The Least He Can Do

Mel spent a few more minutes resting and talking to Den before going back to continue his search using Spirit Mind's Eye.

It was a lot easier to cope after he let the original model of the environment just sit in his mind for a bit. With every new step he took in the forest, he mapped out a range of new textures, smells, sights and everything in between.

Yet despite all that. Despite the billions of things he felt and saw and heard. He did not find a single trace of what he was supposed to be looking for presently.

It was frustrating. All that time he'd spent and all the information he'd collected just for nothing.

He'd even made his way across the entire four-kilometre stretch of forest a few more times, just in case he'd missed something.

He didn't.

Everything that could be was thoroughly inspected, yet nothing.