The next day, the team assembled shortly after breakfast.
Only Logan, Rubina, Yui, and Victor had slept peacefully, recharged by the abundance of darkness mana that now saturated the region. The others, particularly the light-affiliated or mana-sensitive, were growing worse with each passing day.
Which meant Logan was under pressure.
He had to find the temple, and soon.
They departed early, around eight in the morning, even though the sky overhead made it feel like it was ten at night. The journey back to the wide cavern—Juggernaut's old domain—would take about an hour on foot.
Fortunately, the path was quiet.
Most of the region's stronger monsters had either fled or been culled by Gaia and the dragons during earlier patrols. The only beasts left were weak stragglers, easily avoided or crushed without effort.
The real danger would begin once they neared the temple.
For now, they traveled in formation.
