Turning his attention away from the bright red writing, the redhead ever so slowly made his way over to the dozing Vox Lion, ignoring Psych's immediate objections. Though common sense dictated he stay as far from the creature as possible, there was something gnawing at the back of his mind, drawing him to inspect everything within the rooms interior.

Including the very creature that could end his life with a mere swipe of its rope-like tail.

Vox Lions were apex predators of the monsters that roamed the various worlds, regarded as one of the strongest beings, to the point where they were very near counted as one of the 14 main races within Ornera and its offshoots. Vastly intelligent, practically unrivaled in terms of strength and magic, and possessing unique characteristics unlike those of regular monsters, most adventurers and Rift Hunters steered clear of the entities entirely. Even newly born Vox Lions were the size of large dogs and could level a squad of Gold rank adventurers like a house of cards in the wind. Such a threat that even the WGC put a Flee On Sight order, they refused to offer rewards for any Vox Lion that was killed to discourage newbies from hunting them and getting themselves slaughtered in the process.

If all that wasn't enough, the behemoths themselves were pack animals. They never strayed too far from other members of their pack. So, it was genuinely weird to see one on its own, even if it was obviously being held in captivity.

(("Judging from its size, fur color, and shape of its mane.")) Jak kneeled about three feet away from the sleeping monster, eyeing it's most prominent features. (("It's about 3 months old. Comes from the world of Yggdrem. A Midnight variant. Could it belong to the same pack as Jiksey? The odds are pretty slim. There are hundreds of packs on that given world. Logical to assume that this one could easily belong to any branches descended from Jiksey's litter."))

The coat of the young Vox Lion was pitch black from head to toe, a shade of black that was akin to the darkest shadow, blending in perfectly with the night. A thick line of red ran down the creatures back, ending just at the end of the tail whilst numerous streaks of the exact same color lined the neck area. The young cub wasn't yet old enough to possess a mane but the fur was definitely thicker and fluffier around its throat, enough for Jak to know it was male without having to glance over its genitalia. Situated just above the Vox Lions closed eyes was a large diamond shaped mark, the red line that traced along the creatures back having extended from this very shape.

(("Definitely seems like Jiksey's kin. Did Uglio and his cohorts travel to Yggdrem?")) Jak touched the ground with an index finger, crimson hues flicking over the creature. (("If they did then that would leave a trace we can follow. Could lead us to the one who's backing this rogue Mapel. Very few would know this particular type of Vox Lion so I doubt they took any precautions."))

After sifting through a few thoughts, the redhead pushed off the ground, intending to get back onto his feet. However, just out of the corner of his eye, he noticed one of the Lion cubs paws, pulling his attention back onto the beast.

(("Do you HAVE a death wish?!!")) Psych questioned, her voice echoing in the Rookies head. (("Just because you can't be sensed doesn't mean you get all up in its face!! It's STILL a predator and you're STILL just a child!!"))

(("And you're still annoying,")) Jak sighed, sending her a mental reply. (("I know what I'm doing. Psycho."))

(("It's PSYCH CHO!!"))

(("Is that right...."))

Psych furrowed her brow in frustration as she cut off her mental contact with the fiery redhead. (("I wonder how those two managed to get along so well. A walking headache. I swear, every Yanda I meet turns out to be as reckless and insufferable as the one before. Still, the two of them couldnt be more different in the current time."))

Letting out a huff, Psych went back to the task at hand, feeding as much Intel to the Coalition as she could manage and as fast as she could manage.

This, in actuality, was far from easy and it was the main reason she couldn't just jump in to save Jak like she wanted.

For one, it was the nature of the spell itself. Arc Enlightenment was a spell created to envelope a given area, be it a town, kingdom, country, or even a world, and relay everything within it's confines to Psych, allowing her to witness the ongoings in real time. Only downside was the cooldown when it was used. If said properly and used to it fullest, it required around 6 hours before it could be used again, 3 hours if she butchered it and only used half of its power. It could also only be cast when Psych was fixed to one position, meaning she couldn't stray too far from whence it was activated.

In other words, the moment she used Arc Enlightenment to pinpoint Jaks whereabouts, she was unable to be of any physical use to anyone. It wasn't like she could relay the information quickly either and jump into the room with the Vox Lion for one on one combat.

In a situation with so many people moving at once, she had to keep the spacial field up for as long as possible in order to keep the Coalition updated. It wasn't as simple as relaying the entrances to the Maze Rooms or telling them where the enemy was currently stationed. It was also her job to track the potential threats, pinpoint Uglio Mapel, analyze his plans and transfer all the aquired data to the proper groups so they could prepare countermeasures. Her True Magic was the main reason that Sir Lugoh had sent her on the mission in the first place as opposed to those who were far stronger than she was and much more suited to combat. She was also the only one who could upend the various subplots happening all around her, the ones that still had yet to make any sense.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

She wasn't privy to the details but according to Lugoh, this whole expedition was only serving as a smokescreen for some deeper purpose. Plenty of evidence existed but none of them could point to the ones responsible.

So, she couldn't afford to move.

Best she could do as a Support Class Rift Hunter was cast Arc Reduction and have the youth wait for help.

Tap. Tap.

"Hey, Psych Cho was it? I was told you needed a little bit of help?"

_-_-_-_-_-_-

Jak edged slightly closer to the slumbering beast, even more so than he had before, his bright red eyes fixated on the lions extended claws.

Dried up blood.

That's what the redhead was seeing, or rather it was the most likely thing to exist over the other possible options. It wasn't really that noticeable upon a first glance, Jak having only seen it due to his careful observations, but it was impossible to write off once spotted. Splotches of red, varying in size and thickness, coated the Vox Lions left claw, even spreading out to some tufts of fur lining the edge of the sharpened nails.

(("Thats.....interesting. Did they feed him while he was down here?")) Jak rose onto his feet. (("He certainly looks well fed. Definitely not malnourished or lacking food. At the same time, the walls and floor are clean and there's no blood around the other parts of him such as the mouth and the other paw. Why just that one?"))

There was also the fact that Vox Lions groomed themselves and kept clean utilizing various methods such as licking and rubbing against other objects. Even as soon as a month old, they adopted the habit of regularly maintaining their fur coats, claws, and even their very own paw pads. Despite being seen by the worlds as wild beasts, they took very good care of themselves and practiced habits that would upkeep their own health such as only hunting prey that didnt appear sickly and refraining from straying too far from their own established diets. Even fresh off a meal, a 3 month old cub SHOULD have fully cleaned themselves up.

Obviously there were outliers to this unwritten rule and Jak wasn't fully aware of all the circumstances, but it was definitely odd and worth noting.

"You know, it's rude not to acknowledge others."

The crimson katana exited its sheath with lightning speed, halting just before it cut into the one who had spoken.

"You really should work on your manners more. Bonehead."

Jak waited a few moments, fighting off some intrusive thoughts before ultimately pulling his weapon away from his friends throat. Stuffing it back into its holster, the redhead scowled at the new arrival, his crimson eyes meeting a pair of bright blue hues.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Jak said, keeping his voice just above a whisper. "Moron."

"On what door?" Mako replied, using his regular voice, not even bothering to worry about his volume level. "Maybe on your thick skull? Pretty sure that's hollow enough."

"I can make YOU hollow," Jak shot back casually, hand on the katanas hilt. "We can start with the head. You don't use it much anyways."

Mako let out a small noise, almost like a stifled laugh. Giving the redhead a small nod, he walked up and placed a hand on the teens shoulder. "Good to see you're okay Jak. Had me worried for a second."

"You aren't the only one. If Psych wasn't here with me, I probably would've died. I was only saved by mere circumstance."

(("Oh so NOW you wanna praise me,")) Psych interjected, sounding annoyed.

(("I didn't praise you,")) The redhead readily replied. (("Merely stating the process of events. I don't praise others for doing the jobs their required to do-"))

Psych furrowed her eyebrows. (("You think I was REQUIRED-"))

(("-But,")) Jak glanced in the direction of the Vox Lion, away from Mako. (("I do offer it to those who went out of their way to defend those who need it, despite the potential consequences."))

A moment of pure silence fell over the three adventurers, where the only sound came from the soft snores offered by the slumbering feline.

(("So. Thank you. Psych Cho."))

Psych wanted to stay upset and indignant but she found herself unable to, a smile forcing its way onto her face. Coming from someone who had never showed any emotions that weren't exclusively negative, getting a thank you in conjuction with hearing her own name said properly might as well have been akin to getting a hug and a kiss on the cheek for a job well done. The boy didn't seem to have many redeeming qualities due to his rough edges, but he was slowly but surely beginning to rub off on her, if only just a little bit at a time. He was definitely difficult to converse with, but it was still the most fun she had had compared to the common dregs that only worshipped the ground she walked on due to her Second General status.

"I guess you two are more alike than I thought," Psych said aloud. Her neon orange hues took on a glassy look as an image of her old friend flashed through her mind. "You never were good at admitting your feelings were you, Dante. Like Master like student I suppose."

(("Of course,")) The Buttermoth once again sent some mental messages down to Jak in reply to the redheads gratitude. (("Can't have little Jakklo dying in a desert. He still has yet to hit puberty."))

(("Don't push it."))

Psych let out a peal of laughter as she shifted her attention from the Elemental Rookies and onto her appointed task.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Back At The Golden Tavern

----------------

It was cluttered as usual, but in the best way possible. Individuals coming in and out, leaving with smiles on their faces and heads held high. Yelling and casual chatter filled the air and resonated throughout the confines of the tavern, breathing life into the atmosphere. It was one of the moments where Hugoh genuinely enjoyed his job and looked forward to serving those around him. Though it also helped that his adoptive nephew had returned to Intok without any sort of injury.

"Hey Hugoh!!! Five more rounds over here??!! We going for gold!!"

Hugoh cracked a grin. "Yeah. And if you skip out on the tab this time around I'll see your hide hung over the tallest tree in Avarron. You're up more than twenty gold coins."

"What??? When the heck-"

"Excuse me but may I have a word?" A soft female voice interrupted the shocked customer. "I would like to purchase some information regarding Jak Yanda."

Almost the second the final sentence left the newcomers lips, the entire tavern fell silent, to the point where one could hear a pin drop. The back and forth conversations that had kept the place so cheerful ceased so abruptly one could have mistaken it for an audio recording getting stopped in its tracks. It was hard to say if the cloaked individual found this to be alarming, but it did cause the person to glance around briefly.

Hugoh himself didn't seem bothered, but his eyes did hold a sort of caution. "Sorry but that information isn't for sale. You'd be better off searching elsewhere. If you would like a drink though-"

"I wasn't asking." The air around the individual grew colder and sharper. From the cloak, the individual placed something onto the counter. "I'm telling you to sell me the information on Jaks whereabouts."

Hugoh looked at the object placed on the table, hues gazing over it for around half a minute before letting out a slow sigh. Without a word, the barkeeper slowly stood up straight, standing at his full height. The air grew thick and heavy, as if the very atmosphere was vibrating. All around, people began to rise from their seats, the sound of weapons being drawn echoing through the silent perimeter. Murderous intent surrounded the cloaked individual, forcing her to rise from her seat and take a few steps back.

"Choose your next words carefully child," Hugoh said. "They may very well be your last."