Zeke watched for a moment longer as the old man chased the remnants of the warband. The reinforcements from the other camp, now unhindered, joined him in the hunt. Frost and his people were scurrying away in a complete panic, any semblance of order gone.
Zeke turned to his people, who were breathing more easily now that the old man had disappeared from sight.
"Ready?" he asked, getting nods in return.
Zeke closed his eyes and extended his senses. Immediately, several bright spots appeared in his spatial perception—nine in total. These were the beacons he had placed around the mountain, some closer, some farther away. With no fear of being discovered, he had gone all out.
He focused on the beacon that was closest to the location he wanted to go to and created the connection. "Come," he murmured, not diverting his attention for even a moment. Despite having done this a couple of times before, the spell was still quite challenging for him at his current level. A moment later, he felt somebody placed their hands in his. Judging by the rough calluses he could feel, it was likely Ash, the only one among his followers who used a weapon to fight. It was a good choice to send the scout first.
Starting with the hands, Zeke enveloped the figure before him in a thin layer of Mana. This protective measure was essential for surviving space traversal. He took extra care while applying the shielding, recalling all too well the dangers of a faulty bubble from one of his early attempts at the spell. The memory of how the void's chaos had disintegrated his flesh remained vivid.
After confirming the integrity of his protective measures, Zeke connected the Mana bubble to the distant beacon. The moment the link was established, Ash's hands vanished from his grasp, and he sensed the Chimeroi materialize inside the beacon. Without hesitation, another pair of hands gripped his own, and he repeated the process. Vulcanos vanished next, followed by Gravitas, leaving only Zeke behind.
In one breath, he enveloped himself in the protective layer. The process was effortless—not just because he had done it hundreds of times, but because his body was now attuned to the spatial attribute. The Mana clung to him like a second skin, needing little effort to hold. A moment later, he vanished, leaving the space as empty as it had been before their arrival.
The journey was over in an instant, and he found himself in a new location before he could even blink. Quickly regaining his bearings, he scanned the area. The three Chimeroi had already formed a protective perimeter around him, each facing a different direction. Zeke was pleased with their actions. He had taught them how to secure a landing zone, and they had taken to it naturally in the short while since.
Ash was facing toward the place they had just left, where the enemy camps were. Zeke stepped up next to him. "What do you see?"
Ash replied instantly, "I don't see anyone."
Zeke nodded, a satisfied smile on his face. As expected, the recent attack had drawn all their attention to the mountain. "Let's move," he ordered.
Wordlessly, the Chimeroi fell into formation, with Ash at the front and Gravitas at the rear. This was their standard formation on hunting trips, and each knew their role well. Zeke remained silent as they advanced, giving no further orders. He wanted to allow the three as much autonomy as possible. In the future, they would need to handle such missions without him, and he wanted to ensure they could manage any situation on their own.
After a few minutes, the group reached their first target: an outpost at the rear of the encirclement. There were no walls here, and the guards appeared more relaxed. Zeke noted that only about a dozen people remained at the camp. He wasn't surprised by this, as this was just a hunting outpost and storage area, not a fortified camp. Normally, no more than two dozen warriors would be stationed here, and following the recent attack, half of them were sent to reinforce the front line.
Zeke turned to Ash, raising a questioning brow. Ash thought for a moment before giving his assessment. "I think it's our best bet to send me in first. I'll take out as many as I can without being discovered. The moment they raise the alarm, the rest of the team can join in."
Zeke turned to the other two without speaking, seeking their opinions. He wasn't unsure of the plan, but he wanted to gauge their thoughts. Developing attack strategies on the fly required experience, and Zeke wanted them to practice that skill now, when the stakes were relatively low.
Vulcanos merely nodded, adding nothing to the plan. Gravitas, however, considered the plan carefully before voicing her opinion. "The plan is good. It would be ideal if you could lure them away from us after getting discovered. That way, we can catch them off guard a second time."
Ash nodded, accepting her input.
Zeke smiled. He was pleased with the plan and wanted to see how it would be translated into action. Despite having studied many books on strategy and tactics, his own real-life experience was just as lacking as that of these three.
After receiving his nod, Ash set off. Using the cover of the foliage, he approached the camp without being seen. However, the final stretch was open terrain. The enemy had wisely cleared all trees and shrubbery around the camp, leaving no cover.
It was a smart move. However, it didn't pose much of a challenge to Ash. The Chimeroi waited for the right moment, and when the guard finally moved, so did he. He assumed his Mistform, staying low to the ground and traversing the terrain without making a sound.
No matter how often he saw it, Ash's innate ability never failed to impress. His ethereal form moved silently and left no trace, like a ghost crossing the distance. This skill made him a born assassin, and Zeke shuddered to think what it would be like to face Ash's ancestor, the Mistwalker wolf.
In the blink of an eye, the mist vanished from sight, slipping into the village unnoticed. Now, all Zeke and his group could do was wait. They dared not breathe too loudly, listening for any sign of disturbance. It was crucial they didn't miss the moment Ash was discovered; otherwise, he would face their enemies alone. Yet, despite their anxious waiting, no commotion arose.
Zeke's eyes were fixed on the lone guard facing their direction. As long as the man stayed in position, Ash was unlikely to have been discovered. Just as Zeke began to worry something had gone wrong, a sudden change occurred. One moment, the guard was scanning the perimeter; the next, two spikes erupted from his chest.
The man collapsed without even being able to make a sound. His heart and lungs had been punctured at the same time, preventing him from calling out. Behind the collapsed form of the guard stood Ash, his body drenched in blood, but it was obviously not his own. He appeared completely uninjured as he made his way towards their hiding spot. His gait was unhurried, and he had a small smile on his face.
"What happened?" Zeke asked, scanning Ash for any hidden injuries the moment he entered his Sphere of Awareness. He was completely fine.
"Nobody found me," he said. He sounded almost perplexed as he gave his report. "I eliminated all threats and searched the buildings. No hidden enemies, no traps."
Zeke didn't quite know what to say. He felt a bit foolish for having them strategize so seriously, only for Ash to finish the mission on his own. No matter. It was always better to have a plan and not need it than to need one and not have it.
"Good job," he said. "Let's see what we got."
They entered the outpost and were immediately assaulted by the stench of blood. Yet, apart from the body of the last guard, no corpses could be found anywhere. Ash must have hidden his kills to avoid detection. He had done an impressive job.
They soon entered the first hut, a single room that immediately revealed its purpose: storage. The room was packed with racks holding a variety of monster products—meat, pelts, horns, and several other parts Zeke didn't even recognize.
A smile emerged on his face at the sight. "Let's get to work," he exclaimed joyfully.
The Chimeroi nodded and went about their work. They cleaned the place out, wrapping all the smaller objects into pelts before bringing them to him, one at a time. Zeke, for his part, had positioned himself in the middle of the room and sat down. He once again connected to a different beacon, this time, the one he had left in the mine.
As soon as the first bundle was handed to him, he sent it out and another was placed in his lap. The room quickly emptied as rows of products vanished. He worked so swiftly that the Chimeroi had to pick up their pace to keep up with him. Transporting goods was much easier than handling living matter, and with Akasha assisting, the process went even faster. It seemed like he had only just sat down, but when he felt no new bundle being handed to him, Zeke opened his eyes to find the entire room completely empty.
Zeke's smile widened as the group moved to the next hut, which was stocked with tools for tanning hides. They repeated their earlier method, moving from house to house like a swarm of locusts. They continued until the entire outpost was stripped of anything even remotely valuable.
"Master, look!" Ash called out, pointing toward the mountain.
Zeke followed his finger and spotted a group cresting a slope halfway up the mountain. His smile faded as he recognized them as the men who had pursued Frost and his warband. Their return meant their position was no longer safe. Though it was unfortunate that they had only managed to sack a single outpost, staying any longer wasn't worth the risk. They had already gotten what they came for.
"Do it, Vulcanos," he ordered.
Vulcanos nodded and approached the first of the empty huts before throwing a few burning rocks inside. Before he even reached the second hut, the first one had already caught fire, and by the time he finished, the outpost was engulfed in a roaring inferno.
Just as before, the Chimeroi approached him one by one, and he sent them back to safety before joining them.
Zeke materialized inside the mine, breathing out the breath he had been holding. Despite the successful execution of this plan, he had been incredibly tense. Only now that he was back in his base did he finally dare to relax.
He found the Chimeroi nearby, standing shoulder to shoulder and staring in the same direction. It quickly became clear what had captured their attention: half the room was filled with a mountain of assorted products. Stacked up into one massive pile, their bounty seemed even more impressive.
Akasha had already compiled a detailed list of every item, so Zeke knew exactly how much they had collected. It was an exceptional haul. The reason they had managed to only raid one target was that this outpost had served as a hub for nearby settlements. It was the only explanation for why so many supplies were concentrated in a single spot. The amount of food alone was likely enough to feed half the invading force for a month.
What pleased Zeke the most wasn't the large amount of food, but the complete set of work tools they had stolen. From cooking and curating to drying and tanning, they had gathered everything needed to outfit an entire production line. Now, all he needed was a loyal workforce.
His eyes gleamed with excitement as he thought about how to use today's events to his advantage.