Summoned from another world, the hero is Ultraman Zeta.

Heading north into the depths of the dense forest, traversing thickets and bushes, and following the guide's directions, the operation reached the river basin at dawn.

"Are we really okay to just leave like this? After all, there are still many things to deal with in the town. Isn't it a bit inappropriate to leave everything to the new minister and the Mage's Guild?"

Yao Hui looked at his refurbished clothes and outdoor gear, thinking that these were all prepared for him by the new minister, and he hadn't even had a chance to thank him.

"Don't worry, Haruki, the new guild master won't hold a grudge about something like this. Let's think about the journey ahead. I don't want to go through all that trouble to get to the guild like last time. I wish myself a safe journey!"

Ah-Jiu summoned the legendary magic book and carefully examined the map that the new minister had updated for him, ensuring that the route would be foolproof and avoiding any more encounters with monsters on the road, so that everyone would have some peace and quiet.

"If you want to walk well, don't block your eyes. Don't wait until you fall into a pit before throwing someone to pull you out." Sean grabbed Ah Jiu from behind as she almost crashed into a tree, reminding her not to read while walking like she had before.

"I'm so sorry for the suddenness of this, Sean. I hope you'll take care of me from now on."

Haruki came over to join everyone. He was naturally happy to see Sean join him and Zeta, as they now had another partner to fight alongside. In addition, they had traveled together with Sean before, so everyone got along very well on this journey.

"No, no, you flatter me, Haruki. Now that I've been chosen by the Light Stone, I know it's time for me to take on the responsibility. In terms of experience, I should be the one learning more from you."

This time, it was a formal partnership, and both Haruki and Sean seemed a little nervous. Haruki felt that his relationship with Sean was different from that with A-Jiu. Their daily interactions would affect their judgment during battles. Therefore, Haruki wanted to establish a long-term, unified relationship with Sean. So, Haruki decided that it would be better to restrain his impulsiveness when he was with A-Jiu.

Sean was filled with mixed feelings about the journey ahead. Haruki and Zeta were heroes from another world, the heroes who answered the legends. For those who grew up listening to hero stories, they would more or less have a longing for heroes. Now Sean had been chosen as a hero, and his energy came directly from Zeta. Haruki and Zeta were not only partners, but also Sean's superiors.

The two men wanted to get to know each other, but neither dared to speak first. In the awkward moment, they both wanted Ajiu to help them out. But when Yaohui and Sean looked around, they found that Ajiu had stepped into a pit and fallen in, still holding the magic book in her hand when she hit the ground.

"You really don't learn your lesson." Sean looked at Ajiu, who was being helped up by Yaohui, speechless. He had clearly reminded her, but she still fell down carelessly.

"Stop trying to belittle me, Sean. I sacrificed myself for a greater cause. Just as I landed, a thought flashed through my mind and made me realize an ultimate truth—the ground here is really soft."

Continuing to stubbornly explain with an unconvinced face, Ah Jiu's face was still covered in mud as she spoke, making it hard not to focus on the mud that swayed with Ah Jiu's face but just wouldn't fall off. As for what Ah Jiu was saying, naturally, no one listened to her.

"The soil here is indeed a bit damp. Is it because it rained recently?"

Yao Hui placed his hand on the ground to feel it and found that the terrain here was indeed very different from that around the town. Moreover, the surrounding trees were now mainly poplar and elm trees, and there were far fewer mountains nearby.

“I don’t think it’s entirely due to the rainfall, Yaohui. According to the information on the map, there is a river in front of us, and many tributaries around it. This northern terrain is mostly wetlands.”

After wiping her face, Ajiu explained to Yaohui that she had originally wanted to give him a more detailed introduction, but the guide at the front called out, so they had to quicken their pace to catch up with him.

A continuous stretch of lush, green trees appeared, and the sound of trickling water gradually became clearer. After clearing away a patch of overgrown shrubs, Yaohui and his group arrived at the riverbank to get a clear view of the distant sky.

“If you follow this little river upstream, you’ll reach the main stream. There you can catch a boat. I can only take you that far. I need to get home before dark.”

"Understood, Master, thank you for leading the way."

Ah-Jiu was talking to the guide ahead, while Yao-Hui walked behind to keep an eye on the surrounding scenery. Sean, however, was a little puzzled and deliberately slowed down to walk in front of Yao-Hui.

"Why don't we just fly directly to our destination? With Ultraman's power, we can deal with threats like monsters. Wouldn't traveling by water risk encountering monsters?"

A rock frog saw someone approaching and immediately jumped into the water. If the rock frog hadn't made the first move, no one would have noticed its presence and might have simply stretched their foot out in front of it, just like passing by a stone on the riverbank.

"Flying is both a convenience and a danger, Sean. Not all creatures are comfortable with other creatures flying over their heads, especially the strangely shaped giants in this monster land."

I had the same thought as you before, but I had an accident while flying and ended up being chased by a group of monsters. It's best not to use flight to enter unfamiliar territory unless absolutely necessary.

A bird perched on a tree branch near the river, its flight creating ripples on the water below. It held a grasshopper in its beak, seemingly about to devour it, when a sudden gust of water startled the bird, causing the grasshopper to fall into the water and be snatched by a fish. The bird and fish exchanged a glance before moving away, their resentment unresolved despite the separation between heaven and water.

“Young man, take my advice: you must follow the rules in everything you do. I’ve heard about the place you’re going to; it’s the territory of that old wolf. Those wolf cubs don’t like flying creatures. You don’t want to end up angering them instead of getting what you want.”

When the guide heard Sean's whimsical idea, he chuckled and began to explain. The minister had, of course, emphasized the identities of these young people, but as a senior figure who had walked this path for decades, he still had to remind the younger generation to keep their spirits up.

As the river widened, a group of red pandas gathered on the riverbank, calling out repeatedly. This attracted a crocodile, who handed it a blue crystal. The crocodile then bent down and let the group of red pandas climb aboard, carrying them across the river. The crocodile deliberately arched its back to prevent the pandas from getting wet, and both sides remained very peaceful during the journey.

"Wow, predators and little monsters can cooperate like this! I'd love to team up with a cute monster sometime too!"

Zeta was somewhat tempted and hesitant after seeing the red panda and the Ice Fang Crocodile. She wondered if she would encounter a cute and interesting monster as a partner. Would she be fluffy like the red panda? Or would she be incredibly cool just by looking at her, like the Ice Fang Crocodile?

"Why are you suddenly so interested in monsters, Zeta?" Judging from Yuuichi Junsei's reaction, Haruki knew how excited Zeta was. He was swaying and had no idea what Zeta was doing inside.

"After experiencing so much, I've come to understand an ultimate truth—any monster that doesn't attack me is a good monster. It's better to have one more monster as a friend than one more monster fighting me."