It had taken Ridder, Tom, and the others ten days to return from the Mysterious Valley, mainly because Ridder's injuries prevented him from traveling for long periods.
Now that they were heading back to the valley from Black Earth Town, it wouldn't take nearly as long.
For one, they were in good spirits and had plenty of stamina.
For another, the Magical Beasts and wild animals along the way had already been cleared out, allowing everyone to focus on traveling.
They reached the vicinity of the Mysterious Valley again in just four and a half days.
"Lord, the site of that night's great battle is just ahead."
Ridder said, pointing to the forest in front of them.
Everyone looked over and saw a patch of woods, about half the size of a soccer field, in complete disarray.
Tall trees were snapped in half, their trunks, branches, and leaves strewn everywhere.
The low-lying bushes and trees looked as though they had been hit by a hurricane—toppled, askew, and some even uprooted.
