The following day, Reign and the others did just that.
They went back to the jungle, but this time, entering from a different part and going inside with their guards put up, alert of what they might come across this time.
As they delved deeper into the jungle, the air grew thick with humidity, and the sounds of wildlife-filled the air. The verdant foliage enveloped them, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor as they pressed onward, their senses keenly attuned to any signs of danger.
Hours passed as they trekked through the dense undergrowth, encountering various creatures along the way. Some were harmless, while others posed a threat, but with their skills and experience, the group dispatched them with ease.
Yet, despite their efforts, they still hadn't come across any corrupted areas, which left Reign feeling uneasy. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the jungle as if it was hiding some dark secret just beyond their reach.
In fact, they knew that the jungle was hiding a secret, the meeting with the Verdant Behemoth over two months ago had made that clear.
And yet, even after spending hours inside the jungle on the second day of their exploration, they were still unable to find anything different in the jungle compared to other areas, a large difference compared to when they had explored the outer areas all those months ago.
It was too normal, and that was making them feel concerned a bit. The jungle being normal was simply too ... unnatural compared to what they had expected, and what they were supposed to come across.
"Has the Enclave perhaps started exploring it and has gotten rid of the corrupted areas in these places?" Mia asked Reign and the others who shook their heads.
"They simply don't have enough Tier VI combatants for such a thing, after all, the corrupted areas are very dangerous, and getting rid of them takes quite the effort."
"I just can't see how they would have been able to do such a thing, even if they were hiding their true strength, they shouldn't have been able to do such a thing."
Reign leaned against a tree after speaking and started thinking about something.
"It is true that we have only been maintaining superficial contact with the Enclave, but they have been doing the same, so neither one of us knows the true strength of the other side."
"But even with that, they shouldn't have been the reason why there's no corrupted areas here, that would mean that they have either become much more powerful quickly or that they have hidden their true strength from the start."
"We met Ishmail, who is their leader, and definitely the strongest combatant they have, his aura is more powerful compared to the others that were in that meeting with him."
"Maybe they know why the depths of the jungle don't have corrupted areas in them?" Shadow asked as Wolf placed his hand on his chin.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure darted out from behind a tree, its eyes gleaming with malice. Before anyone could react, it lunged at Mia, its claws extended in a vicious swipe.
Mia barely had time to raise her arms in defense before the creature's claws slashed across her chest, leaving deep gashes in their wake. She cried out in pain, stumbling backward as blood oozed from her wounds.
Reign and the others sprang into action, their weapons at the ready as they surrounded the creature. Tank and Greenie moved to protect Mia, their massive forms looming over her protectively. Laura and Aelrinder unleashed blasts of demonic and wind energy, aiming to knock the creature back.
Beast fired arrows while Wolf immediately summoned his flames, trying to keep the creature at bay while simultaneously lunging at the monster with his greatsword. Shadow darted around the creature, his daggers flashing as he aimed for its weak spots.
Reign had moved immediately, his eyes narrowed at the monster as killing intent exploded around him, his gaze cold and distant.
He slashed forward with his two swords, aiming at the monster and trying to cut it down immediately.
Laura quickly stopped firing at the monster and extended both of her arms toward Mia, enveloping her chest with her demonic energy as she started healing her.
Despite their best efforts, the creature proved to be a formidable opponent. It moved with unnatural speed and agility, dodging their attacks with ease. Its claws and teeth were razor-sharp, capable of inflicting serious damage with each strike.
Still, the creature seemingly didn't want to fight as it quickly retreated, leaving them alone once again.
It was not an average opponent, but a mighty enemy they had to be worried about.
It was fast, it was strong, had good defense, and had a way to erase its presence completely, to the point of not being noticed by any of them before it was too late.
Luckily, Mia had noticed the monster at the same time as the others, which gave her a short window to take action.
She had raised her arms but also used her ability to form ice around her arms, as well as her chest, which was why her injuries, as serious as they were, were not really life-threatening.
With Laura healing Mia with her demonic energy, as well as the life force she had in reserves, not only would the wound heal without any issues, but there wouldn't even be a scar left to show it was ever there.
The others were around the two girls, placing them in the middle of a defensive circle they had formed, all of them turning their backs on them.
That was done so that they could cover all sides, but also because the attack from the monster had managed to not only go through Mia's defenses but also through her clothes, leaving large gashes on her armor.
Even though Laura's demonic energy was currently hiding the injury, once she was healed, Mia would have to quickly change clothes, at least what she was wearing below the armor so that she wouldn't be showing a bit too much skin.