The Author's Viewpoint-Chapter 107 - Unseen Footsteps

Living inside the Rift was... exhausting in ways Tave hadn’t expected.

Food wasn’t the problem, not really. They had ways to sustain themselves. But survival wasn’t just about eating. Not when the true difficulty came from the little things. Things like staying clean.

The remnants of battle, blood, grime, sweat clung to them after every fight. And for someone like Tave, who was never quite used to being completely filthy, it wore on him more than he cared to admit.

That’s why, now and then, he would strip down to just his trousers, pour what little water he had over his face and chest, and take a moment, just to feel human again. Even a small splash of water brought a kind of clarity, a jolt of vitality he couldn’t get from sleep alone.

Forest elves didn’t seem to struggle with this the way humans did. It was their plant-based diets, and their connection to nature. They moved through the Rift like the wild itself, not affected by the stench of blood and sweat.

The sun had reached its peak when Tave finished his quick wash, the water trickling down his skin, refreshing and fleeting. He let out a slow breath, enjoying the clarity that returned to him.

Then, he heard footsteps approaching.

He turned his head.

"Tave, sorry."

A girl with shoulder-length black hair walked toward him.

"The others are waiting to discuss tonight’s plan." freёnovelkiss.com

It was Lina.

Tave gave her a small smile as he reached for his clothes and pulled his shirt back on.

He didn’t speak to many people in the group. But Lina was one of the few exceptions. They shared the occasional conversation, mostly in the quiet moments after battle. Lina was the team’s healer, and after every fight, she was always there. Patching wounds, restoring breath, and giving Tave those rare opportunities for stillness and quiet words.

"Are your wounds healed?" she asked, glancing up at him.

"Yes. Thanks, Lina. You’ve been doing a great job."

She nodded slightly, her eyes dipping as she walked beside him.

"I’m just glad I can be useful to everyone," she said softly.

To be honest, building closer friendships with his teammates wasn’t something Tave had been able to do in his previous Rift Expedition team. But now... it felt possible.

And maybe, in a place like this, that meant more than he realized.

If Tave believed he had more knowledge than most here, and he did. He also knew that when it came to actual combat leadership, the person who made the greatest impact was, without question, Velion.

This forest elf’s experience showed in everything he did. Whether it was the way he broke down tactics during strategy meetings like the one they were in now, or the calm, precise way he moved in the heat of battle.

Velion had a gift. He could guide everyone mid-fight with clarity. He knew exactly when to call shifts, when to pull back, when to press. He could pinpoint both enemy weaknesses and his allies’ strengths without ever sounding commanding or cold.

Post-battle, he always offered constructive feedback. Just calm, useful observations that helped them grow. And that’s why, when Velion spoke, no one interrupted. No one complained. Even the humans who had once doubted him, who saw him as an unnecessary addition, had come to respect him fully.

Velion had earned that.

"Tave’s confirmed it’s still safe for us to continue with the same strategy tonight," Velion said. "We’ll execute it with the same discipline as before. Everyone’s been performing near flawlessly. Congratulations to us all."

He ended it with a rare, warm smile.

And it was met with a wave of quiet nods, light laughter, and that satisfied hum of a team that, after everything, was finally starting to feel like a unit.

After that, the loudest voice in the team immediately sprang up and leapt into the air with excitement.

"Yeah! Another big win! Let’s celebrate with an amazing lunch. Roasted flying lizard meat!" Elowen shouted gleefully, tossing a sizzling piece of charred meat into the air.

Elowen was always the spark that lit the team’s spirit. With her endless cheerfulness, she never hesitated to dance, sing, or laugh like they weren’t trapped in the middle of a deadly rift. And somehow, that was exactly what made everyone feel more connected. Like they were part of something more than just survival.

"That’s all thanks to my shield, right?" Finn chimed in, laughing with a proud puff of his chest. "Come on, admit it."

"Your shield’s not that bad, Finn," Darian responded, laughing as well.

Darian, for all his sharp remarks and smirking sarcasm, was always on the front line. He took the brunt of every blow. Shouldered the real weight of each battle.

Together with Finn, they held the line. Without those two, the rest wouldn’t even get the chance to strike.

That was how the team worked. Everyone played their role. That was why a full, solid team was the absolute cornerstone of every Rift Expedition.

It wasn’t optional. It wasn’t negotiable.

Everyone mattered.

The strategists. The leaders. The cheerful ones who brought joy when the world felt like it was falling apart. The ones who laughed at bad jokes just to make sure no one felt awkward. And the quiet ones, like Panpan, who were always watching, always checking, always offering help where it was needed without ever needing to be asked.

More than that. They were becoming something stronger.

And finally, the end of their week at the peak arrived.

By midday, the sun high and the wind sharp against the mountainside, the team began packing up what remained of their makeshift camp. Tave had made the call earlier that morning.

It was time to move on.

They had stayed long enough. Hunted long enough. And more importantly, they had done real damage to the monsters in this area.

They had carved out a foothold here, and that was good. But it also meant it was time to seek new ground before stagnation turned into danger.

***

The night was dim, blanketed by thick silence as the pale moon hung low in the sky.

From the shadows, a group of figures emerged. They wore dark, jagged armor that seemed to drink in the moonlight rather than reflect it. Horns protruded from their heads, curling or sharp, marking them clearly for what they were.

Demons.

Two among them bore wings. Single, asymmetrical wings sprouting from their backs. Another had a long, serpentine tail dragging behind him. Most of them had monstrous, lizard-like faces.

At the front, the largest of them came to a halt. He didn’t speak at first, but the tension in his posture was sharp and bristling with fury.

Then he growled. "Search the area. Now. Find where they went."

At his command, the others scattered. Silent, efficient, dangerous. They moved in every direction, sniffing the air, clawed fingers scraping over rock and bark.

After a few tense moments, several of them returned.

"There are human traces in this area," one reported. "Their scent is still fresh."

The leader’s eyes narrowed. "Where?"

One of them pointed. "That way. They can’t have gone far."

"They’ve only just moved," another added. "Their trail is still warm."

"Pathetic," the leader spat. "Hiding and praying to survive another day. Waiting for death like cattle."

Then he turned fully toward the path they had pointed to.

"Chase them. Finish this. Now."