Dawn came suddenly. The light in the cave turned gray and cold.
"Wake up! Quickly!"
Ian's loud voice made Elena instantly open her eyes. She sat up, feeling that her body obeyed better than yesterday.
The prince was already on his feet, checking the sharpness of his sword. Mark, looking guilty for sleeping through his watch, fussily gathered the remaining kindling.
"Victoria, how are you?"
The prince approached her, carefully examining her face.
"You look... better than yesterday."
Elena nodded confidently.
"Sleep helped."
"Sleep? You don't recover from that many wounds in one night!"
Ian muttered, slinging his spear over his back.
"But we don't have time to discuss it. The river below has started foaming. The water is rising, and if we don't leave now, we'll be cut off from the path."
Elena stood up from the stretcher.
"Let's go."
The haughty Lady McShane seemed to have matured. Or perhaps it was due to the torn pant legs and bloodstains on her shirt, the disheveled hairstyle, and scratches on her face.
"Since we're ready—move out."
The prince commanded.
"Stick together. It's dangerous to separate in this place."
They exited the cave. The air outside was damp and heavy.
The group moved along the river. Wet branches crunched underfoot, and the thick fog rising from the water made it hard to see anything beyond ten steps.
Elena walked last. Her leg still ached a bit, but the alchemy had truly worked a miracle. The wounds under the improvised bandages had sealed with a thin pink film.
Ian kept glancing back at her, clearly expecting "Victoria" to stumble or start complaining any moment, but the girl moved silently.
"Strange."
Mark spoke up, adjusting the bag on his shoulder.
"We've been walking for an hour, but I don't hear any birds or insects. Only the water."
The prince stopped and extended his arm forward. Everyone froze.
"Look at the trees."
Elena squinted; she had lost focus and hadn't noticed when the trunks around them started changing color.
Instead of the usual bark, they were covered with something black and slimy, resembling hardened resin. The deeper they went, the higher this blackness climbed up the trees.
Elena was familiar with something like this.
— Mana infection.
The blackness on the trunks looked oily. It pulsed, slowly seeping into the wood.
The prince approached the nearest tree. He bent down, examining the coating without touching it.
"Mark, have you ever seen anything like this?"
The green-haired mage came closer. He nervously adjusted his collar and sniffed.
"It smells... like ozone? And something burned. I'm not sure, but it reminds me of traces of magical burnout. As if the mana from the air turned into this filth."
Elena stood a little distance away, watching them.
"Look!"
Ian pointed his spear at the tree roots.
Where the black slime touched the grass, the stems didn't die. On the contrary, they became thicker, darker, and covered with small sharp thorns. Like teeth.
"It changes everything it touches."
The prince straightened up. He looked deeper into the forest.
"Judging by this, the closer to the explosion site, the higher the concentration of this substance."
Mark swallowed.
"If the grass turns into this... then what happened to the animals?"
Elena looked at her hands. A barely noticeable tremor ran through her fingers. Her body was reacting to the corrupted mana.
Staying in the infection zone for long was dangerous.
"We need better weapons than sticks and stones."
Elena looked at the prince.
"You have swords. But Mark and I have nothing to defend ourselves with in close combat."
Ian snorted mockingly.
"Lady McShane is going to swing a sword? Don't make me laugh. Your job is to stand in the back and hope your mana returns before we get eaten."
Elena didn't dignify him with a glance. She continued looking at the prince.
He paused, considering her words. Then he pulled a spare dagger in simple leather sheaths from his belt and handed it to her.
"Take this. It has good balance. But it's for self-defense; try not to get close to the monsters."
She accepted the dagger. The weight was unfamiliar; Victoria's body was shorter and weaker than her own.
"Move on. Ian, you're in front. Mark—in the middle. Victoria, stay close to me."
They went deeper into the infected zone.
It grew quieter. Even the noise of the river behind them began to fade, absorbed by the dense, heavy fog.
Suddenly, Elena stopped. She felt it on her skin—the vibration in the air that the others hadn't noticed.
"Stop."
"What, is the lady tired?"
Ian turned around, irritably raising his spear.
Elena didn't answer. She crouched, pressing her palm to the ground covered in black coating. The soil was shaking. As if a huge heart was beating somewhere beneath them.
"Is... someone screaming there?"
Mark whispered, pointing into the fog. A sharp sound came through the veil.
"That's Professor Vine's voice!"
Mark cried out and, forgetting caution, rushed forward.
"Mark, back!"
Ian dashed after him. The prince turned to warn "Victoria," but the girl had already bolted after them.
There was a chance the quest would fail if an NPC ally died. She couldn't allow that.
His Highness caught up to her, and together they entered the impenetrable veil.
For a while, they moved deeper, but Mark and Ian were nowhere to be seen.
Elena walked with the dagger at the ready. It was uneasy around them. There was a hum of voices, the crunch of branches, and the gloomy hooting of owls.
"Professor! Professor!"
"Is that Olivia's voice?"
The prince clicked his tongue. Elena turned her head toward him but soon looked away.
"Your Highness! Wait, I'll be right there!"
"Ian! Where—"
The prince took a step forward. Something dark darted from the fog, aiming for his shoulder. Blood flowed down his sleeve.
Elena gripped the dagger. Scarlet liquid dripped from its blade.
"Don't be a fool."
The prince turned. Something vaguely resembling an owl, but with a long sharp beak and tenacious claws, fell from his shoulder.
A flap of wings.
Elena barely turned her head when a loud snap of a beak sounded. The bird nearly tore out her throat.
The prince knocked the owl down with a precise strike. The pair warily peered into the haze. Countless silhouettes were approaching them from all sides.
A multitude of winged creatures began their hunt. Some hovered in the air, some zigzagged, and some were already diving down.
Elena struck the dagger into the air. A heavy carcass impaled itself on the weapon like a shish kebab. The girl's weak arm couldn't bear the weight and helplessly dropped.
"Damn."
Elena unclenched her fingers, and the dagger fell. A second flying monster attacked her from the front. The girl managed to drop to the ground.
The prince was nowhere to be seen in the whirlwind of feathers and claws that descended. The dagger, along with the pierced owl, lay within arm's reach. Elena reached for the weapon.
It nearly cost her fingers. The monsters gave no chance. The girl rolled on the ground, scratched by claws. A swarm of sharp maws hurried to tear a piece of flesh from her.
Elena pressed her back against a tree. The black slime from the tree touched her torn jacket with a hissing sound.
The owls attacked, colliding and crashing into each other.
She was surrounded by a feathered flock.
Screeching, flapping of wings—and another sharp sickle of claws ripped her skin. She fought off the assaults with all her limbs.
Elena twisted and dodged. The birds collided with each other. She grabbed a winged bastard and used it as a living shield.
The predators didn't hesitate and mercilessly tore at the already dead kin. Elena's back burned. The black mass had reached her new and old wounds.
The girl won a moment and picked up a long branch. Her palm was burned by the oily sludge.
Elena thrust the stick into the feathered one's neck. It jerked, unconvinced by her attack.
Miasma quickly spread from the branch. The bloodsucker let out a plaintive rasp and died. Thanks to it for that.
In the shadows, flashes of light flickered now and then. Obviously, the prince was being attacked by a much larger number of enemies.
Elena hoped he would manage. She herself had no time for him.
One vulture died, but many remained.
Elena repeated the trick with the stick. She caught a beast and used it as a meat shield again. Her body was drenched in blood. She was quite tired. Victoria probably didn't exercise.
A whistle sounded nearby. The dagger flew straight into a monster's forehead.
The girl yanked the newly arrived weapon from the tree. The stinking creatures didn't miss the moment. Her shoulder blade became the victim of needle-like teeth.
Elena squeezed her palm hard. Old and new wounds threatened to bring her to unconsciousness. Such a circumstance would surely be the end.
The air was cleaved by a sword blade. The prince killed most of Elena's assailants with one swing.
She exhaled. The guy extended his hand. Elena silently stood up.
It seemed the crisis had passed. Standing back to back, the two of them continued making their way through the forest. Toward where their companions had disappeared.
The monsters continued to inflict damage, but together they could hold out.
The ground under their feet shifted unsteadily.
— Ha... When I get back, I need to perform a ritual to attract luck.
Elena clicked her tongue and grabbed a thick vine.
The prince continued fighting the flying scum. The girl extended a helping hand to him.
The soil rolled at high speed. The prince lost his balance. A jolt struck the guy's side. He fell to his knees.
Elena slapped a bird with the dagger and grabbed the guy under the arm.
An earthquake, and tons of soil collapsed.
Stones, branches, and waves of earth rolled down on them from above.