Outside, under the intense sunlight that blinded them slightly, the group stopped for a moment.
"How are we going to...?" Fan 2 began, looking toward the distant forest in the south. The outward journey had taken a few hours. But the return trip, loaded down, even longer.
The weight made the difference significant.
Ren didn't respond verbally.
Instead, his Wolverine materialized again after Ren had absorbed it to pass through the gate. Not many entrances were designed for massive beasts.
The creature expanded until reaching almost four meters in height, its jade form gleaming in the intense light. Its back was wide enough to easily accommodate five people.
"Get on," Ren ordered, already climbing onto his beast's back.
Liu didn't need to be told twice. Experience had taught him to trust first, question later.
Fan 1 and Fan 2 followed with less grace but equal enthusiasm. Scrambling up, finding handholds in the crystalline fur.
Kade hesitated.
