As Terry glanced at Vanessa, a sense of satisfaction washed over him. Despite her temporary surge in strength, she remained grounded and focused. She hadn’t allowed the power to go to her head, nor did she let it blind her to the dangers that still lurked around them.

Terry admired Vanessa’s ability to maintain her composure in the face of adversity. She had shown restraint, wielding her newfound abilities with calculated precision. It was clear that she understood the importance of balance and control, even in moments of intense combat.

"Perhaps she deserves some thrust... or she might be acting like this to make me think like this," Terry thought. "She is quite cunning, isn’t she? The version of Vanessa in my head."

In any case, the number of attacks at night fell considerably. It seemed that the fire drakes liked the day’s warmth more than the night’s cold wind.

Still, while they had more chances to press on, Terry and Vanessa stopped when they saw some flames ahead. They parked the bike behind some bushes and then proceeded with caution. Still, it didn’t take long before they found what had happened... it was the wreckage of another military airplane that was supposed to carry a lot of things.

The remnants of a once majestic airplane lay strewn across the scorched earth, a haunting reminder of the destructive power of the fire drakes. The twisted metal and charred debris stood as a somber testament to the fierce battle that had unfolded in the skies above.

Approaching cautiously, Terry and Vanessa surveyed the scene with some curiosity. The shattered fuselage and torn wings bore witness to the fierce onslaught they had witnessed hours earlier. Smoke billowed from the remnants, blending with the darkened sky, painting a scene of devastation and loss. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The surrounding area was marked by the remnants of a desperate struggle. The ground was scarred with scorch marks, evidence of the fire drakes’ relentless assault. Pieces of the aircraft, once vital and sturdy, now lay scattered like broken dreams, a stark reminder of the fragility of human creations in the face of monstrous power.

"... The corpses of the pilots are in the cabin, but there are no other signs of the passengers," Vanessa said after she returned while Terry was watching the surroundings. "This must have fallen a couple of hours before we were attacked."

"If they are the guild masters, they should have jumped and survived the fall," Terry said. "It would be hard for most people to survive a horde of fire drakes, though. In any case, they decided to press on while being attacked in the air and paid the price. That was pretty stupid."

Vanessa had a few things to say about that, but it wasn’t time to argue. In the end, they returned to the bike and moved toward their destination.

While Terry was driving, Vanessa kept trying to contact Louis. It was hard to imagine that the airplane fell after suffering that much damage, so something else was stopping the communications.

"It is a magic device... and we never tested it in situations like this, so I guess it can’t be helped," Vanessa said.

Terry tried to contact Rebecca as well, but he found the same problem. The man that had dispersed during the dungeon breaks seemed to have a disruptive effect on their magic devices. The intricate mechanisms that powered their magical tools were faltering, and their once-reliable functions becoming unpredictable.

It became clear to Terry and Vanessa that the widespread dispersion of mana during the dungeon breaks had caused a disturbance in the delicate balance of magic and technology. The mana, no longer contained within the dungeons, now permeated the area, affecting magical artifacts and devices in unpredictable ways.

"I suppose this is the only explanation," Terry thought.

"Stop here... I am sensing something ahead... some human presence," Vanessa said.

"You can do that too?" Terry furrowed his eyebrows.

"Thanks to your bow, my senses are a lot sharper; finding strong people is relatively easy for me," Vanessa explained.

Now that Terry thought about it. The first thing that Vanessa said to him was the fact that he had a peculiar aura thanks to this trait. She probably could tell the traits of some people based on that if she had seen similar ones.

Although Vanessa felt some presence ahead, and they apparently belonged to the guild masters since they were strong, they didn’t find any signs of fire ahead.

While it would reveal their location, and that seemed the best option, Terry felt that something was amiss. The atmosphere ahead was also weird, so Vanessa felt that as well.

"We need to be careful about this," Vanessa whispered.

"If it moves and it seems dangerous, we should attack first and ask questions later," Terry added.

"I am not sure that is the best policy... I will attack to immobilize them; my skills are good enough for that," Vanessa said.

She had a point; lightning was truly useful for that. Terry also would be able to charge at possible enemies and then deal with them at close range with his power armor.

Terry and Vanessa ventured through an area with tall vegetation, their path illuminated only by the faint moonlight that filtered through the dense canopy above. The air was thick with the scent of earth and foliage, and the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirping of nocturnal creatures filled the night.

As they pressed forward, the tall grass and shrubs brushed against their legs, creating a whispering symphony of sound. The vegetation seemed to tower over them, creating an eerie sense of being engulfed in a natural labyrinth. Shadows danced among the leaves, casting fleeting glimpses of mysterious shapes and figures.

Before long, the group began to hear the sound of people talking, and Terry and Vanessa moved ahead even more slowly than before. The wind was moving against them, so they didn’t have to worry about the smell or noises that they were making.