Chapter 296 – Lost in the Mist

Chapter 296 – Lost in the Mist

The rowboat scraped against the bottom of the lake, coming to a halt a few meters from where the willow branches dipped into the water. Kai stretched Mana Observer over the island as far as the shrouding mist allowed.

Trepidation mixed with anxiety. His knuckles whitened, gripping the sword. From what he could see, there was nothing except trees and critters that barely touched upon Red, already retreating in their dens at their approach.

The surge of relief made his shoulder slacken. He loosened his grip on the leather hilt when annoyance poked his gut. There were hundreds of islets in the lake, but part of him still expected to find the cultist. It wouldn’t be the most ridiculous coincidence caused by his Favor.

Would I even recognize if we were in the right place…?

It wasn’t as if the cultists would leave a sign: ‘Turn right at the second tree stump and knock on the mossy rock for the Evil Hideout. P.S. Please, take off your shoes before entering. P.P.S. Use the second entrance to deposit kidnapped innocents.

A brief check confirmed there were indeed no welcome signs—how disappointing. Hallowed Intuition hummed a vague closeness to his goal, but no significant danger.

Kai didn’t lower his guard. Skills and arrays had already proven they could interfere with his ability. He retracted Mana Observer too. Rarely anybody noticed his subtle touch, even among people at Yellow, but that didn’t mean never. A living exception sat across from him.

Rain let his hand hang overboard, drawing circles on the water with an absent expression.

“So… what are we waiting for?” Caeli said. “The boat’s stuck. We’re not going to find anyone from here.”

Her voice made Mari jolt away from the rim. Everyone had been lost studying the misty vegetation beyond the weeping willow. Droplets slipped off its branches and pattered into the lake.

Almost unconsciously, Kai looked at Rain and received a slight shake—no danger he could detect either.

When have I started looking at him for security? Kai bit his cheek.

Delegating his safety to someone else was a dangerous habit. For all of Rain‘s kindness and goofy hobbies, Kai didn’t entirely understand him—or what he was capable of. Sometimes, he acted like a sheltered teen, others like an indifferent executioner. From what they knew, the siren might get tired of the surface and swim back to the sea any day.

Well, we’re stuck in the same boat. So that is a problem for future-Kai…

“Keep your voice down.“ Kea murmured to Caeli, crouching low in the boat. Her tanned leather corset and cloak blended with the bags and wooden boards as she activated her camouflage skill. “We don’t know who’s watching.”

“There isn’t anyone here,” Caeli said but lowered her tone. “We won’t find the missing on the first try. And this island is too small for a hideout anyway.”

Kea squinted at the willow as if the answers to their questions hid in its gnarly bark. “We can’t know for sure.”

“Hmm… Fair point.” Caeli squatted beside her friend. “What do you propose we do?”

“I’ll scout the area to see if it’s safe,” Kea leaned forward. “By myself, I’ve fewer chances of being detected. If you don’t hear me in five minutes, take the boat and run.”

Kai put a hand on her shoulder before she could dash. “I should go then. I’m as good as you at concealing my presence. And I’ve got better skills to detect danger.”

”You—” Kea scowled at his hand till he pulled it back. “How good are you at distinguishing tracks? You must know what to look for to scout properly.“

“I’ve spent as much time as you in the wild.”

“Maybe. But how many people have you tracked?” She arched an eyebrow in challenge.

Kai pursed his lips. He had plenty of practical experience with beasts—not so much with humans. This is what I get for telling her about the Sanctuary. Why’s she always such a stubborn clam? “I still—”

“Arguing won’t help us pass unobserved.“ Flynn stepped between them, shushing them with a finger. “We’ll go together.”

“What—”

“No.”

“Look around us,” Flynn gestured to the placid lake. Only faint ripples from their boat and the drops from the willow wrinkled the surface. “How far can we run with one oar and no idea where we are? If they catch one of us, we’ll have a better chance to defend ourselves together than to run.”

“The pretty boy speaks some sense,” Caeli sharply nodded. “It’s better if we don’t separate.”

“Uhm… Thanks.” Flynn raised a hand to anticipate any protest. “You two can still scout ahead, agreed?”

It does make the most sense.

“Agreed,” Kai said, grateful for the intervention. He got riled up too easily when Kea was involved.

His sister shifted her weight back into the rowboat. “We’ll go with your plan.”

“Good.” Flynn showed a hint of a smile. “We should drag the boat to shore. I don’t want to find it got dragged away by some lake monster. And get stuck here.”

“I— yes. That’s a good idea.” Kea pulled back a lock of hair.

When no one else objected, she slipped into the knee-deep water and offered a hand to Mari’s uninjured side. Without their weight, the rowboat lifted off the rocky bottom.

Caeli and Rain moved next. Flynn shivered when he stepped into the lake but didn’t complain and leaned lower to hide his figure.

This is why people build piers.

Kai considered leaping onto the shore—a somersault would be hardly subtle. Full of resignation, he followed the others and rigidly froze when the icy water dripped into his boots, soaking his socks and trousers.

Spirits, I hate the cold. Why can’t cults set up their torture chambers in a warm inn?

Each time he got used to the drops in temperature, an increase in Perception sharpened the feeling. A sploosh at his back made him look over his shoulder. A lustrous dark-blue fin crested the lake less than twenty meters away before diving back, a shadow through the veil of mist.

“No sudden movements,” he hissed, forgetting the unpleasant cold.

Dammit. The array on the boat only cloaked us while we stayed on it.

The creature lingered beneath the surface, swimming with a sinuous motion. Dense streams of essence flowed within its elongated body. It would have been a dangerous opponent on land. In its home environment, Kai wasn’t sure he could protect himself, much less his friends. A fight would also broadcast their position well beyond this island.

Stolen novel; please report.

“What—” Mari widened her eyes when she glimpsed the shadow. She gripped her staff, ready to sprint or cast a spell.

“Walk ahead. Slowly,” Kai kept his tone forcefully calm. With her slinged arm, Mari would only hinder them.

She bobbed her head and moved with a stuttering step toward shore.

A look at his companions was enough to reach an agreement. They followed after her, dragging the boat between them. Each step seemed to take a lifetime, straggling between cautiousness and the desire to run.

The keel of the lightened vessel scraped the shore again. Mari risked slipping on the loamy floor but leveraged on her staff and the willow branches to climb out of the lake. Caeli pulled herself out, failing to hide her urgency so close to safety.

“C’mon.” Kai gestured to Kea to go next.

His sister stubbornly hesitated, looking back.

“C’mon, help me lift the boat.” Flynn grabbed the rim of the vessel and put one boot on the rocky shore.

“That can wait. We must get to safety first.”

“With that thing stalking us, the boat is our only means of escape. We can’t risk it. Can you lift the other side?”

“Uh, okay…” Kea strained to lift the vessel using one arm. The other held her belt knife, ready for action.

The lake creature floated in apparent stillness beneath the surface, part of its elongated body hidden beyond his senses. Kai didn’t dare look too closely for fear of provoking it.

Beside him, Rain stared at the water with a melancholic air, heedless of the threat. “You needn’t worry. She won’t attack while I’m here.” His words were barely a murmur beneath the droplets falling from the willow. “She’s just curious about me.”