With Purple’s evolution, Michael’s evolution streak had come to an end.
Any other undead he wanted to evolve would have to wait a few more hours—assuming he even had the time.
Still feeling a wave of mental exhaustion from repeatedly using Undead Summoning earlier, Michael wanted nothing more than to rest.
And that was exactly what he did.
Placing all his undead back into the Netherworld, he took off at a speed notably faster than before, racing back to the campsite where his sleeping companions rested.
When he arrived, everything was just as he had left it.
Ace, Lia, and the driver remained asleep in their tent.
His four armored undead orcs still stood guard, their massive frames motionless in the dim light.
Nothing unexpected had happened.
That was good news.
Not bothering to linger any longer, Michael stepped into his tent, shut his eyes, and finally let exhaustion take over.
A few hours later, a pair of green eyes opened.
The atmosphere was now a little brighter.
Michael sat up and stretched slightly. His mind felt clear, his body refreshed.
But it wasn’t because of the rest.
In truth, he hadn’t even fallen asleep. Instead, he had been in a strange, motionless state—one where he could turn his body’s activity on and off at will.
It wasn’t rest that made him feel better.
It was his incredible recovery system.
As Michael stepped out of his tent, he immediately noticed movement.
Ace, Lia and the Driver were all awake.
All of them paused when they saw him.
“My lord,” Ace greeted first, giving a respectful nod.
Lia followed with a small bow.
Michael glanced at the sky. The sun had risen a little higher, casting soft light over the landscape.
Though they had camped out for the night, the decision had been purely for safety.
Traveling in the dark, to the people of this world, was risky.
Even with just three hours left in their journey, they couldn’t afford unnecessary trouble.
Now that morning had come, it was time to move.
Michael gave a slight nod. “No issues last night?”
Though he knew what the answer was, Michael felt the need to play his part.
Ace shook his head. “None. Your Guards kept watch the entire time. We were undisturbed.”
Michael shifted his gaze toward the orc guards. They remained in position, unmoving and vigilant.
“Good,” Michael said simply.
At his words, the group subtly straightened, awaiting his next command.
Without wasting time, Michael spoke. “We move out immediately. Prepare the carriage.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Within minutes, the group was ready to depart.
Michael stepped toward the carriage while the others finished stowing away the last of their camping supplies in the storage compartment.
Only three more hours remained until they reached their destination.
And then?
That would depend entirely on what awaited them there.
Alone in the carriage, Michael retrieved the map he had gotten from the Hunter Guild and studied it.
Since it was just a map, he didn’t need any language proficiency to understand it.
Speaking of language issues, even without the translation perk that came with being an Awakener, he had begun to recognize some of the native words. His accent had also improved.
At this rate, he estimated that within a week, only a faint trace of unfamiliarity would remain in his speech—something he couldn’t immediately change.
After all, he was a foreigner.
Michael refocused on the map.
Thanks to their journey the previous day, he could now recognize the routes. If he wanted, he could navigate to the marked location without the old driver’s help.
But he wasn’t in a rush, nor did he have any plans of leaving this group behind.
According to the receptionist who had given him the map, the marked location was only the suspected site of the bandits’ camp.
While the red circle was close to the insignia marking the village—his actual destination—it was clear that the Hunter Guild’s target wasn’t the village itself but the surrounding area.
The huge red circle was the focus.
To be honest, while Michael didn’t know exactly how powerful the Hunter Guild was, he believed they had people capable of dealing with a mere bandit group with ease.
The same should apply to the kingdom.
However, it was likely that such individuals had more important matters to handle.
Not that eliminating a bandit group wasn’t important—but it was similar to how one wouldn’t expect the army to handle something the police could.
If the Hunter Guild was aware of the bandits, then there was no way the kingdom wasn’t.
All of this led Michael to believe that the large red circle wasn’t just a suspected location—it was the actual campsite.
If it were only a suspicion, there would be multiple marked spots on the map.
After all, this wasn’t the only route the bandits attacked.
However, Michael also felt it didn’t make sense for bandits—actual criminals—to have a base in such an open spot.
It must be their recent campsite, which would explain a lot.
Soon, the carriage began moving again.
The driver had taken the time to feed and check on the horses before departure, ensuring they were in good condition for the remaining journey.
Ace and Lia sat on opposite sides of the driver, their eyes scanning the road ahead.
Michael remained inside the carriage, still studying the map, but his thoughts had shifted.
Three more hours.
That was all that separated them from their destination.
The journey so far had been uneventful, but that could change at any moment.
Whether the bandits were still in the area or not—those were questions only time would answer.
For now, he simply waited.
Time passed slowly.
Michael had already gone over the map several times, memorizing the routes and terrain. Now, there was little else to do but meditate to pass the time.
He shut his eyes, sinking into a state of controlled stillness.
Not true sleep. Just an awareness turned inward, where his mind remained sharp and his energy naturally replenished.
Then, a voice pulled him out of it.
“My lord,” the driver called, his tone respectful yet steady. “We should be arriving in the village in about half an hour.”
Michael’s eyes snapped open.
Finally.
Despite his patience, he was sick of sitting in one place for so long.
The sooner they arrived, the better.
Stretching slightly, he pushed the curtain aside and glanced outside.
The road was the same as before—quiet, empty, lined with trees. But beyond those trees, he could faintly make out the rising smoke of chimneys in the distance.
The village was close.
Just thirty more minutes, and this tedious journey would—
The thought was cut short.
A sudden pressure filled the air.
Michael’s expression darkened.
The driver barely had time to pull the reins before—
Whizz!
An arrow tore through the air, embedding itself into the wooden frame of the carriage.
A heartbeat later, figures emerged from the trees.
Men clad in ragged armor, wielding crude weapons, their faces covered in cloth masks.
Bandits.
Michael clicked his tongue.
He had expected to deal with them eventually—but not like this.