Rin gathered everyone's attention and said,
"Alright, if everyone's ready... let's move."
His eyes were steady as he continued,
"We'll head northeast until we reach the river. But before that, we need supplies—enough to build a boat."
The group froze for a second.
"A... boat?" one of them asked, confused.
Rin nodded without hesitation.
"Yeah. It'll get us there way faster than walking. On foot, it could take weeks."
Kito crossed his arms, clearly unconvinced.
"You do remember the last time we took a 'shortcut,' right? We ended up trapped in that insane maze."
Alex let out a dry laugh.
"Yeah... that was seriously messed up."
Rin raised an eyebrow, his voice calm but sharp.
"Then we can try the alternative."
He pointed toward the distance.
"That forest. The one even the government marked as off-limits."
A brief silence fell over the group.
"So... are you willing to take that risk?"
Shina smirked, shaking her head slightly.
"Now I get why you chose debating as your extracurricular."
Rin smiled.
Everyone froze in place. That expression didn't belong to him—Rin had always been distant, weighed down by something no one dared to ask about.
But now, there was something different.
Without another word, the group moved forward, gathering anything that could be useful—broken branches, scraps of plastic, and hardened resin from nearby trees.
After hours of searching, they finally reached the Colossus River.
It roared like a living beast.
The current was violent, crushing everything in its path, dragging debris into its depths without mercy. Just standing near it made their hearts pound.
"This... we're crossing this?" one of them whispered.
Rin didn't answer. He simply stepped forward.
They began building.
Using thick branches as the frame, they tied everything together and layered it with plastic sheets they had collected along the way. Rin instructed them to seal every gap using tree resin, making the structure tighter, stronger—almost waterproof.
The work was exhausting.
Time slipped by unnoticed as the sun dipped below the horizon.
By the next day, it was complete.
A crude but sturdy boat stood before them—wrapped in multiple layers of plastic, reinforced with hardened resin, ready to challenge the raging river.
Rin placed his hand on it, his expression calm. As they travelled forward the path was exhausting hitting the boat as they travelled forward the food was going shortage as because the boat was small. As soon as the night arrived, everyone was causes.
Yuri asked, "Did my father tell you what kind of danger lies ahead?"
Rin replied, "He doesn't know."
As night fell, everyone fixed their gaze on both sides of the river. Towering trees—nearly 100 meters tall—twisted unnaturally, their shadows merging with the darkness that swallowed the forest whole.
The water grew more violent.
Suddenly, a Night Flux—a creature that hunts in the dark—lunged at their boat. It slammed into the side, shaking it violently and crushing parts of the hull.
Before anyone could react—
A massive wave surged.
In an instant, the monster sank, its body turning to stone beneath the water.
Rin froze for a moment, realization hitting him.
The danger isn't the monsters... it's the river itself.
"Everyone, stay away from the water!" Rin shouted.
He rushed forward, grabbing a wooden pole and forcing the boat to change direction, avoiding the incoming waves. The current was brutal—the wood tore into his palms, cutting deep as he pushed against the force.
The others quickly joined him.
Rin gripped his sword.
Rin tightened his grip, his hands bleeding.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Alex shouted.
At that moment, a swarm of Night Flux creatures rushed toward them.
Rin turned, a faint smile on his face.
"Hunting."
The Night Flux weren't naturally strong—only Grade 3 Spark (Level 1).
Rin might not have abilities like the others...
—but he didn't need them.
With precise movement, Rin stepped forward and drove his sword straight through one of the creatures, then pulled back instantly, creating distance from the rest.