Greg hated it because it felt like giving up. They had fought and struggled and almost died, but they were going to get there too late to make a difference.

But what else could they have done? They had no other choices and no time left.

That's when Hammy did something.

The slime had been hushed since they got away from the amber. It just sat on Elwen's shoulder and made soft chirping sounds from time to time.

But now it suddenly lunged forward, its pseudopod reaching out for the compass that had brought them here. The device was on the floor where it had fallen during the fight with Agatha. It was still glowing faintly with the tracking magic.

Hammy grabbed the compass and pulled it into its gooey body before anyone could do anything. The hammer in the slime looked like it was pulsing with light, and the compass's needle started to spin wildly and glow brighter.

"What are you doing, Hammy?" Elwen tried to grab the slime, but Hammy jumped away faster than she thought possible.

The compass inside was spinning so fast that it was difficult to see what was going on. Then Hammy shot forward like it had been fired from a catapult, going straight for the door that Agatha had used to get away.

Greg said, "Oh no! We have to move now and catch Hammy before it gets too far!"

They all ran away, with Greg in the lead even though he was worn out and his legs were still numb from the amber. He could hear Lylia and Elwen following behind him, with Hilda bringing up the rear.

The silver marks on her skin glowed once more, yet she maintained her pace, driven either by determination or fear of falling behind. Hammy was fast when he wanted to be.

The slime bounced down the hall, taking turns as if it knew exactly where it was going. Greg was more and more sure that this wasn't random because the compass inside its body was still glowing and spinning.

Hammy had discovered something. The compass was pointing to something they had missed.

"Where is it going?" As they turned another corner, Lylia yelled.

The temple seemed to go on and on, with hallways that led to more hallways and rooms that led to more rooms. They had only just begun to explore this place when they first arrived.

"Not sure, but we can't lose sight of it!"

Greg pushed himself harder, even though his lungs hurt. The air in the temple was old and cold, and every breath felt like he was breathing in ice.

They went through the Hall of Founders again, where the old statues of Royal Knights seemed to watch them run with stone eyes. They passed through the weapons room, where dust had accumulated on old swords and other weapons. Through the library, where Agatha's attack left books all over the place. Hammy ignored everything around him.

Thereafter, they went into parts of the temple they hadn't seen before. The buildings changed, becoming older and more basic.

The carefully carved stone gave way to walls that looked like they had been cut straight from the mountain. The lanterns here were broken or missing, so they had to find their way using the light from the compass inside Hammy and the faint glow from the slime itself.

"This part wasn't on any of the maps," Elwen said, panting.

Her elf stamina kept her from getting too worn out compared to the humans. "I think we're going deeper into the mountain."

A growl could be heard coming from the dark ahead. Then one more and one more. Greg's heart raced as shapes started to appear out of the dark.

The eyes of the cave wolves shone like tiny mirrors when illuminated by Hammy's light, but these wolves were not normal. Their fur was dark and matted, and the way they moved was jerky and not natural.

"Corrupted," Lylia said. "These look worse than the ones from Darkwood Forest."

There were at least ten of them in the hallway ahead, blocking it. Hammy didn't seem to know how dangerous it was and bounced right toward the pack. The wolves crouched down, ready to pounce on their easy prey.

"No!" When Elwen raised her hand, vines grew out of cracks in the floor, blocking Hammy from getting to the wolves.

The animals growled and snapped at the plants, but the vines stayed strong. It gave Hammy just enough time to jump over the wall and go deeper into the tunnel.

Greg said, "We have to go through them," as he thought about what to do.

He didn't have his shield anymore, but he still had his gut feeling and his experience. "Lylia, you go to the left flank."

"Elwen, use your magic to help from a distance."

"Hilda, stay behind me and be careful with your shots. You're still recovering."

"I can fight," Hilda said, but Greg could see that she was putting a lot of weight on her pickaxe.

"I believe you can. That's why I believe you will keep an eye on us, and we're counting on you to protect us if anything comes from behind."

Before they could talk more, the wolves attacked. Greg met the first one head-on. His arm guard was broken, but his legs still worked.

He turned as the wolf lunged, letting its speed carry it past him. Then he hit its back leg hard with his boot. The bone broke with a sickening crack, and the wolf fell down, howling.

Lylia moved like the Royal Knight she used to be, with precise and quick movements. She had picked up a sword that had fallen on the ground during their chase, and now she used it with ease.

Her sword swiftly brought down two wolves, transforming their already corrupted bodies into black smoke. Elwen's plant magic made thorny vines fill the hallway.

These vines whipped the wolves like whips, keeping some of them away, but there were too many, and it looked like more were coming out of side passages. The corruption had spread far into these tunnels, making nests of twisted creatures.

A wolf got past Greg's guard and ran at Elwen. Hilda's pickaxe hit it in midair before it could reach her. The weapon's earth magic sent shockwaves through the creature's body.

It died before it hit the ground, but Hilda staggered from the effort. The silver marks shone painfully bright.

"Keep going!" Greg yelled.

They couldn't afford to get stuck here. Every second that went by, Hammy got farther away.

"Fighting retreat! Don't let them get around us!"

They pushed ahead, fighting their way through the crowd. As they went deeper, more corrupted creatures appeared.

Not only wolves, but also rats the size of dogs, bats with wingspans as wide as a man's arm, and things Greg couldn't even name. They were all twisted by the same dark energy and they were all angry.

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