The clearing fell silent after Jake, Seraphine, and Lena left. The remaining survivors regrouped. Most were awed by Jake's show of strength, but all of them had been scared shitless by Reidar. Once again, they understood Reidar, Jake, and Lena were powerhouses, and many started wondering if they could join them.

They couldn't stop thinking about how strong they would get if Reidar power-leveled them.

It was to the point that it made them metaphorically salivate.

Regardless, aside from Lena, there weren't losses in terms of human life following their disastrous retreat from the Crimson Briar Patch's town, but the raid's pride was wounded. It wasn't just that, but losing Seraphine, Jake, and Lena was also a giant blow to their power and efficiency.

Lena simply knew what she had to do, where she had to go, and if they were going to be attacked. She was the perfect scout, the perfect hunter.

Without her, completing the Raid became much more tedious.

Jake and Seraphine were another matter. They were monsters, so having two monsters less meant their fighting prowess was significantly reduced.

However, they turned toward Reidar. Just 5 of his summons had been able to do what the entire raid tried to do. The bears were truly magnificent summons.

The question was, was he going to summon them, or would he stubbornly refuse as he did until that point? Although official, that refusal was actually Helga's request.

At that point, many started resenting her.

Helga gathered her Ironsides, counting heads and redistributing positions. Aldric's fighters clustered together, discussing rotations and mana management. Seraphine's fighters reinforced the perimeter, their leader's absence creating visible uncertainty in their ranks.

"We need to address the chain of command," Aldric said, approaching Reidar. "Seraphine's departure leaves her group without clear leadership."

"Promote someone from within," Reidar said. "Who's her second?"

"A woman named Kara. An experienced fighter with a good tactical mind. But she's never led a group this size."

"She'll have to learn fast then." The last say was in Reidar's hands.

Aldric nodded and moved toward Seraphine's fighters. Reidar heard him calling for Kara, explaining the situation. She accepted the responsibility, although she decided to stick closer to Reidar now that Seraphine wasn't there.

The point of the Raid wasn't for Aldric, Helga, or Seraphine herself to gain levels, but for their people, so that stronger fighters would join their ranks. Seraphine herself was too strong for the monsters to give her C.L.A.S.P. points, and she didn't level up.

Her people did, though, so her absence didn't mean much.

Helga approached Reidar. "We're resting here for two hours. People need to recover mana and check their equipment. After that, we push through the city again."

"All right," Reidar said. Lena had filled them in before she left—the Elder Thorn-Lasher was just beyond the town, near a forest stream.

But cutting through the wilderness to reach it was a death sentence. The Elder could summon its own kind, and there were thousands. Worse, the terrain out there was a nightmare compared to the ruined streets they'd already fought through.

And it wasn't by accident. The Thorn-Lashers had rigged the entire area—traps, ambushes, the works—funneling anyone who came near straight into the heart of the city. If they wanted that fight with the Elder, they'd have to go through them first. There were no shortcuts. No easy way out. Just push through the monsters waiting for them.

"And we need to talk about tactics. Without Lena, we're blind. Her trait was our early warning system."

"I know."

"So what's the plan? We can't rely on summons to scout everything. These plant creatures hide too well."

Reidar thought it through. Lena's Predator's Echo had helped them at least find the best course to get to their target. Without her, they would be walking blindly.

"We stopped relying on her trait once we figured out the monsters can hide from her sense… So, it doesn't make a difference. We will just need to be more careful."

"Send summons ahead in waves. If they encounter resistance, we know there's a threat. If they suddenly disappear, it's because of traps or monsters. We test the ground this way. Anyone with detection skills uses them continuously, although I don't know how effective they will be."

"That'll drain mana fast."

"Better than walking into ambushes blind. Besides, if we stay far from the summons, we will have time to retreat, regroup, and rest. The summons will lure the monsters. As for the mana, I will give you a good skill that will make it possible for you to summon long-lasting monsters in good numbers."

The Summon Vorathid Foragers had a 50 mana cast per creature. With good usage of mana potions and elixirs, each member could even double that amount, and the creatures would last at least two hours.

Helga grunted in agreement. "What about the Elder itself? We're going in without three of our strongest fighters."

Lena, Seraphine, and Jake's absence would hurt during the boss fight. Their prowess had been critical in previous encounters.

"I will take care of it," Reidar said. "I will focus on summoning and keeping the monster at bay to create openings. Your Ironsides and Aldric's Sun Chasers will form the front line. Seraphine's people will provide ranged support."

"Simple plan."

"Simple plans work when everyone's exhausted. Plus, I have an idea in mind to tackle the town itself."

…

…

…

The two hours of rest passed quickly. Survivors ate from their inventories, restored mana through potions, and repaired damaged equipment. The healers finished with the remaining wounded.

Reidar used the time to review his resources. His mana sat at 7200 after natural regeneration and a dose of the Shadow Guardian siphon. His summons were ready. His spells were prepared. He felt as ready as he could be for what was coming.

The quest interface showed their progress:

Thorn-Lashers defeated: 847/2,500 Elder Thorn-Lasher slain: 0/1 Time remaining: 67 hours

They'd made decent progress on the trash mob count, but the Elder remained untouched. And they were running out of time.

<Sixty-seven hours. There is plenty of time if we reach the monster soon. Not enough if we get bogged down.>

Helga's voice cut through the clearing like a blade. The survivors, exhausted but still breathing, shuffled into the formation she demanded.

The Ironsides and Sun Chasers led the way, forming the front line. Mages and healers stayed in the middle, protected on all sides. At the back, Kara's fighters took up position; their long-range weapons made them perfect for killing things when they were still far.

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