I Was a Loner, but My Class Got Summoned to Another World…

Logan checked out the makeshift camp alongside Serana, who was likely the first to discover it.

Neither of them touched anything—just in case it was a trap laid out by the demons.

Instead, they examined the area, trying to determine the number of enemies based on the evidence left behind.

"By the look of things, there are at least twenty," Serana said, her voice calm. "That's what the footprints and sitting arrangements suggest."

Beside her, Garmr—the large, shadowy canine—sniffed the air focusing on any part that might lead to clues.

Logan nodded, eyes narrowing as he began planning their next move.

Before he could speak, Lisa and Rubina floated closer. Both flew rather than walked, careful not to trigger any traps. Unlike Logan or Serana, neither of them specialized in stealth.

"Well, what do we do now?" Lisa asked, scanning the trail ahead from the sky. It was clear—too clear of a path, many trees cut down with intent.

Only now did they realize the path had likely been carved out recently by the demons themselves.

"I don't think they posted any scouts," Serana added. "None of my minions have encountered any yet. Iris and Rath haven't sensed anything nearby, and even Valdir—my beholder who can glimpse pieces of the past and future—hasn't seen much."

"In that case, we keep moving," Logan replied. "Even if we run into them, it'll just lead to a fight. And we're the stronger side. The darkness spirit is bound to help us. She might even lift the fog if we show we're here to get rid of the demons."

That was the real plan—draw out the enemy and make their intentions clear. If he could fight the demons directly, he might gain the darkness spirit's favor faster. He didn't want to go through a long trial like Lisa had.

"Sounds like a good plan," Victor chimed in, stepping forward. "We're well-rested, well-prepared, and you've got your strongest creatures with you. No doubt we'll wipe the floor with them."

Victor glanced at the terrain around them, nodding. "And this area helps me too. We're not in complete darkness anymore. With just a bit of light, I can use my shadow skills much more effectively."

Everyone nodded at that. Logan could see the confidence in their eyes.

"Alright then," he said. "Let's move. We'll increase our pace—the camp was probably made a few days ago."

Everyone returned to their assigned creatures to continue the journey at a faster pace.

To avoid overburdening Silis, they spread out: some rode Juggernaut, others mounted Garmr or Elarion.

Scorch was too hot for most to handle, while Orus permitted only Lisa to ride on his back.

As a last resort, some had to ride on Regal, who was now twice her previous size; she was also quick and powerful.

Terra remained underground, prepared to surface for surprise attacks when the time came.

The entire group was ready in minutes.

They moved out at double their previous speed, planning to maintain the pace for at least two hours before taking a break.With luck, they'd reach the next waypoint the demons had left behind.

Throughout the advance, Victor used his shadows to scout far ahead. Every two hundred meters, he sent a shadow clone back to report that the path was clear.

This pattern continued for a day and a half.

By then, they had entered the next cavern.

The terrain changed.

What was once a relatively flat surface now sloped sharply downward. To keep the larger beasts moving, Terra and Silis had to actively reshape the terrain, crushing uneven slopes and forming pathways wide enough for the titanic creatures.

It slowed them down, but Logan took some comfort in the fact that the demons would've been forced to make the same adjustments. They wouldn't be moving quickly either.

Still, Logan could tell—they were getting close.

Remnants of demonic presence—burn marks, broken tools, and faint mana trails—suggested the enemy was only a few hours ahead.

"Damn it…" Logan muttered, frowning. "The problem now is that we won't be able to fight the same way as before. The terrain's too unstable. If we're going to battle them here, we'll need to prepare the battlefield in advance—and that takes time."

He shared the assessment with the others during their camp break. Everyone was gathered except Victor, who had gone ahead again.

"I believe we should set up a trap," Rubina proposed. "Only two of us should show ourselves. Lisa and I will go—we'll act as bait and draw the demons in. Make it look like we stumbled into their path, nothing more."

She paused, then nodded to herself. "One more day of tracking them should get us close enough to set the trap properly."

Logan agreed. He had already begun mapping out the terrain ahead.

Using Zephyr's eyesight skill, Logan went up and did some aerial scouting. he had spotted the massive plateau beyond—a dome-like cavern deep within the mountain, stretching nearly two thousand meters across. The terrain was rough, uneven, and scattered with ledges and outcroppings.

He recreated the layout using an image Silvia had helped him render—an almost three-dimensional hologram made of solid light.

With it, Logan could simulate their movements, enemy positioning, and possible ambush points.

The trap was no longer just a plan.

It was a well-thought-out blueprint visually played out for everyone to see.

Now they just needed to know where exactly the demons were and how many of them the group had.

"I think they'll be climbing this plateau here…" Logan pointed toward a jagged incline on the holographic terrain. "We need to intercept them before they get any higher."

He narrowed his eyes, tracing the rocky slope with a finger.

"That section looks like a resting area for a large creature. I don't want to get anywhere near it unless we have to. Based on how easy things have been so far… I think the demons are killing off the stronger beasts and using them—mutating them, absorbing their power."

The others fell silent as Logan continued.

"Valdir just confirmed it," Serana added, stepping forward. "Now that we're closer, he can see more clearly. The demons have refined the way they drain mana. They're not just feeding those crystals mana anymore, they are using it to gain powerups at an unprecedented speed, it could even be compared to how your heroes gain power. It's something we'll have to worry about—they could use that power against us now."

"If we manage to get one of those stones…" Silvia offered, "I can run tests. With Rubina's help, of course... Those crystals we found—they don't affect demons. If anything, the energy resonates with them. As for anything else, well, you see what they do."

"That settles it then," Lisa said, her tone calm but resolute. "I'll go with Rubina as bait. Just make sure I have enough light-element mana stones to stay at full strength tomorrow."

She glanced down at her palms, flexing them slowly. So far, she hadn't used any healing magic.

Her reserves were at maximum.

Flying had drained only a little, and she'd continue to conserve energy until the trap was ready.

"Very well," Logan said, giving a firm nod. "Let's keep at it. We're nearly there."

He stood tall, the dark mana still circulating through his veins, keeping him strong and energized.

"I believe we'll reach our destination in no more than two days—if everything goes well."

They pushed forward.

Silis and Terra were the only ones who didn't take breaks, tirelessly reshaping the terrain for hours on end. But they wouldn't be joining the upcoming battle.

Instead, once they finished building the final section of the trap, they would retreat to recover.

If anything, they would remain hidden, ready to strike with a surprise ambush if the opportunity arose.

Soon enough, it was time.

Everyone had taken their positions. The trap was set.

Even Victor Rosengard stood ready, blade in hand.

His presence was more than symbolic—his daughter was going to act as bait, and he had a few earth-based techniques he could still rely on.

He wasn't going to stand back if things went wrong.

Rubina and Lisa were already prepared.

The two of them moved forward, following Logan closely.

He was hidden within Victor's shadow—using the man's shadow form to conceal himself and keep close enough to intervene if needed.

But even so, he couldn't engage directly unless the situation turned dire.

Both girls knew the risk.

If things fell apart, they'd simply take flight and escape.

As they approached the plateau, their expressions tightened.

They had miscalculated.

The number of demons was far greater than expected, and worse, the creatures were organizing.

Climbing teams were already preparing to ascend the rocky slope, and they seemed to be coordinating around something important.

And then… reinforcements began to arrive.

Teleportation circles flickered to life on the edges of the demon camp, casting eerie blue light over the stone.

Rubina's eyes narrowed.

"It looks like Silvia isn't the only one who can make teleportation arrays…" she whispered to Lisa, her voice laced with tension.

Lisa didn't answer.

They were both ready—but that didn't mean they weren't afraid.

They had trained for this.

But even so…

This was more than they'd expected.

So far, the demons had grown to just over sixty individuals.