Chapter 293 – Brewing Shadows

Chapter 293 – Brewing Shadows

 

Kai forcefully shut the notebook and stored it in his ring.

Everyone had poured their mind over the plan—Valela included. It was foolish to believe he would catch a detail they all missed, yet his mind couldn’t stop brooding over it.

It’s as solid as it’s gonna get.

The pervading cold of his bedroom welcomed him back to Limgrell. Kai stretched his sore legs, casting a miniature storm to shower before wearing some clothes.

It’ll soon be over.

Whether they located the missing people or failed, Kea had agreed that staying longer would be too dangerous.

He had pushed his body and skills to the limit to reach the gates before they shut for the night. As the mists appeared over the sloping hills around the lake, whispers had started brewing in the back of his mind, more insistent with every stride.

The warnings had spiked when the guards questioned him at the western gate. If they had shown outright hostility, he would have written it off as mistrust of an outsider, but they had let him through with barely a question—someone had taken notice of his absence.

Did some Republic official wake up to do their work? Hmm… no, that sounds wishful even in my thoughts.

He had expected they’d be targeted after Niel was taken, but as people continued going missing, the cult ignored them. Had Hobbes scared them off? Or were the remaining members not worth their time?

We’ll see who smiles at the end.

His sister and friends had holed up in their rented houses to stay safe. He couldn’t hide his trip to Darvell, but only Flynn and Rain knew about his meeting with Valela. There was no time to solve Kea’s mistrust of her. The rest of the group thought he had gone to gather supplies and information at the Hall of Seekers there.

I’ll explain once we’re away from here.

He had studied the wards guarding the town from every angle to figure out how the cultists moved. They had been laid by a master more skilled than anyone in Limgrell. No one would sneak past them undetected—if not for one inevitable flaw.

A knock on the door sent mana surging to his fingertips.

“You up?” Flynn poked his head through the crack of the door, looking reassured to find him there. “We’re ready when you are.”

“Yeah, I’m coming.” Kai grabbed the bandolier with his sword from the chair he used as a cloth rack. They took precautions to avoid direct confrontation, but his plans had the tendency to go awry. He didn’t want to worry about revealing his spatial artifact if he was forced to draw his blade.

Every rule has an exception, right?

“How’re you feeling?” Flynn sat at the dining table, polishing an array of knives before him. One by one, blades disappeared into his sleeves, inner pockets and boots as if he were casting Space Magic. “You looked pretty beat up last night. I can ask Kea to delay another day.”

“It’s just a little soreness. It won’t bother me.” Kai flexed his shoulders to warm the muscles. If the cultists had caught wind of him, they couldn’t afford to stall in this cold dump.

“Ain’t that the truth…” Flynn’s lazy smile turned weary. “I never thought I could miss seeing the sky and sun so much…”

“Hmm, I miss the sea…” Rain stood up from the couch to join them. “Not that I want to go back,” he added, rubbing his arm. He wore a loose gray shirt and trousers under a long blue coat and fluffy purple hat. Over the last weeks, he had narrowed down the clothes he needed to feign the cold bothered him. “Do you know where we are going to visit next?”

Kai bit his cheek. “I… don’t know.” Unmasking the cult had been his entire world since Niel went missing, but the perpetual fog hadn’t chipped Rain’s confidence. For him, the cultists were merely an inconvenience in the itinerary. “Maybe we could go to some place warmer?”

“A few friendly folks would do us good,” Flynn said as he grabbed a glass of water. From his smooth movements, no one would guess he carried an armory worth of blades. “And better food! If I have to cook another bland stew without salt or meat, I’m going to rip my hair out. And the world doesn’t deserve the loss.”

The siren furrowed his pale brows, then nodded. “Yeah, I’d like to see a real squirrel. And a hedgehog!” Suddenly he leafed through a booklet with lifelike pictures of animals and scenery. “Maybe a moon phoenix. They say they’re breathtaking…”

Where did he get a tourist guide?

A smile lifted his gloomy mood as his friends drafted an ever-increasing list of requirements. Yes, this was just another step. “We’ll figure it out once we’re done here. Unless the plan has changed since I left…?”

Last night he had dropped dead, exhausted after reviewing Valela’s intel. It wouldn’t affect their plans aside from drastically reducing the search range.

“It’s still the same.” Flynn snooped over Rain’s shoulder. “Caeli wanted to split into teams and cover more areas, but her idea was sunk.”

“Oh, thank Yatei.” Kai massaged his temples. He understood Caeli’s worry for her brother, but being close to the finish line was only a reason to be more cautious.

“Yeah,” Flynn said. “Though it wasn’t an ethereal glowlight that argued her down for two hours.”

“Then Rain also has my deepest appreciation,” Kai chuckled. Ignoring the affronted look, he took out his ticking pocket watch. “We have to go meet with Kea. Check you’ve gathered what you need. Essentials only. I have a little space in my ring if you need it.”

Regardless of success, they might not see this house again, and running around with full luggage would alert the cultists they were up to something.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

“I’ve got everything I need.” Flynn patted the only visible dagger he carried strapped to his belt. Throwing open the kitchen cabinets, he found a piece of jerky and stuffed it in his mouth. “I’ve already checked the rooms. Rain stored my other stuff in his artifact.”

Uhm… We’re really doing this.

The merry vibe puffed out. No one spoke as they left the stark apartment. Outside, the fog had swallowed the streets. Elemental motes pulsed in Kai’s veins, ready to be unleashed.

If that will even help.

The day of the ambush remained vivid in his mind: how his skills and essence had deserted him. The memory chilled his blood. From Rain’s knowledge, it could be the result of a portable array or a profession skill. Such powerful effects often came with heavy restrictions unless the difference in grade was huge.

His attacker had been a shadow and blade cloaked in mist, but they definitely hadn’t reached Green. Fending off the assault, Kai had been too focused on not dying to realize his opponent hadn’t shown any skill. Did the nullifying effects not distinguish between friend and foe? Hobbes had scoffed at the idea that his blinks could be affected, so whatever they used wasn’t invincible.

I just got to figure out the exact restrictions.

Truth be told, he’d rather not experience that powerlessness again.

The fence of Kea’s house came out of the fog across the streets. Three figures stood before it, their postures tensed before relaxing in recognition.

“We’re ready,” Caeli blurted just as a privacy ward bubbled around them. Her frenetic gaze lingered on Kai. “You’re good to go? We’ve delayed enough for your errand. I could have told you there was no point looking for intel elsewhere.”

“It was worth a try.” Kai shrugged, keeping his tone polite. He would act much worse if his brother had gone missing for two months. How long could someone tensely wait before breaking?

“Then we can move!” Caeli grinned. “I still think we should split up. Even narrowing down to three locations, it’ll take us days to sweep them. More chances for the culprits to notice us. And we all wanted to avoid that.”

“Caeli. We’ve already discussed this. We are not splitting,” Kea firmly stated. Her posture was steady and alert, though exhaustion painted her face and weary eyes.

“I see…” She pursed her lips. “I’m the only one who wants to save them.”

“Oh, don’t you dare!” Kea growled, spitting flames from her eyes.