Legendary Extraction: Kingdom Builder in a Ruined World-Chapter 39: Dealing With The Arcane Threat.

"I found her." freeweɓnøvel~com

A smile immediately spread across Elias’ face the moment Garrett said those words. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes lighting up as he asked, "Really?"

Garrett nodded, his expression serious. "Yes."

Elias’ smile grew wider. "Finally."

For days, he had been restless. Ever since he heard about the Arcane Race member possessing a female human warrior somewhere inside Embergrove Forest, his mind hadn’t been at ease. The thought of something that dangerous lurking close to his territory had made it impossible to relax.

The dome was still holding, keeping threats out for now—but it wouldn’t last forever. Eventually, it would fall. And when it did, Elias’ territory would be left wide open. With that creature nearby, the danger was far too great to ignore.

What troubled him most wasn’t just the arcane being’s strength, but its nature—its power to split and possess others. An enemy that couldn’t be seen, one that could move from body to body without warning, one whose very existence meant fear, suspicion, and infiltration... That was the kind of threat Elias feared the most.

He had spent the past days thinking of ways to handle it. But before he could make any real move, he needed more information. Most importantly, he needed to find her.

That was where Garrett came in.

Garrett might not have been the strongest, but when it came to stealth, no one was better. While Vael’s ability was powerful, it only worked at night. Garrett’s, on the other hand, worked at any time—day or night. His concealment was so good that detecting him required an extremely high level of perception, something very few people had. Garrett was perfect for scouting.

Well... perfect for most people. Elias was the exception. Thanks to his system, he could still sense Garrett even when the young man was fully hidden. Still, when it came to the arcane member or others out there, Garrett’s skill was more than enough.

Elias’ smile faded slightly as he straightened and grew serious. "Tell me what happened."

Garrett nodded firmly, then began his report.

"It started like usual," he said. "I moved carefully, just like you instructed—making sure I didn’t leave any trace behind. Then I heard a sound—a fight."

He paused briefly, recalling the memory.

"I followed the noise and climbed into a tree to get a better view. That’s when I saw her. I couldn’t see her face clearly, but her build and movements—there’s no doubt. It was her. And she was fighting a Spikedtail Snake."

Elias raised his brows slightly at that.

"As you told me, I didn’t stay long. I didn’t wait for the fight to end. I turned back right away and came to report."

Elias gave a nod, pleased. "You did well."

Still, caution couldn’t be ignored—not with what they were dealing with. Without a word, Elias called on his system to scan Garrett, checking if his soul had been corrupted.

A brief pause followed before the system responded, confirming that Garrett was clean—no signs of possession.

Elias let out a quiet breath, a faint smile returning to his lips. "Good."

Even though he trusted Garrett, there was no room for error. Since learning about the arcane being’s power to possess others, Elias had made it a rule to scan everyone who returned from outside the dome.

With that settled, Elias turned back to Garrett. "Go bring Brady."

Garrett gave a quick bow and vanished from sight.

He returned not long after, this time with a tall, broad-shouldered man in his mid-thirties. Brady. The same man who had spoken for the group last time during the gathering.

Brady was the strongest among them and a natural leader. The group respected him, listened to him. In fact, in the territory, he was the one people obeyed after Elias.

He stepped forward and gave a respectful bow. "Lord Elias."

Elias smiled and nodded. "Brady. I’m heading out with Vael. We might be gone for a while."

Brady’s eyes narrowed slightly in concern, but he didn’t question it. Seeing Garrett standing ready beside Elias was enough of a clue.

Elias continued, "While I’m gone, I need you to take charge. Keep everything in order."

Brady gave a firm nod. "You have my word. I’ll make sure everything runs smoothly until you return."

"Good," Elias said, satisfied. "That’s all I ask."

With that, he stood up from the bench. Sensing his intent, Vael silently appeared from the corner of the house and came to stand beside him. At the same time, Elias willed for the undead dire wolf. Just a moment later, the beast—who usually lay motionless outside the storey building unless commanded—stirred. Its lifeless green eyes flickered faintly with energy as it slowly rose.

Everything was ready.

With Garrett leading the way, the small group departed, stepping beyond the dome and into the depths of the Embergrove Forest.

---

They moved swiftly into the forest, going deeper and deeper—farther than Elias had ever ventured before.

As they advanced, the forest grew thicker. The deeper zones of Embergrove were known for being filled with dangerous creatures, so it didn’t take long before the group attracted unwanted attention.

Several beasts tried to ambush them, launching sudden attacks from the dense foliage. But they weren’t much of a threat. Vael and the dire wolf handled them with ease. Elias and Garrett didn’t even need to raise a hand. After the short clash, the group resumed their march without slowing down.

Eventually, Garrett came to a stop and raised a hand to signal them.

He pointed ahead. "This is the place," he said. "She was fighting right there."

Elias stepped forward, his gaze sharp. His brows furrowed as he took in the scene.

The area clearly showed signs of a recent battle. Several trees were slashed, and the forest floor was cracked and torn in places. Dark patches, most likely caused by the venom of a Spikedtail Snake, dotted the ground. It was exactly as Garrett had described.

But something was odd.

There was no blood. No corpse.

Elias found that strange, but he didn’t dwell on it for too long. He gave Garrett a nod. "You did well again. Go. Return to the territory. We’ll take it from here."

Garrett gave a short bow and quickly vanished into the forest, moving with smooth, practiced steps. There was no reason for him to stay—he had once seen that woman fight back when he was still enslaved under Kael and Veran’s caravan. He knew his limits. This wasn’t a fight he could be part of.

Once Garrett was gone, Elias turned back to the battlefield.

It was still fresh. The fight couldn’t have ended more than a few minutes ago.

"She can’t have gone far," Elias muttered, glancing at Vael.

"Let’s search the perimeter," he ordered.

"Yes, Master," Vael replied, already fading into the treeline.

Elias dashed in the opposite direction, his senses heightened, and his system radar active. Both of them scanned the surroundings at high speed, moving between trees, checking for any sign of movement or presence.

But there was nothing.

After several minutes of searching, they returned to the battlefield. Still no trail. No sign of blood. No body. Not even a direction the woman might have gone.

Elias frowned deeply, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Did she sense Garrett earlier? Did she retreat before the battle ended? Is that why the scene looked incomplete—like something had interrupted the final blow?

Before he could piece it all together, he heard a sudden snap above him.

Then Vael’s voice rang out sharply.

"MASTER, ABOVE YOU!"

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