"Keep up, everyone keep up," the lead Card Adept kept reminding his companions. In his heart, he had cursed that damned target group ahead of them countless times.
They were in terrible shape. One companion had begun running a low fever, while another had scratched his skin on some unknown thorn, and now his entire arm was swollen like a pig's trotter.
Still, one thing gave him some comfort: the arrival of the new Card Adepts sent by their superiors was drawing closer.
The farther they went, the stronger his sense of foreboding became. Had his superiors not issued an absolute order, he would have turned back long ago. He had seen what happened to those who disobeyed such orders, and that was something he could never allow. If he died on a mission, his family would be properly provided for and live comfortably. His son would also receive a formal education.
But if he disobeyed, he would be expelled from the organization and have all his property confiscated. For someone with a wife and child, that was the most miserable fate of all.
He felt both conflicted and relieved. Fortunately, his usual work only involved tracking people in cities. If his everyday work took him into the Jungle, the mere thought would frighten him. Yet if Jungle operations had been what he trained for, he would not be so helpless now.
Luckily, their target was a large group. The tracks left by several hundred people were easy enough to find. So far, they had not lost the trail, which pleased him considerably.
Just... just another two hours, and they could leave this damned Jungle.
He pushed aside a small shrub in front of him. The ground was covered in a jumble of trampled tracks.
The targets had just passed