Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem

Zach, Dukiel, and Julius' target destination this time was further into the forest than the swamp. It would take them at least a night to arrive. Out of the two weeks they had, at least four days would be spent traveling. Assuming things didn't go according to plan, it would be good if they planned to return ahead of time.

Eight days. That was how long they could spend in the forest not traveling to or from their destination. Considering they didn't know what to expect, it was a time that was neither short nor long.

It could be more than enough to find, hit, and exterminate a Locale. But what if it was a maze-like Locale? It would be difficult to clear something like that in only eight days.

That was why they didn't waste any time. As soon as they received their permission, Zach, Dukiel, and Julius grabbed their bags and headed out. Dukiel took the lead, Julius secured the center, and Zach guarded the rear.

It seemed like the Underworld had decided to stop harassing Zach with assassins since they were mostly useless, thanks to his barrier. But they could be nearby, waiting for an opportunity to strike, so Zach didn't let his barrier down a single time.

However, there was something strange with the forest. The monsters were antsy in a different way than before, and it wasn't due to the group's presence. It wasn't much, and Zach and the others didn't think much of it.

The strong monsters didn't bother them, and Zach and the others didn't go out of their way to hunt. They needed all the strength they could retain for their target destination.

They arrived at the location Jigak had marked on Zach's map without so much as a scratch. It was unsettlingly easy.

"We're here." Dukiel double-checked the map again and nodded. They were right in the center of the circle Jigak had drawn.

"What now?" Julius looked at Zach. Dukiel did the same. It was his map, his buddy who drew the circle, and his goal to go there.

Zach looked around. Trees. Grass. Flowers. Hints of a blue sky through the foliage. Eventually, his gaze settled on the Sentinel.

"Should we do it like last time?"

Dukiel and Julius exchanged looks.

"...Do we have to?" Dukiel was reluctant. It hadn't exactly gone well last time, especially for Zach and Dukiel.

"Yeah, how about we try looking for an entrance this time?" Julius' suggestion earned Dukiel's vote.

Zach saw his friends' faces and noticed their feelings.

"Alright. But if we don't find anything by nightfall—"

"Yeah, yeah, you can build your lens by then." Dukiel immediately agreed before starting the search for a way into what could only be another Locale. Julius did the same.

Zach also started looking for something to tell them what they were there for, and he didn't forget to do it while pouting, at least for half an hour. Then, he forgot about it entirely.

The three students were careful not to go too far away from each other. It was difficult to always keep each other in sight due to the trees. But if anything happened to someone, the other two would be close enough to react. If it happened too quickly to react in time, they would at least notice it happening.

Zach, Dukiel, and Julius walked around and poked and prodded the ground with sticks they found lying on the ground. They also had their familiars attack the ground every now and then

They didn't find anything. It didn't help that they didn't know exactly what they were looking for. The only clue they had was that it was related to the Underworld, and technically, even that was an assumption based on the fact that the information came from an underworlder. He could have tipped them off about a surface activity or a monster habitat.

Unlikely, considering what he had said to Zach, but entirely possible.

Eventually, hours passed, and the light of day started fading. The monsters, insects, birds, and animals active during the day had found, made, or returned to their nests and dwellings to seek shelter from the night.

But the nocturnal beings had yet to come out into the few remaining rays of sunlight, creeping over the horizon and shedding weak light, refusing to let go of the day.

The forest was deathly quiet.

It wasn't the groups first night in the forest, so they weren't caught up in the gloomy atmosphere. It was, however, their first night without a crackling campfire to keep them company. They hadn't had time to set one up since they were busy looking, and they weren't planning on making one.

Their plan was to drill a hole with the combined power of the Sentinel's lasers and Zach's barriers. That would give them all the heat and light they needed.

And when they were underground after having found the Locale they were looking for, the Locale's torches would give them all the light they needed.

It was a non-issue.

But it also mean it was darker and quieter than they were used to. From the darkness minimizing their vision, their other senses grew sharper.

Zach, level seven, trained senses, and sensitive due to the darkness, heard something. The slight bonus he had in his abilities, compared to Dukiel and Julius, who were lower ranks than him, made him believe he hadn't hallucinated it, even when they showed no signs of having heard it.

Zach put his finger to his mouth to silence them and keep them from making even the slightest sound. They earned a glare each by stepping on a branch and breathing loudly.

Zach closed his eyes and put his ear next to the ground. He frowned.

'A roar?'

It was a rumbling sound, but it didn't sound like thunder or a mole digging through the ground. It was sharper.

Zach tried listening for it again as he slowly moved across the forest floor.

There it was again. Zach opened his eyes and looked toward a patch on the ground.

It sounded like it had come from there.

He looked at Yanael.

"Open it, please."