The next morning, Elene and Aron emerged from their tent with haggard faces. Taking turns on night watch meant they couldn’t sleep for long. Moreover, their distrust of Ketal made it impossible to sleep deeply.0

As a result, they set off on their journey again without having fully recovered from their fatigue. Their steps quickened, fueled by a mutual decision to end this journey as swiftly as possible—for the sake of their own survival.0

Yet, the accumulating exhaustion was inevitable. The tension they carried caused their bodies to tire even faster. Eventually, Elene raised her hand to call for a halt.0

“C-can we rest for a moment?” she asked.0

“I don’t mind. Let’s rest over there in the shade of that tree,” Ketal suggested.0

“Thank you.” Elene staggered to the tree and slumped down beneath it. A gentle breeze cooled the strands of hair damp with sweat.0

Growl.0

A loud rumble echoed from Elene’s stomach. Her face flushed bright red as the sound betrayed her hunger. 0

“Are you hungry? Well, I suppose it’s no surprise since we haven’t had a proper meal. Very well, give me a moment,” Ketal remarked, without missing a beat. His eyes gleamed as though he...0