“There’s nothing here.” Simon was the first to step forward and inspect two of the shacks. When he returned, his voice was heavy.
The shacks were covered in dust, with no signs of any recent activity.
Owen signaled for the team to spread out and search the camp for clues. Bai Xuan walked to the doorway of one shack, his gaze slowly sweeping over the interior.
Most of it was just scattered items that hadn't been packed in time.
He frowned slightly. The source of the black mist’s pollution certainly wasn't here.
Just then, Owen’s voice came from nearby, carrying a hint of gravity. “Bai Xuan, come look at this.”
Bai Xuan immediately turned and walked over. Owen was standing in the open space in the center of the camp, holding a palm-sized cylindrical object with a serious expression.
The object was dull in color, its surface covered in fine patterns and array markings. The complex lines spiraled around the cylinder; it was clearly no ordinary item.
Noticing Bai Xuan’s gaze on the object, Owen explained slowly, “This is a tool for detecting mana flow. I came across it by chance.”
“It can track traces of magic. We can try using it to find the source of the black mist.” Owen didn't mention where the tool came from, and Bai Xuan didn't press him. Everyone had their own secrets.
Owen slowly crouched down and gently placed the cylindrical tool on the ground. The others instinctively gathered around, their eyes fixed on the device with a hint of anticipation.
The tool remained still for two seconds. Then, the patterns and array markings on its surface suddenly lit up. Faint blue light flowed along the lines like a stream of water.
A moment later, the light began to converge, and one end of the tool grew increasingly bright. A thin but steady beam of light pointed directly into the darkness deeper within the mining tunnels.
Owen stood up and glanced in the direction of the light. A flash of solemnity crossed his eyes. He turned to the group and said, “The source of the pollution is very likely over there.”
The camp fell into silence. No one spoke. Everyone instinctively prepared for battle, ready to handle any sudden situation.
Just as the group was about to set off, Kieran’s voice suddenly came from behind one of the shacks, carrying an unmistakable excitement. “There’s something over here! Come look, quick!”
Everyone immediately rushed over. Lily was the fastest, being the first to round the corner of the shack.
Kieran was crouching on the ground, reaching out to pick up an object peeking out from a crevice in the rocks. His expression was curious and excited.
Lily was about to ask what it was when her peripheral vision caught a slight distortion in the air behind Kieran.
A translucent shadow silently materialized, carrying a bone-chilling cold. It lunged toward his back without a sound.
“Watch out behind you!” Lily shouted. Before her voice even faded, she had already lunged forward like an arrow released from a bow. Her rapier left its sheath in an instant, pointing straight at the spectral figure of the Wraith.
Kieran reacted lightning-fast. Hearing Lily’s warning, he instinctively lunged forward, narrowly avoiding the Wraith’s attack.
The Wraith’s claws grazed his shoulder. The sharp, spectral image instantly tore a hole in his clothes, and blood seeped out, staining the fabric on his shoulder red.
Kieran rolled as he landed, putting distance between himself and the Wraith. He frowned in pain but still gripped the object he had just picked up.
Lily arrived just in time. Her rapier, carrying the speed of Wind Pierce, precisely pierced the Wraith’s ethereal body. Subtle air currents distorted around the blade.
The Wraith let out a shrill shriek. Faint white smoke rose from where it had been struck as it drifted back in disarray, clearly wounded.
Karl and Simon followed close behind and quickly moved into position. Simon raised his shield in front, blocking the Wraith’s potential escape routes.
Karl swung his axe into an offensive stance, ready to deliver a follow-up blow. One defending and one attacking, the two completely sealed off the Wraith’s retreat.
Surrounded by the group, the Wraith let out an unwilling shriek. Its body gradually became transparent until it finally vanished completely into the thick black mist, leaving no trace.
“Kieran, how is it? Is the wound deep?” Owen walked over quickly, his gaze falling on the bleeding shoulder with concern.
Kieran looked down at the wound on his shoulder and moved his arm with a frown. His tone remained relatively light. “I’m fine. It’s just a scratch. It won't affect my movements; I can keep fighting.”
With that, he opened his other tightly clenched palm, revealing a small metal fragment.
The fragment was heavily corroded, its original shape almost unrecognizable. Only a few fine patterns remained on the edges, vaguely suggesting it was a piece broken off from a crest.
“What is this?” Lily leaned in to look, her brow furrowing in confusion. She had never seen a metal fragment like this before.
Kieran shook his head slightly, looking a bit dazed. “I don't know. It was wedged in that rock crevice, with only a tiny corner showing. I thought it didn't look like a normal rock, so I wanted to pick it up and see.”
The group took turns inspecting the fragment. Owen, Karl, Lily, and Simon all shook their heads after looking at it.
The texture of this metal was completely different from the adventurer badges or civilian pendants they usually saw.
Even though it was severely corroded, it was clear that the original craftsmanship had been extremely fine. This was no ordinary item.
Finally, the fragment was passed to Bai Xuan. He gently rubbed the corrosion on its surface. His inspection was already complete.
【Token Fragment: A fragment of a crest used to identify core members of the Cross family. Not intended for public wear.】
The description appeared clearly before Bai Xuan’s eyes. As expected, it was related to Zane Cross.
He calmly handed the fragment back to Kieran and said flatly, “Keep it safe. Give it to the White family’s steward; it might be useful.”
The team searched the camp one more time but found no other valuable clues.
Owen glanced at the tracking tool on the ground, then looked toward the depths of the mining tunnel where the light was pointing. He said to the group in a deep voice, “Let’s go. To the next mine. The source shouldn't be far now.”
The group gathered their resolve and continued deeper into the tunnels, soon arriving at the second mining area.
This place was much deeper than the first. The branches on both sides of the tunnel crisscrossed like a labyrinth.
The fluorescent moss on the rock walls grew even sparser. The faint green light couldn't penetrate the thick black mist at all. Even the air carried a heavy, decaying chill that made everyone shudder involuntarily.
As soon as the team gained a foothold at the entrance of the mining area, the sound of bones grinding together came from the black mist. The “clack, clack” echoed through the hollow tunnels.
Several undead were already blocking the middle of the path. A few Skeleton Wanderers wobbled back and forth.
Two Specters trailed gray-white mist, hovering and circling above them. Their hollow eye sockets were locked onto the scent of the living.
Without waiting for Owen’s command, they lunged toward the team together, coming on with aggressive momentum.
“On guard!” Owen barked. His heavy sword left its sheath in an instant, a dull orange light flowing along the blade, imbued with powerful mana.
“Simon, take the front! Karl, cover the left flank! Kieran, prioritize clearing the Specters; they have weak resistance to physical attacks!”
Before his voice even finished, he had already flicked his body to the side, dodging a swipe from a Skeleton Wanderer. He swung his heavy sword in a follow-up, activating the Wolf Strike skill. A powerful gale slammed into the enemy’s ribs.
Splintered bone fragments flew out amidst the black mist. The undead let out a piercing crack of bone and staggered back several steps.
Simon had already understood. He stepped forward quickly with his thick shield, steadily blocking the simultaneous impact of two undead.
He gritted his teeth and lowered his shoulder, pinning himself to the spot like a nail. He didn't budge an inch. With his other hand, he gripped a short blade and, while the Skeleton Wanderer was off-balance, drove it hard into its eye socket.
He forcefully pried the head off, and the Skeleton Wanderer instantly lost its vitality.
Karl gripped his axe and dealt massive damage on the left flank. He planted his feet and spun his body halfway, using the Cleave skill.
The sharp axe blade carved a fierce arc through the air with a whistling wind. It forced back the Skeleton Wanderer lunging at Kieran and grazed the edge of a Specter.
Although physical attacks had little effect on Specters, it forced it to retreat temporarily, buying Kieran time to attack.
Kieran had already drawn his bow. Mana quickly attached to the arrowhead, and a faint white light shone piercingly in the dim tunnel. His Piercing Point skill precisely locked onto one of the Specters.
He released the bowstring. The arrow streaked through the air like a meteor, piercing straight through the enemy’s ethereal body.
The Specter let out a shrill shriek. Its body instantly became transparent before completely dissipating into the black mist.
But just as he was about to notch a second arrow, another Skeleton Wanderer darted out from a side branch. Its sharp bone claws lunged straight for his back, moving too fast for him to react.
In that critical moment, a red figure flashed past like a gust of wind.
Lily’s rapier, with the extreme speed of Wind Pierce, precisely struck the Skeleton Wanderer’s joint.
With a slight twist of her wrist, she forcefully pried open the connection of its leg bone. The undead stumbled and fell to the ground.
Lily didn't stop. Using her momentum, she rolled to the side, nimbly avoiding the swipe of another Specter.
She swung her rapier again, piercing the chest of another Skeleton Wanderer. Her movements were sharp and efficient.
Bai Xuan moved along the side of the team. He didn't rush forward to finish them off; instead, his gaze remained fixed on the depths of the black mist, staying alert for any potential ambushes.
The undead in this mining area weren't just the few in front of them.
Taking advantage of a Skeleton Wanderer staggering from Karl’s axe blow, he swung his iron rod down, striking it right in the skull.
After the crisp sound of bone shattering, the undead collapsed. The experience and Pleasure notifications on his status panel flickered accordingly.
In just a few moments, the few undead before them were completely cleared by the team.
Karl leaned on his axe and took a breath, wiping the black mist and dust from his face. His tone carried a hint of relief. “Not bad. They weren't that troublesome. I thought they’d be tougher...”
Before his voice could fade, the tracking tool in Owen’s hand suddenly flared with a blinding light. The beam was several times brighter than before, pointing straight into the depths of the tunnels. Owen’s expression instantly turned grim.
He immediately cut Karl off, his tone serious. “Don't let your guard down. There’s something even more powerful inside. Keep moving, and be careful!”
No one dared to be careless. They immediately focused their minds and continued deeper into the tunnels.
But they hadn't gone far before two more Skeleton Wanderers rushed out from a side path.
“This is bad! We’re being flanked!” Kieran looked back and fired an arrow that missed. His tone carried a hint of panic, and he had very few arrows left.
Owen’s brow was tightly furrowed. More were constantly manifesting within the black mist. The sound of Skeleton Wanderers approaching grew denser; clearly, the undead were swarming in an endless stream.
“Back to back! Don't let them break the formation!” he shouted, being the first to turn around. He swung his heavy sword at a Specter behind them, forcing it back.
The team immediately adjusted their formation.
Simon remained at the front, his shield firmly blocking the impact of the Skeleton Wanderers. Cold sweat mixed with dust ran down his forehead, yet he didn't retreat a single step.
Karl guarded the right flank, his axe swinging constantly. He had to deal with the undead in front of him while occasionally turning back to support Kieran. Kieran stood in the middle, looking for chances to draw his bow and fire, barely managing to hold off the Specters’ ambushes.
Lily moved along the outer edge of the formation, trying to tear an opening. But there were too many undead, and her stamina was draining rapidly.
“There are too many...” Lily dodged a Specter’s swipe. While her rapier pierced the enemy, she left an opening in her back.
A Skeleton Wanderer took the chance to circle behind her, its sharp bone claws slamming hard into her back.
“Ugh!” Lily let out a muffled groan and staggered forward a few steps, a trace of blood appearing at the corner of her mouth.
Before she could steady herself, another Specter’s claws grazed her arm, leaving a deep gash. The warm blood had barely begun to flow before it was instantly swallowed by the black mist.
Her movements became noticeably sluggish, and the speed of her rapier slowed by half a beat. Just as another Skeleton Wanderer’s bone claws were about to slam into her head—
Suddenly, an iron rod carrying golden light swung upward, meeting the bone claws. A sound of shattering bone rang out.
The Skeleton Wanderer instantly shattered into fragments, bone splinters exploding in all directions.
Bai Xuan strode to Lily’s side in a few steps and pressed his left hand against her injured arm.
The golden light of Holy Light Catalyst flared, the warm radiance instantly enveloping the wound. At the same time, Pain Empowerment was quietly applied.
Lily’s body jolted violently. The wound on her arm healed at a rate visible to the naked eye, and her state changed along with it.
She felt a ball of ignited fire within her body. Her once-clear eyes now held nothing but a frenzied battle intent.
Before Bai Xuan could react, Lily had already wrenched herself from his grip. She charged out like an out-of-control beast, her speed significantly faster than before.
Her movements were no longer light and agile; they were filled with raw violence.
Her rapier pierced through the chest of a Skeleton Wanderer. When the blade got stuck in the bone, she simply swung the sword and the skeleton together, slamming them hard into another one nearby.
The crisp sound of shattering bones mixed with her roar, echoing through the mining tunnel.
“Aaaaah!”
Amidst her roar, she grabbed a Specter that was trying to drift away.
Physical attacks that should have been ineffective against a Specter now caused it to scream incessantly as if burned by a fierce fire, thanks to the reinforced mana from Bai Xuan covering her.
Lily’s eyes were bloodshot. She slammed the Specter hard into the ground and stepped on it firmly until it completely dissipated into a wisp of black smoke before she finally let go.
Rate on N.U.
