Help! I'm just an extra yet the Heroines and Villainesses want me!-Chapter 20

The week passed and William spent most of it training alone and letting his affinity gates continue opening naturally. His ribs had healed completely and his essence control was steadily improving.

He’d seen Seraphina and Lyanna around the academy but didn’t approach either of them. Whatever tension existed between them wasn’t his problem to solve, and he had better things to focus on than relationship drama he hadn’t asked for.

The morning of departure arrived and William packed his supplies according to the equipment list. Survival gear, extra clothes, basic supplies, and his practice sword. He left the dormitory while Kai was still asleep on the couch.

The main courtyard was crowded with first-years gathering in their assigned groups. William found the area marked for Group 7 and saw Marcus already there organizing his pack.

Sara arrived shortly after looking excited. "Five days away from classes and training schedules. This is going to be great."

Seraphina appeared next and took a position near the edge of their group area, checking her equipment with focused efficiency. Lyanna arrived and set her pack down on the opposite side from where Seraphina stood.

Claire was the last to arrive, looking completely relaxed despite being late. "Morning everyone. Ready for a vacation?"

The faculty gave their standard briefing about safety protocols and emergency procedures, then groups began loading into transport carriages. Group 7 ended up in one carriage together, and the two-hour journey was mostly quiet with people either sleeping or watching the scenery.

The Vale was a large natural area with dense forests, clearwater streams, and moderate essence concentration that made it useful for training without being dangerous. The academy used it regularly for expeditions because it had enough variety to be educational but wasn’t filled with deadly threats.

When they arrived and stepped out of the carriages, William immediately noticed the difference in atmosphere. The air was cleaner and the essence felt more natural compared to the academy’s controlled environment.

"Your group’s base camp location is marked on your maps," the supervising instructor said while handing Marcus their assignment packet. "Set up wherever you want within that zone. Complete your objectives by day five and return here for extraction. Have fun."

Marcus opened the packet and skimmed through it. "We need to document essence flora in three locations, map some terrain features, and write a report on environmental essence patterns. Nothing urgent. Looks like we have plenty of free time."

"Perfect," Sara said while shouldering her pack. "Let’s find a good camping spot first."

The group hiked into the Vale following the map markers. The terrain was beautiful with sunlight filtering through trees and the sound of running water nearby. After about an hour they found a clearing near a stream that had good visibility and flat ground for tents.

"This works," Marcus said while setting down his pack. "Water source, defensible position, close to our objective sites."

They spent the next few hours setting up camp. Tents arranged in a loose circle around a central fire pit, supply cache organized under a waterproof tarp, and a basic perimeter established. By the time they finished, it was early afternoon and everyone was ready to relax.

Sara pulled out food supplies and started preparing lunch while Marcus gathered firewood. Seraphina found a spot near the treeline and began practicing sword forms. Lyanna sat near the stream with books spread around her, apparently using the trip as study time.

Claire stretched out on a flat rock in the sun looking completely content to do nothing.

William found a tree with good shade and sat down to practice his essence circulation exercises. His affinity gates were still opening gradually and he wanted to maintain the steady progress without forcing anything.

[Fire Affinity Gate: 43% Open]

[Wind Affinity Gate: 37% Open]

[Water Affinity Gate: 29% Open]

[Environment is optimal for natural cultivation]

The afternoon passed peacefully. People did their own things without much interaction. Sara tried to start a conversation a few times but seemed content when people didn’t engage much.

By evening, Marcus had a proper fire going and Sara had prepared a meal that was significantly better than academy dining hall food. The group gathered around the fire to eat, and the atmosphere was relaxed.

"So what’s everyone planning to do with five days of freedom?" Sara asked while eating.

"Train," Seraphina said simply.

"Read and work on assignments," Lyanna added.

"Sleep and enjoy not having schedule obligations," Claire said with a smile.

Marcus shrugged. "Probably explore the area a bit. Maybe fish in that stream."

William didn’t answer and Sara didn’t push him for one. They finished eating and people drifted back to their own activities. Seraphina continued training until it got too dark to see properly. Lyanna read by firelight for another hour. Claire just watched the fire with a contented expression.

William took first watch with Marcus, and they sat in comfortable silence while everyone else slept. The forest sounds were different from the academy’s constant background noise of students and activity.

"You fought well in the tournament," Marcus said eventually. "That match with Liam was impressive."

"Thanks," William said.

Marcus didn’t seem bothered by the brief response and they finished their watch without much more conversation.