They could not celebrate just yet because when they thought they could finally have a breather, the leaves on the trees around them started shaking intensely.
Rocky observed what was happening in their surroundings very keenly as worry started to show on his face. The other spirit manipulators that followed him looked frightened and terrified. The thought of the spirit-manipulated beast catching up with them haunted everyone in their group.
Luckily enough, it was not the spirit-manipulated beast. A number of people emerged from the thick foliage in front of them.
"They're spirit manipulators as well! They're from the third team!" they said, almost celebratory. When the other spirit manipulators realized they were not in danger, they went around and checked up on each other. Instinct told them they should team up. They knew that being with a larger group of spirit manipulators made them a whole lot safer. Having the third team with them raised their chances of surviving.
However, the third team's hopefulness vanished when they found out that Rocky was leading the sixth team. They said with sullen in their voice, "It's so unfortunate of us to run into such a sorry excuse of a team, a failure of a team," they said with hostility in their voice. "The situation would have been so much better had we come across with the fifth team."
"Hey! What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Zander angrily asked. He was fuming when he stepped forward to meet eye to eye with whoever said that.
"Do we really have to re-state what we have just said? Point-blank, you guys suck. Do you really not see it? Your talents and abilities are subpar, maybe average on good days. No one in your team is noteworthy. You guys ought to realize that," the spi
ng to pass out. We need to take a break." Even Zander was out of breath, and that's saying something. He lay down on the ground, trying to catch his breaths.
Rocky looked around to observe their environment. His face grew worried as he heard the strong breathing that was still creeping behind them. He knew that the source of the breathing was just waiting for a good chance to ambush them. But he was also aware of how taxing the journey was for everyone. They had been walking nonstop the whole day. He understood how continuing might be detrimental for all of them. He could not force them to walk anymore. After having an internal debate on whether or not they should continue, Rocky reached a decision to give everyone a break. He said, "Start a fire here. Let's camp here for an hour and proceed after."
After hearing Rocky's announcement, everyone from the sixth team let out a sigh of relief and slumped themselves to the ground and started resting up. They got a fire started, and the spirit manipulators huddled around it. They tried to savor every second of peace they currently had as they took a good breather for they knew they still had a long way to go.