Chapter 150: Falkor Valley II

KREEEE—!!!!

"How long is their fight going to be?" Aurelia asked, feeling a little impatient.

She felt so because of the delays that they had been experiencing with the first being the bandits that raided the village.

They were supposed to only spend the night there, but they ended up spending two days.

Of course, she didn’t show this on the outside since she felt that such a thing couldn’t be helped and that they couldn’t just leave the villagers to fend for themselves.

But at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel restless since the task she had was something that needed to be done as fast as possible.

Regis was the only one to notice the slight impatient tone in her voice.

Therefore, after a moment, he decided to speak up, "It won’t be good if we’re stopped by something like this everytime."

"Although our safety is our priority, we must also think of the quest."

Hearing his words, Alaric nodded calmly, "I’ll follow your lead. How do you want to deal with the situation?"

Although they listened to him, he was also aware of his position when it came to it.

"Let’s not discuss anything yet. I’ll first see what’s going on outside before we decide our next course of action."

Regis spoke as he stood up carefully without making any sound.

At this moment, Killian asked, "Do you need help? I can go with you if you want..."

"There’s no need. Just stay here with Pandora and protect Alaric and Aurelia in case there’s more danger lurking in the area."

"Understood." Killian whispered while Pandora nodded in response.

Regis quickly left with little to no sound in his movement as he circulated his aura in order to lighten his footsteps.

This was one of the aura arts he had acquired in the past year: Feather Footwork.

It was a one star neutral aura art that didn’t require any kind of affinity and was also popular with hunters.

He glanced above, seeing the slight shadow casted by the sun.

’Judging by the shadows, they must be...’

Regis alertly looked around before climbing upwards the mountain wall.

The route they were going through consisted of something like a maze that was built naturally along the mountains.

This made it so that the sky could still be seen above between the high mountain walls.

When Regis reached about seventy percent of the way, he stopped and circulated his already circulating aura in a specific way.

After a short while, his pulse and breathing became nonexistent.

Another neutral aura art that he had learned in order to lower his presence for certain missions that they had done in the past: Clandestine.

Its name was quite self explanatory in a way that it helps its user move in secrecy.

Currently, Regis was using two aura arts simultaneously which was something that needed high control in aura.

It was like drawing a circle in a clockwise manner with your right hand while drawing a square in a counterclockwise manner with your left hand.

Only that what you’re controlling wasn’t your hand, but the aura flowing inside your body.

It was a skill that could only be learned by training for at least years and yet, many still chose not to learn it.

This was due to the fact that low mastery of double aura circulation would lead to a lower energy efficiency.

’The only problem is that this aura art is two star...’

Regis smiled bitterly as he swiftly moved.

Like one’s realms, aura arts and magic spells were ranked using stars.

It symbolizes the prerequisite realm needed in order to be able to comfortably use the said aura art.

Of course, it also symbolizes the aura art’s power that could be achieved.

However, it wasn’t an ironclad rule that people must follow as it was also possible to use a two star aura art while being a one star.

The only problem would be the large consumption of energy and the decrease in its power and effect.

Still, it was enough for Regis to evade the senses of the griffins.

He stealthily maneuvered his body and position himself so that only a little of his head was showing.

’What the...’ What greeted his sight made him widen his eyes in shock.

In the distance, two griffins were fighting.

Creatures with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion and the wings, front talons, and head of an eagle.

The black and white feather of the eagle part with the golden fur of the lion part was a beautiful combination.

At first, Regis felt that it was such an ugly creature when Alaric first described them.

Of course, he had also read vague descriptions of them in some fairy tale books that he had read in the past.

But the words of someone who had seen it for themselves was way more clearer.

It was also the reason why he was so shocked at the majesty that the creatures before his sight radiated.

However, he also noticed something strange as he further observed.

’He told us that griffins are creatures who often hunt in groups...’

This meant that it was unnatural for griffins to be fighting with one another, making the scene even more confusing for Regis.

"Wait, is that..." He soon noticed that something was wrong.

Regis could see a faint black miasma coming out from one of the griffins, sensing it to be somewhat familiar.

Added to the fact that there was a prominent red glow in its eyes, it didn’t take long before his pupils constricted as he realized something.

’This feeling, I can’t be mistaken... It can only be demonic power...’

Something that he was all too familiar with.

Remembering Alaric’s comment back then about them considering demons to be a potential danger, he now had a deeper understanding of what was happening.

’Things might get complicated if I stay here, I should go back first...’ Regis decided, afraid to be caught up in the fight between them.

After all, even if he was confident that he would be able to kill the griffins, what might follow after was not something he was prepared for.

Added to the fact that griffins live in groups, they were also extremely territorial.

"What happened?"

Aurelia asked curiously as soon as she saw Regis’s figure.

Pandora who still had her mana barrier up and Killian who was enhancing his senses with aura, also turned their heads.

They also became quite curious upon seeing Regis’s serious expression.

"We must be extra careful from now on. The creatures that were fighting outside were two griffins."

"What? Isn’t that highly unlikely though?" Killian replied in surprise.

It was not only him, the others also had surprised expressions on their faces as they all knew information about griffins.

Alaric also raised his brow, "What do you mean?"

"I think that there’s a high chance that the other griffin has been demonized due to some special characteristics it was emanating."

Regis’s words made the priest think deeply for a moment, "Are those perhaps a black miasma or red glowing eyes?"

The former nodded, "Exactly."

Pandora, Killian, and Aurelia attentively listened in on the two’s conversation.

"Is that so..." Alaric seemed to have been thinking of something as he had his chin propped up on his hand.

Seeing this, Regis asked further, "What do you think?"

"Demonization always happens spontaneously with little to no chance of predicting its occurrence."

"It’s also something that could affect almost every creature in this world, so it isn’t strange that the griffin has been demonized..."

Alaric spoke calmly with a serious expression on his face.

At this moment, Killian chimed in, "Does this mean that there are possibly people of the demonic faction who demonized the griffin?"

"Well, it could be..." Alaric then looked at them and asked, "What do you think is the cause of a creature’s demonization?"

"I think it means that there’s someone who deliberately demonizes them..."

"Maybe they just happen randomly?"

Killian and Pandora both spoke out their thoughts after a moment.

Alaric looked at Pandora, "You think that they happen randomly? Can you explain why you think so?"

"It’s just something that I read from a book back in the fortress..." Pandora thought for a moment before continuing, "It’s a book that tackles the different phenomena in the world."

"Of course, it was a book that contained purely theoretical knowledge. However, it also states information from different perspectives."

"And one such information that I have read from it was about demonic power."

Pandora then continued as she glanced back at the priest, "The book stated that demonic power may come from different sources including but not limited to the negative emotions of people..."

"Hmmm..." Alaric had a look of deep thought on his face as he listened to her explanation.

Then, after a moment, he spoke, "Although it is still missing a few things, it’s already in the right direction."