Chapter 346: Tracks
Jonas moved through the trees. He found some tracks that he didn't recognize and had started following them. The could be Elin's, but he wasn't a tracker, even without his system so it wasn't like he knew what to look for when it came to determining tracks and all that.
All he could determine is that whoever, or whatever, left the tracks had feet similar to that of a human. While he wouldn't be surprised to find that he had stumbled on the tracks of a bigfoot, a sasquatch, or even a yeti, he wouldn't know until he found where the tracks ended.
It was possible that he'd reach a place where he'd lose the direction the creature that left these tracks had been going in, such as if he found where it primarily slept. However, until he did, he didn't plan on stopping.
Even if it wasn't Elin whose tracks these were, it was possible that whoever left them could know something that would help him. Though, even if they did, he had a feeling that it wouldn't be quite that simple.
Not with how complicated everything involving this competition seemed to be most of the time.
Hearing noises ahead of him, Jonas quickly melted into the shadows, so as to not draw attention to himself, just in case Elin had been captured by whoever had left these tracks. If they weren't, then he might consider risking showing himself to whoever was ahead of him, but he couldn't be sure if it would even be safe to do that regardless.
Still, he knew he had to at least take a look, if nothing else.
Yet, when he did, he was shocked to find that he'd returned to the came where he'd left the others. The only difference this time was a man Jonas didn't recognize.
He wasn't sure what to make of the man, but it was clear that the others knew him, so Jonas didn't try to get that much information about him. Maybe this person knew something, maybe he didn't. If he knew something, then he'd have to trust the others to get that information and go from there.