Chapter 242: I Tried Poking The Death Fog
But that made me stop and really think—what the hell was going on with that place I went to for my evolution?
Last time, no time had passed at all when I came back. Not even a minute. But this time, three whole weeks had gone by. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. There didn’t seem to be any consistent rule. It was like time moved differently there… or maybe it just didn’t care about time at all.
‘Was I unconscious for that long?’
It was the only explanation that made even a little sense. I remembered blacking out during one of the phases—just complete silence and darkness. Maybe that’s when the time slipped away from me.
I let out a long breath and looked over at Steve.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.
There wasn’t much else I could say. If I had known it would take so long, I never would’ve gone through with it.
Steve just shook his head.
“Not your fault, man. But seriously… what the hell happened? Why did it take that long?”
I told him everything—how the place worked, at least from what I could understand.
When I finished, Steve let out a short laugh and muttered, “Fuck my luck.”
I laughed too, though the guilt still weighed on me. I glanced sideways at him and asked with a grin, “So… you two were alone for three weeks in a forest. How was that?”
He gave me a deadpan look and whispered back, “Shut up.”
I raised both hands like I was surrendering. “Alright, alright.”
Then I remembered something. “By the way… why didn’t you go back to the pool? Back to the private realm?”
Steve nodded and leaned back against the tree.
“There were too many Holts swarming that area during the first few days,” he said. “We didn’t want to risk getting caught, especially with Ana being worried about them finding the place and capturing her friends as well. So we stayed away from the pool altogether.”
He paused, then added something that made my mood shift instantly.
“Oh—and we overheard something. The Holts were talking about calling someone in. Someone who’s good at finding people.”
My eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
Steve shook his head. “No idea. We only heard bits of their conversation while we were hiding. They didn’t mention a name. Just that someone was coming.”
I nodded slowly, my mind already racing.
If they were bringing in a tracker… that meant they were getting serious. And if they were serious, then Ana, Steve, and I were back on their radar. Maybe we never really left it.
I looked out at the darkening sky and the floating ruins up in the sky.
I stood up quietly, brushing dirt off my pants. The weight of what Steve had told me pressed heavily on my thoughts, but one thing was clear—I needed to see the Black Surge for myself.
“You rest for now,” I told Steve, my eyes already on the mountains. “I’ll be back after I take a look at that Black Surge myself.”
I turned to Silver, who crouched nearby in his beast form, his wings folded calmly at his sides. His crimson eyes met mine.
“Watch over them,” I said. “Both of them. Don’t let anything get close.”
Silver didn’t speak, but I knew he understood the mission.
Without another word, I moved.
My feet carried me swiftly through the darkening forest, each step silent, each breath steady. Trees blurred past as I picked up speed, threading between trunks and leaping over roots. It didn’t take long before I reached the edge—the last line of trees before the land began to slope upward into the jagged mountain range.
Wings burst from my back, and I shot straight into the sky. I stopped mid-air, hovering high above, my eyes locked on the distant edge of the mountain range.
The sun had fully dipped below the horizon now. But there was no twilight. No stars. No wind.
Just silence.
Then it began.
From the far end of the mountain range, a thick black smoke surged forth. No roar, no hiss. It moved like liquid shadow, smooth and terrifying in its stillness. It flowed low—barely touching the treetops—as it crept across peak after peak.
There was no sound. Not a single birdcall. Not the rustle of leaves. Just the silent roll of darkness swallowing the stone giants one by one.
My eyes narrowed.
Inside the smoke, I saw movement. Things were shifting. Not animals.
Abominations.
Twisted forms walked openly through the surge, their outlines only half-visible in the dark mist. But what was worse… the smoke clung to them like it belonged there. It wrapped around their limbs, curled through their broken spines, sank into their skin—but they didn’t flinch. It wasn’t hurting them.
It was protecting them.
I focused harder, watching how the wave of black death reached the front line of the mountain range.
Then it stopped.
Right there—just meters from where the forest ended and the rocky climb began—the surge hit something. Something invisible. An unseen boundary.
The smoke didn’t spill past it. Instead, it curled and twisted along that line, rolling back over itself, never moving closer.
I stared, unmoving and watched for some more time.
Then I slowly descended from the sky, letting the wind carry me down. I landed gently in front of the invisible wall.
The black smoke was right there, barely a hand’s length away from me. It writhed and pulsed like it was alive, stretching as if it could sense my presence. The moment my feet touched the ground, the corruption reacted. It surged forward suddenly, slamming against the boundary—but it couldn’t cross. It stopped dead, as if hitting a barrier that wasn’t there.
Curious, I raised my palm and summoned a small sphere of violet Essence. It spun slowly above my hand, humming faintly.
The response was immediate—and violent.
The smoke went wild. Not just in front of me, but across the entire boundary, it surged upward and outward, crashing into the invisible wall like a tidal wave. The peaks trembled under the pressure, but the wall held.
I narrowed my eyes and dismissed the Essence. The moment the sphere vanished, the corruption began to settle, still churning but no longer in a frenzy.
I took a slow step forward. My heartbeat quickened, but I didn’t hesitate.
Extending one finger, I reached out and gently pushed it through the boundary.
The effect was instant.
The smoke latched onto my skin like it had been waiting. It twisted around my finger, digging in, trying to burrow through my flesh. I could feel the rot trying to take hold.
More and more of the smoke swarmed the tip of my finger, pressing harder, more aggressive—until it finally broke through. I felt it seep inside, wriggling beneath the skin.
But the moment it entered, it found something waiting for it—my Essence.
I pulled my finger back and watched closely. The corrupted smoke that had slipped in began twisting through my blood and muscles, trying to spread its rot. But it didn’t get far.
My Essence surged like a tide, wrapping around the invader. There was no struggle—no delay. The smoke was crushed instantly, overpowered by the sheer volume and density of Essence flowing through my channels.
I decided I could handle the corruption—but only in small, isolated amounts. Not the overwhelming flood that blanketed the entire mountain range. With that in mind, I turned back.
Right now, my focus needed to shift. The ruins… and waking up the guardian. That felt more urgent. As soon as Ana woke up tomorrow, we’d head there.
I spread my wings wide and soared into the air.
Just above the treetops, I dismissed them, letting the wind carry me down in silence. I landed softly, careful not to make a sound.
I didn’t want Steve to see the wings just yet. I wanted to surprise them both at the same time.
Creation is hard, cheer me up!