Zero to Hero (Prequel/prototype)

Chapter 29. Far North

"Ken! We will be leaving in an hour! Get ready, pack what you need to bring and let's go grab some breakfast!" Emma shouted as she waited and chatted with Lovetta, Genesis and Indra.

As always, the girls didn't have to wait long before Ken showed up and greeted the girls as the group walked down to the common room together and headed to the dining hall for their final day as first year students.

Since every girl complained about Genesis getting to spend the whole break with Ken and Ken's interest in traveling and exploring the world. They decided that Ken would spend the first ten days of the break with Lovetta and be teleported home after ten days to be with his family along with Genesis and Emma.

With his need for double teleporting, he ended up having to pay the staff 100 academy points to have his necklace set up properly. With the cost being a whole month's worth of allowance, Ken was more than happy to let Lovetta pay for the spell since she was quite wealthy with all the points she won from the tournaments.

After getting some free breakfast, Ken and the girls sat around chatting amongst each other and with the other first year commoners who would show up now and then to greet them and say their farewells.

"I can't believe Lovetta gets to celebrate Ken's birthday with him alone!" Genesis complained.

"Who cares. It's not like any birthday except the 15th matters, once the selection is done, none of the birthdays even matter." Ken replied casually.

"I for one am extremely glad that you will be with me for my birthday!" Genesis said happily.

As the time to leave ticked closer, Ken wished Indra a great break and the merman girl returned the well wishes. After been friends for almost a whole semester, while Ken had not developed any deeper feelings for Indra mostly due to her reserved nature and their lack of deeper connection, just by been around Ken and all the girls who won't stop talking about him, Indra's feelings towards Ken were slowly developing unbeknownst even to herself.

After talking with Indra, Ken turned his attention to Emma and Genesis. Giving half of the gold from Alice to Emma so she could take it home and share the wealth with the family and the villagers, Ken gave the half elf and Genesis a nice big hug and told them to take care and he would see them in ten days.

Soon after saying their goodbyes, the artifacts activated all at the same time, with their necklaces glowing, the group disappeared from the dining hall.

"LOVETTA! Where in the hell did you just bring me to!" Ken screamed as the bone chilling cold penetrated his clothes almost instantly as the pair stood in the middle of nowhere with only gigantic trees as far as one could see covered in thick layers of snow and ice.

"Hurry Ken! I told you it's cold here but once we get up the trees, it will be much warmer." Lovetta replied while grabbing Ken's hand as the two rushed towards a particular tree.

Too cold to question why they are running towards a random tree, when the two eventually reached the tree and sneaked into the tree trunk, less than a minute had passed but the pair was already covered in a thick layer of snow and ice and Ken was ready to call it a trip and go back to the academy and enjoy the tropical weather.

As the pair climbed up the tree, Ken could feel it getting slightly warmer and when the pair eventually reached a platform that looked no different than any other, Lovetta led Ken and the pair walked out of the hollowed-out tree.

"Careful Ken, the bridges are probably slippery." Lovetta warned as she held Ken close and her bushy tail wagging.

Following Lovetta through so many paths that Ken lost count and could no longer remember how many different bridges to the left, right, center they walked over, the pair eventually arrived at Lovetta's settlement hidden inside the giant trees and only reachable through a complex maze.