The skull had long since disappeared from view, only the twisted terrain of the forest was left to fill the boundless void above. Trees loomed in grotesque shapes, dimly lit by the eerie glow of their hanging fruits.
They had now reached territories Kellta had never explored. Still, she led the group forward, though the risk of ambush by Creatures of the Depths grew, keeping everyone on edge.
The five Unlocked followed the river from a distance, careful never to get too close. It was the most obvious source of fresh water, which made it a magnet for dangerous monsters.
Fortunately, they now had Lumos. His runes could act as a living water fountain. Still, they couldn't stray too far—the river remained their best guide.
They stayed silent most of the time. Since they didn't know what lurked in the dark, it was better to avoid noise as much as possible.
At one point, Kellta raised her hand. Everyone stopped. On the ashen, muddy ground were fresh footprints.
The tracks were clearly left behind by boots—many of them.
"Maybe the Light-Walkers Dulan talked about?" Kellta said, crouching to inspect them.
Eshrod stepped beside her, comparing the prints with her own boot. Sure enough, they matched. All Unlocked had been issued identical gear. These weren't left by Dwellers of the Depths.
"It must be," Elion replied. "We should follow them."
Kellta nodded.
Farha tapped his shoulder to get his attention.
"What?" he asked, turning to her.
She crouched and wrote in the dirt with her finger:
They killed.
What does she mean by that?
Elion raised an eyebrow.
"What did she write?" Kellta asked. She couldn't read human language, and the translation rune didn't work on text.
"She wrote: They killed," Elion explained.
The fire-wielding imp frowned.
"Do you mean what Veriant told us?"
Farha nodded.
"I wouldn't be too worried about what that bastard said. He already lied to incriminate my father. It'd be more surprising if he didn't slander them just for being Light-Walkers."
Elion smiled bitterly.
"Yeah… we'll be careful just in case."
The mute girl gave a small, approving nod.
And here I thought I was the paranoid one…
The tracks led them deeper into the woods, closer to the river. At one point, they passed a scene of battle—blood pooled in the mud. Paw prints, claw marks, slashes, and frantic footprints painted a violent struggle.
The five Unlocked moved through in silence, following a trail clearly left at a sprint.
They reached a dip in the terrain where a wide crevice split the earth—ten meters deep, vanishing into gloom. In the shadows below, dark silhouettes leaned against the stone walls.
There was no fire, probably to avoid being detected by whatever attacked them.
Elion confirmed they were human with his ability. Still, they hadn't revealed themselves.
"I'll do the talking," he said, sliding down the slope, his group following close behind.
Kellta's flames lit the crevice in a soft crimson glow, revealing a group of bloodied, exhausted Unlocked raising their swords defensively.
A familiar face stood at the front: Joart.
Talom was there too, and a few others Elion remembered from S33.
They looked rough. The Depths had not been kind.
Their stances eased slightly at the sight of fellow humans… and an imp. With her scorched mask and broken horns, Farha could almost pass for human.
"Hey," Elion said nonchalantly. "Long time no see."
Joart studied him, confused at first. The cook's white hair and uncanny gleam in his eyes threw him off. But then recognition struck, and a tired smile cracked across his face.
"So you survived too, huh…"
Why does he sound surprised? Of course I survived.
Joart lowered his sword, eyeing the unfamiliar faces—especially Lumos and Kellta.
"What happened to you guys?" Elion asked.
"A lot…"
Once the initial tension faded, both groups huddled beneath the rock lip to catch up.
Farha stayed tense, though she didn't draw her weapon from the pocket dimension.
"We washed up in a village of Dwellers of the Depths," Joart said, his voice low. "There were twelve of us at first. They took care of us—even with the language barrier—but after a while… I think they accused us of murder. I'm not sure."
There was something dark in his eyes, barely noticeable, but Elion, being a master at deciphering expressions, saw it.
You're not going to hide anything from me, young scammer padawan. I invented the art of being someone else!
"They tried to kill us. We had to run. Armored warriors chased us, but we lost them."
Elion looked over the survivors. There was Joart and Talom. A brown-haired girl named Hela stared blankly ahead, green eyes lifeless. Alphons, a black-haired young man, clutched his sword, a scar carved across his chest.
Only Leonard looked stable—tired, but calm. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she wore a weary, hopeful expression.
They all look like they're about to collapse.
The young cook glanced back at his own group.
Eshrod gave a silent nod. Lumos also seemed willing to help. Kellta's expression was hidden, but her posture betrayed hesitation. Farha remained unreadable, watching everything.
"Alright then," he finally said. "We'll rest, after that we're heading down the river."
Joart raised an eyebrow.
"You want to descend further down?" He said it as if it were a terrible idea.
It probably was—but it was their only option.
"You heard me," Elion replied, annoyed.
Joart hesitated. Talom laid a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll go," he said. "Look at us—and look at them. We won't survive on our own."
The pretend noble clicked his tongue in disagreement but said nothing. There was something else at play here.
Still, a larger group would help. With more people, they could hunt Class III creatures regularly. That level of threat was only manageable now with specific knowledge—like what they had on the Weaver. Now that they were in unknown territories, more fighters was a welcome addition.
Despite the risk, they made a fire. Elion prepared some food, Joart's group was grateful to avoid more chalky ration bars.
After being briefed on the plan to reach the river's estuary and find a First Finger, the camp began to settle.
Eshrod chatted with Leonard. The two blonde extroverts got along well.
Lumos entertained the others with wild tales—possibly real, possibly not. Either way, the eccentric sorcerer was a gifted storyteller. Kellta stayed distant, her mask on, watching from the edge.
She might have been thinking about Orm. Her expression behind the mask was wistful as she stared into the void above.
Farha stayed apart. Without a voice, more people meant less space for her in the conversation. She became a silent observer, not by choice but by necessity.
It suited her—or at least, she pretended it did. Elion could see the subtle urge to share with the other member of the group flickering behind her unreadable face.
He wanted to approach her but didn't know how. He wasn't like Eshrod, who could carry a conversation alone. Sure, he could fake it—fake interest, fake charm, play the gentleman like he always had. But not with her.
With her, he wanted to be genuine.
And now he found out the genuine him was… shy.
Fascinating what one can make themselves believe.
Funny—I never thought I'd be reluctant to talk to someone on such basis, yet here I am.
He never did go talk to her.
Every one of Joart's group was dead tired. After eating and some conversation, they went to sleep, leaving Lumos on first watch.
Elion's dreams involved bright blue lights dancing in an endless void. It was really beautiful, but there was an intricate wrongness woven into the spectacle.
It felt like losing himself.
And yet, he didn't want to look away; it was so… pure. Doubt faded, he stared deeper at the dream dance happening above him and peace settled in.
Lumos woke him from his reverie since it was the young cook's turn to keep watch. The sorcerer held the amulet he was working on, ink shifting in multiple patterns, only leaving a faint resonance of their former shapes.
Elion nodded, prompting Lumos to go get some sleep of his own.
At first, everything was normal. The forest's sounds were unsettling but familiar.
Then, in the corner of his vision, something moved in the dark…