"That has to be it."
The element of the trial had changed, which meant that something had also shifted with those responsible for setting it up.
If that were the case, then predicting outcomes or making psychological comparisons was a waste of time.
"So, I guess I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way..."
Aldrich looked up at the sky.
It was still bright, the sun perched at the peak of its glory.
"I still have time." He could tell by how high the sun still hung in the sky.
The first order of business was finding higher ground to get a better view of the forest.
He hadn't had the chance earlier, during the fall, since, well... he was falling.
The sheer tension of the fall didn't leave him any time to observe the ground.
Aldrich focused mana into his feet and began walking up the tree bark, taking each step carefully.
His movements were fluid, but there was an unnatural quality to them, controlled, deliberate.
This was what he had attempted earlier, but instead of using his legs, he had attempted to stick both palms to the tree to cling to it like a spider.
However, back then, he had been falling at breakneck speed, and the forces acting on him had made it impossible to slow down or control his descent.
This time, though, there was no external force pushing him.
He was in control now, moving with steady precision.
Aldrich made his way to the highest tree in sight, carefully hopping from one to another as he ascended.
After a few moments, he reached the top and took in the view of the forest, an expanse of lush green stretching out before him.
"Okay... So where would the exit be from here?"
He surveyed the area, scanning the horizon, but saw nothing.
Not even a trace of anything that could be the escape route.
He tried using his clairvoyant gaze, but still, there was nothing.
Just the tall trees, the fragrant leaves, and the occasional fluttering of small animals.
"I know they love to make things hardcore, but not even leaving a trace to follow? Isn't that a bit much?!"
He was frustrated.
Just as he was about to climb down, he noticed something, someone else was doing the same thing he was.
A woman, climbing the tree bark with the same purpose.
"Seems I'm not the only one who thought to get higher ground for a better view," he remarked.
It was a smart move, though not many would consider it in their panic-stricken state.
Aldrich was impressed.
As he started to climb down, something unexpected happened.
A flash of light shot in his direction, momentarily blinding him.
"What the—?!" Aldrich cursed, startled and annoyed.
The light quickly disappeared, but Aldrich was quick enough to trace its source before it faded.
He spotted the same woman, gesturing at him with her hand.
"What is that? Is she calling me over?!"
He couldn't be sure, but the way her hand moved? It definitely seemed like she was beckoning him.
Curious, Aldrich gestured back, trying to signal her.
He raised his hand in a questioning motion, asking if she was calling for him.
The woman nodded in confirmation.
Now understanding what she meant, Aldrich responded in kind.
Shouting across the distance wouldn't work, so he switched to hand gestures.
Although it wasn't his strongest suit, he made the best effort he could to communicate.
He signalled for her to stay put and that he would come over.
If they both moved at once, they might get lost and end up separated, which would defeat the purpose of trying to team up.
The woman nodded again, signalling her agreement, then began her descent from the tree, likely to conserve her mana.
Aldrich followed suit, coming down from the tree as well, keeping the general direction of where the woman had been in mind.
He had a rough mental map of where she was located, which would help him get to her.
"Alright, if she wants to meet up, then I can't think of any other reason than for her to propose a team-up," Aldrich mused to himself as he made his way toward her.
If that were the case, he had no reason to refuse.
He would welcome the opportunity to team up with anyone, as long as they weren't a dead weight.
He wasn't stable enough on his own to carry extra baggage, much less someone else.
But the girl seemed like she had enough control over her mana to be a reliable partner.
If she could climb the trees with ease and get to the highest points in her vicinity, that was a clear sign of her mana control.
Someone with that level of skill couldn't possibly be considered a liability.
If she was smart enough to realize the need for cooperation, it showed she was adaptable and had a flexible fighting style, qualities that would greatly increase their chances of survival if they worked together.
These were the thoughts that ran through Aldrich's mind as he walked.
Despite the distance, he could still get a rough read on the girl's condition using his clairvoyant vision.
"She doesn't have a single wound on her, and her clothes aren't even torn."
She had survived that fall without so much as a bruise or a scratch.
Aldrich couldn't say the same for himself.
Even though his mana skin had protected him, his clothes had been far less fortunate.
They were torn and battered from being thrown from one tree to another.
Fortunately, his familiar egg and his skin had remained unharmed, shielded by his mana skin.
As Aldrich continued walking, his mind wandered to the specifics of what would happen once he met up with the girl.
What direction would they take? What strategy would they use?
He couldn't come to a reasonable conclusion yet, so he decided to push those thoughts aside for when he reached her.
"Hopefully, she has some kind of hyper-sensitive ability that could help us find a way out of this," he thought, the hope growing in him as he drew closer to the woman.