards him.

"The safe zone isn't shrinking, it's just moving."

The people didn't sigh in relief or thanked God, they remained seated in silence. A few from the big group even scoffed at them.

Gautam oblivious to this just looked at people anticipating their reaction. This however didn't go unnoticed by the trio standing behind him.

James walked towards Gautam and the group was about to say something...

"Gautam! We were so worried, where had you been, leaving us with 'your group'?"

A heavy voice sounded behind James who had opened his mouth, not even bothering to hide the sarcasm it contained.

Looking at the middle-aged man who had walked to him, Gautam said...

"Uncle first no need to worry we were observing the barrier. By the way, why do you guys not look relieved?"

"Oh, we were. When 'our group' found the fact."

"So you guys found it, that's good."

Looks like there's another leader in the group. Alaric thought as he looked at the man.

"By the way, you found which direction it's moving to?"

"Well we are not sure at the moment but..."

Gautam looked at the yellow pillar in the distance.

"It looks like it's moving towards the safe zone nearest to us."

"Hm... I see we came at the same conclusion."

The man nodded his head walking back to the big group he has came from.

"By the way, we caught some fishes care to join us for a dinner or maybe breakfast."

Niamh stopped in his track turning to Gautam.

"Nah, I am good and looks like James want to discuss something, we would join later."

Niamh chuckled in response as he said...

"Hehe... that won't work boy, it's a one time offer."

"Hehe. Then I would have to refuse, I am not feeling hungry."

Gautam replied with the same chuckle.

"What about you guys?"

The question was answered by the silence of the trio who very well understood the true invitation.

"I see, as expected."

Niamh turned around and walked back, not before giving the wooden spear in Alaric's hand a deep look.

Gautam and the trio walked to the smaller group, sitting beside the campfire.

"Care to explain what happened here?"

Gautam asked as he looked at James.

He is not so oblivious after all. Alaric thought waiting for James's answer.

"It all started when you guys left to the tree section..."

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"I see..."

Gautam nodded his head, looking at the roasting fishes in silence.

Hm... I wasn't there so it's difficult to say whether his story is true or not, but if it's false...

Looking at the silent Gautam Alaric thought, then he got a counterpart.

Gautam suddenly stood up and announced...

"I will go and apologize to them."

*Sigh*

Tanya sighed, nodding to Suraj.

Suraj nodded back, getting up he caught the walking Gautam by his shoulder forcing him to sit. Before Gautam could ask the reason...

"Don't go, the group is not separated because of that, and your apology wouldn't bring us back together."

Tanya said looking at Gautam.

"But I can atl-"

"Do. Not. Go."

Tanya repeated in a loud voice.

*Sigh*

Sighing dejectedly Gautam lowered his head looking at the ground.

"Why are things always so complicated? Why can't people just stay together... As a family?"

"..."

No one answered his question.

Leaving him with the doubt he has always been with.

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"We are not the only one enjoying the ride huh."

"Indeed, looks like all the safe zones are moving towards each other."

As two ladies discussed among themselves, they looked around... Everywhere in the distance beams of yellow light could be seen close to each other.

And their beam too wasn't any different. Following suits of its companions, the clearing had been moving for about 5 hours.

"Bah. There wasn't anything to enjoy in the ride, all we did was just sit back and relax, we didn't even get any visuals, heck even the trees separated for us."

A third party injecting in the middle of their discussion didn't displease the two ladies in the least, they even nodded back in acknowledgement.

Remembering their 'trip' where all they had to was sit with nervousness. The barrier moved with the whole clearing so they didn't need to move with it. The trees remained at the same distance they had been, giving way to their 'vehicle'.

The reason these ladies weren't displeased wasn't that they were open for discussions, but rather the anticipation, and nervousness in their hearts as they looked at the last row of trees separating to give them the view of the barrier next to them...

As the last two trees moved in right and left direction the group got a full view of the other barrier.

Not so surprisingly, the insides and structure were the same as theirs. What was different however was the group of people inside, and the system message that hung on the barrier a few meters above their head...

[ 57 ]

Judging by the direction they were looking at their barrier too had a number, and as the ladies looked up... Strangely enough, there was a message there...

[ 53 ]

"Hello, guys!"

A person from their group shouted waving his hands at the approaching barrier. The people from the other barrier too were waving their hands saying something or rather trying to say something since all they could transmit was their moving lips.

"Looks like they can't hear us, neither can we hear them."

The ladies nodded at the conclusion the third party had come with. At the moment every person inside the barrier had their hearts beating wildly as they looked at their approacher.

Alaric too wasn't any different, though his years of experience did help him stay calm as he looked behind him.

The once united people were now standing in two separate groups, clenching their 'weapons' tightly they had a nervous look.

If the numbers are a unique number of the barrier then it's good, but if it represents the number of people, then...

Alaric didn't think any further tightening his grip on the spear he looked at the barriers approaching each other, ready for any action.

600 meter...

500 meter...

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100 meter...

As the two barriers were just a hundred meters away from each other, the people on both sides could see the nervousness and unease on the other's face.

Some were still waving and screaming attempting to communicate, some stood in front waiting for the meeting, while others stayed behind observing the situation.

1 meter...

As the two barriers touched each other the expected crash didn't happen, the translucent layers passed through each other...

*Zooom*

And the oval formed by the interaction turned green...

*Ding!* *Ding!* *Ding!*

One after another sound of 'ding' rang through the forest as a single message the same way as the other appeared on the green barrier...

[ 00/50 ]

As the barriers passed through each other, the green barrier grew in size. Magically a pond appeared in it followed by trees which started growing out of nowhere.

Everyone stood rooted on their spot, no one was a fool here and it didn't take a genius to realise what was happening.

The humans looked at each other and the other caged humans, not making a single sound or movement. They had intelligence, they weren't mindless... So they knew the moment someone moved...

The chains called 'Society' would no longer be able to hold them. They would break it, embracing the beastly instincts deep within them turning into...

"Ahhhhhhh!"

Animals!!

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