Unfortunately, even if Lith could conjure a bubble of air around his head, it would last him only a few seconds if he was forced to go all out. Leaving the camp in such circumstances was an unnecessary risk that he had no reason to take, at least not yet.
The situation was still under control, Lith could afford to wait a little longer.
"I agree with your plan. We'll leave tomorrow at dawn once we make sure that nothing is going to follow us or attack the camp." Phloria said.
"We? No offense but isn't it better if I go alone? You know I'm a tough nut to crack." Lith had mixed feelings about Phloria coming with him. She was a reliable partner, but living together again for so long was becoming kind of awkward.
"Yes, but between your Warden skills and my Forgemaster tools, we can explain anything we might find. You should be the first one to realize how easier would our situation be if we could share all our information with the Professors.
"Your secrets may protect you, but at the same time, they keep you in the dark. On top of that, you're strong but you're not invincible. You needed my help against the fungus just like you needed Morok's against the Golem. Right?"
"Right." Lith had to admit that Golems were his bane. Being an Awakened one meant nothing against constructs. Without the Gatekeeper and with the fire element sealed, he needed help.
'If there really is a guiding hand behind all the hurdles we have faced so far, then the mastermind's next step would be testing us individually. Phloria is the best partner I could ask for. She is strong, smart, resourceful, and I don't have to hold back in front of her.' Lith thought.
The following day, while the rest of the group continued to grow moss patches so that they could resume exploring Kulah as soon as possible, Lith and Phloria took the corridor from which the first wave of Teks had emerged.
Due to the late Professor Syndra's Corona Discharge spell, the walls were still wet from the water and black streaks were visible where the powerful lightning had struck.
"It seems that we are lucky." Lith said while using the array detecting spell on the area in front of themselves.
"What do you mean?" Phloria asked. She was using a light spell to illuminate their surroundings. "Gods, I hate confined spaces. Any move we make echoes and carries across the caves. To make matters worse, all this light makes us an easy target."
"I mean that Professor Syndra might have involuntarily tossed a huge monkey wrench in our invisible enemy's plan. Damn, I overthink so much about the small details that I always end up missing the obvious stuff."
"If that was supposed to be an explanation, it's no wonder that the White Griffon relieved you from your duties as Professor. The class here is almost blind, do you mind being clearer?" She grunted.
"First, I was just an Assistant Professor. Second, I was referring to the soot on the walls. Think about it. According to my theory, someone sent the Teks to attack our camp, and maybe, when Syndra unleashed his tier five spell, he didn't hit just a few overgrown crabs."
Lith could have taught her Fire and Life Vision, but he was afraid that their use would have speeded up her Awakening process. Both spells required to let the mana flow from the core to the eyes, and to make sure that Phloria survived despite her already bright cyan mana core, he needed all the time he could get.
Phloria looked at the blackened walls in a reverie before saying:
"You're right! We only need to follow the markings left by the Corona Discharge and check where they end. If the Teks came from a hidden tunnel, maybe its jammed and we will find it still open.
"If the markings disappear suddenly, instead, it will mean that during the fight the spell must have entered the dimensional corridor the Teks were coming out from and that it killed the mage or destroyed the array that generated the Gate."
"Exactly." Lith nodded. "Maybe the attacks didn't stop because we passed a test, but because Syndra sealed the entrance."
They kept walking in silence for several minutes before Lith was forced to take a rest. Constantly using both Life Vision and the array detecting spell was exhausting for him as using all of her magical senses was for Solus.
Invigoration was an option, but they preferred to be underestimated, in case someone was spying on them.
"Did you find anything?" Phloria asked. The silence and the darkness surrounding them didn't scare her, but the thought of what might be hiding around the corner kept her on edge the whole time.
She kept preparing spells just to be forced to release them once the mental stress they required became too much.
'Unlike Lith, I don't see through walls.' She thought.
"So far the corridors are completely dead. You can relax, the moment I spot an enemy, I'll warn you."
��Yeah, unless they Warp on our back. Anything else?"
"Yes. There are markings on the walls at regular intervals. They are different from those we met following Morok's path." Lith replied.
"Are they always the same word or different ones?"
"Some are Kulah's name but some are different. I jotted them down." Lith said while handing her a piece of paper filled with unknown characters.
"Gods! You should have told me earlier. I'll be right back." Phloria opened a Warp Steps leading straight inside the camp, uncaring of the alarms she triggered.
She gave the Professors the piece of paper along with a brief explanation and returned even before the dimensional door could close.
"You just wasted precious mana. We could've given it to them after our return. Who cares if this tunnel leads to Lutia while that one goes to Valeron? We are here to find out what happened to the Teks, not to sightsee." Lith said.
"Yes, and that's exactly why I asked for a translation. If your theory is right, then those characters are just road signs. If you are wrong, however, they could mark secret tunnels, deposits, monsters breeding grounds, everything.
"You can see the markings with your special sight, but for normal people, Odi included, they are just as good as a secret code. They could help us to unravel this mystery faster." Phloria explained.
"I still think it's a waste of mana, but since we're clutching at straws, your idea is as good as mine." Lith needed a bit more time to recover, so they sat down in a silence that grew awkward with time.
"How are things going for Kamila's sister?" Phloria asked after a while.
"Pretty good. The physical activity is helping her to get used to her newfound sight. Her headaches are almost gone by now and the vertigo fits are becoming a rare occurrence. How do you know about Zinya?"
"Well, your girlfriend now works for my Mom, and she's even more of a control freak than you are. Mom runs background checks even on grass if she gets the chance. I'm happy that things are going well between you and Kamila."
'And that's my cue.' Lith thought while standing up and resuming to walk. 'I'm comfortable spending time with Phloria, but not enough to talk with her about my current relationship.'
