Chapter 1188: The Revelation. The Secret of the Gray Fog

Raze’s team descended upon the ruins of Turtle Shelter...

At this time, it was already starting to get foggy...

The air was also somewhat filled with ash, probably due to the explosions that had happened around here.

Thud!

Roan’s wings folded as the dragon landed...

Its claws scraped against the hardened soil, and soon, the group disembarked...

Fiona’s rat twitched inside the pouch at Raze’s side, whiskers trembling as if sensing something unseen.

Jude, the priest, stepped forward first.

"I’ll scan the area..."

He then raised his hand, murmuring a prayer, and a faint glow of light spread outward.

The holy aura rippled across the battlefield, brushing against invisible traces of energy...

His brow furrowed as he sensed the surroundings.

"There’s residue here... evil energy. I guess that’s really a powerful Demon. The energy still lingers, it’s faint but undeniable."

Eudora closed her eyes as well and her elven senses attuned to mana.

"This won’t take long..."

She then pressed her palm against the ground, and threads of light flickered faintly across the scorched earth.

"Mana traces," she whispered. "Scattered... They’re fragmented. It’s as if the battlefield was torn apart, and the energy was dispersed in every direction. Mhmm..."

Raze crouched, as she also studied the faint traces of energy she was sensing...

"Since they’re scattered, can you show the paths where you could sense more mana?"

"I think I can do that..."

Eudora nodded and focused.

Soon, three distinct traces of mana glowed as they revealed themselves...

The first path was a weak trail of mana. It seemed faint and broken, leading outward in a hazy line. It was unstable, as if survivors had fled, but their energy was fading.

The second path had a stronger surge of mana, concentrated and seemed to be moving... They were stretching toward the marshlands. It pulsed with power, but unfamiliar... Eudora guessed that they were likely remnants of the Dragon Army.

Then, the third path was a powerful, familiar resonance. It was not draconic or demonic. It was elven. The mana signature carried the unmistakable weight of the Legendary Elves...

"It’s similar to Elder Elandor... I knew it." Eudora muttered with a huge smile on her face!

They didn’t disappear! There were traces of them!

Raze’s grip tightened on her weapon. "So they did fight back."

Soon, Jude’s holy aura flared again, pointing toward the second path.

"The evil energy is strongest there. It’s heavy, oppressive... and demonic. Whatever came through the black hole left its mark in that direction."

Eudora guessed as much as it was the direction she suspected where the Dragon Army was.

The Demonic Being had probably targeted the Dragon Army, or perhaps, they were all in it together.

"As for the third path... I can confirm it... It’s really close to Elder Elandor and probably Elder Sylas. If they survived, their mana would resonate like this."

Raze stood as she considered what to do next...

"Alright... Let’s check the third path... Fiona, send some rats in the first and second rats..." Raze said through one of the rats.

Then, without hesitation, Fiona’s rodents moved...

There was no longer any need for digging... The previous rats had already proved that there was nothing underground.

"Fiona... Just leave a couple of your rodents to monitor this crater. Just in case." Raze muttered and of course, Fiona understood.

There was a possibility of someone returning here, and they must be kept updated just in case.

Just like that, they advanced cautiously with the rat scurrying ahead as a relay.

***

Meanwhile, Fiona was already using her rats to follow the weak mana trail...

Thanks to Eudora’s elven magic... The traces were faintly visible, but they wouldn’t last for long, so Fiona was making them hurry.

The ground bore faint impressions, almost like footsteps, but they dissolved into ash after a few hundred meters.

Fiona shook her head after seeing the dead end.

"Whoever left this... they disappeared here. If they lived, they’re far from here now."

Next, her rats moved toward the second path.

As expected, the air grew heavier and darker...

Similar to what Jude said, it seemed that this was the path the Demon had taken with the Dragon Army...

However, there was a limit to Eudora’s magic... Soon, there was only a chaotic wave of mana that stopped Fiona’s investigation...

"This is where the demon’s corruption spread. The Dragon Army’s remnants may have been consumed here if they battled."

The soil was scorched black, claw marks etched deep, but abruptly cut off... as if erased mid‑battle.

As for the third path, Fiona remained silent and continued observing Raze and the others...

After almost an hour, the traces of mana were already dissipating.

However, they had at least arrived to a specific spot where a strong mana still lingered...

"This... this is elven mana. They must’ve been here for some time!" Eudora was elated.

She could sense a strong and refined mana... She guessed that only Legendary Elves could release something like this!

The purity was impeccable! Although not as pure as the World Tree’s mana, it was still very impressive!

Raze’s heart pounded. She recognized the resonance too... She had seen the elves before, so it was familiar...

"Sylas... or Elandor."

The trail pulsed faintly, leading toward the distant hills where a huge gathering of mana could be felt... Unlike the other paths, it didn’t fade... it grew stronger the further they walked.

As a matter of fact, the trace of mana ended on that hill!

Jude’s voice was hushed. "If they survived, they may have been pulled elsewhere. This energy doesn’t feel corrupted. It feels... preserved."

Raze frowned as she looked at the hill. There was nothing there, but she felt something off.

"Let’s stay here. This is our lead. I think we should look around..."

*** 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Soon, Roan’s claws dug into the hillside as the dragon shifted uneasily.

His red scales shone brightly under the sun and Roan started twitching as though something unseen pressed against him. Raze felt it immediately... the bond between rider and dragon was more than physical.

Roan wasn’t speaking, but his emotions surged through her like a warning.

She focused her eyes at the hill.

"There’s something here... Roan feels it."

The others paused.

Jude’s holy aura spread, brushing against the invisible wall.

Eudora pressed her palm to the soil, her senses were also straining.

Then, the truth revealed itself... a dome of mana cloaked the hill, creating an illusion that made it appear empty.

"A barrier," Raze muttered with excitement. Her first thought was immediate... The Legendary Elves.

If Elandor or Sylas had survived, perhaps they would have cast this dome to shield themselves and their allies, hiding from outside harm.

Eudora’s eyes widened.

"It could be them. The resonance matches... but if it’s theirs, why haven’t they opened it? They should know we’re friendly."

That hesitation concerned them. If the barrier wasn’t elven, then whose was it? And why was it hiding survivors instead of revealing them?

Raze’s hand tightened on her weapon. "If they won’t open it, we’ll break it."

Roan growled low. The dragon then crouched as his claws flexed, ready to tear through the dome of mana protecting the top of the hill.

At the same time, Jude raised his staff, preparing to create a defensive barrier on their side to ensure that even if a monster came out, they would be prepared to protect themselves.

But before they could act, the barrier shifted.

Whom~

With a sudden ripple, the dome dissolved.

"What?"

Suddenly, a surge of gray fog spilled outward, curling across the hill!

The sight froze them in place.

"The fog..." Raze whispered, stunned by its sudden appearance.

She knew this fog very well, as she had been summoning a lot of people through the stones as well. As a matter of fact, she may have summoned more than Shane since the latter was already relying on his Territory Lord Talent that attracts survivors from the Fog.

Shane was unlike her, who would gather as many Recruitment Stones as she could to summon more talented people who could work for their shelter.

As the mist thinned, the truth emerged.

"W-wait... This is..."

Hundreds of figures lay scattered across the ground, unconscious but breathing!

"It’s them!"

Numerous survivors were there! Furthermore, they immediately saw the Super Soldiers, Knights, Monks... the entire elite unit Fiona had sent. And among them, unmistakable even in slumber, were Elandor and Sylas, the Legendary Elves!

Eudora’s voice trembled with relief. "They’re alive... all of them!"

Jude’s holy aura flared, confirming what their eyes already saw.

"Perfect! There’s no corruption. They’re unconscious, but untouched by demonic taint... I’ll help them!"

Raze exhaled in relief as she could also tell that they were just unconscious...

The gray fog had shielded them, hidden them within the barrier until now. Whatever force controlled it had chosen this moment to reveal the survivors.

She immediately guessed what had happened...

"They fought... and the fog saved them?" Raze muttered quietly.

Then, she immediately informed Shane through the chat...

But as soon as she opened the System’s Private Chat, she saw Shane’s message, and it was even more shocking!

[ Shane: Sofia... She’s the Gray Fog... ]