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Grant and his two teammates were initially startled by the sudden appearance of the black and red figure that came before them like some force of nature,s evil given physical form. The creature's imposing presence and alien features triggered immediate fight-or-flight responses, but Grant's recognition was swift and brought visible relief to his exhausted features.
"Russell," he said, his voice carrying both surprise and gratitude at this unexpected situation. "What brings you to this part of the dimension?"
The question emerged automatically before Grant's tactical mind could fully process the implications of Russell's timely arrival. But before Russell could provide any explanation for his presence, Grant's priorities reasserted themselves with the clarity that comes from prolonged crisis thats been chasing them.
"There's a substantial group of demons pursuing us through these woods. Could you help us eliminate the threat? We've been running for days and our cards are still in cooldown."
In their current desperate circumstances, he wasn't going to waste precious time on elaborate politeness or expressions of gratitude—those could wait until after their immediate survival was assured.
"I will be right back," came Russell's response.
Russell had naturally grasped the urgency of their situation without requiring detailed explanations. After eliminating every silver-level demon in the underground complex he'd been investigating, he had begun his journey back toward the Academy rendezvous point. It was pure chance that his route had taken him through this particular area at the exact moment when his mental perception detected Grant's group being pursued by hostile forces.
Both moral and practical considerations made him come for help . Russell couldn't simply ignore the potential deaths of three Academy students, particularly one he knew personally from previous interactions. The ramifications alone would be significant if it became known that he had been in position to help but had chosen not to act.
"We can finally take a proper break," Marcus said as he leaned heavily against a nearby oak tree, his words carrying the profound relief of someone who had been certain death was imminent just moments before. The rough bark pressed against his back felt like luxury after days of continuous movement through hostile territory.
Davis, whose crew cut was now disheveled from their extended flight, couldn't fully relax despite their apparent salvation. "Do you think he can handle all of them by himself?" he asked with genuine concern coloring his voice.
The question was reasonable given what they knew about the forces pursuing them. Russell was operating alone against what they understood to be a significant group of demons who had been tracking them relentlessly for days. Their own group of three had barely managed to survive the initial underground battle, and only through costly sacrifices that had left their primary cards in extended cooldown periods.
Marcus absorbed this concern and said. "Maybe he found his assigned mission too challenging and decided to retreat from his original area," he suggested thoughtfully. The phrasing was tactful—he wasn't calling Russell a coward or deserter, merely acknowledging that tactical withdrawal was sometimes the most rational response to overwhelming odds.
After all, everyone only had one life to spend. Recognizing when a situation had become untenable and choosing survival over mission completion was perfectly reasonable under extreme circumstances, especially for a freshman on his first practical training exercise.
"Russell should be able to handle the demons pursuing us without major difficulty," Grant concluded after thinking . "The creatures trailing us represent the survivors of our underground battle—entities we already defeated once, though at considerable cost. Not all of the original demon force is participating in this pursuit, which means Russell will be facing a significantly weakened enemy rather than the full strength we encountered below ground."
Moreover, Russell's willingness to intervene suggested confidence in his ability to fight. Grant doubted the younger student would have committed to helping them if he wasn't certain of victory.
"When Russell returns, we can offer to help him complete whatever remains of his original assignment," Grant continued, thinking how he can repay the help. "It's the least we can do after he saved our lives, and it shouldn't require much additional time to investigate his assigned area."
Neither Marcus nor Davis objected to this plan, understanding that their debt to Russell extended beyond simple gratitude. The proposal also presented valuable opportunities for building stronger relationships within the Academy's social hierarchy.
Both men were thinking strategically about the long-term benefits of closer association with Russell, who had clearly demonstrated capabilities that marked him as a rising star within their academic community. Building connections with promising individuals during their student years could provide enormous advantages in future career development.
As the three Academy students focused on recovering their strength and allowing their depleted magical reserves to regenerate, the sounds of brief but intense combat echoed through the forest around them. The engagement was over almost before it began.
Several severed heads suddenly landed in their clearing with wet impacts against the forest floor, rolling to a stop near their rest area. The expressions frozen on the demonic faces still showed traces of the terror and surprise they had experienced in their final moments.
"These are the ones that were pursuing you," Russell's hoarse voice emerged from the surrounding woods as his tall black and red figure came from the shadows between the trees.
Grant glanced at the severed heads just long enough to confirm their identity before nodding. "That's definitely them. Thank you, Russell." He paused briefly to consider their situation and obligations. "Once we finish clearing our assigned area and complete our objectives, the three of us will help you tackle whatever remains of your mission."
Upon hearing this offer, Russell went completely still, and a look of genuine confusion appeared on his transformed features. The expression was somewhat unsettling when displayed on such an alien face, but the bewilderment was unmistakable.
"My mission has already been completed," he stated with matter-of-fact directness.
The silence that followed was so complete that the distant sounds of wind through leaves became clearly audible.
After what felt like an eternity but was probably only seconds, Grant managed to speak in a voice that had gone somewhat dry with shock. "You've... completed your mission already?"
Russell nodded with simple confirmation, still apparently puzzled by their collective amazement. He was beginning to suspect that his three companions had developed some significant misunderstandings about his situation.
Marcus and Davis looked at each other with expressions that suggested their worldview was undergoing rapid and uncomfortable revision. Everything they had assumed about Russell's presence in this area was suddenly revealed as incorrect speculation .
"Why else would I be traveling through this section of the Dimension right now?". "If I hadn't happened to encounter you three during my return journey to the extraction point, I wouldn't have stopped at all. You didn't actually think I was attempting to desert my assigned post, did you?"
The accuracy of his guess was confirmed by the frozen expressions on all three faces.
"We'll remember your life-saving intervention during our darkest hour," he said with genuine gratitude and formal acknowledgment of the obligation being created. "When we exit the secret realm and return to the Academy, the three of us will transfer some of our earned points to you as compensation for your assistance. But I realize that points alone aren't sufficient to repay this kind of help. If you need support with anything in the future, contact me directly and I'll do everything possible to provide it."
When Russell heard the mention of points, his memory immediately returned to a previous encounter at a remote Association base in the Gray Ridge Mountains. After rescuing two civilian students from dangerous circumstances, the middle-aged woman who had witnessed his intervention had mentioned that the Association would provide points as official recognition for such heroic actions.
However, Russell hadn't had the opportunity to ask for details about this reward system before being interrupted by the local Association president and the subsequent complications of that mission. Now that Grant had brought up the subject again, Russell saw an excellent opportunity to gather the information he had been lacking.
"Points? Could you explain that system in more detail?" Russell asked with obvious interest.
Grant was momentarily surprised by the question, but then remembered that his conversation partner was a freshman who had enrolled partway through the academic year under unusual circumstances. After Russell's impressive performance during their Academy sparring match, Grant had naturally investigated the younger student's background and discovered his unconventional educational trajectory.
"The points system is a joint initiative established by the Association and the Federation court," Grant began . "For silver-level cardmakers like ourselves, you should understand that traditional monetary compensation becomes relatively meaningless once you reach certain power thresholds."
"Once we've chosen our career advancement paths and secured positions within the governmental or Association hierarchies, we no longer receive standard salaries. Instead, our compensation comes in the form of these specialized points that can be exchanged for resources that ordinary money can't purchase."
The economic logic was sound, Russell realized as he absorbed the information. At higher power levels, cardmakers needed access to rare materials, advanced techniques, and specialized knowledge that simply weren't available through normal commercial channels. A parallel economy had evolved to serve these unique requirements.
"Points can be exchanged for numerous valuable resources," Grant continued "The court and Association maintain extensive inventories of rare magical materials, advanced equipment, documented experiences from master-level cardmakers, and access to restricted techniques that could advance your development by years or decades."
"The points also serve as universal currency for private transactions between cardmakers," Grant added, addressing what Russell suspected might be equally important applications. "Some materials and techniques simply aren't available through official channels, which means we have to trade with other practitioners directly. Points are accepted and trusted by everyone in these informal markets."
This aspect was particularly intriguing to Russell, as it suggested opportunities for arbitrage and trading that could multiply his resources through careful planning and market analysis.
Russell's mind immediately grasped the broader implications of this information. "Besides compensation for official positions, what other methods exist for earning these points?"
"There are quite a few different approaches," Grant responded immediately,. "Points are awarded for exploring newly discovered Pocket dimensions, engaging illegal cardmakers in combat, performing acts of civic heroism that benefit society, and similar activities that advance the Federation's strategic interests."
The list represented a comprehensive incentive structure designed to encourage behavior that supported both individual development and broader societal goals. Russell could see how the system would motivate cardmakers to take on dangerous assignments that might otherwise be difficult to staff.
"Practical training courses like the one we're currently completing also provide points," Grant added, "though the amounts are typically modest compared to real operational deployments."
This made perfect sense to Russell. A controlled training environment would naturally offer smaller rewards than genuine exploration of unknown territories or confrontation with actual criminal organizations. The risk-to-reward ratio was calibrated to encourage participation while recognizing the limited scope of educational exercises.
"Thank you for the explanation," Russell said with genuine appreciation for Grant's willingness to share such detailed information. He had no intention of refusing the compensation the three students were offering—such resources would be valuable for his ongoing development, and accepting payment would help establish useful precedents for future interactions.
With this topic concluded, the four young men found themselves in somewhat awkward silence. The immediate crisis had been resolved, the relevant explanations had been provided, and now they were faced with the practical question of what to do next.
Russell addressed this uncertainty by taking direct action to make their temporary camp more comfortable. He located a fallen log that would serve as adequate seating and gestured toward it with practical authority.
"Sit down and make yourselves comfortable," he instructed, understanding that they would need time to recover before continuing their mission. "No point in standing around when you can rest properly."
Russell had already decided to remain in the area until Grant's group had recovered sufficiently for safe travel and mission completion. The process would require a maximum of twenty-four hours for their cards to complete their cooldown cycles and return to full functionality. Given that Russell's own objectives were complete and he was in no particular hurry to return to the Academy, providing security during their recovery seemed like a reasonable investment in future relationships.
The gesture would also reinforce the positive impression created by his timely intervention, potentially leading to valuable connections within the Academy's social and political structure. Sometimes the most profitable investments were those made in human relationships rather than magical resources or equipment.
End of Chapter 130