They decided not to travel yet.
The arena's impact had shaken all of them.
Ethan spent much of the time reviewing strategies and maps, recalculating routes and possibilities. Elenya sharpened arrows and trained her aim, bleeding off the lingering irritation that still haunted the city. Marcus stretched as if he were about to fight again in five minutes, repeating movements until his body finally accepted rest.
Emanueru practiced healing magic carefully, far too aware of his own limits after coming dangerously close to them more than once.
And Jay…
Jay trained with the shield for the next battle.
FWAM!
He slammed it into a training log. The pistons lit up, absorbing the impact, pulsing in shades of orange.
KA-THUM!
A kinetic burst exploded forward, cracking the wood.
Sienna watched from a rock, chewing on a piece of bread.
"Okay… I'll admit it. That's way too cool."
Jay blushed.
"Yeah… I… I'm training so I don't embarrass myself when Taiga asks if it worked."
"Wow. That kiss really did a number on you, huh."
Jay almost choked on air.
"SIENNA!!"
She raised her hands, pretending innocence.
"What? I said kiss. I didn't say crime. Relax, lovestruck tank."
Marcus laughed in the background.
Jay covered his face with the shield.
"I should've let you fight Kaelyn. You two would've killed each other and I'd have peace."
"If you want, I can start right now," Sienna replied, summoning a small wolf made of blue flames just to provoke him.
Jay took two steps back.
"It was a joke! It was a joooooooke!"
Ethan showed up carrying freshly cut fruit.
"Rest. All of you. Tomorrow we travel."
Later, they ate together around a small campfire.
Sienna told, for the tenth time, how she "almost defeated the Sin of Wrath alone before fainting theatrically." Marcus narrated proudly how he had decapitated a three-meter barbarian. Emanueru exaggerated stories as always, claiming he saved "seven lives" when, in reality, it had only been Jay and Marcus… three times.
Jay, despite the embarrassment, smiled.
Elenya simply watched, with the satisfied look of someone watching a family grow.
Ethan ended the night staring at the red sky, already beginning to lose its color now that Wrath had fallen.
"Enjoy this day," he murmured. "The next one will be heavier."
The following morning dawned quiet.
No screams.
No explosions.
No Sienna promising to summon creatures to chase someone down.
The group slept in—so rare that Marcus woke up startled, convinced they were being attacked for having rested too much.
When Jay opened his eyes, he realized his posture felt different. Firmer. Less "human punching bag with a shield" and more "human punching bag with a shield and personality."
Sienna woke up last, shuffling out of the room like a ninety-eight-year-old grandmother getting out of bed.
"Guys…" she rubbed her eyes. "I discovered new muscles in my body. And all of them hate me."
Emanueru handed her a steaming mug.
"It's called tea. It heals fifteen percent of your morale and five percent of your dignity."
"Oh, shut up…" Sienna drank and sighed, as if she'd just received liquid mana.
When everything was ready, Ethan adjusted his backpack and gave the order:
"Time to go."
Elenya stowed her bow.
Jay adjusted the shield on his arm, more confident than ever.
Sienna paused at the city's exit—now rebuilt by the NPCs—and looked back for a moment.
"Next stop?"
Ethan checked the map.
"The City of Pride. The mirror-city."
Sienna snapped her fingers.
"Perfect. After sleeping through a boss fight, I've got plenty of confirmable pride to spend."
Marcus laughed.
Jay rolled his eyes.
And the group followed the red road—until the crimson began to blend with an arrogant gold on the horizon.
The next sin was waiting.