After brushing off the dust that had settled on my pants upon landing, I made my way back outside through the still-intact cave passage.
The tunnel, deep as a throat, appeared untouched by the battle's aftermath, without even a single visible crack. Strange, perhaps, but I wasn't interested in investigating further.
As the sunlight grew harsher, it reminded me that it was time to rejoin my companions.
Emerging from the cave, the first thing I saw—aside from the expansive view of the valley—was her.
Shaowen stood leaning against a rock wall, an expression of concern on her face that seemed to be on account of me.
"Oh! You're safe."
Seeing me return unharmed, her worry visibly shifted to relief, clearing the gloom from her face.
"Our opponent has been taken care of. Let's go meet up with Avik."
"I'm here…"
Stepping out from the shadows, Avik's movements were unsteady.
"Are you all right?"
Shaowen cast a concerned glance at Avik, who was crouched down to rest.
"It's nothing, just an old issue."
"If you really can't go on, let's call for someone from the city to pick us up."
"…In that case, I'd appreciate it."
"Give me just a moment."
Shaowen pulled out a black signaling orb from her pouch, and with a sharp crack, crushed it in her hand.
"The signal's been sent. If all goes well, someone should be here in five seconds…"
Her words prompted me to count silently, 1…2…3…4…5…
Uh…
Where was the help?
"No one came? They should be here by now…"
"I'll just help him get back."
"Oh, right, I'll cancel the support."
"…Thanks for that."
***
And so, we started the walk back to the city along the route we'd come from.
It was a quiet journey, peaceful. The others might not have noticed, but at least I was feeling utterly calm.
That is, until—
—the imposing silhouette of the main city began to rise into view.
But something was off—very off. This time, the city didn't look right.
Thick, dark smoke was billowing from within, twisting into shapes like countless serpents, stretching out toward the clear sky.
Alongside the distant rumbling of explosions, a sharp sense of danger surged within me.
"What… what's going on over there?"
"If I'm not mistaken, it seems the city is under attack."
With that, Avik shrugged off my support and broke into a sprint toward the city gates.
Seems his legs were just fine now.
"Come on, hurry!"
Shaowen ran after Avik, an unusual anxiety evident in her expression and movements.
"We'd just finished dealing with the Undying King and the God of Death, and I was hoping to finally get a good rest…"
What else could I say? I had no choice but to push forward.