Now ahead...
When the girl saw that the bear wasn't following them anymore, she stopped her horse a short distance ahead.
"You can let go of my waist now," the girl said to Dharmesh.
Dharmesh quickly moved his hands away.
"Get down," the girl instructed.
Dharmesh got off the horse and watched the girl, curious about what she would do next.
When it seemed like she was about to leave, Dharmesh looked around nervously. If she left, he had no idea who would help him. So he said, "Wait, I'm new to this place and I've lost my way. Can you help me?"
The girl didn't say anything at first and got off her horse.
"Tell me, what help do you need?" she asked once she was on the ground.
"I want to know everything about this place—whatever you can tell me," Dharmesh replied. "Why are there such strange beasts here? I've never seen creatures like them before."
"This is a different planet, so it has different animals—and they're all very dangerous. That elephant-like one was weak, but the bear-like beast is much stronger. That's why I decided to run—because I couldn't fight it with you along," the girl explained.
"You've saved my life twice. What's your name?" Dharmesh asked.
She looked at Dharmesh for a moment and replied, "My name is Isha."
"How come, Isha? What are you doing in this jungle?" Dharmesh asked.
"I came here for some work, and I was on my way back when I saw those beasts heading toward you," Isha replied.
"Were you going back to Earth?" Dharmesh asked again, thinking if she was returning to Earth, he could go with her and then head home.
"No, I'm not going to Earth. I live here in a military school. You can come with me if you want. Once you're there, everything will make sense," Isha said.
"Alright, let's go then," Dharmesh agreed.
They started heading toward the military school together.
"By the way, what is this military school?" Dharmesh asked, curious about the place.
"It's a special place where people are trained to become stronger. If someone proves to be powerful and joins the military later, they get great rewards. I want to join the military too, which is why I'm working to make myself stronger," Isha said.
"How do you get stronger?" Dharmesh asked.
"I fight beasts, extract their crystals, and use those to craft weapons. The stronger the weapon, the more powerful you become," Isha explained.
"Crystals inside beasts? I don't quite get it—can you explain more?" Dharmesh asked.
"Beasts are divided into four categories. Each category has seven levels—Ordinary, Primary, Mutant, and Lord. Each level contains seven kinds of beasts, and their strength depends on their level. My dream is to one day defeat a Level 7 Lord beast and make a weapon from its crystal. That weapon would make me so powerful that everyone would respect me. But I'm not strong enough yet," Isha said.
"You definitely can do it. And it looks like I have to go to that military school too—maybe that's where I'll find the answers I'm looking for," Dharmesh thought.
"How many people are there on this planet?" he asked.
He was asking so many questions because his system had given him a challenge. He had to gather as much information as possible about this world in order to level up quickly—something his grandfather had told him was essential.
"There are probably millions," Isha answered, continuing to walk.
"Don't the people here miss their homes?" Dharmesh asked.
"If someone misses home, they can go back. And if they want, they can return here too. Once you join the military school, you can also go home during holidays or emergencies—just like in regular schools," Isha explained.
"That's good. There should be rules—that's what makes it a military school," Dharmesh said with a smile.
"Look, we've reached the military school," Isha said, pointing ahead. Dharmesh looked in the direction and was shocked—the place was huge. Boys and girls his age were walking around, all dressed in what seemed to be the school uniform, suggesting they lived there.
"This military school is massive," Dharmesh said as he looked at the towering walls, which were over 100 feet tall and 3 meters thick—appearing extremely strong.
"These walls are to keep beasts out. But don't worry—even if a beast manages to get in, there are people here who can take it down instantly. This is the safest place on the planet. You'll find the strongest people here, including top-level teachers who train students to fight and prove themselves when the time comes," Isha said.
To find out what happens next, read the next episode.