The power struggle between Silanda and Fiarca was reaching its peak.

“Enough, Senu! How could some primitive tribeswoman understand the value of this weapon?”

“What? Primitive tribeswoman! Unbelievable, coming from a ground mole like you!”

If the group didn’t intervene, the two of them looked ready to come to blows. Of course, their attempts to mediate were far from effective.

“Stop, Silanda! Look at Fiarca’s shoulder muscles. With only one arm, you don’t want to end up as much against those muscles, do you?”

“Fiarca, calm down! Sure, Silanda can be really annoying, always complaining and picking fights, but she does her job well and isn’t always wrong if you listen to her!”

Their words oddly seemed to provoke Silanda and Fiarca even more.

In the end, it was always Enya who had to step in.

“Enough! All four of you, stop it! Fiarca, go sit down! Silanda, you too! Senu and Jahan, stop saying unhelpful things!”

When Enya shouted, Senu and Jahan, startled, blinked and fell silent, while Silanda and Fiarca, though still fuming, stopped their fighting.

Jahan rubbed his arm and looked at her with a mix of fear and admiration.

“Whoa, that was intense. I swear the grass around you grew and then fell.”

Enya ignored him with ease. Her face was flushed from yelling, and she looked sternly at Senu.

“Senu, I agree that the weapon might be useful someday, but can’t you see that everyone is genuinely worried about you?”

Her words were sincere. She worried about Senu. He was carrying heavy iron weapons while struggling through the forest, which was already difficult enough without the burden.

‘Senu is clearly not fully healed.’

During their journey, Enya often saw Senu with Silanda’s help, changing his bandages and applying medicine. Even those like Silanda and Jahan, who were in better health, found the journey tough.

Each time Enya looked back to check on Senu, her heart sank.

Stumbling and weaving through the branches, supported by Silanda and Jahan, Senu seemed to be struggling with every step. There were moments when she feared Senu might not make it through the journey.

She asked him earnestly.

“Are you sure you don’t want to leave any behind? Just one?”

Fiarca, arms crossed, glared at Senu as if daring him to respond. Looking up at Enya with a dizzy expression, Senu sighed deeply before answering.

“I know I’m a burden. I understand that the weapons I made aren’t useful right now. But…”

His body stiffened with stubborn determination as he lowered his head. Seeing that, Fiarca closed her eyes, signaling she had heard enough.

“Fine, fine! You win. I give up.”

She glared at Silanda as she spoke.

“I’ll take turns carrying Senu’s load. If we keep pushing him like this, we’ll end up carrying a corpse.”

Silanda raised an eyebrow, surprised by Fiarca’s unexpected concession.

“Thank you, Fiarca. I mean it.”

Without looking at him, Fiarca waved dismissively.

* * *

The group traveled for another half a day. When Enya’s swollen legs couldn’t take another step, Fiarca called for a rest.

“It’s best to stop for today.”

She said, looking up at the sky.

“It’ll be dark soon.”

The group was eager for a break. They quickly sat down to catch their breath and began preparing for the evening, lighting a fire and getting ready to eat. Meanwhile, Fiarca unloaded Senu’s weapons and started sharpening her arrowheads.

Suddenly, Fiarca lifted her head and sniffed the air, her nostrils flaring.

“I smell wolves…”

Enya was startled by Fiarca’s animal-like senses and looked around nervously.

But there was no sign of wolves anywhere.

“Maybe it’s just my imagination…”

Fiarca grumbled, “I’ve lost my touch traveling with outsiders,” as she resumed sharpening her arrowheads.

They quickly roasted a small wild boar Fiarca had caught and some mushrooms they had gathered, making a simple dinner. After eating, they gathered around a small fire that Silanda had built and settled down to sleep.

Though Fiarca, a true native of the forest, disliked having a fire, she conceded when she realized that no one else knew how to properly keep watch in the dark woods.

That night, it was Enya’s turn for the first watch.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she focused on the fire, trying to stay awake until Jahan would change her. The quiet evening was filled only with the sounds of the forest and the crackling fire, which made her think of Tarhan.

His broad and firm body when he held her, his deep voice in her ear, the strength in his arms as he embraced her, the warmth of his presence…

Suddenly, there was a rustling noise.

Enya lifted her head in alert. She scanned the surroundings but heard nothing more. Just the sound of Jahan snoring.

‘Did I hear it wrong?’

She turned her gaze back to the fire, consciously pushing thoughts of Tarhan away. The night dragged on slowly.

Still deep into the night.

Enya fought sleepiness, her head bobbing against her knees as she struggled to stay awake. She was startled awake when someone shook her gently.

“Enya, Enya…”

It was Jahan. He yawned as he patted her shoulder.

“It’s your turn to rest. I’ll take over until dawn.”

“Ah, thank you, Jahan.”

Enya was embarrassed at being caught dozing, so she quickly got up, but Jahan stopped her.

“Uh, Enya, I…”

Jahan scratched his neck, his voice tinged with awkwardness.

Realizing what he meant, Enya quickly replied.

“Go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on the fire a bit longer.”

Jahan’s face lit up with relief.

“Thank you. I’ll be back in a bit!”

Enya sent Jahan off and refocused on the embers. She was determined not to fall asleep again since it was only for a short while this time.

In the meanwhile, Jahan quickly dashed into the dense bushes to take care of his business. As the rustling sound of his movement reached quite a distance before fading away, she waited for him to return.

Then.

A piercing scream sliced through the night. Enya sprang to her feet instantly.

“Ja, Jahan…!”

It was Jahan’s voice.

As she shouted his name, Fiarca, who had seemed to be asleep, was suddenly up and alert.

“What’s going on>!”

With a swift motion, she grabbed her bow and arrows and sprinted towards the direction of the scream.

Enya called out to Fiarca.

“Something’s happened to Jahan!”

By then, Silanda and Senu had also woken up. While Silanda quickly checked the makeshift torches, Senu grabbed a weapon and followed Fiarca. Enya hurried after them.

“Uwaaahh! Help me!”

Even though it was dark and things were unclear, Silanda’s torch soon lit up the surroundings.

It revealed a shocking sight.

Jahan was hanging upside down, completely entangled in the tendrils of a gigantic plant.

The plant looked strange. Its central stem was as thick as a tree trunk, with numerous thin tendrils stretching out like hands, tightly binding Jahan’s entire body. At the top of the central stem was a massive blossom resembling a beast’s head.

Enya gasped in horror as she saw Jahan’s head being pulled into the gaping maw of the flower.

“D*mn it, it’s a Cavaligo!”

Fiarca shouted, aiming an arrow at the plant’s body.

“What, what is that?”

Enya screamed to Fiarca, her face pale with fear.

“What do you think? It’s a man-eating plant…!”

The mention of a man-eating plant made Senu and Silanda even more frantic.

“Move aside! I’ll blow that head off!”

Silanda aimed the iron weapon she had brought at the man-eating plant.

“Wait, Silanda! The weapon’s blast is too strong. Jahan is too close. If you shoot recklessly, you might kill Jahan too!”

“Everyone, stay still!”

Fiarca’s loud voice cut through the chaos. She added in a raspy tone.

“Cavaligo’s weak spot is inside its head. We need to force its mouth open somehow. The problem is, it’s already closing…”

No one dared to move hastily.

Meanwhile, Jahan’s body, with his head already being swallowed, twitched weakly as if pleading for help. Then, suddenly, something burst out from the bushes.

Growl! Grrr—!

A wolf leaped out and started biting at one of the plant’s tendrils. The sudden attack left everyone stunned.

Senu gasped in shock.

“Why, why is a wolf here…?”

In the midst of the confusion, the wolf tore through the tendril wrapped around Jahan.

Jahan, who was free, managed to struggle more vigorously, causing the plant’s main stem to shake. As a result, the mouth gripping him began to open.

“Jahan…!”

Seizing the moment when Jahan was struggling, the wolf bit Jahan’s leg and yanked him free.

“Ugh…!”

With a final pull, Jahan’s head, which looked like it would never come out, popped out of the plant’s maw.

Fiarca didn’t miss the opportunity.

Whoosh—!

The sound of air being sliced was followed by Fiarca’s arrow piercing straight into the gaping maw of the Cavaligo.

The man-eating plant writhed like a living animal, then slowly drooped its leaves before collapsing to the ground. In the process, the wolf that was going for another attack was trapped under the fallen plant’s massive body.

“Jahan…! Jahan!”

Senu and Silanda rushed to the fallen Jahan. Enya also hurried to Jahan’s side as quickly as she could.

“Cough! Cough! Huff… I thought I was a goner…!”

“Jahan! Jahan, are you conscious?”

They lifted Jahan, who was foaming at the mouth, and checked his condition.

__