The Enigmatic Return (Nancy’s And Roxanne )

“I’m going to look around for some dry firewood. We need to start a fire; otherwise, the temperature in the dense forest will drop
sharply when night falls. It’s going to get very cold.”
Wesley said so, then proceeded to unload the tent he had been carrying with him.
“I have four tents here. Let’s set them up together.”
Upon hearing this, the members of the Cox family immediately came over to help.
Neera was a bit worried. “Are you sure it’s okay to go alone? Maybe we should get a couple more people to go with you.”
Wesley declined, “It’s okay. Everyone is getting ready to find a place to rest at this time, and I won’t go far. There won’t be any
danger. Please rest assured, Miss.”
Before long, he had left.
Shane helped set up the tents and asked, “Neera, are you okay with staying in a tent by yourself?”
Among those present, she was the only woman. Neera had no objections and asked naturally, “Alright, what about you guys?”
“We’re all grown men here, so no worries. We’ll split a tent among the three of us, and each of us will take turns standing guard,
specifically at the entrance of your tent. You can rest easy at night and get a good night’s sleep.”
Neera felt somewhat embarrassed by their attentive care. “Perhaps, I should join you in guarding the place tonight.”
-Shane raised an eyebrow, “With so many grown men around, there’s no need for a young lady like you to stand
guard. Don’t worry about it too much. Just get some rest is what’s really important.”
After a day of hustle and bustle, Neera was indeed exhausted and no longer insisted on staying up.
“Thank you for taking care of me. Once I’ve rested well, I’ll get up early to cook for all of you.”
Shane chuckled. “Well then, I wonder if you’re up for it now, but could you help make some oatmeal? It would be nice for
everyone to have something warm to drink, to heat up their bodies.”
Neera smiled slightly. “That’s easy enough. Leave it to me when Wesley returns.”

In no time, the light in the dense forest dimmed even more, almost to the point where one could not see their hand in front of
their face.
At that moment, Wesley returned carrying a bundle of dry branches.
Everyone gathered around to help light the fire.
Soon, a fire was kindled and a pot was set up.
Neera watched this scene, and the tension that had gripped her all day suddenly eased quite a bit.
“I really didn’t expect you guys to bring so much stuff. Now we look like we’re on a jungle expedition.”
Finnley sat on a large rock, stroking his beard with a cheerful smile.
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“Sounds about right. We must be fully prepared before we venture into this dense forest. Who knows how many days and nights
we might end up trapped here. Naturally, we should make our stay as comfortable as possible.”
Neera couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking to herself. They really are accustomed to a life of privilege, always seeking enjoyment
wherever they are.
At that moment, Wesley came over and shared with them what he had discovered when he was out collecting tree branches.
“The Medicina family has also set up camp nearby. It is just five hundred meters ahead.”
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze towards the distance, and sure enough, they saw sporadic flickers of light.
“Is it okay that they are so close to us?” one of the Cox family members asked with a hint of worry.
Neera gazed thoughtfully in that direction. “It should be fine. For now, I still have quite a bit of faith in Mr. Medicina.”
Shane also said, “If the Medicina family really wanted to harm us, they wouldn’t have helped us back in the swamp. They could
have gotten rid of us then, so there was no need to wait until now.”

That was easier said than done. The Cox family members were unfamiliar with the Medicina family, so they couldn’t let their
guard down naturally. Thus, they remained on high alert at all times.
After finishing her meal, Neera stood up to clean up, but was stopped by Finnley.
“Neera, let them handle those tasks. You take a break and get ready for training.”
Neera let out a surprised “Eh”, “Training? Do we need to train even here?”
Finnley’s eyes widened in surprise. “Of course! Did you think you could do as you please while training under me? Once you’ve
started, you can’t just quit halfway!”
Neera swallowed hard, taking in the oppressive darkness that surrounded her.
“But... where should I start practicing? Everything around me is dark now...”
Finnley waved his hand. “Don’t be so nervous. It is fine right here. It’s not like I’m teaching you some extraordinary. kung fu. Just
keep practicing the darts. Look, I’ve brought all the stuff for you.”
As he spoke, he rummaged through his bag, pulling out a bunch of darts.
Upon seeing this, Neera was completely dumbfounded.
“My dear elder, you truly are dedicated. You didn’t forget to carry these darts with you even in this situation...”
Finnley hummed in agreement, “Of course, and these darts can not only help you train, but also serve as weapons. It’s a win-win
situation, so why not?”
After he finished speaking, he pointed to a nearby tree to explain the training requirements.
“Alright, that’s enough chit-chat. You see that tree over there? Throw your dart at it. See that hole in the trunk? Only if you get
your dart in there will it count as a success!”