Ch 22: Danger In The Shadows (2)

Even a few hours after saying their goodbyes, Emrys couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. He wondered if the strange occurrences at the mansion were somehow connected to the Gracia Family that Serafina came from. Or maybe, her sudden appearance and disappearance years ago might also be related to that mansion.

As Emrys pondered over Rohan's news about the abandoned mansion, he couldn't shake off the feeling of curiosity mixed with a hint of apprehension.

With the Moonlit Lotus Seed in hand, his original plan to refine it and advance to Bronze Soul Master was momentarily pushed aside. Instead, his thoughts were now consumed by the mystery surrounding the mansion.

He and Rohan had decided to meet tomorrow on the outskirts of the city.

Emrys decided to take a good rest today. Although he doesn't know what tomorrow holds for him, he is certain that tomorrow is going to be a tiring day.

.....

At a certain place, a team of dozen were traversing through the dense forest, continuing their exploration.

"Just what is the mystery of this mansion? How did we suddenly appear inside this forest right after entering the mansion?"

A young man in a trailblazer outfit voiced his curiosity to the people behind him.

"It is indeed very strange. I had no idea something like this could happen."

Another young man responded curiously.

This group of people were from Crystal City who entered the mansion after learning about the sudden disappearance of the Gracia Family members.

They had no idea what kind of family the Gracia Family actually was, but the reward offered by the Gracia Family to explore the mansion and bring back news about what happened to their members was generous. So, they took the risk and entered the mansion.

How could they have expected to suddenly appear in this forest right after entering the mansion?

This forest seemed to be surrounded by mysterious fog. At the same time, it appeared to be endless.

The group was fully equipped with leather armor, weapons, crossbows, antidotes, etc. Even among Bronze Soul Masters, they were top-notch experts.

Although this forest appeared to be shrouded in fogs of mystery and was dangerous with Soul Beasts lurking around, with their strength, they were still able to survive for three days straight.

Everyone's body was smeared with repellent medicines with a pungent smell, which drove away small harmful creatures such as insects and bugs as they swept away thorns and weeds with long sticks.

Some people were holding strong crossbows and keeping their guard up, ready to attack at a moment's notice if danger arose.

As darkness slowly enveloped the forest, the group found a place to spend the night.

The next day, they continued to move forward, deliberately moving toward the dense forests.

Unknown to them, deep inside the forest, a chilling roar echoed, followed by an eerie silence.

"Cough! Cough!"

A man in black coughed continuously and lifted his head, his mouth stained with fresh blood. With each cough, drops of blood fell from the corner of his mouth.

"What the hell is this forest? I'm afraid, no Bronze Soul Master can survive here. I have to escape this place and provide this information to the Federation. Compared to the reward offered by the Gracia Family, the danger here is not worth putting our lives at risk."

As he muttered, more and more blood flowed out of his injuries.

Although he was heavily injured, he seemed to have no intention of finding a safe place to recover. He was running with all his strength, appearing to be frightened after going through something horrible.

"Those bastards. How dare they plot under the nose of the Federation? I must send out this information outside. I must!"

The man muttered as his eyes flashed with a deep light of hatred.

"Cough! Cough!"

As his figure moved continuously, he soon disappeared in the distance.

Not even one minute later, the ground seemed to have started boiling as the shadow of a strange creature moved rapidly, and disappeared in the distance as well, following behind that injured man.

On the other hand, a group of a dozen people was hunting and moving inside the forest for the entire day, yet they still found no path to leave the forest.

"Everyone, look there quickly. There are high mountains ahead. Moreover, these mountains are giving me an uncanny sensation. My gut feeling is telling me to stop going ahead. That place seemed to be a bit sinister."

One of them suddenly pointed to a mountain range up ahead and poured out his inner thoughts. His heart was trembling violently from the moment his eyes fell on those mountains. His instincts were telling him to stop moving.

The group looked up and suddenly found their soul shaking. They went through the same sensation that the person earlier had experienced.

Though the mountain range was visible, it was still a long distance away.

At this moment, everyone had only one thought in their minds:

"These mountains are too dangerous. We should stop moving right here."

Everyone's mind seemed to have worked in sync. They looked at each other, their expression and the fear in their eyes were enough to understand the thoughts of each other.

In the end, everyone decided to stop moving.

Rustle! Rustle!

All of a sudden, a rustling noise came from the bushes ahead. Everyone was startled for a moment, but they reacted the next instant and put up their guards. They were alerted and were ready to attack whatever was coming for them at any moment.

"This... Who is this guy?"

"Hmm? Where did this person come from?"

"Damn this guy, he frightened me to death!"

The group was very alert when a figure suddenly jumped out of the bushes. His entire being was covered in blood and the injuries on his body seemed to be severe. If not treated immediately, he might lose his life.

However, this person appeared to have lost his reasons, he was running frantically.

"Stop right there!"

Someone from the group shouted at the person.

That bloody figure was startled for a moment and suddenly came back to his senses. He realized that a group of people were standing in front of him.

But the next moment, he recalled something and pointed at the group furiously, his body trembling heavily.

"You... You stupid bastards. What are you doing here? Why did you come here? Do you want to die? Run! Run for your life! Run if you want to live!"

He paid no attention to the group of people after saying these words and started running away once again.

The group was shocked and didn't know how to react.

However, when they could react, it was already too late.

Darkness showed over their bodies. This darkness seemed to be moving.

The group raised their heads, only to be frightened witlessly. Everyone seemed to have been petrified in their spots with fear.

Growl~

An eerie growl sounded in the air, and the next moment, a dozen thin threads shot down from the sky, piercing through their bodies, and reaching their hearts.

Before they could even react in any manner, their bodies withered visibly. In less than ten seconds, their vitality seemed to have been sucked out by a life-sucking monster and they fell to the ground lifelessly.