The Red Road Forest covered much of the land around the Yellow City. Of the city gates, only the northern one had a road leading to another city, and there was no guarantee that this road would always be safe.
As the call rose into the sky, the roar told them to go east. The voice was coming from that direction. They had to go there. No one went south or north specifically to exit directly through the city gates. Some jumped directly over the walls, while others used techniques or small treasures to avoid injury from the height. Jalal was the only one who had used the long road to exit through the city gates; he was carrying Evra and Mais on his back. After all, Jalal was only in the Origin Energy realm, and Evra had only recently reached his new realm. They seemed to be a little late, which stressed Evra.
This was the first time he had embarked on such an adventure. His father and brother had done it many times. Now it was his turn. It was not surprising that he was nervous.
"We're too late!" Evra shouted as they entered the forest. Jalal silently focused on his condition while Mais frowned.
"There's no point in running toward our deaths. Our opponents aren't that fast, either. Since they're all ahead of us, they'll slow each other down," Mais said.
"And please don't shout. We're not in the city anymore."
Jalal didn't have much right to speak, but he let Mais continue because Evra was being humble in front of him.
Evra didn't respond to these words. How would he survive in this forest with a blind child and a weak one? He had only recently reached the Core Realm, and he wasn't very powerful. How would they survive?
"We need to find Maria."
***
At this point, Kasuur didn't know what to do either. His own small group probably held the most power within the larger group. Despite this, he felt anxious and had already become a target. He wasn't sure which bush Sorgon would emerge from.
"You should stop worrying so much. Sorgon has other things to worry about. We need to focus on our path. Once you enter the inheritance, you'll be with Malehit. You won't need to worry," said Old Master John. During his time with Kasuur, John realized that the boy acted on his emotions. That's why he knew he had to stay calm around him.
As they wandered through the forest, the old man guided them. On average, they moved at a speed typical of the late Origin Energy Realm, which was quite good.
During that time, Kasuur complained about something every ten minutes, but the twins and Master John remembered that he was still only twelve years old and remained silent. This must have been a rare experience for the little boy. He was very young. Even the twins were in their thirties.
However, Kasuur's inexperience wasn't the problem. At least, it wasn't his inexperience with the forest or this adventure. It was his inexperience with people.
Like all worries, though, this one subsided. After a while, Kasuur got used to the environment and became quiet.
"It seems we can't go any further."
Kasuur suddenly turned around and looked at the Master, who was speaking in surprise.
"Why?"
The old man was looking at the sky, and one of the twins walking with him was looking around anxiously. Kasuur looked up at the sky, too.
"It's getting dark. Walking on the Red Road at night is deadly. We must stop," said Hang, one of the twins. The other twin quickly entered the forest and began searching for shelter.
"Do other people know this? What if they wander around at night?" Kasuur asked. Although he was here as part of the fighting force, he felt more useless than the twins. This was surprising. Before this adventure, Kasuur had never been eager to learn.
Perhaps the enlightenment Maria was waiting for wasn't so far away.
But it wasn't very close, either. Kasuur wasn't completely thickheaded, but he was determined not to see what he didn't want to see.
"The Red Road Forest is home to powerful beasts. Entering their territory at night and waking them from their slumber will cause a massacre. Someone will cause such a massacre tonight," said Hang. They didn't have many supplies with them. Jalal, of course, wasn't there. They didn't have much food, either.
'Not everyone knows.'
Kasuur looked at the men preparing camp in front of him. It was so easy for them to accept someone's death. Was this really the right attitude for the forest? He had never acted this way before. It was as if he were walking in his backyard.
But he had never gone this deep into the forest before.
"What about Maria? What about Mais? Do they know?" Kasuur asked in a panic. John paused for a moment to think, then continued organizing his things.
"I don't know. But since they kept us as their guides, maybe they didn't know. I hope Jalal survives. Even if they forget his supplies, that's fine too. The supplies we have will only last us two nights. We'll either enter the Legacy tomorrow or find Jalal," John said. The other boy, Mang, turned around, and the three of them set off for the new place he had found. However, Kasuur was still confused.
"Why? I mean, why are we taking shelter somewhere? Couldn't we just camp here? Would it be too cold?"
Kasuur didn't think the forest would be windy. It was surrounded by tall trees, and he had once passed through it with Mais. They hadn't walked all night, but they had walked after dark. Nothing had happened to them.
The old man raised his head and looked at the innocent child, then shook his head. Kasuur was young and didn't understand certain things. That's why John was there.
"If someone makes the mistake of waking someone up at night, it would be better for us to stay in a safe area so we don't get in their way."
Kasuur followed John with a bewildered look and looked up at the moon in the sky.
'I need to find Mais.'
***
Far ahead of the two groups, a young girl walked through the night, covered in dirt. She was alone, her face and clothes filthy. She walked wearily, swaying as she went. She raised her head and saw faint trails of smoke rising into the sky. A murderous intent appeared in her eyes.
'Whoever it is.'
This young girl had experienced the troubles of night travel firsthand.
She approached the camp silently, but with every step she took, the drops running down her body made a sound as they fell to the ground. It was a noise that an attentive cultivator would not find difficult to notice.
She decided to speed up, but then she saw a figure in the darkness. It was someone big and tall, probably a man.
"Who are you?"
It wasn't the young girl who asked. As she reached for her waist bag, the figure in front of her took a few steps forward and stepped into the moonlight. The charismatic figure revealed his identity by extending his revolver toward the young girl.
The young girl was surprised, too. Her hand remained in her waist bag.
"M-Malehit?"
It was a question. This question surprised Malehit. He narrowed his eyes, trying to recognize the woman in the darkness. It took him a while, but he finally did. Her beauty was hidden in the dirt and mud, making it difficult to perceive.
"Maria?"
The figure covered in dirt who had emerged from the darkness was none other than Maria, the young genius of the Yellow City. Water dripped from her clothes, and moss covered her face. There was no trace of her former beauty.
"You...what happened?"
Malehit knew night journeys were dangerous, but seeing someone who had actually made such a journey was something else entirely.
Maria wasn't sure if she should be happy. Even though Malehit was their friend, he could be quite unstable. Maria didn't know him very well. Was following him really a good idea?
Still, she smiled, took her hand out of her belt pouch, and zipped it up. At that moment, though, Malehit couldn't tell if her hands were empty or full.
"I encountered a Sage monster. I had to dive into the river to escape and suddenly found myself in a swamp. I think that's enough to explain the situation."
Malehit looked at Maria's hands first, then lowered his weapon and smiled.
"Gomez and I are camping ahead. Would you like to join us?" he asked. Upon hearing this, Maria stopped covering her hands. Without thinking twice, she walked toward Malehit.
"I wouldn't say no to a little friendship and warmth."
Besides, Maria didn't have anything in her hands anyway.