Unlike the youths from the Southern Lookout who had been stimulated by Leonel to the point none of them even suggested forming a group upon entering the island, the youths of the Eastern Lookout were different.
Without someone like 'Indomitable' egging them on, they didn't think twice before forming groups of two or three, walking through the dense forests together.
The top three youths of the Southern Lookout, setting Leonel aside, were Roaring Black Lion, Chasing Wind, and Thunderous Clap. Likewise, the Eastern Lookout youths had their own top three as well.
One would expect these youths to be leading groups of their own, maybe having too much pride to share a stage together. But, this wasn't the case at all. In fact, the top three youths of the Eastern Lookout formed a group together, hoping to maximize their profits and monopolize all three spots to the SS-grade Zone to themselves.
Ranked seventh on their Promising Rankings, there was a young woman who went by the name of Flowing Wind, a name not much different from the third ranked of the Southern Lookout, Chasing Wind.
Her form of dressing was particularly provocative. Other than a sports bra and a pair of skin tight spandex shorts, she wore nothing else. Though her face was covered by a mask tattooed in red swirls not unlike Chasing Winds green swirls, her fiery figure alone was enough to set one's mind ablaze.
It could only be said that she put more worth in her looks than her own safety, or else she would never wear such a thing upon entering a forest with unknown dangers like this. Well, it was either that or she was extraordinarily confident in her abilities…
Ranked fifth on their rankings, there was another young woman who went by the name 'Pisces'. The first feature about her that stood out was her flowing blue hair. What was even more striking about this color was that it was possible to tell that this color was definitely not dyed in the slightest. It could only be said that her awakening had caused this mutation…
Maybe it was something weird about the culture of the Eastern Lookout, but Pisces too was dressed particularly inappropriately. Though her clothing wasn't as provocative as Flowing Wind's, she still wore a flowing blue dress that was completely out of place. Not only this, but her dainty bare feet could be seen poking out from its folds with every step. She hadn't even worn shoes.
As if these two weren't weird enough, the third of the was a young man ranked second on their rankings. He went by the name of King of Seas.
He carried around a golden trident that stood a head taller them him. It reflected the rays of the sun so well that it illuminated the forest despite how few rays made it through the thick canopy above.
This alone wasn't enough to raise an eyebrow. The true problem was that he was wearing nothing but a speedo, revealing his bronzed torso and thighs, each portion of which was rippling with muscles.
As though this wasn't enough to leave a person speechless, his speedo seemed to be made out of a brass metal, making it look more like a chastity guard than a piece of clothing. It was impossible to tell whether this young man had done this on purpose or not.
It could only be said that this group of three was simply too weird…
"There's something off about this forest." Flowing Wind spoke in a low voice. "Though we've already gathered a few beast crystals, it doesn't seem to be as many as we should have."
There was definitely something off. According to theory, animals should have the same chance at evolution as humans did. After all, there was no reason for the Laws of the Universe to favor humans over any other species. It wasn't impossible even for plants and vegetation to evolve.
This was all to say that even if humans didn't go out of their way to breed powerful animal sub-species, they would have likely awakened powerful members among each other regardless. If this was taken into account, the beasts they had come across to this point should be far more powerful. But, from Flowing Wind's perspective, they seemed to be quite… normal.
"Your perspective is just skewed." Pisces said lightly. "With the three of us here together, how could these animals not be easy to deal with? If you just consider the fact the most we've come across are B and A-grade threats, this is impressive enough."
"Maybe…"
It seemed that Flowing Wind was itching for battle. She was completely unsatisfied with the challenge and even somewhat regretted forming a team with these three. If things were like this, wouldn't the next month be too boring?
"If you're really feeling bored, there's still some other entertainment on this island." Pisces said with a light smile. "We could just find a few of our peers from the Southern Lookout to exchange some pointers with."
King of Sea's gaze sharpened at these words. It seemed that even though he was stoic and a man of few words, this prospect still made him feel quite anxious.
"Hm?" Flowing Wind's steps paused. "Finally, something interesting."
Without saying a word, she shot into the distance, not even explaining her actions to her two team members. It was almost as though she didn't care whether or not they followed her.
After sending a glance toward one another, King of Seas and Pisces could only shoot forward. Flowing Wind was their scout, without her, finding the next target would be a few times more difficult.
In the distance, Roaring Black Lion was in a fierce battle with a black bear. Considering he had already entered his beast form and the thin line of blood flowing from the corner of his lip, it was obvious that he wasn't having an easy time.
It was a small clearing of green within the dense forest, yet it managed to contain such a savage battle. The palms of Black Roaring Lion and the black bear continuously slammed against their opposition's chest. They looked like two madmen having a contest of brute strength.
If one looked closely, it was possible to see that the immediately vicinity of the black bear seemed to have sunk into the ground as though its great weight was effecting change on a much grander scale…
Flowing Wind appeared by the edge of the clearing, her eyes lighting up when she recognized Roaring Black Lion's beast form.
'Rank fifth on the Southern Lookout rankings… hehe, seems like I'll have a good harvest today.'