Adam and Michael traversed the dense forest, hopping from one branch to another as they journeyed eastward.
'Halt!'
He sent the Paladin a mental transmission. The pair landed softly on the branch of a thick tree. Their expression turned solemn as they observed the scene below.
A pack of wolves — about a dozen of them — were feasting upon a giant corpse. Judging from the remains of the body, it seemed to belong to an orc.
Michael suddenly turned to Adam and made a hand sign, conveying they needed to draw back.
Adam shook his head, then replied through [Mind Whisper]: 'No need. The powder we sprinkled earlier will mask our scent.'
Michael vehemently shook his head, then pointed at his heart.
Adam frowned. 'They'll notice our heartbeat?'
Michael nodded silently.
Adam hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. Then they drew further back, watching the wolf pack from afar.
The Paladin turned out to be a cautious fellow. Adam respected that.
It had been several hours since they departed from their hideouts. In their journey, they'd e across countless wolves prowling the forest. Other than that, there were also ogres and goblins; however, their number wasn't as ubiquitous as the wolves'.
Wolves and ravens were the two creatures they encountered most often in the forests.
They stuck close to the dirt road, neither straying too far into the woods, yet never venturing too near the path either.
Staying too close to the road would make it easier for others to spot them. Meanwhile, venturing deeper into the woods…
Both Adam and Michael had a bad feeling about delving deeper into the woods. Something lurking in the forest's depths put them on high alert.
"I think we should return now," Michael said in a hushed tone. "If we leave now, we'll reach the camp before nightfall."
He paused, then added in a grave voice, "I do not want to stay outside at night."
If the lands beyond the wall were any indication, the terrain within the gates would be just as terrifying at night. His instincts told him as much.
"…Yeah," Adam murmured after a moment of deliberation.
"Something on your mind?"
"Yeah, I just…" Adam began. "I don't want to return empty-handed."
The conversation with Sandra last night weighed heavily on him. A sense of urgency gnawed at his heart.
The King's eyes and ears are everywhere within his kingdom.
Those words kept repeating inside his mind, making him utterly tense and solemn.
Despite the runic formations protecting the cave, Sandra had still managed to find them.
If she could, couldn't the others?
More importantly, if the vampire was truly at the Mana Seed Rank, then what about the rest?
What about the King she mentioned?
Just how strong was he?
The longer the party stayed in that cave, the more exposed they'd be to the dangers of this secret plane.
They had gotten lucky last night, for Sandra had chosen not to harm them.
What if another vampire visited them?
What if another vile creature found their cave?
What then?
These questions truly made Adam paranoid.
But of course, Michael couldn't see that. So he said simply, "We can return tomorrow, Adam. Let's not waste any more time. I truly don't wish to stay outside when the moon rises."
Adam knew his words were reasonable.
But still…
He scanned the surroundings quickly, his gaze settling on a hill in the near distance.
"Let's climb that hill and get a better vantage point," he said. "If we find any clues, all well and good. If not, we'll still have enough time to make it back to the hideout before sunset."
Michael couldn't understand why Adam seemed so desperate. He hesitated briefly before agreeing.
"Guess there's no harm in trying."
***
The hill wasn't particularly difficult to climb. Fortunately, there weren't any monsters or beasts around that seemed to have claimed it as their territory.
Within minutes after arriving at their destination, the pair had already reached the summit and begun surveying the land in every direction.
Behind them stood the colossal wall.
To either side, the forest stretched as far as the eye could see, broken only by the occasional clearing. Ahead, the dirt road wound steadily toward the distant mountain range, whose towering peaks carved through the secret plane from north to south.
Whatever lay beyond those mountains remained a mystery.
But it was the northeast that truly seized their attention.
Michael's eyes slowly widened, and he said in a shaky voice, "Hey, Adam… you see that, right? Please, don't tell me I'm hallucinating!"
Adam's eyes gleamed. "I see it, alright."
In the northeast, beyond the endless sea of treetops, lay a vast lake. Along its distant shores stood the dark silhouette of a city!
"Fuck!" Michael couldn't help but exclaim. "How far do you think the city is? A couple days?"
"No," Adam replied absentmindedly, gazing at the outline rising above the water like a forgotten civilization.
"More like a week," he added. "We've to move cautiously. Find hideouts to stay the night. We can't camp out in the open."
He was already making plans in his head.
"You think there are others like us there?" Michael couldn't help but ask hopefully.
"Who knows," said Adam.
"Let's return." He quickly turned and descended the hill.
"We need to inform the others!"
***
As the sun gradually glided across the horizon, the already dim skies of the secret plane grew darker still.
Fortunately, Adam and Michael made it back to camp just in time.
Even before entering, Adam extended his senses and immediately detected unfamiliar presences, instantly putting him on guard.
He could sense Valerian, Genevive, Kara, and Darren.
But there were also others!
Michael, who was about to rush into the cave, suddenly stopped. Adam's hand gripped his shoulder, pulling him back.
He turned to the raven-haired youth with a frown, but his expression grew solemn when Adam raised a finger to his lips.
"There's someone else inside," Adam whispered as he stepped in front of Michael.
Through the Sphere of Resonance, he confirmed that their fellow party members weren't in any danger. The newers seemed to be just having a chat with them, and didn't radiate any hostile intent.
As he stepped closer, he overheard the conversation taking place inside the cave.
"…I don't believe it!"
"It's true."
"There are truly so many of us in that city?!"
"Indeed, friend. All of us have e together and—"
The person speaking suddenly paused, most likely sensing Adam and Michael's arrival.
"Ah, looks like your friends have finally arrived."
Adam reached the cave entrance, his gaze locking onto the two newers - an elven Magus and a human Paladin. They were Mana Core and Cavalier rank, respectively.
Even though the two showed no open hostility toward him, Adam couldn't shake the bad feeling gnawing at his heart. Simply observing how familiar Darren seemed with the two put him on edge.
The devious smirk Darren directed at him only deepened that sense of foreboding.
The blond-haired elf turned toward Adam, his eyes narrowing slightly. After a brief pause, he spoke in a polite tone:
"So, this is the team leader you've all been talking about."
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