Chapter 197: Caution

Throughout the walk back, Veyrath didn’t stop with his outrageous theories. The more he spoke, the more Sylveris began to wonder if there might actually be some truth hidden beneath the failed Alchemist’s ridiculous conjectures.

Vaelorin had been overhearing their conversation from the beginning, but he didn’t bother interfering. To him, most of what Veyrath was spouting was nothing more than jumbled nonsense; a rambling conjecture, if it could even be called that.

Although, if one were to scrutinize the dynamics between Aureleah and Regaleon, there did seem to be some kind of understated feeling between them.

But Vaelorin knew better... Or at least, he thought he did.

Once, he, Caelestra, and Kaeloris had discussed the strange relationship between the two. Their first conclusion had been that perhaps some subtle romantic feelings existed between them. After all, from an outsider’s perspective, it wasn’t particularly strange for someone like Aureleah to fall for someone like Regaleon, or vice versa.

However, the more they observed the pair, the more they dismissed that possibility and came to the conclusion that their relationship was simply platonic.

There was undoubtedly affection and trust between them, but it was the sort of bond forged between two people who had endured circumstances that few others could understand. Aureleah was closer to Regaleon than anyone in the group besides Sylveris, but that didn’t necessarily mean she regarded him as a romantic interest.

Rather, their bond had been forged through shared experiences; the suffering they had endured within their respective houses, their exile, and everything they had survived together in the Nether Lands.

That shared trauma had allowed them to understand one another on a level the others couldn’t. And sometimes, that understanding could easily be mistaken for something deeper.

Vaelorin knew Veyrath’s theories were unfounded, but he had no intention of stopping him from spouting his nonsense to Sylveris.

In fact, a faint, wicked smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he listened.

He could already imagine the scene.

The moment Sylveris repeated Veyrath’s words to Aureleah, the failed Alchemist would probably find himself staring down the edge of one of her Daggers and that thought alone was enough to make Vaelorin chuckle inwardly.

Oh, how he couldn’t wait to see the look of sheer panic on Veyrath’s face.

Judging from the failed Alchemist’s utterly shameless, gossiping expression, Vaelorin had a feeling the man was walking straight toward one of the worst moments of his life.

And he couldn’t wait to see how it would turn out...

It wasn’t long before they reached the surface of the subterranean chamber. One after another, the group emerged from the same enormous crimson boulder through which they had entered.

The moment they stepped outside, the first thing they noticed was the transformation of the atmosphere.

The bright crimson sky that had greeted them earlier was now dark, signifying the arrival of night.

The Crimson Forest had also changed.

During the morning, it had resembled a sleeping predator; quiet and almost peaceful, yet carrying an unmistakable sense of danger beneath its serenity.

At night, however, the beast awakened. The forest no longer looked dormant. Instead, it looked hungry, active and deadly.

A crimson fog crawled across the forest floor, drifting between the trees in long, serpentine tendrils. It clung to the roots and wound around the trunks, obscuring everything beyond a certain distance.

Thankfully, they were now Etheryeans so their enhanced senses allowed them to perceive their surroundings far more clearly than they could before, though even that heightened perception struggled against the strange mist.

Crimson branches swayed beneath the cold wind, their leaves rustling and scraping against one another like the gnashing teeth of some enormous predator.

Besides that, there was also the sound of a shrill cackle, resounding roar, and something that sounded disturbingly similar to an animal screaming in agony.

These noises echoed through the darkness, sometimes seemingly coming from the front and sometimes from somewhere behind them.

Morning in the Nether Lands was death disguised as serenity; but night... Night was horror mixed with terror and savagery.

This was precisely why the group had always avoided traveling through the Nether Lands after sunset whenever possible.

Unfortunately, the time they had spent cultivating had consumed far more hours than they realized. What had begun as a journey during the morning had stretched until nightfall.

"We shouldn’t stand around." Aelric’s voice suddenly broke through the oppressive silence.

The green-eyed youth stood at the forefront, his emerald eyes sweeping across the crimson fog.

"The Animas will be active soon. Let’s move."

His usually carefree voice carried an unusual solemnity.

The group didn’t argue with him. And without hesitation, they followed.

Yet as they moved deeper into the forest, an inexplicable sense of foreboding began crawling beneath their skin.

It felt as though they were being watched; not by one creature but by countless unseen eyes hidden within the darkness.

The sensation was so vivid that several members instinctively manifested their Soul Essences.

Regaleon was among the first.

Before his cultivation, he had dispersed his Armour and Halberd. Now, with a single thought, golden radiance erupted around him.

The brilliance was so intense that the crimson mist surrounding him recoiled slightly, illuminating the darkness for several meters.

When the radiance finally subsided, an ancient suit of Armour covered his body.

Had they not been so focused on the ominous atmosphere surrounding them, the others might have noticed the subtle transformation it had undergone.

When Regaleon first manifested his Armour, it had looked like little more than a piece of ancient metal that had survived countless wars and centuries of neglect.

Rust had covered portions of its surface, while corrosion and weathering had robbed it of much of its former grandeur.

Despite the imposing aura it occasionally released, anyone seeing it for the first time could easily mistake it for nothing more than a battered relic. Now, however, much of that rust had fallen away and beneath it was a golden sheen.

The Armour gleamed with a restrained yet unmistakable brilliance, while crimson veins ran across its surface like blood vessels beneath skin. This combination gave it an appearance that was both ancient and regal.

His Halberd had changed as well. Its shaft had become longer, its proportions more imposing, while the blade gleamed with a chilling sharpness.

The edge reflected the faint light of the crimson sky like the eyes of a predator waiting to taste blood.

Most importantly, its fluctuations had changed. Though it was still a Viscount-Tier Soul Essence, its presence now carried the unmistakable pressure of a Count-Tier Soul Essence, making it almost indistinguishable from the aura of his Armour.

Obviously, Regaleon’s breakthrough had apparently affected more than his body. It had also transformed his Soul Essences.

The others soon manifested theirs as well.

Vaelorin’s Fiery Staff appeared in a burst of golden-red flames. The heat radiating alone from it was intense enough to distort the air around him.

Before, the Soul Essence had resembled little more than an ordinary wooden staff. Now, strange runic markings ran along its entire length like glowing veins, pulsing with a fiery golden light.

And surprisingly, the changes weren’t limited to Regaleon and Vaelorin.

The moment the others manifested their Soul Essences, subtle qualitative changes became apparent in each of them.

Aureleah’s twin Daggers were perhaps the most striking.

One radiated brilliant silver light, its polished blade gleaming like a fragment of moonlight forged into steel while the other seemed to devour the light around it. Its surface was so dark that it resembled a miniature crescent-shaped black hole.

It was almost as though Aureleah held darkness in one hand and moonlight in the other.

Her Cloak had changed as well.

The moment it wrapped around her figure, shadows seemed to gather around her body.

Darkness clung to the fabric and spilled from its edges like living smoke.

Combined with her naturally cold features and sinister aura, Aureleah looked less like an ordinary Assassin and more like an executioner who had stepped out of the depths of the night.

None of them had manifested their Soul Essences for show. They were simply being cautious because of that strange sensation of being watched.

They didn’t know what but they also weren’t foolish enough to ignore the warning their instincts were screaming at them.

Their senses stretched to their limits as they walked, eyes scanning the surrounding forest with wary and alert expressions.

An oppressive silence descended upon them.

Even Veyrath, who had spent most of their journey back talking like an incessant braggart, had finally gone quiet.

He stayed close to the others, his eyes darting from one shadow to another.

The uneasy silence continued. Minutes passed but nothing happened. Eventually, Veyrath couldn’t take it anymore and spoke.

"It seems this might have been a false ca—"

His voice trailed off and his sentence never reached completion.

The next moment, every person’s senses suddenly screamed. Aelric’s expression changed before he yelled.

"Move!"

The shout exploded through the forest.

Everyone reacted instantly. Bodies scattered in every direction and before they could even comprehend what had happened, several silver blades tore through their formation before striking violently into the ground around them...