On the sixth day since Max started cultivating...
Knock! Knock!
Someone knocked on the door.
'Hmm...' Max opened his eyes, a slight frown on his face, 'Well, I was going to stop and go out to get some fresh air anyway.'
He stood up, stretched his body, and went to open the door, not bothering to become angry due to the sudden disturbance as it would be a waste of energy that he found himself lacking after cultivating day and night.
Creak~ Whoosh!
Just as he pushed open the door, a familiar fragrance wafted in his nose, and he found himself hugging a small soft body. It was Leticia.
Belen was also standing at the door; she smiled slightly at him in greeting, but Max could see she didn't seem too happy. But he didn't think too much and nodded at her before patting Leticia's back.
"You are back." Max smiled.
Leticia nodded and hurriedly asked, "Is Rima with you?"
"No. I think she hasn't returned yet." Max shook his head. He had been going to check to their dorm to see if they had arrived or not, so he knew she wasn't back yet.
Leticia's face went pale, and she trembled after hearing this, "Max, Rima. S-She she..."
"What?" Max felt a bad premonition in his heart seeing her so flustered.
"She disappeared. We didn't find her anywhere. She.... sob!" Leticia broke out in tears.
"Disappeared?" Max's expression froze. But he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Calm down first, okay? Come in. Let's sit, and then you tell me what happened."
...
After they had calmed down, Max asked, "Now tell me. What happened?"
"Let me tell you." Belen took a deep breath and explained,
"We traveled together for three days. When we reached a town called Anbez, we parted ways with Rima since she needed to go to a different place. However, she had told us that her mission wouldn't take many days and she would wait for us in that town.
But when we returned after finishing our mission, she wasn't there. We waited a day more, thinking that something might be delaying her, but she didn't show up, and when we went to find her where she was supposed to go to complete her mission, she wasn't there.
When we asked around, we came to know that she had returned to a nearby town and booked an inn to rest. Then the following day, she left. The innkeeper told us that she was heavily injured when she came, and her injuries hadn't healed completely when she left.
We came back thinking that she might have returned, but... when we reported to the mission hall a while ago, because Leticia was concerned about her since she was injured, she asked whether Rima had reported to the mission hall; they told us that she hadn't yet. We checked her room, but it was locked, and she isn't here with you either. I'm afraid something has happened to her."
After hearing her explanation, Max stood up. "Let's go."
Belen and Leticia were baffled, "Where are we going?" Belen asked.
"To search for Rima," Max said, his fist clenched tightly, nails digging into his palms. Without waiting for a moment more, he walked out. He couldn't sit still after hearing this. She was his woman, and he needed to know what had happened to her.
"But how would we find her? We don't have any clue where she went after leaving that town?" Leticia asked as she followed after him. Belen did the same.
"We will go and ask Elder's hall for help. They should be able to find out where she is using her disciple badge." Max said. He knew that badge wasn't a mere identity and had more features. It could also work as a kind of tracker, but only Elders knew how to use this feature.
Very quickly, Max and company arrived in front of a grand building in the center of the main peak.
"Halt!" The guards immediately stopped them. One of the guards said, "No one is allowed to enter Elder's hall without an Elder's permission. Go back."
Leticia hurriedly stepped up and said, "Sir, one of our close friends went missing on the mission. We need to find her. I hope you can allow us entry."
"If that's the case, you should go to that building. There you'll find people that can help you." The guard nodded and pointed toward a building a few hundred meters away.
"Okay. Thank you, sir." Leticia nodded and then, with Max and Belen, went toward the building.
There was a signboard hung at the entrance stating: Search and Investigation hall.
They entered and went to reception, where a man in his thirties was lazying about. Seeing people come over, he raised his head and looked at them questioningly.
"Hello, Elder. One of our friends went mission during the mission. We need your help to find her." Leticia said.
"Hmm. Who was she, an outer sector disciple or an inner disciple? When did she get recruited, and her name?" The man asked.
"An inner disciple. She is a new recruit, sir. Her name is Rima," Leticia said.
"What a hassle." The man rubbed his forehead and stood up. "Wait for a while." Saying this, he entered the room behind him and came out with a register and a badge.
He then searched for her name on it. It didn't take long before he found it and then tapped the badge a few times before pouring his Mana into it.
"I've started the tracking system in this badge. It would flicker when in a ten thousand meter range of this missing disciple's badge. Take this." He threw the badge toward them.
Belen frowned, "Elder, are you saying that we go and search for her on our own? Shouldn't it be the academy's responsibility to send someone to find the missing disciple?"
The Elder sighed and said, "You are right. But we are understaffed right now. I gave it to you because I saw that you seemed to care for your friend. If you want the academy to find her, I'm afraid you would have to wait at least a week before we can dispatch someone."
"One week is too long. She might be in danger." Max shook his head.
The Elder said, "That's why I'm asking you guys if you're willing to go and search for her. If you are, I can make it a searching mission. If you can find her, you'll be given the reward as usual."
Belen and Leticia looked at Max, waiting for his decision. "Okay. We'll go." Max nodded. He was worried and didn't want to delay for a second. From the start, he had the intention to go in person to look for her.
The Elder looked at him and sighed in his heart. 'I hope she is alive.' He could see that these disciples were very concerned about their friend, but he wasn't optimistic that she would still be alive.
"Wait for a while. I'll make some arrangements." He said and walked inside the hall.
...
Whoosh!
Max and company sat on a flying eagle and flew toward the location where Rima was last seen. The Elder had sent this eagle to shorten the traveling time. Because its speed was pretty fast, it only took them one day to reach their destination.
"Disciples, be careful. If you encounter some danger, withdraw." The man operating the eagle said. He was a member of the search and investigation hall and knew why they were here.
Max didn't say anything and jumped down. Leticia and Belen followed. The man on the eagle looked at them, shook his head, and flew away.
Max took out the badge to see if there was any reaction, but there wasn't any.
"What should we do now?" Leticia asked, biting her nails in anxiety.
"Don't worry. She will be all right." Max forced a smile to comfort her while praying in his heart for Rima's safety.
He then turned to Belen, "Belen, take out that Map. We'll search around all the possible traveling routes.
Belen nodded and took out the map, and opened it. The Elder had given them this to make it easier to search the area. All the traveling routes, danger zones, etc., were marked on it.
"Let's start with this one. It is the shortest path leading to the academy. She should have chosen this one." Belen pointed to one route. Max nodded, and the search for Rime started.
