When Elio emerged from the book, he feared finding the chaos of battle already underway.
His mind raced with possibilities of what might have happened during his extended absence.
He needn't have worried...
He found his companions waiting for him, their expressions of concern quickly melting into relief. The setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and purple, a peaceful scene that contrasted sharply with the tension of the past days.
"Finally!" Kriz exclaimed, his usual dramatic flair failing to completely mask his genuine relief. "We thought you'd gotten lost in there."
"The scorpions," Elio mutered in frustration. "They were almost completely immune to mana. I had to eliminate them one by one with the sword until I discovered the rebound pattern... Unfortunately, I had to use the potion... I fear it will be extremely dangerous to challenge that level without either the potion or a deep understanding of mana rebound patterns."
