Chapter 156: Into the Tempest

Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Into the Tempest

With the Zone Heart stabilized, the elemental users around Frostveil had become much more active. Many who had previously avoided the zone were now venturing deeper into it to hunt beasts, gather resources, and cultivate.

The rich Ice Elemental Aether made it an excellent place to improve one’s strength, and the recent changes had given them more confidence to explore.

As Damon and Caelia traveled through the zone, they encountered several groups of elemental users. Some were hunting nearby beasts, while others were collecting resources from the frozen landscape.

A few even stopped to look at the group as they passed.

However, Damon and Caelia didn’t slow down.

Whenever beasts appeared along their route, Shiro and Snow handled them without much difficulty. The two Ice Elementals had grown considerably after the events surrounding the Zone Heart, and they were eager to put their improved strength to use.

Damon allowed them to take care of the encounters while he and Caelia continued forward.

There was no reason to waste time on opponents they could easily handle.

Their destination wasn’t Frostveil Expanse this time.

They were heading toward the passage that connected it to Tempest Hollow.

As they approached, the changes became more noticeable.

Unstable Aether seeped through the passage in irregular waves, carrying traces of both Lightning and Wind Elemental essence. The energy spread across the surrounding area before slowly fading, only to return again a few moments later.

Damon narrowed his eyes.

The mutation had grown worse.

Even the Aether around the passage felt more chaotic than before. The ground was covered in cracks, and strange patches of elemental energy flickered across the nearby rocks.

Caelia slowed down as they drew closer.

"This is much worse than I expected."

Damon glanced at her.

She was looking toward the passage, her expression tense.

Caelia had faced dangerous beasts and fought through the mutation in Frostveil, but she had never been to Tempest Hollow. She didn’t know what awaited them on the other side, and the unstable energy leaking from the passage was already enough to make her uneasy.

From what she could sense, Tempest Hollow would be far more dangerous than Frostveil had been.

Damon noticed her expression and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a light pat.

"Don’t worry. We’ll be fine."

Caelia looked at him.

Damon smiled. "You have me, don’t you?"

Her cheeks warmed slightly.

She hadn’t expected him to notice her uneasiness so easily. Still, his calm expression helped settle her nerves.

"...I know."

She gave a small nod, then took a breath and steadied herself.

Damon withdrew his hand and looked toward the passage.

"Everyone, stay close. We’re moving through."

Freya’s silver lightning flickered around him, while Sylphie spread her wings. Shiro and Snow moved closer to Caelia, ready to respond if anything went wrong.

With everyone prepared, Damon led the group into the passage.

The moment they crossed to the other side, the difference was immediate.

A heavy pressure descended on them, and the unstable Aether rushed against their bodies. It was so dense that breathing felt difficult, as though the air itself had become thick and oppressive.

Damon’s expression changed.

He had returned to Tempest Hollow.

Yet the place before him was nothing like the one he remembered.

Even Freya and Sylphie, who were familiar with the zone, seemed unsettled. Their senses were picking up far more chaotic energy than before, and neither of them had expected the situation to deteriorate this badly.

The unstable Aether was everywhere.

Lightning flashed across the distant sky, splitting the dark clouds with violent bursts of light. Strong winds swept through the landscape without warning, tearing across the ground and carrying debris into the air.

At times, the lightning and wind collided, creating violent bursts of elemental energy that spread across the zone.

Unlike Frostveil, where the cold and ice had shaped most of the environment, Tempest Hollow was constantly changing.

The ground trembled beneath their feet as distant thunder rolled through the area. Jagged bolts of lightning struck the earth, leaving scorched marks behind, while powerful gusts twisted through the air and swept away anything that couldn’t withstand them.

It was a natural disaster that never truly ended.

Caelia struggled to adjust to the pressure. Shiro and Snow were also affected, as neither had experienced an environment this chaotic before.

Damon quickly turned toward Sylphie.

"Sylphie, help us stabilize our surroundings."

Sylphie responded immediately.

A gentle breeze spread from her body, forming a thin layer of wind around the group. It wasn’t strong enough to block the entire environment, but it helped separate them from the worst of the unstable atmosphere.

The pressure eased, and the group was finally able to breathe more comfortably.

Caelia let out a quiet breath.

"That feels much better."

"Stay within Sylphie’s protection," Damon advised. "The Aether here is too chaotic. We don’t want it interfering with our bodies while we’re moving."

Caelia nodded.

Damon looked toward Sylphie, who was maintaining the protective layer with ease.

"Keep it up. Let me know if you sense anything unusual."

Sylphie gave a small cry and continued hovering nearby.

With the group adjusted to the environment, Damon finally had the chance to assess their situation.

His expression remained serious as he looked across the storm-covered landscape.

Tempest Hollow had deteriorated far beyond what he had expected. If the representatives’ words were accurate, the situation outside the zone was likely just as bad.

The beasts would have been pushed toward the human settlements as the mutation spread. The same thing had happened to Winterbourne Mansion, and Tempest Hollow had already been suffering from the problem for much longer.

Damon wondered how the battle was going.

The representatives had mentioned that their defenses were collapsing and that they were losing people too quickly. If the beasts had already breached their outer defenses, the situation could be even worse than they had described.

He glanced at Caelia.

"We should check what’s happening outside the zone."

She looked at him. "You want to leave the Zone Heart for later?"

"Yes. There’s no point rushing toward it if the situation outside is already out of control."