Chapter 259 – Heart

Chapter 259

As pale gray particles drifted through the air after the sound of the explosion was swallowed by the silence of the night, Zavi finally turned halfway around, allowing the figure of the fox in the courtyard of the abandoned house to disappear in an instant.

"Phew, was that a little too much?" Zavi asked, seeking immediate confirmation from the person accompanying him in the middle of the forest.

Aaron sighed, then turned around and said rather apathetically, "No. But how did you do that?"

Zavi wanted to evade the question, but after giving it some thought, he realized there was no point in hiding the truth from Aaron. After all, Aaron was one of the people who had stayed by his side ever since their first meeting.

Even so, Zavi was well aware that Zuhen was the one who had taught him to keep moving forward and survive amid the dangers of the supernatural world.

Just like the method he had used to erase his traces earlier, Zavi had only learned this important information yesterday afternoon. To be honest, he had no idea that a Receiver could be tracked by others of the same kind, or even by Hollows, through the remnants of spirituality left behind by a fallen individual.

To erase the remnants of his fallen body's spirituality, Zavi had no choice but to blow up the abandoned house, which was surrounded by towering oak trees and swallowed by endless darkness.

However, the word "blow up" was not quite appropriate when a certain fact struck them, especially since Aaron only realized it after the white smoke slowly dissipated, leaving behind transparent blue flames floating in the air.

Aaron abandoned his intention to turn away and took one last look at the scene before taking several steps forward.

"Actitus, what on earth is this?" he asked seriously.

'I don't know this method. Even after spending roughly ten years traversing the supernatural world, I have never seen anyone erase their traces using a method this simple.'

Although Aaron could erase the spiritual traces left behind by his fallen body, the methods he used to conceal his presence whenever he left a place were often rather inefficient.

After all, one of the requirements for maximizing the removal of such traces was to use the spirituality of a "demon" and "Extraction" without making even the slightest mistake.

Zavi merely shrugged and remained silent for a few seconds. Then, without hesitation, he created a clone of himself and instructed it to step forward before placing its cold palm on Aaron's shoulder.

"What is this?" Aaron muttered, asking for an explanation behind the action.

"I know you're still keeping this secret from them, right?"

The clone smiled according to Zavi's instructions before disappearing as the sound of a clap came from behind him.

"It's simple. Let me teach you, but we'd better get moving before something bad happens," Zavi said as he started walking, clearly unable to stand the atmosphere around them any longer.

Aaron nodded, becoming both their guide and a student who listened to his teacher's explanation with great enthusiasm.

...

Far from that place, in the western part of Semilir City, where lush trees stretched as far as the eye could see, black smoke and mist spread in every direction.

The remnants of supernatural abilities left behind by the battle were suffocating in the air, yet not a single person had lost their life in the fierce confrontation.

Moreover, the surrounding area had suffered almost no damage, despite neither side holding back and both fighting with their full strength.

"Don't mess with me, brat!" said an old man with a long white beard, struggling to hold back his urge to spit.

"...So, old man with that beard hanging down to your chest. Could you tell me where you're keeping that item?" asked one of the people interrogating him in an exceptionally calm voice.

"What item, huh?" Despite being cornered, the old man had absolutely no idea what it meant to surrender.

"Your creature is gone, and you'll soon fall asleep, or worse, die if you don't hand over that item," one of them said.

After giving the old man some time to think, only for it to prove futile, the rather apathetic voice added:

"What's more, your companions will die from that black smoke, you know!"

The old man with the white beard lowered his gaze, his heart trembling as the threat sent chills running through his entire body.

And just what kind of ability was that, anyway?

That was what the bearded man thought as several people stood surrounding him, relentlessly intimidating him and repeatedly hurling threats his way.

"Still not going to open your mouth?" one of the men grumbled in frustration.

One of them, Ren, finally glanced deep into his own black smoke and realized that they were running out of time.

"They're coming!" he said, glancing at the others.

They gave a slight nod, then turned around and narrowed their eyes, trying to peer through the depths of the black smoke and the dense mist that refused to merge with it.

"Are you all right after that fight?" Narissa asked anxiously, directing her question at Elmer.

"Don't worry about me. Although I nearly failed, I managed to execute that technique at the very last second," Elmer replied, glancing at the troublesome old man.

A Receiver from Supreme Mist, at the third level, Magus.

Within an underworld group known as "The Devil is here", Elmer Michelle was the only person capable of engaging in close-quarters combat, creating favorable conditions for his companions, most of whom possessed long-range abilities.

In short, he was like a walking hospital, as well as an impenetrable defense.

Even so, Elmer admitted that after ascending to the third level, Magus, the spirituality within his body had surged so drastically that he had nearly lost his balance.

However, with the help of Veranica Holdun, Elmer had finally managed to regain control of himself and prevent the ancient power from making him lose control.

One important thing Elmer still remembered from the level-up ritual two years ago, which had coincided with Karlvalhan Vairanz's plan to infiltrate the Finiscya sect, was that the ancient entity behind his supernatural abilities would never allow a human like him to usurp its throne.

Knowing this, Elmer had no choice but to remain vigilant against the dangers that constantly lurked around him.

'That mist is getting thinner. Will their companions arrive soon? They... Are they messengers from that sect?'

Realizing what he had just done, Elmer immediately glanced backward, his guard raised. Their gazes met. The old man, who had initially looked terrified, was now smiling as though he were certain his plan had succeeded.

"Ren," Elmer said as he opened his clenched fist.

Ren, understanding what he meant, immediately withdrew his black smoke. As the black smoke was withdrawn, the not-so-thick white fog that had previously filled the area faded at a constant rate.

"What about this one?" Elmer said, revealing something resembling a slaughterhouse straight out of a movie.

The man was dumbfounded, nearly losing his sanity as his gaze remained fixed on the horrifying sight spread out not far in front of the six people standing before him.

It was an image of his companions. Each of them was floating with both arms outstretched and their bodies held perfectly upright, while their consciousness had already faded away.

"What exactly did you do?" the man asked, his tone carrying a mixture of anger and regret.

Rather than answering his question, the six people finally began walking away, leaving the man alone in the middle of the forest.

Then, a whisper was heard as the man lifted his head for the last time as the white mist covered part of his body.

"Didn't you find it?" Narissa asked quietly.

"Too bad, but I'll look elsewhere," Elmer replied, rubbing his nose.

"So, where are we going after this?" Ren asked in a somewhat apathetic tone.

"Of course I'm going home," Karl replied, patting his shoulder and giggling.

...

On the same day, in Makoli City, Verce, along Dahsu Street.

A man with several strands of hair hanging over his face was reflecting on his fate over the past few months.

In a spacious park, he sat there alone, as though even ghosts had become witnesses to the heavy burden he carried.

He was Sodet.

After joining Albert and the others, his goal had been to complete this job as quickly as possible. However, there was one problem that had continued to trouble his mind ever since.

Albert's younger sister.

Ever since the first time he met her, the emptiness in Sodet's heart had gradually been filled by a faint glimmer of hope, something that even Sodet himself still couldn't understand.

'To be honest, I don't even dare to bring it up. She's somewhat like the woman I once saw back then. Whether it's a coincidence or not, there's one thing I know for certain. Should I ask her about it directly?'

Meanwhile, from a distance, Luke and Feyne were watching his every move, no matter how insignificant his actions might have been.

"What's wrong with that man?" Feyne asked suspiciously.

Luke chuckled inwardly.

'Actually, he spends time alone there at least once a week. I want to see how long he'll keep putting up with all that, especially when his job is still unfinished and the threat continues to loom over him.'

After considering the various possibilities, Luke shook his head and gestured to his companion to leave Sodet alone.

Having waited for this opportunity, Sodet finally put his plan into action by first leaving the park and entering a room.

Although it was already getting dark, he had no choice but to go through with everything. Inside the dimly lit room, his nearly soundless footsteps led him to his intended destination, where a work desk stood.

On it was a telephone, a device that allowed someone to contact a distant number simply by dialing it.

After doing what needed to be done, Sodet quietly picked up the receiver and held it against his ear. Having observed the device for quite some time, Sodet covered the lower part of the telephone to prevent his voice from escaping the room.

Click...

A moment later, the call connected to the intended number.

"What is it?" a tired voice asked from the other end of the line.

Sodet hesitated for a moment. Then, two seconds later, he finally responded with a question. "Do you know where you put the item I entrusted to you back then?"

Still drowsy, the person on the other end hurriedly rubbed his eyes and straightened up.

"Hey, don't tell me you're talking about that sapphire ring from back then?"

"Yes," Sodet answered confidently.

"Wait, is this the number of the person who captured you?"

"Of course," Sodet replied. "Stop wasting time. That man might come here at any moment."

Not long afterward, the sound of footsteps could be heard for several seconds before fading into silence.

This made Sodet hold his breath as he considered ending the call.

"You idiot! I'll contact you another time," Sodet grumbled as he placed the receiver back in its cradle.

As the footsteps drew closer, the door opened, revealing a silhouette standing upright in the doorway.

Sensing that something was amiss, the woman, who served as a maid in the mansion, stepped forward to satisfy her curiosity.

"Am I just imagining things?" the maid whispered, her voice barely audible.

After confirming that everything was safe and under control, Sodet hurriedly made his way out through the window, moving with extreme caution to avoid being noticed.

And from that night onward, something that had long remained hidden would eventually come to light at the right moment, before it was too late.