Chapter 406: The Looming Shadows

**Thelma Zane’s Perspective** How far could one travel in a hundred kilometers? This distance spanned nearly the entire stretch from the Spring Rain Pack to the edge of the Elf Forest. By car, at maximum speed, it would take just over an hour. But traversing the dense forest on foot was a different story altogether. The labyrinth of trees and undergrowth made moving forward a grueling task. Without a clear path, covering the same distance could take anywhere from three to five hours. But did we even have three to five hours to prepare for what was coming? The answer was painfully obvious: we didn’t. The enemy had the ability to traverse space itself, rendering natural obstacles meaningless. They didn’t need roads, nor did they need to worry about the terrain. Their movements were swift and unimpeded, leaving us with barely two hours—if that—to organize our defenses. It was as if the universe was conspiring against us. Garland City had already sent out desperate calls for