Chapter 32: A New Tail

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: A New Tail

Far outside Tempest Hollow, however, things were far less peaceful.

The situation had already reached Haven’s Edge City.

Representatives from multiple noble families had gathered near the entrance of the distorted zone.

Tension filled the atmosphere.

Several rescue teams had already entered and returned.

Some brought survivors.

Others brought bodies.

Neither outcome made anyone happy.

A middle-aged noble slammed his hand against a table.

"You called this a beginner exploration mission?"

His voice echoed through the command tent.

Several others immediately joined in.

"The reports were wrong."

"The danger assessment was wrong."

"We lost too many people."

"Someone needs to answer for this."

Arguments erupted from every direction.

No one wanted responsibility.

Everyone wanted someone to blame.

Meanwhile, military personnel and experienced Elemental Users continued organizing rescue operations.

Fresh teams entered Tempest Hollow every few hours.

The casualty reports kept growing.

And with every report, the atmosphere became heavier.

Because those who died weren’t ordinary citizens.

They were newly awakened talents.

Future soldiers.

Future hunters.

Future protectors of the city.

Every loss weakened the future strength of their cities.

That alone was enough to make the families furious.

Then there were the survivors.

Most returned badly injured.

Some missing limbs.

Others mentally broken after experiencing the horrors inside Tempest Hollow.

Even those who survived would need months to recover.

Yet despite all this...

Nobody wanted to leave.

Because alongside the danger came opportunity.

The reports were becoming increasingly clear.

Tempest Hollow was changing.

Growing.

Evolving.

What should have been a relatively stable zone was now producing abnormal numbers of powerful beasts.

C-rank monsters had appeared in large groups.

Several B-rank beast sightings had already been confirmed near the deeper regions.

This wasn’t normal.

Not even close.

Which meant something was causing it.

Something valuable.

Resources.

Treasures.

Perhaps even a newly forming elemental vein.

Whatever it was, every family wanted a share.

A white-haired elder from the Calloway Family narrowed his eyes.

"The deeper regions are definitely hiding something."

Several others nodded.

Nobody disagreed.

If Tempest Hollow was growing this rapidly, then there had to be a reason.

And whatever that reason was...

It would be worth a fortune.

Perhaps even enough to change the balance of power between families.

Naturally, no one intended to miss that opportunity.

The Calloways certainly didn’t.

Although their biggest concern remained elsewhere.

Kane was still missing.

So were several other talented heirs.

Including the Lightning Rabbit contractor.

And the Lightning Goat contractor.

Their fate remained unknown.

As for Damon...

Most people had already written him off as dead.

A failed awakener.

Lost somewhere inside a distorted zone gone wrong.

Nobody expected him to return.

Nobody was looking for him.

And if they could see him now...

Walking deeper into Tempest Hollow while casually dragging the corpse of another Aether Beast behind him...

They would probably think they were dreaming.

*****

Back inside the distorted zone.

Damon sneezed.

"Huh."

Freya tilted her head.

"Someone’s definitely talking about me."

The fox rolled her eyes.

Damon grinned.

"Probably saying nice things."

Freya immediately looked away.

Neither of them believed that.

Then together, they continued deeper into the roaring winds of Tempest Hollow.

Completely unaware that the true heart of the distorted zone was finally getting close.

Another battle came to an end.

Damon slowly pulled his knife free from the body of the beast before taking a long breath.

His chest rose and fell heavily.

"That one almost got me."

Beside him, Freya landed lightly on the ground, her fur slightly messy and her breathing a little heavier than usual.

Yip.

Damon smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. You had it rough too."

The little fox snorted proudly and jumped onto his shoulder.

Unlike before, neither of them could deal with the stronger C rank beasts casually anymore.

The enemies they encountered now were far tougher.

Freya’s afterimages could no longer finish battles by themselves.

Sometimes she had to personally step in, and even Damon found himself relying on her more often.

Still, they always came out victorious.

That alone was enough.

After collecting the loot, Damon found a safe area between several large rocks.

"Let’s rest."

Freya immediately agreed.

Her body vanished into the second core, while one afterimage remained outside to keep watch.

The little fox had long gotten used to their routine.

Truthfully, she had grown fond of the second core.

It was comfortable and warm.

And it carried Damon’s presence.

But no matter how much she liked it, it could never replace her favorite spot.

His arms.

Meanwhile, Damon crossed his legs and entered meditation.

The white core slowly rotated.

His Aether veins had been tempered through countless battles and days of cultivation.

Compared to before, his recovery speed had improved tremendously.

A few hours were enough to refill what once took him an entire night.

As Aether flowed into his body, Damon naturally fed a portion of it into the second core.

It had become second nature.

Something they did every day.

And through their connection, he could clearly feel Freya’s emotions.

Comfort.

Satisfaction.

Happiness.

Then...

Something felt different.

Damon opened his eyes.

"Hm?"

Through their bond, he felt excitement.

No.

More than that.

Joy.

Pure joy.

Freya practically exploded with happiness.

Before Damon could understand what was happening, the fox suddenly came out.

And he froze.

"...Freya?"

The little fox tilted her head proudly.

Yip?

Damon blinked twice.

Then he burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! No way!"

Freya had grown.

Not by much.

She was slightly bigger now, and her silver fur looked even more beautiful than before. Every strand almost seemed to glow beneath the unstable winds around them.

But what caught his eyes wasn’t her size.

It was behind her.

Four tails.

Not three anymore.

Four.

The new tail swayed proudly behind her while arcs of silver lightning danced around her body.

Freya herself seemed delighted.

She jumped into his arms and rubbed her head against his chest.

Yip! Yip!

"Alright, alright. I see it."

Damon chuckled and scratched her ears.

"You’ve become even prettier."