CHAPTER 255: MIST OF ILLUSION

A/N: I have made changes in the previous Chapter, nothing major, just a small change of [General] to [Major].

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In the deeper region of the Untamed forest, near a wide clearing that was covered in ever-changing and ever-moving mist, there stood a small temporary military base. The camp itself was quiet, but the air carried a heavy tension. Inside the central tent of that base, a meeting was currently taking place.

"We can just use LH-976 to blast that whole area," Captain Selric suggested, his tone sharp and decisive, as if he had already made up his mind.

That suggestion, however, was immediately rejected by Captain Lira. "No can do," she said firmly, her expression turning stern. "You know very well that the power behind that bomb is too much. Using it here will not just kill the monsters, it will create even more havoc and disturbance, and the surrounding space will only become more unstable."

Her words left a chill in the air, and then she asked quietly, "What will you do if more dungeons appear because of that?"

A heavy silence fell across the tent, everyone understanding the weight of her question but having no answer to give.

Captain Selric frowned deeply, his eyes narrowing in frustration. "So what do you think we should do then? Do not tell me you want to face over a thousand monsters with just the five of us and two kids."

Captain Lira gave a short, cold snort before replying. "Of course not. What I am saying is..."

What are they saying? Did we not receive instructions that only Ray and I have to clear the monsters? Are we really going to be getting help?

Ash listened in silence, his mind tangled in confusion, but he did not want to interrupt their conversation.

"...we can use the Mist as our advantage," Lira continued, her tone calm yet certain. "We can lure them out and kill them slowly, one by one. We take out the strongest first, then the next strongest, and like that we can gradually thin their numbers until all of them are cleared."

She leaned back slightly, then added with confidence, "As for the problem of finding anyone in the Mist, you can leave that to me. I can guide everyone without fail." After saying this, she shifted in her seat and turned her eyes toward the Major, silently asking for his decision.

Ash was just about to speak, thinking this was the perfect moment to raise his question, but before he could open his mouth someone else spoke up.

"Sorry for interfering in the middle of your talk," Ray said suddenly, his voice making everyone pause and look directly at him. His face was calm but his words carried a trace of doubt. "But... we were told that the two of us had to clear the monsters that were caged, without any help. It was explained clearly that this was part of our exam."

Ash let out a small sigh as he saw how the others were staring at Ray. Their expressions were not of understanding but of disbelief, as if Ray had just spoken nonsense in front of them.

They were not even informed... what exactly is the association doing..?

It was clear from their reactions that no one had told them that Ash and Ray were expected to handle this task alone.

Seeing that Ray was not getting any reply, Ash spoke in his place. "You can contact your superior and confirm it, if you do not believe us."

The Major gave both of them a deep look, his expression unreadable, but without saying anything, he began contacting his superior through his communicator.

While he was busy with that, Captain Lira, who was sitting next to Ash, leaned closer and spoke in a low voice so that only he could hear. "Tell me boy, did you two offend someone important?"

Ash looked at her, genuinely confused, and answered, "I do not think so."

"Then why were you two sent here to die? I cannot make sense of this," Lira muttered, her face showing disbelief as she leaned back in her chair and shook her head slowly.

Ash suddenly remembered something and leaned forward, his lips curling faintly as he whispered, "I suppose I did offend all seven Saints a few months ago. I even cursed them to their faces, and none of them were able to do anything about it."

Captain Lira’s face turned pale in an instant, her eyes trembling slightly as she stared at him, completely unsure if he was joking or serious. Ash, on the other hand, leaned back into his seat with a slight smile lingering on his lips.

Whether it was the truth or a lie, Lira could not tell, nor did she want to. She had no wish to be tied to someone who would dare to speak like that about the Saints in person. Even if it was not true, in her mind Ash was still a madman, because only a madman would say something like that so casually.

Captains were considered equal to Peak Expert Rank, while a Major stood on the level of a Master Rank.

Speaking of the Major, he did not look well at all. His remaining eye was wide with shock, trembling slightly as he lowered the communication device from his ear. Even his hands shook, betraying the emotions he was struggling to contain.

All the captains exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions growing heavier by the second. It was not difficult to guess the reason for their Major’s shaken state.

"It’s true," Major Draven muttered in a voice that wavered like an unsteady flame. "It’s true. The Association has ordered that both of them handle everything alone. Our job is only to make sure none of the beasts escape. Nothing more."

A silence fell across the tent, a silence thick with disbelief.

"Crazy... Crazy... everyone has gone mad. Who in their right mind sends children to their deaths? I cannot even begin to understand it," Captain Marven cursed, his tone full of suppressed anger.

The other three captains were no better. Their faces were pale, their lips pressed tightly together, and their thoughts weighed down by helplessness. For soldiers who were trained to fight and protect, being forced to merely watch was almost unbearable.

Yet Major Draven, despite his earlier trembling, seemed to regain control over himself. His years on the battlefield, the scars on his face, and the loss of his eye were proof that he had endured worse storms. With a deep breath, he steadied himself and asked, "What are both of your ranks? I can sense the mana flowing within you, but I cannot clearly discern your level of strength. Tell me, what powers do you possess?"

Ash glanced at Ray, only to find Ray staring back at him. Neither spoke for a moment. Then, almost at the same time, they turned their eyes away. Ash was the first to answer.

"I am at the Peak of Expert Rank. While he..."

Before Ash could finish, Ray’s voice cut through, calm and firm. "I am at Early Master Rank."

The revelation drew a new wave of shock from them. Wide eyes and stunned faces surrounded the two youths. Their reaction was not surprising. Hardly anyone outside their circles knew who Ash and Ray really were. Ray might have had some recognition as a rising talent, but not nearly enough for every person of the military to be familiar with him. The military, after all, was an institution that often isolated itself from outside matters, focusing solely on war and survival rather than keeping track of prodigies from academies.

Of course Ash did not say his actual Rank, just what the academy evaluation has pointed at.

It took some time before the officers could regain their composure. It was not every day one encountered two fifteen-year-old children standing at such a level.

At that age, they should have been safe at home, studying, growing, perhaps even playing like normal youths. Yet here they were, about to step into a battlefield that could claim even veterans.

When the shock finally settled, Ash raised the question that mattered most. "Can you tell me what kind of monsters are there, and everything else you know? I... We need more information."

He could feel Ray’s eyes on him as he said that, but he chose to ignore that gaze.

Major Draven, though still unsettled, carried himself with the weight of experience. His life had already been carved by battle, and while this news was disturbing, it was not enough to shatter him. Even so, there was a flicker of unease behind his steady tone.

"All the monsters are being held a few kilometers away within a space-illusion artifact," he explained. "The artifact spreads a mist across an entire region, trapping anyone who enters. Unless one is above the rank of Legendary, once you step inside, you cannot come out. However, that very artifact has started showing signs of breaking apart."

"Does that mean there is a Tyrant inside?" Ray asked sharply, his eyes narrowing.

[A/N: Tyrant - S, Lord - A (Beasts & Monsters) Legendary - S, Grandmaster - A (Humans)]

Draven shook his head, though his hesitation was noticeable. "We are not certain. The mana readings are unstable because the dungeon break only happened recently. But there is a strong possibility that the number of Beast Lords is unusually high. Otherwise, the scale of this situation does not add up."

His expression darkened as he added in a low voice, "Or maybe..."

He stopped himself, unwilling to finish the thought. No one pressed him to. There are some things that, once spoken, become true.

Time passed as Ash and Ray absorbed every detail the Major provided. Though incomplete, the information painted a dangerous picture. The military had barely managed to seal the dungeon break in time, which meant little was truly known about the creatures inside. What they did know was enough to make even seasoned soldiers wary.

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Night descended, and the pale moonlight spilled across the land like cold silver. Beneath its glow, Ash and Ray stood before the vast mist-covered region, where the illusion artifact hid countless beasts.

Major Draven accompanied them to the edge, his single eye shifting anxiously from one boy to the other. "Are you certain you will be fine?" he asked, worry dripping from his voice. He looked at Ash, then at Ray, and then back again, as though trying to memorize their faces.

"Yeah," Ray replied calmly, his voice steady. Ash only gave a firm nod, silent but resolute.

In truth, Draven’s worry grew heavier with each passing moment. Even after learning about the monsters, neither Ash nor Ray had discussed a single detail about how they would fight together. If anything, it felt as though there was a rift between them, something unspoken that kept them apart. Their silence toward each other hinted not at camaraderie but at restraint, like enemies forced to walk side by side.

That silence only deepened Draven’s unease.

Then, without another word, he watched as both Ash and Ray stepped forward. Their figures entered the mist, blurring at the edges before dissolving completely into the haze. In a blink, they were gone.

Do not die, kids...

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