John knew he had only five days to complete his quest, and the clock was already ticking. He wanted to cover all the existing paths on the first day to pinpoint the direction of the den and validate Elena's method. However, the plan hit an immediate snag.
The paths they had carved over the past ten days were no longer clear; large numbers of monsters were roaming the corridors of light, forcing the trio to waste precious time clearing the way before they'd reach the end of every path and begin their tests.
As the situation proved to be different from what they expected, and when John realised how long and deep each path extended, he decided to slightly change the plan.
At certain intervals, John would signal for a halt and let Elena take command. She would point toward the four cardinal directions, and John would use from their stockpiled cores to extend narrow, temporary paths outward, ending them in spacious, circular hunting grounds.
