Without dwelling on why the two had suddenly changed their minds, Ethan Grant seized the opportunity and hurried away.
He sprinted for a long while. When he could no longer see the two of them, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
He checked his Intelligent Brain. Going after the White Mallow Flower had taken him even farther from his squad. It looked like it would take him much longer to get back now.
Perhaps because of his previous experience of being caught by Nathan Lockwood, Ethan Grant was much more cautious this time. He stopped wandering around and decided to head straight for his squad to regroup.
The crimson sunset already hung above the branches. The forest of towering trees had grown dark, with only the highest treetops catching the orange light.
The farther he walked, the dimmer the sky grew.
The forest was so quiet, the only sounds were the faint chirping of insects and birds, and his own footsteps rustling through the leaves.
Ethan Grant cursed his bad luck. He had been so vigilant, yet he still walked right into it.
The moment his foot landed in a small hollow, his spiritual power flared, becoming uncontrollably agitated.
He warily scanned his surroundings and backed away, but no matter how he retreated, the unsettling agitation clung to him like a shadow.
...
Nathan Lockwood sending Ethan Grant away was something Zoe Pierce had expected. After all, he'd said he wanted to train her spiritual power, which meant it would be difficult to keep it a secret.
Sending him away was the only way to make the most of the situation.
But now, without Ethan Grant, an immediate silence fell between them, as neither was particularly talkative.
It was Nathan Lockwood who finally broke the silence. "Let's go. We need to find a place to rest."
This spot was fine for a brief stop, but not for spending the night.
It was too exposed; they could attract Xenobeasts or other people from any direction.
When it came to wilderness survival, ten of her probably couldn't match one Nathan Lockwood. She trusted his judgment and followed obediently behind him.
"Try again. Attack me with your spiritual power," Nathan Lockwood said to Zoe Pierce as they walked.
Zoe Pierce mobilized her spiritual power, trying to envelop Nathan Lockwood as she had before. This time, however, his own spiritual power showed immense aggression. Try as she might, she couldn't suppress him like she did previously.
A thin sheen of sweat beaded on her forehead, and her breathing grew slightly ragged.
Nathan Lockwood said in a low voice, "Alright, pull it back."
Zoe Pierce slowly retracted her spiritual power, her obsidian eyes fixed on Nathan Lockwood. "Why didn't it work?"
'It was so easy just a moment ago, but now it's a struggle. I can't even do it.'
Nathan Lockwood held up a thick vine for Zoe Pierce to pass under. "I never thought to defend against you with my spiritual power before."
Even for someone as calculating as him, he had never imagined an Omega could attack him with spiritual power. Caught completely off guard, he had been directly suppressed by Zoe Pierce.
But this time, he was prepared, his spiritual power on guard, which was why Zoe's attack wasn't as effective.
"No one will be on guard against you. An unprepared S-Class Alpha can be suppressed by you. But if they're prepared, your spiritual power can't break through my defenses just yet."
This was to be expected. After all, even though Zoe Pierce's spiritual power had jumped from C-level to A-level, it was still weaker than his.
What neither of them knew was that, unbeknownst to them, Zoe's spiritual power was slowly growing. The increase was as fine as a single strand of hair, so subtle it went unnoticed.
Once Zoe Pierce was through the vines, Nathan Lockwood moved to walk in front of her again.
The sky had grown completely dark. Dense leaves blotted out the moonlight, making the forest look somewhat sinister. The sound of running water, its source unknown, added to the mysterious atmosphere.
She struggled to keep up with Nathan Lockwood, only for him to stop so abruptly she nearly crashed into his back.
"What is it?"
Nathan Lockwood half-turned, his fingers gently closing around her wrist. "Don't get lost."
The pressure on her wrist wasn't strong; Zoe Pierce could have easily shaken him off with a flick of her hand.
His words might have been a bit cold, but they sounded too much like genuine concern. Zoe Pierce wasn't one to be ungrateful, so she said nothing and let him lead her by the hand.
The darkness only hindered one's vision—or to be precise, it only hindered Zoe Pierce's vision.
She was still not used to navigating a pitch-black forest like this and was being extremely cautious.
"Try using your spiritual power to explore." Even while holding her wrist, Nathan didn't forget to instruct her.
Her vision was impaired, but that was a deficit that could be supplemented with spiritual power.
Just like Nathan Lockwood, who was currently leading the way using not only his eyes but his spiritual power as well.
His physique was simply much stronger than Zoe's, so even this darkness had a negligible effect on him.
Zoe Pierce did as Nathan instructed. Her spiritual power extended outward like tentacles, and soon she could clearly perceive everything within a nearly one-meter radius around her.
The corners of her lips curled up involuntarily. There was nothing more reassuring than having tangible control over her own power.
"I can see clearly now." Her gaze drifted to Nathan Lockwood's large hand holding hers. 'Does this mean he can let go now?'
But Nathan Lockwood seemed completely oblivious. He continued leading her until they reached a cave. He extended his spiritual power once more, and after a moment, he released Zoe's hand. "Stay here and wait for me."
The natural cave showed no signs of being inhabited by animals or Xenobeasts, making it a suitable shelter.
It looked like a den some animal had abandoned. There were some droppings inside, but they were long dried out, proving nothing had lived here for a while.
Zoe Pierce sat on a stone at the mouth of the cave, her spiritual power following Nathan Lockwood.
Nathan Lockwood could naturally feel it. She was like a young cub, growing somewhat dependent on him.
Seeing her sitting there so obediently at the mouth of the cave was enough to make one's heart soften.
He averted his gaze, allowing her spiritual power to trail him as he gathered some dry branches nearby before quickly returning to the cave.
Zoe Pierce stood up and reached for the branches in Nathan Lockwood's hands, but he said in a low voice, "No need."
Soon, a flame sparked in the darkness, and the orange-yellow light immediately illuminated both of their faces.
"Nathan Lockwood," Zoe Pierce's soft voice broke the silence. "Why haven't the others arrived yet?"
Zoe had thought everyone would have gathered by the end of the day, but there was still no sign of the others.
Nathan Lockwood took a can from the supply crate, warmed it by the fire, and handed it to Zoe. "If they get eliminated, the rest of us will automatically be considered a successful team."
For instance, if someone like Ethan Grant fails to rejoin a team within three days, he will also be considered eliminated by default.
However, neither Zoe Pierce nor Nathan Lockwood thought the others were the type to be easily eliminated.
Zoe cradled the warm can, taking small bites as she listened to him speak.
"They should all be here by tomorrow morning."