Rod was startled. What had happened?
The battle at Storm Pass had just begun—it couldn't possibly be failing already, could it?
Anna said, "There must have been some emergency. I'll take you there."
Rod shook his head. "I'll go by myself. You take Mephit and Kashan back to the base. If I don't return and you encounter danger, take them back to the Rock Lighthouse."
In this team, he was the sole core; his departure would collapse the team's structure. The monsters they could usually kill easily could annihilate them in a moment, so Anna had to be there— if not to fight, then at least to flee.
Though Anna was reluctant to admit it, she knew Rod was right.
All three fell silent. Rod waved his hand and turned, running toward the Seventh Station.
The black fog was thick, but he had the Eye of the Soul and a good sense of direction, so he quickly found the base.
