Lei and Sora transported Loki to the cave. He was not injured, but he had been under great psychological pressure for some time. Although Lei's invocations were more energy-consuming, Loki was less enduring and he had maintained his invocation much longer.

Only arcanists of the level of Sora or higher are capable of sustaining their simplest invocations, in other words arcanists of rank B to B+ at the very least. Beyond that, their natural production of Enkainias was not sufficient to ensure its maintenance.

In the team, only Sora and Lily are therefore able to fight without almost ever running out of energy. On the condition that their invocations are not too energy consuming.

The two girls laid Loki down on a small pile of leaves. Lily remained at his bedside, while Sora went to fetch water from the nearby river.

More than just a river, it was a small stream with many rapids. It wasn't really easy to get water from it, but Lei's singularity made things much easier. Although it only made her more exhausted, she had still decided to do it, and they didn't really think they would fight any more during that day.

The two girls went home and began to grill meat for lunch. Loki woke up shortly before lunch was ready. So they decided to take stock of the situation by eating their meal around the fire. Loki was the first to speak.

"I don't think I can fight anymore for today, to be honest."

Lei looked at him and sighed:

"I'm in the same situation. I can still easily use my katana, but it will be difficult for me to reuse my singularity without suffering the consequences. I think we should rest for the end of the day."

Sora, on the other hand, did not share this opinion.

"I think we should explore the region more. This pack was relatively large, and quite confident, almost authoritarian. I don't think there are many other wolves around, and I'm still able to fight if we were to face the two survivors."

"For my part, I am of the same opinion as Sora. We can't afford to waste any more time. It has already taken us two days to reach this place. Although on this third day we have already killed five wolves, it won't be enough. No one is truly injured, we should at least send two people to explore the area so that we know where to go from tomorrow."

The four members of the group quickly came to an agreement.

"Good, Lily, Sora, you will go and explore the surroundings. Personally, I will rest here with Loki, to protect him if necessary. It's best that we stay in groups of at least two so that we don't take any risks. Above all, avoid fighting at all costs!"

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" " Good " "

Sora and Lily left quickly. Indeed, it was already 2.00 pm, and unfortunately night was falling fast. They decided to continue walking along the cliff in the same direction as the day before. Their journey was only a short one, because after a few hundred meters they faced what looked like a gigantic valley. They decided not to continue, because at the bottom of this valley many wolf howls could be heard.

"Let's go home, Lily. "

"Yes, I think we should continue to explore around here tomorrow. "

The two girls thus entered the cave. When they returned, Loki was asleep, while Lei was already preparing the evening meal. Unfortunately, for the sixth time in a row, they ate foxes. The meat of the canids was unfortunately full of toxins and easily carried diseases, so it was not really safe for humans to eat. In order to prevent possible risks, they decided not to eat these wolves. Lei had therefore made sure to hide the bodies so as not to attract anything in the vicinity.

The three girls quickly discussed the path they would take the next day. This valley was so huge that they were already talking about spending the week in this cave and gradually exploring the neighbouring valley.

When the meal was ready, they woke Loki up and ate quickly before going to bed. They decided to go to bed early in order to get up at dawn the next day. This way their time will be all the more available as they will have time to get to the cave before nightfall.

The next day, the four cave dwellers woke gently to the songs of the forest birds. These graceful songs offered a little tenderness to them, soothing their spirits. Thus, even for a person as difficult to wake up as Sora, it was relatively easy for her this time.

Everyone did his or her morning toilet, or at least what was possible to do in the middle of the forest in any case. Luckily, it was easy for them to wash themselves thanks to Lily's singularity. On the other hand, they had to rely on the natural drying of their hair. Although they were also able to clean their clothes, they were not able to change them either.

Soon, each of them was ready to leave, and so they set off for the valley. Their morning exploration occurred without incident. They encountered some wild animals, but nothing problematic, as they were only small predators, or herbivores.

The afternoon, on the other hand, was much more eventful. Only an hour after their meal, they met a small pack of wolves, much weaker than yesterday's pack. They easily managed to confront them, and managed to kill two of them before the last two ran away. They were a little disappointed, as their count was not really rising, as many targets were fleeing at each fight.

Thus ended the first day, because after this fight they decided to return home again, to their cave. Once again, no one was hurt. This time Loki had used his singularity sparingly, so he was able to keep conscious. Unfortunately, he was still greatly exhausted, and so was Lei. Sora and Loki, for their part, only felt a vague tingling in their calves from walking. What was certain was that they were not unhappy once back in their cave.

So the routine continued for three days. They eliminated several wolf packs and were feared by many of the remaining predators in the valley. So much so that in four days the western part of the valley seemed completely explored. They therefore agreed to continue their hunt on the eastern side of the valley.

This area was slightly less wooded. It was mainly characterised by its difference in altitude. Indeed, by pure contrast with the western part of this valley, which was relatively flat, the east was directly towards the Misty Mountains.

The exploration was then even more tiring. This area was also much less lively. During their first exploration, they encountered almost no wild animals, and mostly harmless herbivores.

However, it was on their second day of hunting in this area that things began to change. Firstly, on that day the mist was particularly thick. Visibility was almost nil and it was difficult to find your way around. Nevertheless, they managed to do so thanks to the marks left by Lei during their repeated passages.

Fog was not the only problem that day. The clouds were extremely dark, and a thunderstorm broke out in the valley. The level of the rivers had risen greatly, making some corners difficult to explore. The wind was strong, with gusts ripping off leaves, branches and sometimes even whole trees.

The group was eventually forced to cross a raging stream if they wished to continue their exploration. Fortunately, the stream was usually calm and small, so the raging version was not a big problem for them either. It was only after crossing it that problems arose: a powerful growl was heard, capable of chilling the blood of the bravest people. It was so powerful that Sora trembled to the depths of her soul.