Sid POV

  Sid was glad that, for once, things were going as he had envisioned. The surrounding forest stayed quiet, the usual rustling controlled and predictable, with no unexpected surprises, no rogue dungeon monsters, no one out to kill him. It almost felt out of the norm for him, considering the last few days, and that made him uneasy.

  He walked at the forefront of their formation, stepping over exposed roots and uneven soil while using his eyesight-related skill and stealth-related skill at every opportunity. Rote use was not the most efficient way to level the skills, but repetition helped at the early stages.

  “Let’s take five. It’s been an hour since Pallavi’s lunch,” said Rohan, his eyes flicking to his watch and then ahead.

  The group slowed. Varun turned toward Pallavi with a concerned frown. “How are you feeling? Any buzzing in your head or visuals?”

  “No, I’m fine.” Pallavi’s posture was calm and alert as she took a bottle of water from her backpack and took a sip.

  Sid said nothing. He kept scanning the area, shifting his grip on the staff. The faint extension of his senses through it felt like a breath spreading outward. Holding it directly gave him more control, even if other methods were technically possible.

  Enchanted items needed direct contact with the body to function. He could have tied the staff against his back or tucked it under his clothing, freeing a hand for another weapon, and the range would have stayed the same. Still, direct grip felt better to him, more responsive, and he trusted that instinct more than convenience.

  It did not mean someone could cover themselves with enchanted items. If they did, their souls would get overloaded, and none of the effects could manifest. The number of items one could use increased with one’s tier.

  “Are we being followed?” Pallavi asked. Her voice held a hint of caution now. She had been watching Sid’s head movements, and even small shifts from him put the others on alert. Rohan paused mid-bite with his mushrooms, raising a brow.

  “No, I’m just being careful.” Sid met Pallavi’s gaze briefly. It was enough to reassure her, though her shoulders stayed a little tense. He turned his attention back to the canopy and the undergrowth. After traveling for more than a day, they should be approaching the Silkenfang Matriarch’s territory. That alone demanded vigilance.

  He was worried about more than just spiders—avoiding pointless encounters was also part of the training plan. The ‘Yellowback Porcupine’ from yesterday was a perfect example. The beast had been moving in their direction and would’ve intercepted them if it had been a tad faster. It dropped mostly incompatible skills, and Sid didn’t want to waste time and stamina. He had the team circle the area and avoid it.

  “We can turn back after an hour, right Sid?” Rohan swallowed before asking, his hand hovering near his pack as if for comfort.

  “I think we have more time, Rohan.” Sid moved his eyes from Rohan to the canopy and back. “If there are spiders nearby, we might get enough crystals to level your Mana Web.”

  “I’d rather we got back to that cave before sundown.” Rohan’s voice tightened, and he rubbed his arms together. “I still get chills thinking about that ambush.”

  “Come on, man. You won’t progress if you don’t challenge your fears.” Varun gave Rohan a soft punch on the shoulder. “I almost died to that goblin. Do you see me complaining?”

  “There is something wrong with you, Varun. That’s not normal. You should get yourself checked as soon as you can,” Pallavi’s deadpan tone carried through the still air beneath the thick canopy.

  Varun blinked, then let out a soft snort. Rohan laughed under his breath.

  Sid was glad to see her opening up and interacting with the team. After the incident with those kids, he had expected her to keep her distance. Taking a life for the first time could leave a person shattered. He had watched soldiers crumble under guilt they never admitted aloud.

  After George left, Sid had told her she could talk to him if she ever needed to. He left it at that, choosing not to push. If the guilt was affecting her negatively, he would have stepped in. But she carried herself with more strength than he expected.

  She had bounced back faster than most, and was tougher than she looked.

  Varun narrowed his eyes at her, though the upward curl of his lip betrayed him. “You know what. I want a rematch after I evolve my skill.”

  “You have a death wish or something. She has around thirty points in the Strength stat. She’ll decimate you.” Rohan pointed at Varun with his palm, eyebrows raised. Despite the warning, he was smiling.

  “That’s only if she can catch me. I’m close to getting my Dash skill up to the Uncommon rank.” Varun stood straighter, shoulders rolling back with confidence.

  The first monsters they had faced after leaving the camp were a family of boars. Three boars had burst out of the brush at once, hooves thundering. Their team worked together without hesitation, and the fight ended quickly. The reward had been three Dash crystals. Varun absorbed them immediately, grinning like he had won a prize. Now he was only two levels away from the evolution point—level twenty.

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  “You are talking as if you are so fast. You couldn’t even catch those goblins yesterday.” Pallavi’s retort was sharp, though her lips curved upward. A hint of amusement warmed her usually flat tone.

  Sid noted the shift. It was miles better than the distant stiffness she’d shown before.

  Yesterday’s ambush replayed in Sid’s mind. They had been resting when the goblins crept toward them. Sid planned to circle around and take advantage of the moment, only to miss spotting the slinger crouched farther back. When the goblins realized their ambush had failed, they ran in every direction, slipping through the trees with surprising speed.

  That was how sentient monsters behaved. They were hostile by design, but valued survival. Unlike non-sentient beasts, they recognized losing battles early and retreated to try again later.

  Sid had even read about instances where the native races made use of sentient monsters to achieve their goals, though those required specific circumstances and a great deal of luck.

  Varun’s eyes narrowed, but the corners of the lips stayed up as he squared up against Pallavi. “It was because of these guys.” He pointed at Sid and then shifted his hand toward Rohan. “They stopped me before I could catch up.”

  “Somebody had to. You wouldn’t last a day in this place without supervision.” Sid joined the bandwagon of picking on Varun.

  “Yeah, we don’t have a healer here to patch you up,” said Rohan. His words slowed as soon as he saw Varun’s expression shift downward, the spark draining from his face. The reminder clearly hit too close to Aditi.

  Aditi remained a touchy subject for Varun. Was that a grudge or something else? wondered Sid, noticing the tightening of Varun’s jaw.

  A short silence formed, the kind that threatened to turn uncomfortable. Rohan stepped in quickly. “Sid, we achieved what we set out to do, right?” He paused between his words but did not wait for Sid or the others to answer. “We stayed away from camp for a night, got a few levels. There’s no reason to risk more by staying out here. Let’s go back to the cave and rest.”

  It was becoming clear to Sid that there was an issue within his team, one related to motivation. Varun and Pallavi carried a restlessness, a hunger to get stronger. It pushed them toward harder fights and more training, even when caution would have been wiser. They wanted strength for its own sake.

  Rohan valued safety above everything. If someone told him rescue would arrive after a few weeks, he would gladly hide inside a bunker until the deadline passed. Strength, for him, was only a means to last another day.

  Although Sid liked to think that he was like Varun and Pallavi, striving for power for its own sake, he knew he was more like Rohan. The difference was knowledge. Sid knew what awaited them. He knew how small humanity’s strength truly was against Kaliga, no matter how confidently they pretended otherwise.

  He could have moved faster if his team had consisted only of people like Varun and Pallavi. Still, the idea of leaving Rohan behind felt wrong. Sid would rather take the harder path. If their positions were reversed, Sid knew he would be the one hesitating and calculating risks. He wanted Rohan, his friend and old boss, to become someone who could thrive in what was coming, not just cling to survival.

  Sid met Rohan’s gaze. “Stop thinking of that cave as a safe space, Rohan.” He glanced at Varun and Pallavi to check if they were listening. “It’s not secure. Monsters could have taken it already. It might even be occupied by goblins right now.”

  “We are living on borrowed time if we balk at the first sign of danger,” Sid said, standing with confidence. “If there is danger, we will face it head-on. Just be sure that we will not go looking for it.” He shifted his gaze toward Varun during the last part.

  Varun’s lips twitched, accepting the jab without complaint, and some of the tension eased. Sid let out a slow breath. The joke was as much for him as for them. It felt strange, even hypocritical, giving that speech when he was about to lead them straight into the hive of the Silkenfang Matriarch.

  “Yeah, Rohan, we haven’t actually hit all our goals yet. I need three more skills to upgrade Dash, Sid still needs a new skill, and Pallavi has to reach thirty strength. We have plenty left to do.” Varun pulled Rohan into a loose side hug, giving his shoulder a firm pat. “Besides, the cave started smelling ever since Sid used it as his personal toilet.” He shot Sid a sideways glance full of mock accusation.

  Sid ignored him, though the jab hit close to the excuse he had used twice before. After all, it was the cave with two monsters that gave out black crystals. There should be something special about it. However, unlike last time, there were no hidden monsters he could find.

  “Yeah, Rohan. Let’s keep going. If we get a Mana Shield skill, you can take it,” Pallavi said, her expression brightening. “Since you are afraid of getting hit.”

  Rohan let out a short laugh and nodded, though there was a hint of hesitation. Sid noticed it. Rohan interacted more cautiously with Pallavi than he ever did with Aditi. When they teased Varun together, it flowed naturally. One on one, the rapport had not settled into comfort yet.

  The group resumed their journey soon after. About thirty minutes in, Sid paused, raising his palm to signal the others to stop. “I heard something.”

  The team went on high alert, secondary weapons appearing in less dominant hands. Their posture tightened.

  Sid angled his head toward the left and stepped sideways for a better line of sight. He spotted a jerky movement pressed close to the base of a tree.

  Varun followed Sid’s gaze and strode toward it, spear pointed forward. He tapped the ground ahead of him with the shaft, checking for tripwires or pressure triggers.

  “Careful,” Sid said, his voice low, trailing behind Varun toward the source of the disturbance.

  They reached a small open patch and saw a boar wedged awkwardly between a tree and a large rock. Its legs kicked helplessly, scraping dirt. The image brought back memories of their very first encounter inside the dungeon.

  “Easy kill.” Varun shifted the spear into his weaker hand, lifted it, and held his dagger with a reverse grip in his dominant one. He stepped forward with confidence, eager to push his skill closer to the next level.

  “Wait.” Sid turned toward Rohan.

  “I’ll check for traps. I can escape using Backstep if something goes wrong,” Rohan said. He nodded once, tightened his grip on the spear, and approached with controlled, steady steps.

  Sid watched closely, tension building with each swing of Rohan’s spear. When Rohan widened his arc, Sid spotted a faint shimmer of a thread catching the light. In the same heartbeat, Rohan reacted, triggering Backstep.

  A huge net launched outward, expanding in a sweeping motion, and slammed around the tree. It smothered the boar and boulder in one heavy wrap, pulling tight enough to shake loose dirt from the roots.

  “What the heck?” Varun said, pausing between each word. “That seems like a trap made for the entire team.”

  Or something much bigger than a human, Sid thought. He realized things were about to get complicated, since they were not the only ones here planning to hunt the spiders.

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