Within the clearing, Erick and the others rested for a while before setting off again.
This time, however, something in the atmosphere felt different.
Lucien obediently followed along at the back of the group with the other Guides, unusually quiet and keeping to himself.
Almost as if he was thinking about something important or struggling to make a difficult decision.
Zephyr, who wanted to walk with him, was instead pulled to the front by Oreon and Jake, leaving the two of them separated.
They continued through the twisted, withered trees in silence. Every so often, Erick would signal for everyone to stop after sensing monsters nearby, and the group would prepare for another fight.
Fortunately, they didn't encounter any more S-Rank monsters over the next few hours.
