"We've discussed it, and this place isn't suitable for a long stay," Shan Yao found Li Teng the next morning.
"Hmm."
"Some werewolves have escaped, and who knows, they might bring back others, like more mages, for revenge. If we're defeated again and forced into the woods behind us, it'll be a dead end. We've decided to leave as soon as possible and head out into the wider world, where we may find a safe haven," Shan Yao proposed to Li Teng.
"I agree with your suggestion," Li Teng concurred crisply, yet a voice within him whispered… The wider world outside? It's likely more dangerous than these woods, and we might die even faster out there.
But they had no other choice.
With so many people, they needed to eat a lot every day; the forest no longer had prey, neither did the marshes, and tree bark and leaves were extremely unpalatable and unsustainable for the population.
To find a way to survive, they must venture into the wider world outside.